SESSION 53: BE OUR GUESTS
General Summary
Previous Session: SESSION 52: WYWY NOT?
Next Session: SESSION 54: ESCAPE FROM DEVOTION BUNKER
Players: Current Adventuring Party, Andy, Arminius, Lex Garridan, Linda, Morag, Patch Radam
*August 30, 2317*
(Adventure Day 128)
The party sat down to dinner with Colonel Braxton of The Capitol. The open air courtyard of Devotion Bunker had a long table decorated with candles. The Colonel assured them all that he respected that they were envoys and wished to be treated with the same courtesy. The group were hesitant, but when Capitol army personnel brought in food, they shared in it politely. Braxton had had fish flown in from Pentagon, fish that had been raised in the waters of Project Purity and had never known radiation. There was a great spread, all laid out on shared serving dishes like a plain ol' Southern cook-out. The party avoided alcohol, most notably Morag, who was still feeling the drug effects of an Ogre Energy Drink she had thrown back after the fight alongside Wyatt.
Colonel Braxton asked about their guide through the city and was shocked to hear that they had not been driven by a Corrector. He hadn't heard of anyone named Wyatt.
While they ate, the Capitol officer tried to keep conversation light, insisting that repairing the dam was an amazing achievement worthy of celebration. But once the meal was over, the conversation became more serious. Braxton highlighted that The Capitol army now had guns and stood15,000 strong. And while everyone acknowledged that Midwest Paladins were the greatest fighters alive, their intel said that there were less than 300 of them. The whole Midwest army had less than 2000 combat-ready troops. His point was clear, the party included two "Heroes of the Midwest" and he thought they should use their influence over the common people of the Midwest to stay out of any conflicts with The Capitol.
Lex had taken off her helmet for the first time in days. She kept quiet but stared at Braxton as he spoke. She then turned to give Arminius an intense look.
There was a distant booming sound, like thunder. The colonel explained that this was Capitol artillery, shelling positions in Dixie. The Capitol was enacting a full scale invasion, assisted by the NCR. By now, the NCR "peacekeepers" would have taken Kentucky Dam, killing all Dixie personnel and then joining the invasion with their 2000 elites. Braxton assured them that the NCR would go to great effort not to harm any Midwest citizens, but it being a war zone, a few mistakes were bound to happen.
The party were angry. Andy, seeing that the colonel had behaved unethically, was ready to kill him. The robot needed to be told to stand down so they could keep talking.
Braxton tried to calm them by explaining that they would be safe, kept as guests for a few weeks and then handed back to the Midwest BoS in a formal ceremony of friendship. That is, of course, if the Midwest stayed neutral in the war. Professor Gritch would have to be kept longer, as he would have to train Capitol workers in how to run the dam.
They asked why the Capitol and NCR would invade Dixie, a nation which had harmed no one, and Braxton blamed Dixie for the St. Louis Attack. He noted that the NCR, Midwest, Capitol and even The Rustlands had supported rebuilding freeway I-70 and connecting America all the way from Baltimore to California. The only nation which formally objected was Dixie.
The group accused The Puppetmaster of being responsible for the St. Louis Attack, and Braxton rolled his eyes. He explained that Capitol interested had been investigating Puppetmaster stories for 25 years and concluded that it was an Enclave PsyOp. According to this theory, The Enclave wanted to maintain a frightening reputation, so whenever they enacted charitable works they attributed it to the mysterious "Puppetmaster."
Things were tense. They could still hear shelling in the distance. Professor Gritch called a huddle to discuss this before anything crazy happened. Gritch reminded everyone that they were on the wrong side of the Ohio River.
If they tried to cross radiation would kill the humans before they got half way. They could return via Kentucky Dam, but was an active war zone. The first bridge to the south was hundreds of miles down in Alabama, and probably also a warzone. Northward, there was a bridge in the Capitol town of Torn Hope, 200 miles north. Gritch had also heard of a crossing called Twin Swamps Gap, which was closer, but dangerous. Patch Radam suggested it might be better to stay on The Capitol side, but not as prisoners, as some kind of guerrilla warriors. Gritch's eyes widened in terror.
Linda was a bit confused. She thought Braxton was being bad, but wanted to make sure, because he was also acting very friendly. Gritch explained that Braxton was very, very bad, belonging to an organization which had just murdered all those nice people they had met on the dam.
While most of the group huddled, Andy and Arminius stayed near Braxton. Andy was ready to pneumatic the colonel to death but was again told to wait. Arminius whispered with Braxton, the officers clearly threatening each other, but trying to remain civil.
Linda crossed the courtyard back toward Braxton, looking intense. The colonel retrieved a small radio transmitter from his pocket and pressed a button on it, explaining, "Just to keep everyone calm, I should inform you that one of your friends is actually my friend. Keziah, pop your claws."
Morag, still affected by the Ogre Energy Drink, looked confounded. She lifted her hands and two-inch blades emerged from beneath her fingernails. She looked as surprised as everyone else that the claws were hidden inside of her. The party looked at Morag, wondering if they would have to fight their new friend. But the hunter soon regained control of herself, retracting the claws and looking at Braxton with rage.
The colonel looked at the party with panic. He nervously hammered on the radio transmitter button, trying to regain control of Morag. Linda had had enough, she went into an Atomic Storm state and killed Colonel Braxton. Lex rushed forward to secure the transmitter, and Morag called for her to destroy it, which Lex did.
They could hear soldiers running around the bunker, drawn by the sounds of combat. Patch placed a mine at the only door of to the courtyard. The party considered climbing out, but the bunker's walls were 20 feet tall and made of slick concrete. Capitol gunners burst through the doors, but were quickly wiped out.
With a moment of pause, Morag asked Beau, "Did you know about this? And did you know about these claws?"
Beau the RifleBuddy replied, "I don't remember. But maybe I don't remember that I remembered?"
Morag thought and said, "Yeah, I actually get that. I understand thet right now."
Beau added, "I think this could be it. The Capitol invasion. This is evil. This could be the important thing I was made to do."
The party moved tactically into the bunker, fighting toward escape. A second wave of personnel came charging at them, led by a Capitol Corrector in full power armor. This Corrector knocked Arminius to the ground and hammered Linda with a glowing plasma cudgel. The whole group concentrated on the blue armoured warrior, attacking with all they had.
The Corrector was ready to crush Arminius with a fatal blow, when Lex took her helmet off and in a strange outburst shouted, "No!"
Raising his hands to his head, The Corrector let out a groan of suffering. He was left blind, disoriented and vulnerable to attack. The party continued their assault, killing the elite fighter.
But more Capitol soldiers were pouring into the room, injuring the team with their NCR rifles. One of the troops hurled a plasma grenade into the hall, badly burning Arminius and Linda. Patch rushed from person to person, healing wounds so that they could continue fighting. The tide of battle turned when Arminius could finally get to his feet and start using his two pistols like a true Dimachaerus.
The second squad of Capitol soldiers were soon annihilated. A single NCO pushed back into another room, looking for cover. Morag pursued, triggering her claws, this time of her own accord. The soldier looked on in horror as she lunged at him. Ten metaloceramic blades, sharp to an atomic edge sunk into the man's neck, penetrating the flesh and bone as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter. Morag spun away from her target in a flourish. The soldier's head and body fell to the ground separately.
The immediate threat was gone and the whole team had survived, even Steve Gritch huddled in the corner. This group of misfits showed themselves to be stranger and stranger. The secrets were piling up. But more immediately, they were 40 miles behind enemy lines. And there were still soldiers in the bunker, as well as reinforcements on the way...
Next Session: SESSION 54: ESCAPE FROM DEVOTION BUNKER
Next Session: SESSION 54: ESCAPE FROM DEVOTION BUNKER
Players: Current Adventuring Party, Andy, Arminius, Lex Garridan, Linda, Morag, Patch Radam
*August 30, 2317*
(Adventure Day 128)
The party sat down to dinner with Colonel Braxton of The Capitol. The open air courtyard of Devotion Bunker had a long table decorated with candles. The Colonel assured them all that he respected that they were envoys and wished to be treated with the same courtesy. The group were hesitant, but when Capitol army personnel brought in food, they shared in it politely. Braxton had had fish flown in from Pentagon, fish that had been raised in the waters of Project Purity and had never known radiation. There was a great spread, all laid out on shared serving dishes like a plain ol' Southern cook-out. The party avoided alcohol, most notably Morag, who was still feeling the drug effects of an Ogre Energy Drink she had thrown back after the fight alongside Wyatt.
Colonel Braxton asked about their guide through the city and was shocked to hear that they had not been driven by a Corrector. He hadn't heard of anyone named Wyatt.
While they ate, the Capitol officer tried to keep conversation light, insisting that repairing the dam was an amazing achievement worthy of celebration. But once the meal was over, the conversation became more serious. Braxton highlighted that The Capitol army now had guns and stood15,000 strong. And while everyone acknowledged that Midwest Paladins were the greatest fighters alive, their intel said that there were less than 300 of them. The whole Midwest army had less than 2000 combat-ready troops. His point was clear, the party included two "Heroes of the Midwest" and he thought they should use their influence over the common people of the Midwest to stay out of any conflicts with The Capitol.
Lex had taken off her helmet for the first time in days. She kept quiet but stared at Braxton as he spoke. She then turned to give Arminius an intense look.
There was a distant booming sound, like thunder. The colonel explained that this was Capitol artillery, shelling positions in Dixie. The Capitol was enacting a full scale invasion, assisted by the NCR. By now, the NCR "peacekeepers" would have taken Kentucky Dam, killing all Dixie personnel and then joining the invasion with their 2000 elites. Braxton assured them that the NCR would go to great effort not to harm any Midwest citizens, but it being a war zone, a few mistakes were bound to happen.
The party were angry. Andy, seeing that the colonel had behaved unethically, was ready to kill him. The robot needed to be told to stand down so they could keep talking.
Braxton tried to calm them by explaining that they would be safe, kept as guests for a few weeks and then handed back to the Midwest BoS in a formal ceremony of friendship. That is, of course, if the Midwest stayed neutral in the war. Professor Gritch would have to be kept longer, as he would have to train Capitol workers in how to run the dam.
They asked why the Capitol and NCR would invade Dixie, a nation which had harmed no one, and Braxton blamed Dixie for the St. Louis Attack. He noted that the NCR, Midwest, Capitol and even The Rustlands had supported rebuilding freeway I-70 and connecting America all the way from Baltimore to California. The only nation which formally objected was Dixie.
The group accused The Puppetmaster of being responsible for the St. Louis Attack, and Braxton rolled his eyes. He explained that Capitol interested had been investigating Puppetmaster stories for 25 years and concluded that it was an Enclave PsyOp. According to this theory, The Enclave wanted to maintain a frightening reputation, so whenever they enacted charitable works they attributed it to the mysterious "Puppetmaster."
Things were tense. They could still hear shelling in the distance. Professor Gritch called a huddle to discuss this before anything crazy happened. Gritch reminded everyone that they were on the wrong side of the Ohio River.
If they tried to cross radiation would kill the humans before they got half way. They could return via Kentucky Dam, but was an active war zone. The first bridge to the south was hundreds of miles down in Alabama, and probably also a warzone. Northward, there was a bridge in the Capitol town of Torn Hope, 200 miles north. Gritch had also heard of a crossing called Twin Swamps Gap, which was closer, but dangerous. Patch Radam suggested it might be better to stay on The Capitol side, but not as prisoners, as some kind of guerrilla warriors. Gritch's eyes widened in terror.
Linda was a bit confused. She thought Braxton was being bad, but wanted to make sure, because he was also acting very friendly. Gritch explained that Braxton was very, very bad, belonging to an organization which had just murdered all those nice people they had met on the dam.
While most of the group huddled, Andy and Arminius stayed near Braxton. Andy was ready to pneumatic the colonel to death but was again told to wait. Arminius whispered with Braxton, the officers clearly threatening each other, but trying to remain civil.
Linda crossed the courtyard back toward Braxton, looking intense. The colonel retrieved a small radio transmitter from his pocket and pressed a button on it, explaining, "Just to keep everyone calm, I should inform you that one of your friends is actually my friend. Keziah, pop your claws."
Morag, still affected by the Ogre Energy Drink, looked confounded. She lifted her hands and two-inch blades emerged from beneath her fingernails. She looked as surprised as everyone else that the claws were hidden inside of her. The party looked at Morag, wondering if they would have to fight their new friend. But the hunter soon regained control of herself, retracting the claws and looking at Braxton with rage.
The colonel looked at the party with panic. He nervously hammered on the radio transmitter button, trying to regain control of Morag. Linda had had enough, she went into an Atomic Storm state and killed Colonel Braxton. Lex rushed forward to secure the transmitter, and Morag called for her to destroy it, which Lex did.
They could hear soldiers running around the bunker, drawn by the sounds of combat. Patch placed a mine at the only door of to the courtyard. The party considered climbing out, but the bunker's walls were 20 feet tall and made of slick concrete. Capitol gunners burst through the doors, but were quickly wiped out.
With a moment of pause, Morag asked Beau, "Did you know about this? And did you know about these claws?"
Beau the RifleBuddy replied, "I don't remember. But maybe I don't remember that I remembered?"
Morag thought and said, "Yeah, I actually get that. I understand thet right now."
Beau added, "I think this could be it. The Capitol invasion. This is evil. This could be the important thing I was made to do."
The party moved tactically into the bunker, fighting toward escape. A second wave of personnel came charging at them, led by a Capitol Corrector in full power armor. This Corrector knocked Arminius to the ground and hammered Linda with a glowing plasma cudgel. The whole group concentrated on the blue armoured warrior, attacking with all they had.
The Corrector was ready to crush Arminius with a fatal blow, when Lex took her helmet off and in a strange outburst shouted, "No!"
Raising his hands to his head, The Corrector let out a groan of suffering. He was left blind, disoriented and vulnerable to attack. The party continued their assault, killing the elite fighter.
But more Capitol soldiers were pouring into the room, injuring the team with their NCR rifles. One of the troops hurled a plasma grenade into the hall, badly burning Arminius and Linda. Patch rushed from person to person, healing wounds so that they could continue fighting. The tide of battle turned when Arminius could finally get to his feet and start using his two pistols like a true Dimachaerus.
The second squad of Capitol soldiers were soon annihilated. A single NCO pushed back into another room, looking for cover. Morag pursued, triggering her claws, this time of her own accord. The soldier looked on in horror as she lunged at him. Ten metaloceramic blades, sharp to an atomic edge sunk into the man's neck, penetrating the flesh and bone as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter. Morag spun away from her target in a flourish. The soldier's head and body fell to the ground separately.
The immediate threat was gone and the whole team had survived, even Steve Gritch huddled in the corner. This group of misfits showed themselves to be stranger and stranger. The secrets were piling up. But more immediately, they were 40 miles behind enemy lines. And there were still soldiers in the bunker, as well as reinforcements on the way...
Next Session: SESSION 54: ESCAPE FROM DEVOTION BUNKER
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Report Date
22 Oct 2022
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