SESSION 19: THE HORROR AT MACDOUGAL CAVE
General Summary
Previous Session: SESSION 18: OUT OF THE SCARY PLACE
Next Session: SESSION 20: BETWEEN TWO RIVERS
Players: (The Heroes of St. Louis): Lex Garridan, Linda, Mister Man, Zero
*May 24th, 2317*
(Adventure Day 30)
The group were in St. Petersburg, standing over Sam Sawyer's hidden safe, his disturbing journal documenting his journey to the South Pacific. There he was given the manuscript to an otherworldly drama, but there was no such text in the safe. They had a bad feeling about the nature of this play, and set out to learn more.
They headed to the local tavern, but were halted along the way by a familiar face. Mouse was confused and disoriented, apparently suffering from some kind of amnesia. He reported remembering the journey from Gravestone toward Emancipation, but only until they reached the crashed vertibird and Yao Guai at the Radstag Willows. He didn't recall telling them he was going to the Candlewood Suites, leaving, or what he had been doing for the past 4 days. They decided they needed a drink.
The tavern had a bartender and a single patron, Muff Potter. The group went in a corner and talked. Lex was angry that Mouse had apparently sabotaged the Earth Anchor station (Mouse had dreamed of burying something there, and the group discovered that a buried magnet was interfering with the station's antenna [an antenna being used by the Enclave.]) Mouse was disturbed by the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel's occupation of Emancipation and Dr. Harding's experiments on Linda. He hesitantly relayed his only memory from the past 4 days. He vaguely recalled walking away from a human body as he was crossing a bridge. The party were alarmed, again worried that Mouse was a Synth under the control of The Institute.
Following Mouse's story about a bridge, the group headed across the bridge at St. Petersburg. As they reached the far side, Mouse began to recognize the terrain. This was definitely where he had been. He pointed to the general area where he had seen a body. Mister Man scanned the area thoroughly. There was an impression in the dust and undergrowth the size and shape of an adult human, but there was no blood or other evidence. Mouse's tracking skills found tire tracks. A motorcycle had ridden in from the west, stopped here and then was walked northward. The group was suspicious, but the scene gave little information.
They returned to the tavern asked Muff Potter what he knew about Sam Sawyer, and he nervously disclosed that when Sawyer returned from his adventure a week ago, he was boasting about having the greatest play ever written. His best friend Tom Blankenship had been driven mad from the pain of radiation poisoning and Sawyer had hired a nurse to care for Tom. Children were afraid of Tom and came to calling the home the "Haunted House." Three days ago, Sam's friend Joe Harper was seen running out of the Sawyer House, screaming for help. Sawyer chased after, looking insane. Many in the town saw Sawyer assault Harper, biting him viciously on the shoulder. Brotherhood of Steel soldiers ordered Sawyer to stop, but he thrashed around insanely. The soldiers shot him many times with laser rifles, driving him into the old tannery. There it was said Sawyer was killed.
The group were disturbed and thought it was important to speak to nurse at the haunted house. Paul Winthrop turned out to be a amiable gentleman who invited them in. Paul claimed to be a contractor from the Nursing Solutions Service in Chicago. Linda noticed that Paul's medical bag looked more like Lex's multi-tool for mechanical repairs, and pointed this out. Paul was unphased, explaining that he had once trained as a scribe with the Brotherhood of Steel, but he left to become a nurse. He was still interested in science and wanted any information they had on the Sawyer situation. Paul affirmed everything Muff Potter had claimed.
He elaborated that Tom Blankenship had fallen overboard while Sawyer's expedition was sailing. The radiation poisoning had been too much pain for the man to handle. Tom was now insane with trauma and needed constant care. Paul and Tom had been in Gamma Town when Sawyer had attacked Joe Harper, as Tom needed regular treatments at the hospital there. Upon returning, the Brotherhood had taken Tom to the town jail. Now Paul had a big house, paid for by Sawyer, but with nothing to do. He would return to Chicago soon. Since he had four free rooms, he offered to host the party for the night. They agreed, but wanted to do more investigation first.
It was early in the evening and they found Joe Harper at his house. The man was a friendly gentleman who invited them in. Joe was as nervous as Potter, but eventually told his story. After arriving, Sawyer hadn't spoken to anyone in days. Joe had come to check on Sam and his wife Amy, but no one answered the door.
Entering the house, Joe discovered Amy's body on the living room floor, dead for days and partially eaten. Sam had run down the stairs and assaulted him, chasing him into the street and biting him. The Brotherhood garrison had shot Sawyer and cornered him in the tannery. They thanked Joe for his information and left.
Noting that neither Potter nor Harper had actually seen Sawyer die, the group was suspicious. They decided to examine the town's graveyard. They found a mundane cemetery, generations of townsfolk being buried with their ancestors. There was only one fresh grave, marked with a headstone that read, "Amy Lawrence Sawyer 2286-2317." Zero was certain that they could learn more by digging up the corpse, and the others reluctantly agreed. Under the cover of darkness, they used the graveyard's tools to disinter Amy. They found her in a plain Brotherhood of Steel coffin, a "can," buried in the torn clothes she died in. She had died of a broken neck and her body had been eaten, great bites torn out of her by a human mouth. They were disturbed and even more suspicious that Sam Sawyer's body was not in the graveyard. After returning Amy to her rest, they decided to stay the night at the Haunted House.
Paul Winthrop welcomed them back and sat with them for an nightcap. Linda spoke to Paul about the Children of Atom and he listened with interest. Linda offered Paul the opportunity to borrow her most prized possession, the Children of Atom booklet she had received at the Altar of Atom in Emancipation. Paul said he would read it that night and promised to leave it on the coffee table by morning. Zero and Paul talked about politics, specifically if it was right for the Midwest Brotherhood to invoke martial law. Paul expressed that he felt that this action was an overreach of their power, but noted that the international situation was very tense. He asked the group that if Caesar's Legion invaded Dixie again, should the Midwest Brotherhood come to Dixie's aid? The group was unsure, and Zero remarked that he'd like to visit Dixie someday. Going to bed, Mister Man's sensors picked up that in his room Paul was writing something. He then opened a safe and put an object inside before going to bed.
*May 25th, 2317*
(Adventure Day 31)
In the morning, they discovered Paul had left early, Linda's pamphlet carefully placed on the coffee table with a glass of water and a fresh mutfruit. Searching his room, they discovered a small 10-inch safe hidden in Paul's nightstand. Cracking it, they discovered a small book hand written in a strange code and a portable radio-telegraph. Mister Man scanned the pages of the book into his memory and they returned the items.
Suspecting that Sawyer might be secretly held in the town jail, the group headed there. They found two Brotherhood knights manning the building. They were allowed to see Tom Blankenship, who they were worried might become violent like Sawyer. The jail cells were empty except for Blankenship - no Sawyer. Tom was filled with an otherworldly frenzy. He repeated the story of the South Pacific islanders and their pact with undersea powers who protected them from nuclear apocalypse in exchange for blood sacrifice. They had given Sam the manuscript to a play as a gift. According to Tom, Sam had succumbed to the temptation of the play, looking to, "Take the throne of all reality for himself." The party were disturbed and left Tom to his deranged rambling.
Looking to investigate the whole town, they passed by the Douglas House, where Mrs. Douglas and Mrs. Harper were on their porch, knitting. Mrs. Douglas noticed Linda's baseball bat and remarked that she would be a great baseball player. She remarked that in the village of Silence, they played a baseball game every weekday.
They next visited the Thatcher House, where they met Rebecca Thatcher, a retired judge from Gamma Town. The group told her about how Paladin Hector had arrested Mayor John and Lex's aunt Alexa. Judge Thatcher theorized that if there were witnesses who saw that Alexa hadn't started the fight, and there seemed to be dozens, then Hector wasn't looking to prosecute her. He would most likely be charging Mayor John with incompetence. The prosecution would claim that Alexa's fight had been a riot, and that Mayor John's failure to stop this riot meant that he was incompetent. According to Midwest law, Paladin Hector could then take over Emancipation for its own good. If the party wanted to keep Emancipation independent, they would have to convince three Brotherhood judges that either the fight wasn't a riot, or it was unreasonable to expect John to stop it.
Judge Thatcher warned that Gamma Town was a very sneaky and litigious place. Where Paladin Hector had been put in charge of Central Missouri and Paladin Evandre [remember the red paint?] was in charge of Western Missouri because they were a soldiers, the Brotherhood had put Paladin Axion in charge of Central Illinois because he was a devious lawyer. The group thanked her for her advice and moved on.
The group kept surveying the town, seeing that the Brotherhood had cleared out the town hall and converted the slaughterhouse into a barracks for soldiers. The schoolhouse was being led by a Brotherhood teacher, reaching the town's children at a young age. They stopped Scribe Donovan in the middle of her lesson, asking about the confrontation with Sawyer in the street. Donovan relayed that Captain Kaneko, the town's commanding officer, and her personal retinue had dealt with Sawyer. Even the other Brotherhood personnel didn't know what the captain was up to, but they were all very curious.
They next went to the Tannery to see the spot where Sawyer had been cornered by Brotherhood troops. Examining the scene, they discovered laser burns on the walls and scratches all over. Putting together the evidence, it told a story. Sawyer had lashed out against the soldiers, who shot him dozens of times with lasers, apparently with little effect. Sam had been pierced with several javelins, which still hadn't killed him. The Brotherhood troops had dragged him away, using the javelins that were still sticking through him as handles.
Thinking Sawyer still alive and the play probably in the hands of this Captain Kaneko, the group went to the local Brotherhood Headquarters. The small office and armoury was busy with scribes. When they asked Kaneko for Sawyer's play, the captain told them that they would need proof that they had purchased the manuscript and then fill out a requisition form. Quickly forging a receipt, they asked for a form. While Lex was filling out the form, Mister Man overheard a conversation between Kaneko and one of her scribes. The scribe brought the captain a key for their storage locker, the locker which held the play. Captain Kaneko refused the key, showing no intention to release the manuscript. When Lex heard this, she left without bothering to turn in the form.
They returned to Scribe Donovan, relaying what they had found at the tannery and Kaneko's strange behaviour. Donovan relayed that the captain had done something out at MacDougal's Cave, but only her personal entourage knew what. There might be clues there.
There were indeed clues at MacDougal Cave, most notably an enormous steel wall closing the mouth of the cave. It was clear that the Brotherhood had sealed up the cave, and recently. There was a heavy door in the centre, securely locked. Anticipating that Sawyer was inside, they picked the lock. And the exact moment the lock released, Sawyer's deformed, red-glowing arm shot out of the cave. He raked Lex across the arm with vicious claws, leeching poison into her body. Mouse and Linda jumped to action, throwing their weight into the door, trying to push the monstrous creature back into the cave. Sawyer was supernaturally strong, able to hold both of them off with his one unbraced arm.
Lex drew her Annie Oakley custom revolver and put a .44 shot through Sawyer's bicep, who showed no sign of pain. Mister Man drew his sword and hacked at the same place, cutting deep through the arm, but not severing it. Zero took out his double barreled shotgun and meant to finish destroying the arm, but missed. Sawyer, what was left of him, began to pry his way out of the door. Zero changed strategies, hammering Sawyer with his power fist. The otherworldly creature was knocked back into the cave. Linda quickly shut the door, which Mouse re-locked.
They stood outside the cave, breathless. Poison coursed through Lex's veins, but Mister Man treated him. The group mulled over what to do next. Zero wanted Sawyer dead, but the others didn't know how that might be possible. Lex realized that when Mister Man had cut Sawyer's arm physically, the wound began to heal immediately, but her hot bullet had burned a hole that seemed more permanent. They guessed that heat could hurt Sawyer, but didn't know for certain. In the end, they deemed it worth trying heat to destroy such a hideous monster.
Opening the door, Sawyer emerged again. Mister Man burned him with his incendiary laser, which seemed to work. Sawyer attacked, but then ran past the group, looking to escape into the woods. But he was still within range of Linda's flamer. She opened up with a full spray of flamer fuel. Sawyer erupted into a pillar of flame, throwing off sparks, smoke and a painful screech that echoed in their heads. There was nothing left of Sawyer but ashes, which Mouse took a sample of.
Kaneko had been keeping both Sawyer and the play. She had to be stopped. Unable to take on the whole town's Brotherhood presence, the party decided to trust Scribe Donovan. They told her what happened at the cave and Donovan took them seriously. The scribe went around the town, gathering Brotherhood soldiers to help her execute an order 301 - relieving a delinquent officer of command. The soldiers gathered around the BoS HQ, demanding Captain Kaneko come out. Kaneko surrendered peacefully and Scribe Donovan took charge.
Lex showed Donovan her requisition form for Sawyer's play and Donovan retrieved it from the lockers. Holding the book for the first time, the scribe was captivated by the arcane text. Lex had to jostle the scribe to hand over the book, which Lex immediately wrapped up and hid in her pack. Donovan thanked the group and they were on their way.
They stopped to see Paul Winthrop and gave him some of Sawyer's ashes to study. Paul thanked them and said he would be leaving St. Petersburg immediately. With an order 301, the Brotherhood would sent a team to investigate. That would mean weeks under Brotherhood restraint, being asked to testify over and over again - he would rather avoid that. Paul said that if they were ever in Chicago, they should look him up at the Nursing Solutions Service, he'd be glad to see them again.
Finally crossing the bridge into Illinois, they were out of Paladin Hector's territory and onto Paladin Axion's turf. Knowing they would have to cross the Illinois River at some point, they determined it would be better to head south and take the ferry at Goldenrod, so they could visit Ravenwood. They had been asked to look for both Joey Darbinian from Vault 40 and Sandy from Kingdom. But remembering that Linda had grown up near Quincy and that those motorcycle tracks headed northward toward the town, they decided to go there first.
Coming into Quincy, Mouse found the tracks of the motorcycle once again. They went into the back room of the Quincy Jail. Two local police constables were sitting outside, eating lunch. The group approached them, and Constable Speight asked if they were from the Brotherhood of Steel to see the prisoner. They said they weren't from the Brotherhood, but they wanted to see the prisoner anyway. Speight said that it was a free country and they could enter the jail.
Inside they found Qarla DiNovo, Boston journalist and child of Piper Wright and the Sole Survivor, locked in a cell. She said that she had been riding her motorcycle to Boston and saw a body by the side of the road. She stopped to help and at that exact moment a group of Quincy constables had arrived on the scene. Qarla didn't even have time to get a good look at the body when the Quincy officers arrested her. They had brought her to town and thrown her in jail. Apparently, there were serious charges, but they hadn't even been explained to her. The group were concerned about Mouse's possible involvement and promised Qarla they'd look into it.
It took some convincing, but after they revealed to constable Speight that they were The Heroes of St. Louis who had rescued students after the attack, he told them the situation. The constables had been on their regular patrol when they found Qarla and the body. Examining the body, they found a coded message so they took Qarla into custody for questioning. Decoding the message revealed it to be a plot to assassinate a high-level Brotherhood official. Speight had called for a Brotherhood investigation team and was holding Qarla on terrorism charges. It was his theory that Qarla was using her journalism contacts and information to conduct an elaborate terrorist conspiracy and had murdered her accomplice.
The group explained that they didn't think this was likely. That they trusted Qarla and that Speight should trust them because they were the heroes of St. Louis. Speight was alarmed that they had been at St. Louis, another terrorist attack. He told them that he didn't have enough evidence to arrest them, but that he was ordering them to remain in the town until they could surrender to the Brotherhood. If they set foot outside of the town, they would be arrested immediately, and shot if they ran. The party was not impressed.
They visited the local bar and Gem City Lapidary and discovered very little. Martial law had been declared in this region as well. The local government was being dissolved and Brotherhood personnel would soon replace them. The lapidary, which used to cut gems for jewelry, was being repurposed to make laser weaponry. With the mayor still in charge, they visited her to try to plea for their freedom.
Harmony Eastwood was packing up her mayoral office when they found her. They explained their situation. Mayor Eastwood commented that she agreed with constable Speight, they seemed very suspicious and should submit to Brotherhood questioning. She trusted Speight and said he would listen to reason if they had some kind of evidence of their innocence. The group thanked the mayor and left for the town's sick room, where the mysterious body was most likely held.
At the sick room, Dr. Zhikov confirmed that he had the body in the morgue. He, of course, could not just let them access the body, but if they could inspect the facility - for a small fee. They bribed the doctor and entered the morgue. The body they found found was strange: no sign of death and unusually little decay. A close inspection showed no apparent cause of death. Mister Man wanted to know more and conducted a full medical autopsy. Each step revealed oddity. The lungs had never been inflated. The heart showed no wear or use whatsoever. The body had never lived. And inside the skull, an empty space where a Synth component should rest.
This was a brand new Synth. The group theorized that it had been constructed specifically to frame Qarla DiNovo. But if that was true, whoever was responsible was not only able to make Synths, but knew Qarla's travel plans and the patrol patterns of Quincy's police. Most disturbing of all was Mouse's possible involvement.
The group returned to Mayor Eastwood and told her about the body. She was convinced and went with them back to constable Speight. Speight agreed that they should be free to leave, but it was more important than ever that Qarla be handed over to the Brotherhood. If a powerful organization wanted her imprisoned, she would be safest in a hidden Brotherhood bunker. This displeased the group, but there was little they could do.
Mouse went back into the jail to speak to Qarla privately. He explained the situation and Qarla's eyes widened. She told Mouse that he had to get to the Railroad in Boston. All Institute Synths had a command override. If one knew a Synth's unique command words, or had that Synth's command control transmitter, they could take control of the Synth, ordering them to do anything. There hadn't been an Institute courser in 30 years to give these orders, but Mouse's dream sounded like they could be these commands. The Synth experts at the Railroads would be able to remove Mouse's command words, if he was even a Synth. She said that she needed to get back in Boston - her motorcycle was right in the next room, unguarded.
Mouse picked the lock to Qarla's cell and wished her luck. He left the jail, regrouping with Mayor Eastwood, Constable Speight and the party. As he exited, he purposely and visibly tripped, showing the mayor and the constable that he dropped some of his possessions. If Qarla escaped, it would be plausible that she had retrieved a bobby pin that Mouse had dropped by mistake.
But Qarla was still in jail. The Brotherhood were coming. And in Gamma Town, Mayor John was set to plead for the people of Emancipation...
Next Session: SESSION 20: BETWEEN TWO RIVERS
Next Session: SESSION 20: BETWEEN TWO RIVERS
Players: (The Heroes of St. Louis): Lex Garridan, Linda, Mister Man, Zero
*May 24th, 2317*
(Adventure Day 30)
The group were in St. Petersburg, standing over Sam Sawyer's hidden safe, his disturbing journal documenting his journey to the South Pacific. There he was given the manuscript to an otherworldly drama, but there was no such text in the safe. They had a bad feeling about the nature of this play, and set out to learn more.
They headed to the local tavern, but were halted along the way by a familiar face. Mouse was confused and disoriented, apparently suffering from some kind of amnesia. He reported remembering the journey from Gravestone toward Emancipation, but only until they reached the crashed vertibird and Yao Guai at the Radstag Willows. He didn't recall telling them he was going to the Candlewood Suites, leaving, or what he had been doing for the past 4 days. They decided they needed a drink.
The tavern had a bartender and a single patron, Muff Potter. The group went in a corner and talked. Lex was angry that Mouse had apparently sabotaged the Earth Anchor station (Mouse had dreamed of burying something there, and the group discovered that a buried magnet was interfering with the station's antenna [an antenna being used by the Enclave.]) Mouse was disturbed by the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel's occupation of Emancipation and Dr. Harding's experiments on Linda. He hesitantly relayed his only memory from the past 4 days. He vaguely recalled walking away from a human body as he was crossing a bridge. The party were alarmed, again worried that Mouse was a Synth under the control of The Institute.
Following Mouse's story about a bridge, the group headed across the bridge at St. Petersburg. As they reached the far side, Mouse began to recognize the terrain. This was definitely where he had been. He pointed to the general area where he had seen a body. Mister Man scanned the area thoroughly. There was an impression in the dust and undergrowth the size and shape of an adult human, but there was no blood or other evidence. Mouse's tracking skills found tire tracks. A motorcycle had ridden in from the west, stopped here and then was walked northward. The group was suspicious, but the scene gave little information.
They returned to the tavern asked Muff Potter what he knew about Sam Sawyer, and he nervously disclosed that when Sawyer returned from his adventure a week ago, he was boasting about having the greatest play ever written. His best friend Tom Blankenship had been driven mad from the pain of radiation poisoning and Sawyer had hired a nurse to care for Tom. Children were afraid of Tom and came to calling the home the "Haunted House." Three days ago, Sam's friend Joe Harper was seen running out of the Sawyer House, screaming for help. Sawyer chased after, looking insane. Many in the town saw Sawyer assault Harper, biting him viciously on the shoulder. Brotherhood of Steel soldiers ordered Sawyer to stop, but he thrashed around insanely. The soldiers shot him many times with laser rifles, driving him into the old tannery. There it was said Sawyer was killed.
The group were disturbed and thought it was important to speak to nurse at the haunted house. Paul Winthrop turned out to be a amiable gentleman who invited them in. Paul claimed to be a contractor from the Nursing Solutions Service in Chicago. Linda noticed that Paul's medical bag looked more like Lex's multi-tool for mechanical repairs, and pointed this out. Paul was unphased, explaining that he had once trained as a scribe with the Brotherhood of Steel, but he left to become a nurse. He was still interested in science and wanted any information they had on the Sawyer situation. Paul affirmed everything Muff Potter had claimed.
He elaborated that Tom Blankenship had fallen overboard while Sawyer's expedition was sailing. The radiation poisoning had been too much pain for the man to handle. Tom was now insane with trauma and needed constant care. Paul and Tom had been in Gamma Town when Sawyer had attacked Joe Harper, as Tom needed regular treatments at the hospital there. Upon returning, the Brotherhood had taken Tom to the town jail. Now Paul had a big house, paid for by Sawyer, but with nothing to do. He would return to Chicago soon. Since he had four free rooms, he offered to host the party for the night. They agreed, but wanted to do more investigation first.
It was early in the evening and they found Joe Harper at his house. The man was a friendly gentleman who invited them in. Joe was as nervous as Potter, but eventually told his story. After arriving, Sawyer hadn't spoken to anyone in days. Joe had come to check on Sam and his wife Amy, but no one answered the door.
Entering the house, Joe discovered Amy's body on the living room floor, dead for days and partially eaten. Sam had run down the stairs and assaulted him, chasing him into the street and biting him. The Brotherhood garrison had shot Sawyer and cornered him in the tannery. They thanked Joe for his information and left.
Noting that neither Potter nor Harper had actually seen Sawyer die, the group was suspicious. They decided to examine the town's graveyard. They found a mundane cemetery, generations of townsfolk being buried with their ancestors. There was only one fresh grave, marked with a headstone that read, "Amy Lawrence Sawyer 2286-2317." Zero was certain that they could learn more by digging up the corpse, and the others reluctantly agreed. Under the cover of darkness, they used the graveyard's tools to disinter Amy. They found her in a plain Brotherhood of Steel coffin, a "can," buried in the torn clothes she died in. She had died of a broken neck and her body had been eaten, great bites torn out of her by a human mouth. They were disturbed and even more suspicious that Sam Sawyer's body was not in the graveyard. After returning Amy to her rest, they decided to stay the night at the Haunted House.
Paul Winthrop welcomed them back and sat with them for an nightcap. Linda spoke to Paul about the Children of Atom and he listened with interest. Linda offered Paul the opportunity to borrow her most prized possession, the Children of Atom booklet she had received at the Altar of Atom in Emancipation. Paul said he would read it that night and promised to leave it on the coffee table by morning. Zero and Paul talked about politics, specifically if it was right for the Midwest Brotherhood to invoke martial law. Paul expressed that he felt that this action was an overreach of their power, but noted that the international situation was very tense. He asked the group that if Caesar's Legion invaded Dixie again, should the Midwest Brotherhood come to Dixie's aid? The group was unsure, and Zero remarked that he'd like to visit Dixie someday. Going to bed, Mister Man's sensors picked up that in his room Paul was writing something. He then opened a safe and put an object inside before going to bed.
*May 25th, 2317*
(Adventure Day 31)
In the morning, they discovered Paul had left early, Linda's pamphlet carefully placed on the coffee table with a glass of water and a fresh mutfruit. Searching his room, they discovered a small 10-inch safe hidden in Paul's nightstand. Cracking it, they discovered a small book hand written in a strange code and a portable radio-telegraph. Mister Man scanned the pages of the book into his memory and they returned the items.
Suspecting that Sawyer might be secretly held in the town jail, the group headed there. They found two Brotherhood knights manning the building. They were allowed to see Tom Blankenship, who they were worried might become violent like Sawyer. The jail cells were empty except for Blankenship - no Sawyer. Tom was filled with an otherworldly frenzy. He repeated the story of the South Pacific islanders and their pact with undersea powers who protected them from nuclear apocalypse in exchange for blood sacrifice. They had given Sam the manuscript to a play as a gift. According to Tom, Sam had succumbed to the temptation of the play, looking to, "Take the throne of all reality for himself." The party were disturbed and left Tom to his deranged rambling.
Looking to investigate the whole town, they passed by the Douglas House, where Mrs. Douglas and Mrs. Harper were on their porch, knitting. Mrs. Douglas noticed Linda's baseball bat and remarked that she would be a great baseball player. She remarked that in the village of Silence, they played a baseball game every weekday.
They next visited the Thatcher House, where they met Rebecca Thatcher, a retired judge from Gamma Town. The group told her about how Paladin Hector had arrested Mayor John and Lex's aunt Alexa. Judge Thatcher theorized that if there were witnesses who saw that Alexa hadn't started the fight, and there seemed to be dozens, then Hector wasn't looking to prosecute her. He would most likely be charging Mayor John with incompetence. The prosecution would claim that Alexa's fight had been a riot, and that Mayor John's failure to stop this riot meant that he was incompetent. According to Midwest law, Paladin Hector could then take over Emancipation for its own good. If the party wanted to keep Emancipation independent, they would have to convince three Brotherhood judges that either the fight wasn't a riot, or it was unreasonable to expect John to stop it.
Judge Thatcher warned that Gamma Town was a very sneaky and litigious place. Where Paladin Hector had been put in charge of Central Missouri and Paladin Evandre [remember the red paint?] was in charge of Western Missouri because they were a soldiers, the Brotherhood had put Paladin Axion in charge of Central Illinois because he was a devious lawyer. The group thanked her for her advice and moved on.
The group kept surveying the town, seeing that the Brotherhood had cleared out the town hall and converted the slaughterhouse into a barracks for soldiers. The schoolhouse was being led by a Brotherhood teacher, reaching the town's children at a young age. They stopped Scribe Donovan in the middle of her lesson, asking about the confrontation with Sawyer in the street. Donovan relayed that Captain Kaneko, the town's commanding officer, and her personal retinue had dealt with Sawyer. Even the other Brotherhood personnel didn't know what the captain was up to, but they were all very curious.
They next went to the Tannery to see the spot where Sawyer had been cornered by Brotherhood troops. Examining the scene, they discovered laser burns on the walls and scratches all over. Putting together the evidence, it told a story. Sawyer had lashed out against the soldiers, who shot him dozens of times with lasers, apparently with little effect. Sam had been pierced with several javelins, which still hadn't killed him. The Brotherhood troops had dragged him away, using the javelins that were still sticking through him as handles.
Thinking Sawyer still alive and the play probably in the hands of this Captain Kaneko, the group went to the local Brotherhood Headquarters. The small office and armoury was busy with scribes. When they asked Kaneko for Sawyer's play, the captain told them that they would need proof that they had purchased the manuscript and then fill out a requisition form. Quickly forging a receipt, they asked for a form. While Lex was filling out the form, Mister Man overheard a conversation between Kaneko and one of her scribes. The scribe brought the captain a key for their storage locker, the locker which held the play. Captain Kaneko refused the key, showing no intention to release the manuscript. When Lex heard this, she left without bothering to turn in the form.
They returned to Scribe Donovan, relaying what they had found at the tannery and Kaneko's strange behaviour. Donovan relayed that the captain had done something out at MacDougal's Cave, but only her personal entourage knew what. There might be clues there.
There were indeed clues at MacDougal Cave, most notably an enormous steel wall closing the mouth of the cave. It was clear that the Brotherhood had sealed up the cave, and recently. There was a heavy door in the centre, securely locked. Anticipating that Sawyer was inside, they picked the lock. And the exact moment the lock released, Sawyer's deformed, red-glowing arm shot out of the cave. He raked Lex across the arm with vicious claws, leeching poison into her body. Mouse and Linda jumped to action, throwing their weight into the door, trying to push the monstrous creature back into the cave. Sawyer was supernaturally strong, able to hold both of them off with his one unbraced arm.
Lex drew her Annie Oakley custom revolver and put a .44 shot through Sawyer's bicep, who showed no sign of pain. Mister Man drew his sword and hacked at the same place, cutting deep through the arm, but not severing it. Zero took out his double barreled shotgun and meant to finish destroying the arm, but missed. Sawyer, what was left of him, began to pry his way out of the door. Zero changed strategies, hammering Sawyer with his power fist. The otherworldly creature was knocked back into the cave. Linda quickly shut the door, which Mouse re-locked.
They stood outside the cave, breathless. Poison coursed through Lex's veins, but Mister Man treated him. The group mulled over what to do next. Zero wanted Sawyer dead, but the others didn't know how that might be possible. Lex realized that when Mister Man had cut Sawyer's arm physically, the wound began to heal immediately, but her hot bullet had burned a hole that seemed more permanent. They guessed that heat could hurt Sawyer, but didn't know for certain. In the end, they deemed it worth trying heat to destroy such a hideous monster.
Opening the door, Sawyer emerged again. Mister Man burned him with his incendiary laser, which seemed to work. Sawyer attacked, but then ran past the group, looking to escape into the woods. But he was still within range of Linda's flamer. She opened up with a full spray of flamer fuel. Sawyer erupted into a pillar of flame, throwing off sparks, smoke and a painful screech that echoed in their heads. There was nothing left of Sawyer but ashes, which Mouse took a sample of.
Kaneko had been keeping both Sawyer and the play. She had to be stopped. Unable to take on the whole town's Brotherhood presence, the party decided to trust Scribe Donovan. They told her what happened at the cave and Donovan took them seriously. The scribe went around the town, gathering Brotherhood soldiers to help her execute an order 301 - relieving a delinquent officer of command. The soldiers gathered around the BoS HQ, demanding Captain Kaneko come out. Kaneko surrendered peacefully and Scribe Donovan took charge.
Lex showed Donovan her requisition form for Sawyer's play and Donovan retrieved it from the lockers. Holding the book for the first time, the scribe was captivated by the arcane text. Lex had to jostle the scribe to hand over the book, which Lex immediately wrapped up and hid in her pack. Donovan thanked the group and they were on their way.
They stopped to see Paul Winthrop and gave him some of Sawyer's ashes to study. Paul thanked them and said he would be leaving St. Petersburg immediately. With an order 301, the Brotherhood would sent a team to investigate. That would mean weeks under Brotherhood restraint, being asked to testify over and over again - he would rather avoid that. Paul said that if they were ever in Chicago, they should look him up at the Nursing Solutions Service, he'd be glad to see them again.
Finally crossing the bridge into Illinois, they were out of Paladin Hector's territory and onto Paladin Axion's turf. Knowing they would have to cross the Illinois River at some point, they determined it would be better to head south and take the ferry at Goldenrod, so they could visit Ravenwood. They had been asked to look for both Joey Darbinian from Vault 40 and Sandy from Kingdom. But remembering that Linda had grown up near Quincy and that those motorcycle tracks headed northward toward the town, they decided to go there first.
Coming into Quincy, Mouse found the tracks of the motorcycle once again. They went into the back room of the Quincy Jail. Two local police constables were sitting outside, eating lunch. The group approached them, and Constable Speight asked if they were from the Brotherhood of Steel to see the prisoner. They said they weren't from the Brotherhood, but they wanted to see the prisoner anyway. Speight said that it was a free country and they could enter the jail.
Inside they found Qarla DiNovo, Boston journalist and child of Piper Wright and the Sole Survivor, locked in a cell. She said that she had been riding her motorcycle to Boston and saw a body by the side of the road. She stopped to help and at that exact moment a group of Quincy constables had arrived on the scene. Qarla didn't even have time to get a good look at the body when the Quincy officers arrested her. They had brought her to town and thrown her in jail. Apparently, there were serious charges, but they hadn't even been explained to her. The group were concerned about Mouse's possible involvement and promised Qarla they'd look into it.
It took some convincing, but after they revealed to constable Speight that they were The Heroes of St. Louis who had rescued students after the attack, he told them the situation. The constables had been on their regular patrol when they found Qarla and the body. Examining the body, they found a coded message so they took Qarla into custody for questioning. Decoding the message revealed it to be a plot to assassinate a high-level Brotherhood official. Speight had called for a Brotherhood investigation team and was holding Qarla on terrorism charges. It was his theory that Qarla was using her journalism contacts and information to conduct an elaborate terrorist conspiracy and had murdered her accomplice.
The group explained that they didn't think this was likely. That they trusted Qarla and that Speight should trust them because they were the heroes of St. Louis. Speight was alarmed that they had been at St. Louis, another terrorist attack. He told them that he didn't have enough evidence to arrest them, but that he was ordering them to remain in the town until they could surrender to the Brotherhood. If they set foot outside of the town, they would be arrested immediately, and shot if they ran. The party was not impressed.
They visited the local bar and Gem City Lapidary and discovered very little. Martial law had been declared in this region as well. The local government was being dissolved and Brotherhood personnel would soon replace them. The lapidary, which used to cut gems for jewelry, was being repurposed to make laser weaponry. With the mayor still in charge, they visited her to try to plea for their freedom.
Harmony Eastwood was packing up her mayoral office when they found her. They explained their situation. Mayor Eastwood commented that she agreed with constable Speight, they seemed very suspicious and should submit to Brotherhood questioning. She trusted Speight and said he would listen to reason if they had some kind of evidence of their innocence. The group thanked the mayor and left for the town's sick room, where the mysterious body was most likely held.
At the sick room, Dr. Zhikov confirmed that he had the body in the morgue. He, of course, could not just let them access the body, but if they could inspect the facility - for a small fee. They bribed the doctor and entered the morgue. The body they found found was strange: no sign of death and unusually little decay. A close inspection showed no apparent cause of death. Mister Man wanted to know more and conducted a full medical autopsy. Each step revealed oddity. The lungs had never been inflated. The heart showed no wear or use whatsoever. The body had never lived. And inside the skull, an empty space where a Synth component should rest.
This was a brand new Synth. The group theorized that it had been constructed specifically to frame Qarla DiNovo. But if that was true, whoever was responsible was not only able to make Synths, but knew Qarla's travel plans and the patrol patterns of Quincy's police. Most disturbing of all was Mouse's possible involvement.
The group returned to Mayor Eastwood and told her about the body. She was convinced and went with them back to constable Speight. Speight agreed that they should be free to leave, but it was more important than ever that Qarla be handed over to the Brotherhood. If a powerful organization wanted her imprisoned, she would be safest in a hidden Brotherhood bunker. This displeased the group, but there was little they could do.
Mouse went back into the jail to speak to Qarla privately. He explained the situation and Qarla's eyes widened. She told Mouse that he had to get to the Railroad in Boston. All Institute Synths had a command override. If one knew a Synth's unique command words, or had that Synth's command control transmitter, they could take control of the Synth, ordering them to do anything. There hadn't been an Institute courser in 30 years to give these orders, but Mouse's dream sounded like they could be these commands. The Synth experts at the Railroads would be able to remove Mouse's command words, if he was even a Synth. She said that she needed to get back in Boston - her motorcycle was right in the next room, unguarded.
Mouse picked the lock to Qarla's cell and wished her luck. He left the jail, regrouping with Mayor Eastwood, Constable Speight and the party. As he exited, he purposely and visibly tripped, showing the mayor and the constable that he dropped some of his possessions. If Qarla escaped, it would be plausible that she had retrieved a bobby pin that Mouse had dropped by mistake.
But Qarla was still in jail. The Brotherhood were coming. And in Gamma Town, Mayor John was set to plead for the people of Emancipation...
Next Session: SESSION 20: BETWEEN TWO RIVERS
Rewards Granted
- ka mōʻī i ka melemele, the world's greatest drama
Missions/Quests Completed
Character(s) interacted with
Report Date
19 Sep 2021
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