My best campaign ever....

Adenides
Adenides
edited August 2013 in General Discussion
Greetings all,

What was the best game you ever ran?
What was the best campaign you ever participated in?

For me, the game was a GURPS campaign that ran (all told) 20 years of real time to bring it to a conclusion that was, in itself, actually a new beginning....with a new generation of Hard Suited hero-types to replace the last.
The game world in question (that SJG refers to officially as Earth-6; Autodeul) is considered a "Hell World" by those with Conveyor technology and is avoided by both the Centrum and I.S.A. factions in the Cross-Dimensional War.

(Those two factions had very little to do with the flavour and flow of the game)

The "whole" tale, will not be related here.

(Regardless of how many pages of background story that appear in this thread)

Most of it developed overtime from attempting to complete the Car Wars Road Atlas adventures from A to Z and somewhere along the line, a story just took on a life of it's own.
This thread will update periodically until the story is brought to the conclusion. I may or may not make it the focus of my next gaming foray.

The campaign began in GURPS 1e and reached it's conclusion in GURPS 3e.
It was a "meat game" that ran steady for 15 years and then on and off for the last 5 with a different group of players in the same game world.
Although the game began in the Autodeul year 2022, it ultimately spanned to 2072 then was rebooted 70 years later in 2142.
The entire game took it's direct influences from:

- Appleseed
- Bladerunner
- Car Wars; Autodeul
- Bubblegum Crisis
- The Matrix
- Johnny Pnumonic
- Battlefield 2142,
- Mortal Kombat
- G.I. Joe (THAT one is ENTIRELY SJG's fault. They THEMSELVES created the group "A.S.P." in the Midwest Road Atlas adventure section of the book. I just ran with it!)
- Aliens
- Predator

(And even)

- Unreal Tournament

It's actually a rather lengthy tale (even in the condensed "censored" version) and is a "minor" Retcon of the original game (to remain current should I choose to restart the game) This only consisted of changing a few names for realism or to protect the innocent!
I painstakingly reconstructed from a combination of game notes, surviving original narrative and related material (as many portions of it were missing) as well as some fond memories of the old group added for "color commentary".
Exageration is unessesary in its retelling and it was easily the longest game I've ever run...and it all started a little something like this:

Back in what would be OUR 1986, an organization that would eventually become the I.S.A. (in a parellel universe) was experimenting with a prototype cross-dimensional gateway generator that was the precursor to the modern trans-dimensional Converyor.
In its first activation, the experiment was deemed a total failure as after all the lights and smoke has cleared, nothing was believed to have happened. This accident was later revealed to be the source of close to 100 confirmed disappearances on Earth Prime. These incidents were simply considered unrelated "missing persons" reports.
Earth-6's I.S.A. would not discover they had caused the effect on Earth for another decade and once they had, the damage to the timelines was considered to be "within established tolerance levels".
Scattered across the entire spectrum of reachable worlds, most of them died very soon after arriving where ever it was they re-materialized at.
Ten alternate worlds became surrogates to these accidental travellers. Of the (later to be determined at) 99 "displaced" Terrans from Earth: Prime, Autodeul has the largest amount arrive and survive.
Of the 13 that were displaced there, 3 are still alive as of 2072 and only one of those by 2142.
Only once has one of the "displaced" ever manage to cross a dimensional barrier but the incident records were sealed for "national security".
It was during this incident that the Terran known only to I.S.A. personal as "Mee-Chan", managed to steal top secret military technology from an alternate universe that was over a century beyond that of Autodeul circa: 2022 A.D., but I am getting ahead of myself!

TO BE CONTINUED....

-Peace-
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Comments

  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    Originally began the game with 3 other players....2 of which died during the games course....repeatedly.
    Mee-Chan, D.B. Only, Randal Proctor, Bryan Idol had all found themselves being deposited at random locations across North America that was.
    The Grain Blight had decimated global food stores. The spectre of "Peak Oil" was far more omni-present than on Earth Prime. Add to that a limited nuclear exchange and the climate seemed right for the advent of the "Death Sport". Although Autodeuling would emerge to become the most popular of the fledgling I.D.S. community (International Death Sports), this didn't stop others such as Combat Football, televised Private Wars and the precursor to the "all-time grand daddy of death sports", The Unreal Tournament....from flourishing during this time.
    The land between fortress towns was barrren and ruled by scavengers and ruthless biker gangs...even Mad Max would have been outclassed here.
    Life was cheap and the only thing cheaper was bullets so, it will come as no big suprise that it didn't take long for Knowledge and the gang build up a lengthy list of enemies. Always on the move....scavenging whatever they could....avoiding the local populations if possible as most encountered seemed intent on copulating with their corpses and then eating what remained.
    This period took a grave toll on the group, who were just boys mainly ages 15-19, people who should have grown up to be upstanding citizens were now snarling at each other like a pack of hungry wolves fighting over a bone, but none quite so much as Mee-Chan and D.B. Only.
    Now, dangerously close to becoming the cannibalistic nomads that they flee from, an inter-group struggle for power emerges after the eldest of the group is killed and eaten by a biker gang known only as "The Wardogs" while the group was crossing the Ontario-Quebec borderlands. During the scuffle, D.B. takes the once friendly disagreement into the realm of the beyond and crazed with jealousy, tries to kill Mee-Chan, for the affections of a waitress.
    Fists started to fly but rather than lose to Knowledge, D.B. drew his pistol and a tragic firefight ensued that saw not only Randal fatally shot (way to go Greg...you moron!) but several others as D.B. went on a murderous rampage.
    Having only a knife for protection, Mee-Chan chose to flee, rather than confront the now feral D.B. Only. The time of year was bad for travel on foot as winter was setting in....this was further compounded by unwittingly crossing international borders as he fled.
    On Earth Prime, Quebec is a part of Canada....but on Autodeul, Quebec separated from Canada during the Blight Years and so the unannounced crossing caught the immediate attention of the Q.F.P. Caught in a minefield...in "No-Man's Land"...dressed like a feral nomad...in a blinding snow storm...covered in the blood of the diner victems, carrying a "concealed weapon"...no I.D. what-so-ever and worse still...his alternate on this world died during the Blight Years so he is officially considered to be "persona-non-gratas" and could possibly be legally classified as an unregistered clone.

    (Subject to immediate "retirement")

    North is put into a cell with others scheduled for "processing" and is about to be sent to a "Re-education Camp" when (unknown to him) several Wardogs also await the same fate when their companions arrange a real-life "73'jailbreak" for their comrades.
    The other prisoners are given the choice....swear allegience to Mastiff Moulin, their leader, or be taken to be eaten alive.
    If for no other reason that the prison fatigues and shave, the Wardogs do not notice that Knowledge is in their clutches and he is welcomed into their midst....but not before proving himself. Up until this point, Mee-Chan had never compromised....he had never murdered anyone....anything he did was purely in self-defence....and even though he had no way of knowing it, never screwed over anyone who didn't, for lack of a better phrase, "have it coming".

    "We ALL have it coming....one way or another..."

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    This is what Mastiff imparted to Mee-Chan as he lead him to the test that would either prove himself to the Wardogs or seal his fate.
    North wasn't prepared for what awaited him there.
    In a clearing....on his knees....bound and gagged was none other than D.B. Only himself!
    Knowledges dilemna?
    Should he just kill D.B....(a man who has now tried to kill him like a psychopath, who not only butchered a mutual "jumper" but killed several innocents bystanders just to get at him)....he would be "free" to escape at his leisure, but at the cost of his "humanity", the only thing remaining which separates him from the Wardogs?
    Or...
    Should he use the pistol he was given to execute Mister Only, to stage a valiant (if not somewhat hasty and completely suicidal) rescue bid in an attempt to repair whatever it is that has gone wrong between the two remaining "Jumpers".
    Just as it seems he will forsake his humanity, fate intervenes in the most unlikely way.
    MOC prison fatigues (such as the ones ALL the prisoners are wearing) now sport RFID tracking devices sewn into seams and hems so just as it seems Mee-Chan will pull the trigger, the "dreaded" Q.F.P. stage a raid on the Wardogs camp, bringing all the firepower they can muster to bear.
    The combat was pretty epic at the time as 80 Wardogs squared off against 40 heavier armed Q.F.P. officers with armored support.

    (Ridiculously long combat for the "pre-Horseclan mass combat rules" days!)

    In the confusion, North is able to free D.B. Only and the two seem almost certain to make their escape and put the past behind them when they are confronted by none other than Mastiff Moulin himself.
    Not wishing to be eaten, D.B. immediately betrays Mee-Chan and restrains him for Mastiff, in exchange for his freedom.
    Just as the the death blow is about to be struck, a Q.F.P. sniper wounds Mastiff, creasing his skull with a .338 round and Mee-Chan uses the distraction to break free of D.B. Only. The combat is short and savage but D.B. (being the larger and more aggressive of the two Jumpers) triumphs and is JUST about to kill Mee-Chan (after delivering a near-fatal gunshot injury that would eventually become the origin of North's Wounded Disadvantage) as they face-off near a storage shed (currently being used to hold explosives for the Wardogs) when a bullet meant for Mee-Chan, misses his head and instead strikes the explosives that D.B. stands closest to. The resulting explosion is large enough to remove D.B. as a threat and knocks Mee-Chan out of the snipers line of sight.
    The Q.F.P. officer reports two targets eliminated and no one seems the wiser.
    Able to make good his escape once he recovers, North is suprised to see that D.B. is missing.
    The Wardogs have vowed vengence upon Mee-Chan and any who might think to shelter him.
    The Q.F.P. have had a security certificate issued for the apprehension of anyone involved in "The Diner Massacre".
    KNowledge has barely survived returning to "La belle province".
    He decides that a trip south may be his only hope of escaping those who wish him harm and with that decides to head off alone to brave whatever the dawn holds for him.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited August 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    No identification.
    Almost no supplies.
    Practically unarmed.
    Enemies everywhere.
    No allies in sight.
    Beaten to a pulp and leaking blood from a hole in him shoulder.
    Everything "should" be fine as long as he stays away from the roads....Autodeuler + Pedestrian = Samurai Crossing Massacre Redux!

    (The heroes learned THAT one the hard way)

    Unfortunately the dawn held trauma, shock, bloodloss and death from exposure.
    Hopelessly lost in Southern Quebec, the end seemed almost certain this time as Mee-Chan collapsed in the snow and closed his eyes.
    He couldn't even feel the cold anymore.
    Needless to say when they opened again, North wasn't in the best of moods...he was (in fact) in a state of shock as he was submerged into warm water by those whose property he had unwittingly strayed onto.
    In the heart of the Reservation was an unorthodox mechanic by the name of Spindle Augson but the locals simply refered to him as "Auggie". With him was his daughter (Crying Wolf) and Auggies partner in "crime", a down-on-his-luck driver looking to break into the amatuer autodeuling circuit by the name of Aims Carefully.

    (No one has heard of them yet but in a few short years, Aims and Auggie with sweep through the autodeul world and usher in a level of driving to the sport that set the bar for decades to come. Not only would Aims Darktread (as he would become known) become arguably one of the best drivers in the history of the sport but Auggie's mechanical genius becomes world recognized and through his daughters business savy, translates his creations into a multi-billion petro-dollar empire that continued to produce quality vehicles for civilian consumption long after the banning of all death sports on Earth in 2058. After that....only Mars would continue to sponser and host The Unreal Tournament, which remains the number one all-time rated series in the history of televised entertainment)

    After a lengthy recovery process, Knowledge reluctantly told the story of his "exile" on Autodeul to his benefactors and was NOT greeted with the skeptisism he was used to recieving.
    Somewhat of a "truthseeker", Auggie had long suspected the government complicit in experimenting with what he called "alien technology". He further claimed that "Starmen" (as he refered to the "displaced") do not just randomly appear somewhere and that there is always a reason.
    Naturally, North didn't believe a single word of it but maintained aloof composure as he informed Spindle that he was clueless as to what that might be.

    "You may need to undertake a vision-quest if you are to discover your true purpose."

    Desperate, he agreed to do anything nessesary to facilitate this "process" but when taken to see the Medicine Man, he was told by the Shaman that he was not ready.
    Mee-Chan would only see it with white eyes and any wisdom he hoped to gain from the experience would become "lost in translation".
    During the journey to understand his "true self", he would learn about autodeuling from a "would-be" master mechanic and a "would-be" autodeulist guru about all there was to know of the then fledgling sport.
    It wasn't until after a month that his contributions to the Rez became apparent.
    North suggested Crying Wolf should try to enter Business School.
    It was Mee-Chan who suggested that Auggie put his inventions onto Aim's car for the Amateur Night Unlimited Division.
    Mee-Chan even gave Aims the idea to use D.B. Onlys "blatantly exagerated" criminal past as an inspiration for his Aims Darktread Arena personae that would make him world-famous.

    (Getting Aims to agree to having Auggie tweak his car, on the otherhand, took months)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    As he knew they eventually would, problems began to arise.
    The Q.F.P. were stepping up the hostilities and worse still, Crying Wolf was starting to fall for Mee-Chan....something that he could already tell Auggie did not approve of.
    Together they both went to the Shaman and told him of all he had done for the Rez in his time there, but still he was told it was not enough.
    Mee-Chan (seemingly without recourse) said he "no longer wished to stay for risk of hurting Crying Wolf and offending the generosity of Auggie",as well as the Native Peoples of the Reservation that will surely suffer at the hands of the Q.F.P. should he remain with them any longer.
    The Shaman finally smiled...Knowledge was ready.
    Auggie and Aims left with Mee-Chan and the Shaman to The Place of the Spirits, an ancient ansestral lodge off in the far removed woodlands. Times have made things just as harsh on the Indian as the White and inter-tribal war is once more commonplace. Last weeks ally can become next weeks enemy so it is with alacrity that they race into the forest, careful to avoid traps and other competing tribes.
    Making good time on horseback, the group finally arrive and begin the process of covering signs of recent passage, collecting wood for the sweatlodge and hunting some dinner.
    Later that evening, Knowledge undertakes the vision-quest and is indeed given invaluable insight into his "possible" future.
    He sees of the time when he will have an opportunity to either go home or forever bar himself from it.
    He sees the rise of the A.S.P. and the formation of the PAC.
    Most of all....he sees storms....tornados, cyclones, tsunami, hurricanes, vortexes, clouds, rain, lightning, gale force winds....and its in this moment that the seeds of "Storm Front" are planted.
    He awakes to find everyone has departed, but all of the equipment and weapons he had accumulated over the year (plus many other things he didn't) were ready for him as well as a good horse. The border was within sight.
    North figured he could make NYC by weeks end.
    Once more, he would discover he was mistaken.

    This marked the beginning of the New England edition of the Car Wars Autodeul Road Atlas Campaign. There were many combat senarios that were included in each Atlas that were easily spun into mini-adventures but "The Travelling Salemans" was the books big adventure.
    In Autodeul canon lore, WWIII (while mainly conventional and still suffering "aftershocks" even to this day) did feature a very brief nuclear exchange during which Poukeepsie was leveled by a single 20KT russian ICBM launched from an outdated Alfa-Class submarine lurking off the East Coast.

    (Later identified as the "Piotr Arumov"....remember that name!)

    Although many would contend till the International Court convened that the submarine attack was a "false flag" operation, nothing could be proven at the time and many witnesses for the state either disappeared or were killed under suspicisous circumstances.
    After a string of successful mini-adventures, Mee-Chan had begun to accumulate a good reputation from reliable locals. He had a roof over his head and after the snows began to melt, started to wonder to himself:

    "Instead of leaving...why don't I stay?"
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    At the time, he had been residing with a junkyard owner who had been experiencing some bandit trouble and unlike the other townsfolk, didn't seem to care about the "alarming number of native acoutrements" that Mee-Chan proudly displayed. His naturally dark complexion and shaved head made it easy for him to be confused for a Native American but after helping the old man, his son and his handyman defend the yard against 20 fully armed bikers (taking the lion's share for himself suprisingly) Ol'Deake didn't seem to mind what color he was.
    It was also Deake who recommended him to the nearby town when the entire gang came back looking for revenge on the one who killed his best riders.

    Les Enfants des Anges (or Children of the Angels) were an unsusally large cycle gang based out of Quebec who attack in numbers large enough to overwhelm small border crossings with ease.
    Using this tactic, they raid into the U.S. when suppplies are really low or they were desperate enough to risk the extra firepower of the Military instead of raiding at home. "Cross Border Shopping" as the fad became known, was a very costly tactic but generally suceeded far more than it failed, despite post-9/11 increased security measures and a much higher military profile.
    The bad news was that they didn't care whether the town was in on it or not...."Le Dauphin des Anges" wanted revenge and because he didn't know who to blame....he held everyone in town responsible.
    Mee-Chan struggled with whether to leave them to their fate and get out while he could (as Ol'Deake has recommended) or staying knowing full well that every man, woman and child was going to suffer for what had done, whether he stayed or not. Even if the townsfolk took him by force (which they eventually would) and gave him to The Dauphin, they all know raiders well enough to know they'll likely all be killed regardless of their decision.
    Rumors of his gangs numbers were not exagerated as an army 300 strong rode up on Craig's Creek looking for nothing but innocent blood to spill and untold sufferings to unleash upon its peoples.
    Feigning as if their offering had been accepted....the townfolks agreed to open the walls of the fortress town proper to deliver North into their cluthes. The decision was a difficult one but in the end, Mee-Chan was trussed up like a x-mas goose and made ready for the Dauphin and his hordes.
    This was when matters took a distinct turn for the worse.
    Against all odds, Knowledge was recognized for who he really was. It was then that the Dauphin recalled tending to a half-dead Mastiff Moulin and a "curious" nearly crippled Probationary that had saved biker leaders life...one who had mentioned a 50K petro-dollar reward for him....double if alive!

    (That's about $300K U.S.D. dead!)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited August 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    The favor it might curry with the Wardogs alone was MORE than enough to make this full scale incursion worth the trip. The Wardogs are the only other gang that threatens The Children of the Angels in Southern Quebec and a truce between these two would mean disaster for both La Belle Province and New England.
    Unknown to The Dauphin, The Wardogs and Mastiff Moulin are not just a Canadian phenomena but are in fact, a North American one with distant ties in the global underworld that easily give it a near "international influence".
    Best the town can muster in the end is 100 abled-bodied fighters....the rest are either "reluctant to leave their families to the mercies of the Dauphin's Horde ONCE the players fail" or outright too scared to stand up for themselves. A pitiful 1 in 10 were all that would rise up against the bikers inevitable assault but ultimately, it was hoped that with strength and perseverance....there will still be a town left come sunrise.
    The previous nights "failed barter session" and the "explosive" results thats followed had cowed most of the strong opposition out of the defenders. Hideous desecrations of the few caught alive frightened any in a "family way" to abandon any hope of defence. The Dauphin's plan had worked like a charm and despite failing to acquire Mee-Chan, was still confident that victory would be his before long.

    "Those darned kids" as Mee-Chan would call them, for all their primative savagery, worked as a group and were all combat veterans who only attained their positions only through strength, cunning and sheer brutality. They aren't afraid to eat people when food runs low and they once they smell blood....they never relent.
    The Townies on the otherhand were mainly a combination of the few who could actually "think straight" or were so scared that they didn't know what else to do but "waiting to die" wasn't it. Although a handful had military backgrounds (like Ol'Deake) the majority had never been participants of wholesale violence on the scale that was about to be unleashed upon them. Even with the seemingly formidible fortifications of the defenders, the fact remained that few of them had ever fired in anger at anyone and all of them would be just as happy if they didn't have to. It was only the loss of the Mayor at the exchange which proved to be the catalyst for the confusion that saw Mee-Chan get a reprieve of sentence by the townsfolk.
    If I were to say what the deciding factor was in the ensuing defenders victory, it would be "explosives". The townsfolk simply had MORE of them!
    It was a very ambitious combat. Never attempted one so big before but THIS time we used the Horseclans mass combat system as a base and "extrapolated" modern force equivalents.
    The Townies vehicles (few that they were) exploded spectacularly in short order. Even the larger rigs were quickly swarmed and knocked out of the combat despite their formidable weaponry.
    It was our very OWN version of Crash City!
    It was a SLAUGHTER!
    The Bikers were able to "vandalize" (polite euphemism for raped and killed the frak out of) 30% of the town before their assault lost its momentum. It was MARVELOUSLY dramatic....real Magnifigant Seven sorta shiznit....best of all, every player character survived THIS time, but they were also able to use an npc who was given a dramatic death (as it worked out), the type you'd really wanna see portrayed on the big screen.
    When the smoke had all cleared, all but 10 of the "surviving" defenders had been killed or fatally wounded but only Mee-Chan had survived since the games inception. His heroics DID help the town at a time when the Dauphin's hordes faultered just shy of the centre of town....it was at this point that he lead a charge that routed the cycle gang.

    (On a horse....STILL never having driven at all in Car War even once!!!)

    The few that survived would recall that evening as the night that changed their lives.
    For some reason gratitude was NOT what the townsfolk felt towards Knowledge.
    He wasn't arrested for his part in it all but a town meeting was held at which there were 21 in attendance including the 10 survivors of what had become known as "The Battle of Craigs Creek". The Feds had even heard news of the deed and all 10 of the defenders were to be awarded civilian medals for their actions.
    It was then that the defenders asked why there had not been 11 (or why Mee-Chan, the most prominent of the defenders, was not also included) to wit a vote was then taken to have the "Indian Brave" run out of town for his own good.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited August 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    The vote concluded, as one could expect....11 vs 10 in favor of expulsion. Two of the deciding votes had even been from people whom Mee-Chan had PERSONALLY saved or helped in his time there but due to pressure from the richer families, forced them to side with the Council. All 10 defenders swore never to uphold the defence of the town again if this injustice was allowed to pass.
    They were all overruled.

    Two of the best fighters left with Mee-Chan (in disgust) at the actions of the Council.
    Gathering what he could and armed with a list of names from Ol'Deake, Mee-Chan set out once more into the unknown...before the arrival of the media circus.
    The curious thing about life in 2023 America is everything is seen by SOMETHING. Autodeul, for instance, spends billions in retasks of as many sat-feeds as it can while combing the waves for the "next big thing". The problem is a Sat-Feed DID monitor the entire battle from the moment a call dispatched to DHS.
    Every firefight....all the carnage....every death....every explosion....every second of it all was caught in full HD with town surveillance and home cams showing alternate views of the battle filtering onto the net for months to come...and ALL of them would depict the same "Indian Warrior"....the only person who was not there at the award ceremony but who WAS caught on sat-feeds, leaving on horseback the day OF the ceremony with two other individuals recently claimed to have "succumbed to their wounds" after the battle.
    It would become a minor net phenomena for a while but had no bearing on what happened to them next.

    After finally reaching Rochester, they decided to look for some sort of work. Any work would have sufficed....the less violent, the better.
    A tip comes to him from one of Ol'Deakes contacts who tells him that a job is available but only for the "brave of heart".
    His first instinct was to say "no" but in the end...the money was just TOO good to turn down.

    Paradigm placed contracts for the recovery of a very unique and valuable piece of technology. In this case, a revolutionary advanced intuitive computational computer program for accounting called "The Travelling Salesman".
    The problem is that the man transporting it was on an airship flight bound for the NYC-1 megacity that had catastrophic ballast failure and went down into the heart of Poukeepsie....smack dab in the middle of the "hot zone".

    (Presumably with all hands lost)

    Unbeknowst to the team however, is the fact that the software is simply a ruse to mask the true value of "The Travelling Salesman" which lies not in the nature of the software stored but instead on the medium which transports it.
    A prototype paper thin self-contained nano-portable drive that is powered by its user's body heat, each piece of containing a copy of the whole, similar to a hologram....one with the potential to revolutionize computer markets forever.
    Other teams would no doubt be contracted and tasked with its recovery as well and the money would only go to the team with the goods, so the clock was ticking.
    The group agreed and was subsequently taken (at considerable expense I might add) to the Paradigm Corperation's NSA data facility just outside of the outskirts of the city proper. There, the three were introduced to the team leader, the weapon specialist and the corperate liason officer who would ensure that the integrity of corperate secrets are maintained throughout the OP.

    (It's hinted by the team leader that he knows of the groups handiwork in Craigs Creek and hopes to see some more of it here if any of them are to make it out alive. They then discover that they will be the 7th team sent so far and while it's still too early to count out "Team Six", "Teams Eight & Nine" have already reached the selection phase)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    The Op involves daytime insertion by stealth aerodyne into cities central core...and then just staying one step ahead of the cannibals and radiation long enough to complete their mission.
    They are also cautioned that the locals are contaminated, crazed and flesh-eaters so the policy upon any contact is:

    "SHOOT ON SIGHT"

    The upside is that the players have a distinctive advantage in firepower and logistics against the townfolk in isolated skimishes.
    The downside is that they have supplies limited to only what they can carry and speed is of the essence.
    Opponents have homemade weapons and employ mob tactics. They are, however, smart enough not to engage within range of most firearms except by ambush.
    What they lack in sophistication they make up for in sheer numbers.
    The city is theirs....all told, they number in the thousands and there's hardly a section of the ruined sprawl that hasn't been booby-trapped by the locals...and its their home turf.
    The Paradigm team has only 3 days of clean water and concentrated rations. This is thought to be more than enough subsistance load since a longer stay than the alotted supplies allows is a certain indicator of terminal radiation exposure!
    Fully equipped with the latest NBC/L gear and "state-of-the-art" firepower, the team sets out to recover the wayward "Salesman" despite protests from the expeditions security specialist who scoffs about burying another team member (r.e. "PC") before dawn.
    A dust up breaks out between Security Chief Manix and Rex (The Craig's Creek Sniper) but is diffused by Mee-Chan who avocates teamwork.
    He is ridiculed for his efforts by the arrogant Manix.

    (Greg needs to "dial it down" a notch)

    Despite seemingly flawless insertion by air, the team is quickly discovered and besieged by the locals who prepare an unusually nasty reception.
    While crossing through a particularly narrow series of back streets, the group realizes they are being funneled into a trap but before they can escape, they are assailed by wave after wave of molotov cocktails.
    Lucius, the corperate liason officer is the first to fall as he is cooked alive by a direct hit. His death is slow and torturous as he burns alive, felled in a hail of atlatl fire, only to be savagely stoned to death while he smouldered.
    Fortunately, the starving locals pause their pursuit (in part) to enjoy their medium-rare repast.
    This allows the group critical seconds to escape the bulk of pursuers. Just when it seems that the group is about to be caught once more by the savages, a lone survivor from the ill-fated "Team Six" wanders out from hiding, relieved to see Team Seven...only to stumble into the path of the persuing mob...after eluding them for 5 days.
    What a way to go!
    This fluke (very random) occurance does (however tragic) provide the means by which the group is able to elude the last of their persuers by escaping into the sewers below the city.
    Almost everyone in the group has a wound of some sort.
    Ammo is half gone.
    They are no closer to finding the "Salesman".....not to mention that the possibility of ending up on the dinner plate of a local is beginning to look like a forgone conclusion instead of a distinct possibility.
    Team Leader Lucius Vandenhaus comments that the apparent combat inferiority of the locals spawns not only from the radiation sickness but from a steady diet of human meat. Only the younger hunters seem to be a real threat. Molotovs aside, the NBC Armor the team uses provides good protection against clubs and rocks but fares considerably less so against arrows, bolts and spears....most of which come at them in massive coordinated vollies.
    Aside from a few "Berserkers" (who excel at wreaking havok once they get up close....as their names would imply!) the mobs weren't too impressive up close....UNTIL you're forced to RELOAD....then they become ALL KINDS of dangerous!
    It was also evident that a large scale orchestration was being coordinated upon the locals but whoever was controlling this group still remained a mystery.


    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    Against mission parametres, a decision was made to capture and interrogate one of the more coherent seeming locals.
    This, in itself, turned out to be a far more daunting task than initially believed.
    The first attempt ended in near success but a player accidentally tripped a booby trap which, due to circumstances beyond their control, resulted in the death of the local they had captured.
    Manix survived with a somewhat bruised ego but that's all.
    The second attempt yielded a brain-burned stark raving maniac who not only wouldn't go down quietly....but brought a whole LOT of friends as well!

    (Almost got them ALL that time...)

    With ammo dwindling and success no where to be seen, the group stumbled upon a curious looking bag lady who was searching the murky sewer water for some lost item, or so she would mutter to herself, almost oblivious to the group entirely.
    Mary Elizabeth Winstead was her name but everyone just called her "Crazy Mary".

    (Hey, when in Rome?)

    Through her, not only did the group get wind of a guns & ammo shop that Mary has stumbled upon as she was digging her way (literally) from house to house but also gained insight into a fierce figure that seems to be leading the mob called "Mask".
    She knows only that he has been around for a few years now but has only risen to prominance amongst "The Mob" in the last year....coinsedently around the time when the "Salesman" was lost.
    A problem then breaks out as Crazy Mary takes a dislike to the only female in the group, Nora the Craigs Creek Archer.
    Nora figures the crusty old woman to be no match for her but Crazy Mary puts on a dazzling knife display that takes the veteran hunter by suprise. Barely surviving the onslaught, Manix is forced to shoot the deranged Mary against Mee-Chans protests.

    (A VERY tense situation subsides that nearly saw Manix execute Mee-Chan but Lucius is able to reign him in at the last second....but for a moment there, it coulda gone either way!)

    Using the directions Mary had given them and ONLY without alternative does the group decide to try and reach the Sporting Goods Store where Mary said she saw the "weapons".
    It was a longshot but it payed off.
    The team is unable to find ammunition for most of the weapons they carry but they ARE able to find suitable replacements for those without refills.
    This happens in the proverbial nick of time as an unusually tough Mobster, by the moniker of "Blade", leads a large group of locals against the players. The group held out in the store long enough for Manix and Lucius to set explosives and fall back to Mary's tunnel to elude capture (and incineration).
    The mission was back on track, if not a person light....suit patches were holding out as were the anti-chelates so the mission was still a go.
    Spurred on by the untimely passing of the Team Six "not-survivor", Lucius unwittingly leads the group into an unusual trap.
    All of this "sudden activity" has attracted other attention and it wasn't long before the group felt as if they were being watched.
    Upon reaching a massive spillway chambre....120 feet across....hip deep in toxic water....four identical exits....and ALL of them spewing forth a veritable torrent of water and rats!

    (Not enough newly found bullets for that!)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    One of the players was fortunate to have pilfered a flamethrower from the shop....but I just couldn't let it slide THAT easily and upon trying to start the igniter...(critical failure!)...discovered it had become wet!

    (Oh...the curses uttered in my name that have nearly yet to rivaled by those that night....if only they could be repeated here....I mean, some of 'em were just plain "evil". I tried not to laugh...but I failed miserably!)

    All is about to look lost when a small, unsuspecting looking dirty, little man emerges from the tunnel which the most rats are emerging from, seemingly unaffected by the ravenous rodent horde that quickly fills the room and just as he is about to be shot by Manix, exposes a vest under his musty trenchcoat that holds enough military grade Semtex to level an entire city block!
    When inquired by the obviously raving Ratman as to what is the fate of his friend Crazy Mary, Mee-chan interupts Lucius (from telling the truth to the deranged sewer dweller and) says that "The Mask" had her killed for aiding Team Seven.
    This lie is the sole reason for the strange little mans compliance in assisting them with their mission. He says he can get anywhere down here that can be reached by the surface and he has eyes everywhere.
    He may be a lunatic but he's a lunatic WITH A BIG FREAKIN' BOMB so even Manix is on his best behavior.

    (But Greg is getting "restless")

    Things start to look bad when Lucius shows signs of radiation sickess from an undiscovered rupture in his suit that occured when the liason officer was lost. As his condition deteriorates a startling realization is made....Manix will be put in charge of the mission and he just does NOT like the (other) players AT ALL....especially Mee-Chan!

    (Greg was just cheesed he died in both the first AND second adventures)

    Good fortune strikes in the form of a "reliable tip" on the where abouts of a certain "glowing transparent page" which shall remain nameless.
    The bad news is that "Mask" now knows that the players are here and knows exactly what they have come for. His Camp is a veritable fortress....his warriors fanatically loyal....willing to charge heedless into gunfire with a single command. The task would be difficult for an army....but Mask has big plans for the "Salesman".
    He knows it's his ticket out of the Hot Zone.
    Instead, the mob leader proposes to meet his detractors (before they can act at a time of their OWN choosing) and face the strongest of them in one-on-one hand to hand combat.
    The winner can have his side "go free" and the loser....well, gets eaten.
    But unbeknowst to the heroes, this is a fight Mask intends to throw and then use the Salesman as his "Ticket to Ryde".
    Both sides are playing for keeps.
    Ratman especially wants in on the scheme to even the score with Mask for killing Crazy Mary.

    (All the players...especially Greg/Manix...are all beginning to squirm at the ugly confrontation they all know MUST be coming, once the truth of her death finally comes out)

    Ratman is going to "blow his top"....literally.
    With Lucius now infirmed beyond mobility, it becomes apparent that he can no longer keep up with the group but has no desire to be eaten either. Although Manix volunteers to do the deed, Lucius asks North to do it....who grudgingly accepts after declining the job twice. He does it alone and with the knife but before he can put Lucius to rest, the team leader warns him of Manix and says the only way to stop him may be to kill him.

    (Greg nearly cr4ps his pants!)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    He also warns him of a lasting injury that Manix has and advises if he must, to take advantage of it.

    (Greg is considering leaving the game right about now but hangs in there as we all assure him this is just how "some games flow" and that its not some hopeless pretence to certain execution at the hands of the other players)

    Formulating a plan to bypass mob security in the city central, The Ratman causes an army of furry fury to spread across the downtown blocks....the only ones purposely collapsed to prevent easy egress by sewer dwellers....the Team is able to navigate to the main bridge and bypasses roaming bands of hunters to meet up with The Mask on the ruins of the massive structure for their climactic "Deul to the Death", in front of hundreds if not thousands of faithful.

    (Poor Greg/Manix is almost just pulling out clumps of hair: "Will the other players kill me first....will the mob eat me first.....will the Ratman blow me up before both of them....does the GM hate me?")

    He then makes a very poor, though awesome dramatic decision, to blast the Ratman just as he explains that it was HIM that truely killed Crazy Mary.
    Manix accepts Mask's challenge (being the best hand to hand fighter in the group) then shoots the unsuspecting Ratman in the back, causing him to fall from the bridge to an "obscure fate".

    (Heheh-Hehnn!)

    This "treachery" unwittingly results in disqualifying Manix to fight against Mask.
    The next best fighter the group has (ironically enough) is Nora.
    A tiny little 5' 4" itty-bitty pretty lil' thang was gonna lock horns with a 280lbs, 6' 6" disaster called "Mask" who, for all intent and purposes, looked exactly like "Jason" from Friday the 13th.

    (Ew.)

    This also forced Mask into a considering a different strategy....losing to a man was one thing, but this? With that the Mob Leader resolved to stomp Nora into a mush-like paste and tell the remaining team members that the one who can get him out of the Hot Zone doesn't get eaten.

    (There's ALWAYS a "Plan B"!)

    Things were looking pretty bad for the heroes.

    (Everyone was cursing Greg out for being such a kn0b and who could blame them?)

    The ensuing combat was suprisingly epic...but the outcome was never in doubt...especially after Mask started to cheat when it looked as if Nora might actually win on her own!
    A last minute plan was hatched and Manix & Rex caused a distraction while the far "luckier" Mee-Chan, raced to try and save the Craig's Creek Archer.

    (Ironically enough....he may have been the most "cinematically competant" but he was the most combat inept out of the whole group....all recent vision-quest spawned bravery aside, he was still only just a lucky 17 year old)

    Fortunately luck won out over skill and when it seemed as if all might be lost for the "Displaced Traveller"... a fluke critical failure saw the villain trip and stumble when all he had to do was strike and it would have been over....saved by random chance.

    (The players mostly rejoiced....Greg cried B.S. for at least an hour)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited August 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    The Salesman was recovered by Knowledge as the last thing he was able to cling to as Mask fell from the suspension span to the river below.

    (More or a "serendipitous" fluke really)

    Greg was spitting bullets....he REALLY wanted Mee-Chan to die and he wasn't going to wait either.

    After being caught and almost executed, Manix and Rex, were released as Mee-Chan and Nora emerged victorious.
    It looked like we were going to have a happy ending at long last when Manix drew his pistol on Mee-Chan and demanded the Salesman be handed over to him immediately.

    (Greg was determined to have his vengence but then he discovered what being a douchebag to the other players can get you!)

    Before he could take pocession of the Salesman, the mortally wounded but not yet dead Ratman returned to have his druthers....and have them he did!

    "Oh-for-f@#ks-SAKE!!!"

    The ensuing explosion tore the bridge in two and catastrophically weakened the remaining supports, creating a massive "domino effect" of failing bridge struts.
    Rex, Nora and Mee-Chan were far enough away from the epicentre to be thrown clear of the blast. They were BARELY able to stay ahead of the spreading destruction.
    Poor Manix (and the Mob in general) however....didn't fare quite so well.

    The remaining players laughed till the end of the session.

    (Greg nearly punched me)

    Using the emergency beacon given to him by Lucius before his death, the remaining three were able to leave the ailing bridge, leaping from the expanse to an awaiting gunship, before its final dramatic (complete) collapse and return the Salesman to the Paradigm Corperation for a VERY sizable sum of cash.

    (And a lengthy and expensive decontamination process and hopsital stay for injuries sutained in the line of duty...which they were coinsedently extensively billed for!)

    They are informed that even with the latest in anti-chelate technology, the surviving heroes have likely lost 5 years off the tail end of their lives for just a single mission.

    "There has GOT to be an easier way!?!"

    Throughout the groups entire stay in New England, there were numerous run-ins with various groups and factions.
    Most of them were random and benign but two would set themselves apart from the rest.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited August 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    None were quite so violent or dramatic as the ones that would occur from encounters with B.L.U.D. and the A.R.F...both very different but very dangerous organizations in their own ways.
    The first was "Big League Unlimited Deuling".
    If the American Autodeuling Association (or A.A.D.A. for short) is the N.F.L. then B.L.U.D. is the X.F.L.
    After its brief inception, there are still quite a few A.A.D.A. copycats out there at this point.
    Autodeuling literally took the world by storm and is quoted by historians (once it was embraced by the populace) for being solely responsible freeing America that remained from the tyranny of endless, rampant biker wars in the Badlands.
    As it became common for road duels to take place between fans, its "dubious legality" took root in the psyche of the diehards.
    Now in 2023....(not 5 years from its official recognition as a sport)....road dueling among fans has only been legalized for just under 2 years.
    Most crime rates in autodeul active areas have steadily declined, even though vehicular homicide rates have skyrocketed.
    A.A.D.A. is currently the only division that allows for its members to count road duels in official tallies providing the deul was "televised" for authentification.
    A.A.D.A. is also the only division sanctioned by Gold Cross Cloning and Life Extension Coverage.
    Big League Unlimited Deuling while trailing a distant second in the ratings does not have corperate sanction by either of these powerful entities and is therefore unlicensed. It had considerable following in the areas it is tolerated in but the policy of the State Troopers, BATFE, Sheriffs Department, Local Law Enforcment Agencies, DHS, NSA and the FBI all maintain that any autodeul activities involving B.L.U.D. members are to be terminated immediately and the unsanctioned duelers apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the available local ordinances.
    This illegal status gives most B.L.U.D. members a mystique as the "bad boys" of autodueling.
    The unfortunate truth is that the unsanctioned, often angry nature of the duels, results in almost certain death for one or both parties.
    An A.A.D.A. duel can only legally proceed if one driver does not surrender to another. Most A.A.D.A. members have survived and learned from many duels that would have prematurely killed a corresponding B.L.U.D. member. As a direct result, the much better skilled A.A.D.A. members usually trounce any B.L.U.D. opposition as rivalry between the two autodeuling divisions is fierce and most of the inter-group violence does not originate from the ACTUAL racers themselves but instead from the hordes of fanatic duelist fans who "take it far too personal".
    Mee-Chan, Rex and Nora's reputations (and timely interference) earned them B.L.U.D.'s ire.
    Now in addition to The Wardogs, Les Enfants des Anges, every law enforcement agency that currently exists in the northern hemisphere (not to mention a handful that DON'T officially exist) and now to that list....add B.L.U.D.!
    The guys always DID have a knack for making friends!

    Lucky for them....not every group they encountered was violent.
    Some were just misundestood.
    Originating from a nearby local college campus (but with considerable fan appeal) were the a group of "kids gone bad" known as The A.R.F. better known as the Anarchists Relief Front.
    Their operations, while widely publicized, meticulously planned & executed, not to mention recklessly carried out without regard for any measure of safety to or for anyone equated to little more than ususally ambitious "Project Mayhem" homework assignments. No one was ever hurt....generally....although if injuries did occur connected to an A.R.F. Op....it was in the form of a reckless prankster and not a hapless victem.
    Regionally, they are numerous and "faceless" enough (not unlike hacker organization "Anonymous") to instill a considerable amount of restraint in those they care to warn.
    In most cases the demands the group make are so ridiculous that NO corperation would ever acquiese to them, which is exactly what the A.R.F. want....allowing them to prank at will and still look to be the "good guy".
    Politically their hearts are in the right places but the establishment considers them to be "seditious" at best and "right-wing terrorists" at worst....resulting in their ludicrously high placement on the DHS watchlist.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    (Even taking priority over extremist groups such as The Confederate Commando Corps or the Eco-Terrorist group Green Fist)

    Despite this, the players are stumbled upon by a group of A.R.F. who were dressed up as B.L.U.D. members to prank the local B.L.U.D. chapter by sabotaging all of their vehicles and ensuring there will be "no B.L.U.D. spilled on these here roads for a while"!
    It nearly resulted in not only a lot of dead college kids but a lot of dead players. After clearing up the misunderstanding and smoking the peace pipe (actually it was a hookah) the A.R.F. chapter chose to help the group who get the lift they so badly needed to cross that ol' fabled Mason-Dixon line.

    (That might have been a piece of cake back on Earth Prime in 1986 but on Autoduel-6, The South has all but seceeded, wanting to follow the examples of the Free Oil States, Lousiana, Oklahoma and Texas....against the wishes of the desperate fragmenting Republic)

    Tensions are high along the Mason-Dixon but Mee-Chan is certain his vison quest showed him in "The South" so he is resolved to make the journey regardless of the danger.
    Rex and Nora refuse to part company with him just yet.
    The A.R.F. are instrumental in them crossing safely to Virginia but the real test will come once they try to cross into Tennesee. Word is the Tennesee National Guard is one of the best in all the South, second only to South Carolina National Guard.
    They are well equipped, well motivated, well armed, well trained and most of all....they HATE Yankies!

    The group finally came within sight of their goal.
    Having long traded in their horses for a modified Joseph Special with off-road suspension, the heros had almost crossed the state line when tragedy struck the team once more.

    This would mark the end of the New England Car Wars Autodeul Road Atlas and would see the games 2 year mark coinside with the real world 2 years mark.
    Greg remained with the gaming group as he was told that D.B. Only would be making an eventual return to centre stage, once we started the 2nd Car Wars Road Atlas: The South.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    It was early in April of 2025 when the group manged to find themselves lost upon an old logging trail.
    They manage by sheer luck to stumble upon the VERY main road they had been looking for over the past 6 hours and had paused at the side to determine which direction they should head.
    Not moment afters they did were heard the sounds of an approaching battle. They tried to get to the side of the road and conseal themselves in relative safety but a stray round from the rather large road battle struck and killed Nora instantly.
    Spurred on by grief at the sencelessness of her death, Rex and Meechan spun out onto the highway to give chase and possibly get some vengence for their lost comrade.
    The two had unwittingly stumbled upon a biker gang that was in the middle of closing for the kill on a federal gold shipment bound for Fort Knox. While Rex and Mee-Chan were instrumental in the transport getting through and foiling the raiders, it would be later discovered that it was in fact a bullet fired by a Marine that killed Nora and not a raider as they had initially thought.
    Furthermore, they aroused the suspicion of the federales when they were made aware of a considerable reward for their good deed but the pair seemed more concerned with going on their way....not even wanting to take credit for the "timely rescue".
    It wasn't long before Knowledge Danial North (the man that would become known as Mee-Chan) was input into the criminal database for the second time since his arrival. Sentenced to 20 years hard labour or a manditory 10 year military tour with the newly formed Colonial Marines branch, Mee-chan chose prison as did Rex and things did seem dark in Mudville that day.
    This is why what came next came as both a shock and no suprise at all.
    The Judge intervened on their behalf and made the pair a counter-deal.
    A friend of his down at DoJ is looking for undercovers to work an unusually tough extremist group by the name of the C.C.C. (The Confederate Commando Corps) who are giving Justice and the DHS a hard time.
    By agreeing to undertake a "suicidal" mission for Uncle Sam, they might have some time knocked off their current sentences.
    Rex finally convinces North to accept the deal.
    Barely having the time to properly bury Nora, the pair are whisked to Alabama where they are put into contact with an informant affiliated with none other than the VERY gang they are trying to avoid.
    The Wardogs have a large Alabama chapter and they have close alligences with both The C.C.C. and B.L.U.D.
    Things have looked better for the "Intrepid Duo".

    (Greg is now laughing at everybody else for once)
    (Phil is a bit steamed that Nora was killed so abruptly after surviving everything she had)
    (Greg is now performing a pantomime for Phil of Nora taking a bullet to the brain pan: "Back...and to the left, Back...and to the left-")

    While both Rex and Mee-Chan are about the same age, Mike wishes that Knowledge North wasn't such a "Nermal".

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited August 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    (Greg is now mimicking Manix's death on the Poukeepsie Bridge, knowing full well that Manix could have made minced meat out of most opponents easily, had he not been a knob and opted for the "messy way out" like he did!)
    (Greg still hasn't learned, after almost 3 years, not to piss off the Gm yet)
    (Not to worry...he eventually does)

    It takes some unusually suicidal behavior on the players parts to get the attention of those in positions of influence to take notice.
    One of these tests was a walking moutain of a man known as Mongo...360lbs...6'10"...almost entirely covered in tattoos, piercings and dead cow.

    (At least we HOPE that's what it is!)

    He took an instant dislike to the pair but took particular offence to Mee-Chan.
    Wasn't too keen on sharing the ride with an "honest t'goodness Injun" at his back without him returning fire. This is further complicated by sporadic talk that "they looked familiar" but weren't sure from where. Mongo eager to see Mee-Chan and Rex fall, was quick to jump on the band wagon and chimed in:

    "Yeah, you do look aweful familiar?"

    Mee-Chan/Phil exasterbated the situation by replying to the man-mountain:

    "Maybe its cause I used to f@%k your mother like the freak she is..." without realizing Mongo's mother was a "spastic".

    ("And THAT your honor....is when sh1t got REAL!")

    As one could surmise, this didn't sit well with Mongo at all.
    It has been said that in his entire life, of the two or maybe three people who were qualified to speak of it, and that were still above ground in 2032 A.D., would tell you that Mongo has only been witnessed THAT angry 3 times before in his entire 15 year history with the Wardogs.
    Further illustraing how stupid this all seemed at the time is the idea of a scrawny nigh on 18 year old boy, who barely shaves talking sh1t to a 44 year old baby-eating, dyed in the wool, stonecold killer in a hockey mask.
    Mongo grabbed North by the throat.
    The Boys responce?
    He took a personal keychain-sized canister of Mace and sprayed the entire contents directly down Mongo's mouth!
    Wasn't that hard really, what with all the screaming he was doing....kinda hard to miss actually, what with him being as big as he was.

    (In reality, a well timed opening Critical Hit on a Called Shot but it made him look so cool with "David vs Goliath" like composure in the face of such "certain death" and yet hospitalizing the giant with a single, confident opening strike)

    So suprising that even Rex can't help but be speechless at the outcome after being previously tossed around by Mongo like a ragdoll.
    Their place in the ranks of the Wardogs had been all but cemented but their leader...a man named Tate Pepper...was bothered that when given the chance to kill Mongo he spared the giant, despite Mongo's vow to kill the Indian Brave.
    All Knowledge could do is be upset that he is constantly being mistaken for Native. Needing proof before allowing further advancement I planned a dramatic moment when the two would discover their ONE chance at survival would come once one of them had killed the other. Failure would result in both of their executions. Mee-Chan refused by default (being an NPC) which was fine since after a brief appology, Rex was on him like white on rice. Greg even was given control of Mee-Chan to further stack things in Mike (Rex's) favor. Knowledge was almost a memory and it was all but done when a sudden critical hit made Greg start to play the NPC PROPERLY as he began to beat Rex.
    Then Greg decided to act like a TOTAL @$$wipe and despite being reminded of playing out of character, killed Rex as Mee-Chan.
    While the effort was truely a awesome last moment turn around of Luck vs Skill, Mike was really chewed at Greg for quite some time after that but as Greg pointed out....at least now, Tate would now trust Mee-Chan and take him into further confidence.

    (This unforseen and unfortunate occurance took a wee bit of cinamatic licence to fit new player submissions in within a such a short period of time. Greg would still use D.B. Only, Mike would now use the biker informant named "Gears" and Phil would use Mee-Chan while waiting for an appropriate spot to introduce his Mercenary character)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    Rescued by fate it seemed, the man formerly known as Knowledge North was wracked with guilt and despair upon taking Rex's life.
    The pair had been through hell together and had only just recently buried Nora.
    It was a dark time for Mister North and he very nearly succumbed to the lure of "easy buck".
    Wasn't until North had discovered (a week later) that Mongo had passed away in the night from complications due to having a entire canister of Mace emptied down their throat, that Knowledge felt true remourse at what he had done and was prevented from crossing over the line by the sole thought that this was not what he had seen in his vision quest. It was also that evening that Tate called Knowledge over to his trailer and offered him Mongo's colors....(after assuring him that they would be altered to fit him soon enough...and defumigated.).
    Knowledge asked "why now?"....something he never asked Pepper before.
    Tate responded how there was a big deal happening between The Wardogs and The C.C.C. that will enable them to ramp the "war against the unroadworthy" up a notch but he doesn't completely trust The C.C.C. and without Mongo he has need of a strong right hand now more than ever.
    At first, Knowledge plays "the reluctant prom date" but eventually agrees to take the colors from Pepper but decides to press his luck and instead of a his regular cut, he asks for a percentage of the total haul!?!?!

    (D@MN1T, GREG....NOT NOW!!!)

    Due to a "rather flukey" successful reaction roll, despite considerable modifiers for the huevos to make such a demand under the circumstances....the gamble pays off and Mee-Chan skips from probation to Inner Circle in a matter of a month.
    North informed Los Federales (who had begun to think he had turned...and which he very NEARLY did) that the name of the game was a coordinated strike near a well-known diamond mine. Wardogs cycle elements would run distractions for local law enforcement and fast reaction forces that might try and intervene with the C.C.C. elements who would directly strike the mine on "delivery day" and escape in the ensuing confusion. Light was at the end of the tunnel and it looked as if Gears and Knowledge might get out in one piece afterall....unfortunately it wasn't the light of salvation....it was the light of the rush hour commuter train bound for the city and THEY had been tied to the tracks!
    Given away on the eve of the big operation by a Gold Heist Biker who survived the battle and personally dueled with the character before being kicked from the 18-wheeler.
    To futher complicate things was the fact that "Goldie" wasn't alone and with him came a second injured biker....D.B. Only had returned:

    "Did you miss me, baby?"

    Gears was VERY fortunate and seemed to remain above suspicion, having rode with the Wardogs for almost 4 seasons now.
    Mee-Chan on the other hand suffered terribly at the hands of D.B. before being passed onto to his fate. Greg took perverse pleasure in "punishing" Mee-Chan for always stealing his thunder but this time, HE would have the last laugh and it would be the last thing Mee-Chan would ever hear.
    BUT in the meanwhile he had more important work to do.
    Mastiff would have no need for a simpleton that didn't realize he had an enemy of the Wardogs in their own flock....a sheep lying with the wolves....unforgivable.
    D.B. had to eliminate Tate but needed to do it in such a way that he would send a clear message from Mastiff and still be able to escape in one piece.
    To this end he made up his mind to frame Knowledge for the murder and make good his escape in the chaos that follows. Before he can implement his plan...Gears and his friend, Goggles manage to break into the stockade to free Knowledge without realizing D.B. is already in there.
    It sets a record for shortest jailbreak in gaming history EVER.
    D.B. takes them by suprise....pistol whips Goggles the f@%k out and puts the Colt to Gear's noggin while Knowledge was still out cold.
    This latest event put D.B. on far superior footing with Tate who had become increasingly paranoid upon the discovery of Knowledges true nature in his Inner Court and he would use this new found bond as a means to kill Pepper.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....


    Although Gears, Goggles and Knowledge were boxed up in wooden crates and loaded onto a truck bound for a Georgia Gator Farm, the information he managed to relay resulted in the subsequent operation that prevented C.C.C. forces from taking the Diamond Mine. The same success could not be claimed with the other half of the operation whose task it was to quell Wardog unrest in the region that day.
    Any bikers caught that day did not survive to reach processing to a regional re-education camp.
    D.B.'s initial plan fell through but he was still able to kill Tate during the unsuccessful raid on the Mine and elude capture by the Military and DHS VIPR elements.
    As for the rest of the players?
    They would have been tossed into the swamp for gator bait by now if it weren't for a drunk driver.
    A man named Josh Lee Baker who would later go on to crew on one of the best over-sized division teams in the history of the sport despite a short-lived career.

    (They still maintain a faithful following years after initial notoriety had waned and would attain cult status as "The Grateful Dead of Professional Autodeuling World" along with his younger brother and their childhood friend, Robert James Lee)

    The driver fled quickly before Josh could return to the scene of the crime. Once he had, he was suprised to find 3 unconcious men in danger of drowning inside of crates that sank into the mire of the bog.
    Being a kindly southern gentleman he brought the three home....to meet his older brother Portney Lee Baker who also happened to be the parish Sheriff.
    For the record, this would be the third time Knowledge Danial North was entered into the Worldwide Criminal database. Simply for not having any I.D. and claiming to have been in the employ of the DoJ on an Undercover Op that only a handful of people could possibly have knowledge of.
    He was sentenced to 10 years in county lock up or to serve a 5-year tour as a "ward of the parish" in service to the Waycross MFP.
    To ensure strict obediance, all who comply would them be implanted with a tracking implant that contained a remote controlled, tamper-proofed explosive charge. Not a big charge....just enough to pancake a small room and anything that should be in it at the time. It would also be sensitive to mobile transmitters so straying too far from a designated areas would result in a real "bad headache".
    The leash would be short and disipline would be harsh and swift....but the alternative of a full prison stay seemed unattractive given the prevalence of Wardogs that seem to clutter the nations penal systems.
    They reluctantly agree but only Gears and Knowledge are delegated to accompany an MFP Officer as a surrogate partner.
    Gears is kept at the H.Q. as a helper for the shops mechanic "Cooter".

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    Very quickly it becomes apparent that when someone wrote the movie Deliverance....he might have been talking about a place just like THIS one.
    They would discover that Portney, Josh and Bobby Lee Baker have two sisters.
    Daisy Lee Baker (and yes...she looked like Jessica Simpson in the retcons that followed) and a suprise for a staunch southern baptist racist family was Terri Lee Baker but she was "nothing but brown sugar through and through".
    This was seen as a catalyst that began Waycross's longest running family feud between The Bakers and The Cookes....two of the richest most influential families in the region.
    The Cookes originally made their money in supporting the K.K.K..
    The Bakers, instead, made their fortune in Moonshine and eventually began to oversee the towns Law Enforcement as well as a natural progression to protecting their family investment.
    This infuriated The Cookes who seemed to only side with the Rum Runners who ran afoul of the Baker families "collection" practices.
    The feud stepped up a notch once the Cookes killed the boys mother and hospitalized old man Baker.
    In a moment of exceedingly poor judgement, Portney "deputized" any family member that would accept the badge and armed to the nines....went out into the Waycoss night with his kin looking to set things to right and hiding behind the law to make it legal.
    During the week that followed, The Baker clan (of 4 "able-bodied" men and 2 women) managed to hunt down and kill 26 of the 28 adult Cookes known to live in or about the parish.
    When the state police finally intervened....only Father Cooke and his wife survived of the entire family of adults. Under his care now were 16 cousins, nieces and nephews....all of whom would be taught to hate and revile Bakers.
    The family was in substancial legal trouble but Portney renoucing his families "deputizations" was an important first step in seeing charges dismissed except a few fines and sentence reduced to "time served" of which there was none so to speak of.
    The feud was far from over but it would go dormant like a volcano for another 18 years before eruption. The Bakers had won the feud but had lost the confidence of the community. Needing help but with new recruits in short supply after recent hijinks, Portney considered drastic action and began to recruit implanted prisoners as Deputies to accompany the MFP Officers as part of a new "prison prevention" program....of which there were currently only 3 other aside from Portney and only one of which could hold his own in a firefight. The state agreed and soon replacements were sent to Waycross.
    Problem is Waycross can be a scary place when Poaching Season draws near and the department soon discovered it was exceeding its mandate of suitable candidates but the need for Deputies still remained. So far in the history of the Waycross Program, only one applicant completed a 5-year tour to date and he (Deputy Micheal Harmony) once a dirty vice cop in The Big Easy is now a "reformed" person with genuine ties to the community, especially the Natives of the Great Swamp.
    Daisy had initially been a receptionist for the Waycross MFP (after hanging up her stripping career) but after a biker incursion 3 summers back, she stepped up to plate as Patrolman and served in one of the MFP "Persuit" vehicles....was considered to be the "worst shot" in several parishes.
    Finally was Bubba....he wasn't smart or particularly tough but his brother ran the local Uncle Ed's and so as long as he had a place in the P.D., the Department would have quality parts, munitions and armor for a good discount. All Bubba ever did was sleep in the cruiser anyhow....for him, "excitement" was having to be called over to a friends house to put down a rabid dog just because he has a new pistol and even then, the smart money would be on the mutt.
    Mee-Chan had been selected to ride with Portney who's distinct cowboy style seemed to constantly be at odds with Mee-Chans Native flavor.
    Gears was partnered up with Deputy Harmony and if Daisy was called out of the station house, she would take Goggles since he was the most girlish one of the group anyhow and was deemed the least threatening by her brother the Sheriff.

    The groups lives began to fall into a daily routine that almost seemed to become bearable, despite the constant threat of spontaneously exploding.

    (Rumors of faulty implants had been circulating for quite sometime now)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    They would shake down the local still operators....make sure the hookers stay on their respective corners....break up a domestic every now and then....keep the hunters and poachers in line while making them stay away from the Natives of the swamp and try not to get killed in the process in between taking frequent breaks for "libation".
    How hard could it be?
    Road Deuling is still banned throughout the parish but most of the violence that occurs in Waycross happens not on the roads but in the isolated outback.
    Nobody reports gunplay in the county as long as there is more ammunition. Most firefights don't last very long as the citizenry of Waycross won't tolerate it....its usually nice and quiet down there and they want it to stay that way.
    "Deuls of Honor" can be common but they consist of usually 2 shots at most.

    "It's not a firefight till the other guy shoots back!"

    Vehicles all had catchy names like: "Southern Comfort", "Memphis Belle" or "Gramps" and in a tribute to suicide....it was done a-la Mad Max....meaning all MFP Persuit cars had no "offensive" weapon systems what-so-ever.
    The Department had four MFP "Persuit" cruisers (but usually could only afford to keep three in running order at any given time) and one Interceptor that WAS a gas guzzling V-8 in a game of electric engines and battery banks.
    They also has a fully operational M-113 APC in MFP colors which seems a bit excessive when you consider there is only one Sheriff, three official Deputies and four "Indentured Citizens" who always ride two per car....Driver and Gunner.
    Only under exceptional circumstances would Portney attach an MLRS pod to the roof of his Persuit Special that only the driver could control.
    Having no "offensive" weapons meant each Persuit cruiser had a different defensive weapon system.
    In reality there WAS a second V-8 Interceptor but the other was still in component pieces and missing crucial parts to be assembled.
    Interceptors, unlike persuit cruisers, did sport "offensive" weapon systems in addition to any "defensive" system mounted to a Persuit cruiser.

    (On a Car Wars level of thinking, getting into an MFP cruiser is JUST like getting into YOUR coffin....lying down....and then just having someone throw dirt on you)

    You really had to be particularly crafty to not die getting into one of these babies and engaging an equal sized vehicle optimized for autodeulling.
    Unless you had the MLRS roof rack....the best attack a cruiser had was a guy hanging out the window with a rifle mounted grenade! Many a player lost MANY a hair over some of these combats....a few were almost to the point of: "WTF?"
    Still the players continued to survive and some time into year 3 or their sentence, they were "officially accepted" into The Baker family.
    Gears & Goggles were happy to remain at the prison....(this was where Daisy was)....but Knowledge liked being in the Baker home.
    True, they ARE the most dysfunctional family he has ever seen....EVER....and yes, they like to just leave with the IFF so that the Bomb Implant auto arms itself constantly...(buncha cut ups those guys are)...heck of a way to wake up in the morning.
    By then, the years routine went basically like this:

    - Spring (Biker Gangs)
    - Summer (Racers)
    - Fall (Hunter & Poachers)
    - Winter (Tourists)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    Meanwhile the Baker Clan consisted of:

    - Portney Lee Baker (Head of family and Waycross Sheriff. Took over the family concerns after the hospitalization and eventual death of their father. Considered to be one of the best Sheriffs to hold the office in the towns history despite the feud. Expert level driver and gunner with over 100 confirmed kills at the time of the games start. Has a love for antique weapons....prefers to use single-action large calibre revolvers. Still considered a "black sheep" by L.E.O.'s over the Cooke Massacres. Behaves like a true southern gentleman in every sence of the word.

    (Looks like Matt "meet ya in the Bay of Monterey" McC.)

    - Josh Lee Baker (Gramps Crew Driver and is considered one of the biggest men in the parish if not the strongest. Undefeated state arm wrestling champion for 2015 to 2023 when he retired from the sport to begin autodeuling. Spent untold dollars and time modifying a truck (Gramps) to comfortably support someone of his weight requirements while allowing room for a gunner. NOT an easy feat!)
    - Bobby Lee Baker (Gramps Crew Rear Gunner and considered to be one of the toughest men in Waycross. His small stature has fooled many an opponent but in addition to being a crack shot with both personal and vehicular weaponry, he is also an ex-reservist and combat reinactment buff who just so happens to have a black belt in Aikido and Ju-Jitsu. Tougher than a coffin nail, he can prove as fierce an opponent in a scrap as his hulking big brother, Josh. The only of the living Baker Boys to marry....twice....and the second one will be done with soon if the first wife has anything to do with it! Known to shoot at house guests when upset. Most volatile of the Baker men.)
    - Daisy Lee Baker (Oldest Sister and Waycross MFP Operator who used to dance and then sling drinks at the only Peeler Joint in Waycross, just outside parish ordinance limits, The Lizards Lounge. Managed to get Robert his permanant border status with the owner. Actually the best shot in the Baker bloodline. Her temper while easier to control is far more "explosive" than her brother Bobby when it gets the better of her. Is the only person that can make Josh run in genuine concern for his life. Absolutely adores and admires Portney. It was he that inspired her to join the family tradition and try to make a difference. Is only partially literate.)
    - Terri Lee Baker (Youngest Sister and Blacksheep of the Family. Mother was murdered by The Cooke family and blamed on a Drunk Reverend Baker. The charges were eventually thrown out and he decided to adopt the girl as his own. Her actual father was never determined but it was uncovered before his death that Old Man Baker was not. One of the only literate Bakers. Was teased and taunted considerably by Josh and Bobby growing up....similar borderline racist behavior still exists from them to this day BUT if anyone should be unfortunate enough to exhibit that sort of identical behavior towards her IN FRONT of them....is probably soon to discover JUST how serious southern honor can be. Develops a crush on Mee-Chan and helps him to fit in during his stay in Waycross.)
    - Tawni Lee Baker (Favorite Cousin, Merle's sister and family klepto. Has a bigger wrap sheet than her individual brothers. Has been in so many incidents and through so many juvenile detention facilities that the system simply refuses to take her anymore. Is violent, anti-social and non-communicative....which is what floored people all the more when she begins to talk with Mee-Chan and after a lot of convincing, gets her to decide to return to school for her G.E.D. Has the family "mean streak" but does not have their "dark impulses". More than anyone in the family hates the M.F.P. and may be part of the reason for her talking to him in the first place, seeing Knowledge as just another "victem of the establishment"....just as she felt she was with fostercare in her early years. Believe to have survived repeated sexual abuse but it was never clear if her father/brother was an active participant or not.)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    - Bobbi Lee Wells-Baker (Bobby Lee's ex-wife and current Captain of the Waycross Militia Reservists Unit. Drives the M.F.P.'s M-113 APC when it is required. Seems to be the only woman Bobby was ever truely been afraid of. Hates his new wife with a passion and never stops trying to scheme a way to break the two of them up. Made advances on Mee-Chan one time to make Bobby jealous....3 family members, 2 guests and 1 innocent bystander were wounded in the ensuing gunplay....since that time, Roberta keeps Bobby on a short leash.)
    - Roberta Lee Baker (Bobby Lee's current wife. Pretty little thang if there ever was one. Won the title of Miss Atlanta in a 2020 fitness competition. Is a REAL outdoors enthusiast....prefers bows and crossbows to rifles....was frequently caught poaching or hunting out of season but was always able to "wiggle" her way out of trouble. Hates Bobby's first wife and both ladies have acknowledged that when next they meet....there will be gunfire.)
    - Robert James Lee (Gramps Crew Main Gunner....not actually a Baker but as far as the Cookes were concerned he was close enough. Orphaned as a boy and taken in by the Bakers at a tender age, he is as much a brother to Josh and Bobby as Portney. Rents his own apartment in the back of The Lizard Lounge but always find his way to the Bakers home after last call. As an autodeul gunner he is one of the finest in the sport despite his current amateur rankings.)
    - It's worth noting that no one EVER speaks of "Cousin Merle". If you don't want to be shot in the face, neither will you!

    Yes....with at least four "Bob's" in the immediate storyline you can imagine, one person says "Bobby Lee?" and four different replys come at them....everyone ALWAYS screwed it up....it became an ongoing theme.
    Everyone would screw it up except Portney, who for some unknown reason, would ALWAYS get the right person to respond the first time when calling out "Bobby?" yet he never did or said anything different than anybody else.
    It was during this time Mee-Chans gunnery skills began to improve considerably and his value to the parish began to become indespensable.
    By the fifth year of his sentence....Portney was trying everything he could to get Mee-Chan to consider staying on as an official Deputy but he would have none of it.
    During his stay there....he had watched another friend fall in the line of duty (Gears) and had watched another four "Indentured Servants" come and go. With the exception of Goggles....he knew no one and no one knew him. Still cultivating a Native look....this wasn't difficult.
    It was during this time that Knowledge crossed paths with a traveller who had just been passing through the parish but had brought him news from Auggie as well as a cryptic message.
    Took a while for its meaning to become apparent but once it had, Knowledge began to have hope for the first time in years that he might have a chance to return home afterall.
    An associate of Auggies was working in the area of Quantum Teleportation had just made some breakthroughs in the field and a few of them may directly relevant to a "Starman".
    He included a address in Amarillo, Texas and a name: Doctor Mobius.
    Worried that Portney or the others may have concerns about "what happened in Waycross....not staying in Waycross" and not want to take a trip down to "Uncle Tom's Cabin", he acted as though he would consider becoming a Waycross Deputy.
    Everyone believed him....everyone except Terri Lee who told him:

    "No, you won't. You're gonna run the first chance you get."

    He asked her how she knew. She replied:

    "That's what I'd do."

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    Baker women have a knack for knowing when a man is lying to them.
    Daisy was different for a Baker and she instead took after their father....meaning she had true skill when it came to shooting irons. Once they realized she needed corrective eye surgery, the only person she couldn't out shoot was Portney.
    Even Josh Lee, biggest of the Bakers, was afraid of her temper tantrums after that.
    All the men in the Baker family were upset with Portney allowing a "redskin" into the home and what "Pa" woulda done had he lived to see this....encouraging Daisy to get Lasic Surgery....convincing Terri to take Daisys old receptionist position....even teaching Tawni to read, a feat only three bakers have EVER achieved in the history of the family.

    (The other two being Portney and the Great-Great Uncle he was named after)

    Paperwork at the Waycross MFP was a freakin' nightmare.
    Daisy was still moonlighting at the Lizard Lounge back then and her illiteracy turned the case files into a disaster zone.
    Gradually over the years, as Knowledge cleared and sorted the lot of it, is the how and when Terri was taught to read.
    It also gave him a chance to dig for any information that might help him to escape should the situation deteriorate to that point.
    Problem is Knowledge actually genuinely liked Portney....and Portney (despite his meddling in family affairs) liked Knowledge....he was the best partner he had ever been teamed up with....even better than Deputy Micheal "No Joke" Harmony who is essentially the Waycross MFP's "number two gun".
    Micheal also has had a crush on Daisy since he was sentenced here 9+ years ago....he has tried everything in his time here to get her to notice without getting his head blown off by her VERY dangerous family. Things were starting to look promising until "Gears" was killed by a Joyrider late in the third year of their sentence. Daisy finally decided to uncover what he and Terri Lee had been doing for years as they sorted the case files.
    They uncovered Terri's mothers true identification in an old unsolved murder file that suggests Old Man Baker might have been involved. Together they gather up an ocean of dirty deeds and criminality into a compendium to be used a possible leverage against the family should the need arise only to discover the evidence actually exhonerates Old Man Baker. Just when it seems that Josh may uncover what Knowledge and Terri Lee are up to, the Wardogs return with D.B. Only, commanding 150 biker soldiers on their way to LD-1 in Florida.

    (A.K.A. Los Disneys Arcology & Theme Park one of the most advanced, "operational" cities remaining in North America)

    As one could expect....D.B. is PISSED.

    (Greg is squealing like a piggy....and now he has a small army to back him up)

    Waycross has only three MFP Officers and Bubba with two remaining Indentured Deputies to stand in their way....and Greg WANTS Mee-Chan to die!
    Waycross is not a fortress town....its open on all sides and aside from poor road maintenance, there are no travel restrictions and most if not all the locals know what most if not all of their neighbors are doing.
    Things initially started out in favor of the bikers....Greg's decision to just run riot in the centre of town "out of the blue" does cause considerable mayhem and carnage....but the Waycross citizenry are better armed than most National Guard Regiments and the bikers arrogance has literally put them in a situation where they are trapped in town and are surrounded on all sides by 1500 citizens who are experts at swamp hunting.
    The town eradicates the entire biker force for the loss of 200 dead & wounded.

    (Greg is spitting nails)

    As the combat reaches its climax, D.B. manages to corner Knowledge in the swamp.

    North has no weapon.
    North has no way out.
    North is lost.
    North is injured.
    And its a moonless night.

    (Kudos to Phil for getting Knowledge out of the bog in one piece!)

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    As a result of Knowledges "native" appeal....the local Cajuns decide they have had just about enough of D.B. Only.
    Just when it seems that Greg has caught Phil he discovers, he has instead, followed a trail that has lead him not to Mee-Chan....but instead to an almost primative looking swamp indian.

    (Greg having gamed with us before, already suspects he has just screwed himself again and instead of opening fire idescriminantly, he opts to flee instead of persue Mee-Chan/Phil who then survives to fight another day....as does D.B. I rule he escapes instead of being chopped up for fish bait as would have certainly happened that far into the swamp surrounded by enemies in the pitch dark)

    Upon returning to town, he recieves word that Goggles had been caught and killed by the Wardogs.

    (Greg was happy but Randy was cheesed)

    Once more, Mee-Chan is alone and now D.B. and the Wardogs know EXACTLY where he is!
    D.B. won't underestimate Waycross a second time.
    Knowledge had resigned himself to make a break for it the second the implant was removed.
    He had no idea if D.B. even made it out of the swamp at all but wasn't going to assume anything. With less than a year left to serve he was determined not to end up like Gears and Goggles or like Nora and Rex before that. He was alive for a reason....just have to figure out what that reason is but he felt he was close to his answer and stayed the course.
    Portney suspected something was up with Mee-Chan and felt he had to do something or risk losing another good officer.
    His decision was to purchace Aircar VTOL-conversion packages for all Interceptors and Persuit cruisers (similar to the BTTF Delorean concept) accomplished just that.
    This DID a lot to boost the underarmed & undermanned departments capabilities.
    It also seemed as if that had done the trick in keeping Mee-Chan's interest in the Waycross M.F.P.
    Josh and his brother staunchly refused to have "Gramps" turned into a Converti-Car.
    While Knowledge had little driving aptitude, he seemed to excel at VTOL flying. Ultimately, Portney decided to make sure all MFP cruisers were running order and put Meechan at the helm of one technically demoting Bubba in the process.
    Knowledge pointed out that he could only move so far from the car with his Bomb Implant. Portney agreed it would be tough and asked him if he would like it temporarily turned off for the duration he skippers a cruiser.
    Mee-Chan would be even be given his own "Indentured Deputy" to boss around for his troubles.
    The offer seemed too good to be true and Knowledge remained skeptical of Portney's true intentions.
    It was also during this final year that Knowledge was introduced to the "Old Man of the Swamp".
    An ancient tree in the middle of the bayou that sprouted from the site of an old spanish mission.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    That year, Poachers took out a bounty on Mee-Chans head.
    Portney made sure that he spent most of that hunting season stationed in the one place they would never think to look for him....in the Heart of the Bayou.
    It didn't work out exactly as he had planned when a legitimate Hunting Camp came under attack by Poachers.
    Collaberating with State Troopers, Harmony and Mee-Chan helped guide the group to the encampment in the nick of time only to have Poacher reinforcements cut off the Deputies from the State Trooper attack force.
    Quinn the Poacher Leader had wanted Knowledge dead for 2 years now and fanatically followed the two into the swamp....right into the heart of Indian Terrtory. It was at the site of the old crumbling mission (with the scary looking tree growing in the centre of it) that the pair decided to make their final stand against the Poachers.
    Originally a force of 12, the remaining 8 were easily capable of overpowering the Harmony and Knowledge in short order.
    The heros were low on ammo and had no remaining supplies.
    Harmony was wounded and Knowledge had begun to think that perhaps the time to flee had indeed arrived.
    Unbeknownst to the two....the Indians had been following both groups from the moment they crossed onto their land.
    They were familiar with Harmony and had often included him in their rituals but Mee-Chan was relatively new to them. They had heard news that he (like Harmony) also favored the Indians over Locals in disputes but this was not a true measure of who he was in their minds.
    They decided only the "Old Man" could decide their fate but this didn't prevent them from capturing the few Poachers who refused to go near the Old Man, having already heard tales that THIS land in particular, was "haunted by evil spirits".
    The combat was short and vicious but once the smoke cleared, Quinn held Harmony at gunpoint and Knowledge was no where to be seen.
    While forbidden from direct intervention....a particular scout named Stone, a mute who had been following Mee-Chans exploits in town closely, distracted Quinn with simulated "animal sounds" that enabled Knowledge to get the drop on Quinn.
    The Mighty Quinn unfortunately was much bigger than Knowledge was and unlike the displaced hero, was not exhausted.
    Harmony would handcuff Quinn's ankle to a large tree root and essentially bring the combat to an end but in the scuffle, Mee-Chan was struck in the head by a rock.
    As Harmony waited with the semi-concious Mee-Chan for a Medivac....the Old Man showed North a new "vision".
    There was no denying that this was indeed what he had been shown in his first vision....lying in mud...writhing in agony....passing in and out of a dreamstate....but he saw Texas desert as a cavelry sabre lay on the ground....being buried by grains of sand as the wind from a nuclear explosion washes over the landscape.

    Mee-Chan would spend a two weeks on recouperative leave.
    It was the longest break he could remember having in the last 5 years.
    Shame, it did nothing to alleviate his growing concerns over his final year of service to Waycross:

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    He managed to negociate a truce between the town and the nearby Amazon Biker "Club" that had been abducting male travellers....of which he almost ended up an another abductee.
    He uncovered and exposed corruption in the MFP departments of the neighboring parishes.
    He managed to get the Bakers to stop extorting the local still operators.
    The town was even seeing a resurgence in commerce after a televised road duel during racing season was broadcast and The Gramps Crew began its career on the Deuling Circuit.
    Things were beginning to look up but as with all such things, tragedy was not far behind.
    Just as his tour was coming to a close and the date for his surgery drew near....the 3rd American Civil War began!

    (This guy just can't seem to catch a break!)

    South Carolina had decided the time had come to emancipate from the Union and with sympathetic National Guard units in most surrounding states, the initial coups was sudden and took Republic Forces completely by suprise.
    The turning point (as one would expect) came when The SC armored column came within striking distance of Florida.
    The Republic had to acknowledge that if South Carolina could reach Florida, the Union would have no alternative but to concede defeat. Waycross was one of those "flashpoints" where the fate of the war was decided.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    With the help of The Amazon Biker Club, The Waycross M.F.P., The Cajun Indian Clans of the Okee, The Waycross War Reinactment Troop (that used real equipment and live ammo at their events), the remaining Georgia National Guards loyalists and Waycross residents (who were better armed than the average Guardsman) to repel wave after wave of SC armored columns.
    Thanks to A.R.F. hackers....news of troop movements & communications would not have gotten out of Waycross at all.

    This battle put Waycross firmly in the U.S. history books.

    The Gramps Crew was made famous for their participation and the State finally began to allocate resources to the crumbling M.F.P. departments.
    The storm had been braved....but even more shocking came the admission from Portney that the Bomb Implants had never had explosives in them in the first place as he "just didn't trust the technology".
    As quickly as one would scan an item at the grocery store, his tracer was deactivated. Thanks to the new funding, Waycross could afford to hire REAL L.E.O.'s and have current, reliable military grade equipment at their disposal but more importantly, Portney did not seem quite so bent on keeping the Indian around anymore....what with the obvious effect he has had on the women of the Baker clan!
    To make up for the "Bomb" ruse, Portney did make Mee-Chan aware that he was infact being paid for his work but as per the contract, could accept the cash till such time as his tour had elapsed.
    He asked Knowledge where it was he intended to go....afterall, there wasn't a single soul in the town who wasn't famous in the eyes of the Union.
    North had 5K in petro-dollars in his pocket and no further problems with the law....except that he was now on the "No Buy/Fly/Die" list after being through the criminal justice system and now could not legally carry a weapon of any sort.
    "Texas" came the reply.
    Portney thought long and hard about it...(10 seconds which for him is a lot!)...and then decided he would offer him a lift there.
    Knowledge was touched by the gesture but it was less done out of friendship and more to just insure that Terri/Tawney/Daisy Lee didn't run away with him!

    "I could use a vacation..."

    Portney also made sure before they left that Mee-Chan got to choose from Bubba's brothers best selection of weapons at Uncle Ed's Autodeul Emporium as he wasn't gonna travel with anyone who didn't slap on a pair of shooting irons.
    They prepared their route....stocked up on supplies and once Portney promoted Harmony to Sheriff, the two set off in Portneys favorite car: The Original Southern Comfort, restored to its former gas-guzzling glory.
    It still bore MFP colors but was clearly modified for road dueling unlike her sisters in the P.D. of which only one other remained operational after the war.
    The trip to Amarillo went anything but smooth.

    This ended the Car War Road Atlas Edition: The South. The books "big adventure" had not been done but I was saving it for a special occasion.

    The game year was now 2029 A.D.
    The real game was going into its 6th year.
    What started as 50 point "Nobodies" (of which only two were now: Knowledge & D.B.) were now almost comperable to competant Car Wars heros.
    Sure...Knowledge still couldn't drive for beans and D.B. was still trying to kill him but every group has its "problems".
    North WAS however developing into a fine gunner and his ability to act confidently and swiftly under pressure impressed Portney greatly.
    In hand to hand combats, Mee-Chan wasn't much help except as a distraction until Portney could waltz over and trounce whoever the "offender" was but as pitiful as he was in a fist fight, he never backed down and never showed fear....something Portney admired and respected in the young man.

    "If y'r gonna act dumb....y'gotta be tough."

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    Shortly before Knowledge's 24th Birthday, the pair reached the New Orleans outskirts and had resigned themselves to a little r&r. The road had been rough and riding alone in a P.D. cruiser probably didn't help matters any along the way.
    It was in The Big Easy that Harmony got his start and Portney had a long list of places to visit given to him by his old partner....most of them Bawdy Houses but "When in Rome...." .
    This "twist of fate" would see the pair introduced to a man who would change the course of history.

    Governor-for-Life of Louisiana: Bartholomew Leision.

    The Free Oil States didn't suffer the same loss of production suffered by the rest of North America following the Great War.
    Petrol could still be obtained (albeit at exhorbitant prices) there and unlike the National Guard units of other states, they used modern military equipment and were not reservist in combat ability.
    In particular the Texas National Guard was the most feared of all The Free Oil States. The Louisiana National Guard (on the other hand) held the title of the most "corrupt" Guardsmen unit in or out of The Union. As a result, the nature of Portneys car (an out of state P.D. cruiser) aroused undue suspicion from "authorities" everywhere they would go.
    It would be his own paranoia that would spell Governor Leision's downfall.
    Mistaking them for federal agents....local L.E.O.'s attempted to remove them as a threat like they always do.
    This was a BIG mistake!
    Unbeknownst to the Union, Louisiana (through Leision) was aiding both the South Carolina military forces and the C.C.C. during the recent Civil War.
    Its failure dealt a serious blow to the Gov's plans and reputation and a crippling blow to his finances.
    He had become desperate....promises had been made....money exchanged and now his plans of building an exclusive pipeline that would supply petrol to the "newly emancipated south" were in jeopardy as was his life.
    Upon hearing that "The Heros of Waycross" had arrived in town, Bart simply lost it and hastily moved his plans forward.
    After failing to eliminate the pair twice, he decided to enlist the help of a criminally insane but brilliant chemist by the name of Gary Stevenson....another name that would also change the face of the planet as they knew it.
    Leision's plan was just this: He needed a monstrous amount of funds to pay off his creditors so the plan was use Stevenson to develop a nerve agent not currently detectable by "chem-sniffer" technology.
    He would have tanks of the toxin attached to floats for the Mardi Gras Parade and then have an ultimatum issued that will make claims of a plot to gas the city.
    Randsom will be demanded and Leision will use his influence at the federal level to collect the nessesary ransom (after a test gassing just to make sure no one thinks he is bluffing) and then he will simply steal the money and detonate the gas during the parade to make good his escape.
    He'll then give the money to his creditors and hopefully have construction of the pipeline resume before he ends up as gatorbait in the Louisiana Bayou.

    "They raised up a son who could eat up his weight in groceries....named him after a man of the cloth....called him Amos Moses!"

    Portney and Mee-Chan had really stepped in it this time.
    Using an old Mafia connection who knew of Portney's association with Micheal Harmony from a pair of hits gone bad on the one time Big Easy vice cop in which all the assassins were never heard from again.
    One of them had been this gangsters brother and using the name Harmony and few VERY pretty ladies of the evening, a trap was set for the pair that couldn't fail....which it didn't.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....


    The two were drugged, bound and taken into the Heart of the Bayou where Leision had given strict instructions to have them tortured to find out what they know and then be disposed of post-haste.


    "That's all he got left cause th' alligator bit it, HA-HAH....Left arm GONE clean up to th' elbow!"

    Stevenson, "Big Pete" and ol'Amos had perpared for them, a conucopia of toxins that Stevenson would employ to discover what they knew of the plan despite the constant (truthful) admissions that they had no idea what anyone was talking about and the only reason they were there was to get laid (which also happened to be true).
    Let it never be said that its better to skillful than lucky. In a startling reversal of roles, it is Mee-Chan who manages to save the day.
    Gary Stevenson has his own hypo (meant for the Displaced Traveller) plunged into the chemist's own neck.
    "Big Pete" proceeds to throw the North around like small tree in a hurricane. Phil's incredible role playing display provides him the inspiration and means to gain the advantage on the Mafia Enforcer who finds his foot painfully harpooned to the floor of the shack....which is only half as painful as when Mee-Chan simply pushes him to the floor causing the metal projectile to tear his foot in two.
    Ironic that its old gimpy Amos that drops Knowledge like a bad habit!
    The towering one-armed Cajun nearly makes short work of Mee-Chan but Portney finally steps up to the plate and and after a climatic struggle, dumps the cagey trapper in his own alligator pen.

    "Tie a rope around his base and throw him in the swamp....HA-HAH....alligator bait in th' Lou'siana Bayou!!!"

    In the confusion, Stevenson manages to escape the shack and makes his way back to Leision to warn of the pairs escape.
    He also reports that as a result of "Big Pete's big mouth" that the pair of heros now have some leads if they ever find their way out of the swamp.
    Bart is now losing his mind after hearing Gary's news.

    (Greg is actually beginning to like Mee-Chan after Phil and Mike's escape display and, for the first time since blowing up on the Poukeepsie Bridge, is now rooting for his "nemesis")

    Thanks to Harmony's tutilage, Mee-Chan pocesses enough knowledge of survival in swamp conditions to lead the pair to safely out of the bayou.
    This also marks the time at which Knowledge stops being a burden to competant heros and REALLY becomes one. His combat skills made him a dangerous opponent with a shotgun or machine pistol but in mele he could be easily beaten.
    As an autodeuler he would be only mediocre however as a gunner he was considered an expert.
    His greatest strength seemed to stem from his "naive nature"....not wanting to murder even those who had sworn his death but something in their latest brush with death had changed something in Knowledge.
    Flushed with confidence but faced the choice to flee, the pair decide to track down some of the names overheard from "Big Pete" before he ate the tip of a shovel....besides, Portney couldn't bear to lose his baby, The "Original" Southern Comfort, and would get her back at any cost.
    With Harmony's assistance, they are able to track down some Mafia bagmen and work their way up the food chain as Mardi Gras celebration creeps ever closer.
    Mee-Chan also now begins to sport a tomahawk and Bowie he liberated from swamp shack. He would "scalp" these new opponents if time and opportunity permitted it.
    Portney, usually uncomfortable with such "native practices", encourages it as it saves him a lot of time with respect to interrogations and time WAS of the essence, even if they weren't aware of it yet.

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
  • Adenides
    Adenides
    Posts: 416 edited August 2013
    Greetings,

    CONTINUATION....

    They manage to catch a break monitoring police transmissions when word of a 1972 Ford Falcon XB in M.F.P. colors is in need of a tow having been found abandoned where it was left in back of "Madam Thibeault's House of Earthly Delights". The delay? Portney doesn't trust anyone when it comes to his car and his idea of a car alarm is rigging Southern Comfort with five pounds of Composition-B.
    The pair arrive on the scene and disguised as two of "Big Pete's" bagmen, they manage to convince the local P.D. that Leision wants this car swept completely and then brought to him as gas burning vehicles are usually only the providence of the ultra-rich and some police departments. Southern Comfort, thanks to the 3rd Civil War, had become a valuable piece of history....one that almost cost the Governor his plans and he wanted it for himself as a reminder of how "merde just sometimes happens".
    After a steep bribe with a crapload of fast talking and intimidation, they managed to get permission to take the cruiser to "Sal's on the Beltway" a Mafia controlled Chop Shop they had learned of through correspondance with Harmony.
    The pair easily slipped their escorts (using the Stinger Vehicular Tazer installed from Southern Four just before the Civil War) and then single-handedly stormed Sal's using the M.F.P. arsenal in Southern Comforts boot.
    In a blind stroke of luck, after realizing in despair (at the end of the combat) that no one had survived to be interrogated....the shop recieved a call for an emergency delivery for none other than Gary Stevenson himself who had been stranded outside the city limits. Not only were the pair given explicit directions how to get there but were also made aware of exactly where Gary would be waiting.
    Baker suspected a trap (ever the cop) but Knowledge kept reassuring him that Stevenson was so scared, he didn't even recognize the voice of the man he was about to torture not 24 hours earlier.
    Portney eventually caved-in and decided that they would deliver the car as promised:

    "And THEN we STOMP his monkey@$$ into tomorrow!?!"
    "What do you MEAN "No"!?!"

    The crafty Sheriff decided to put a tracer on the delivery car and then follow him with the hopes that Stevenson will lead them to someone else higher up the Chain-of-Command.
    Unfortunately Gary took an intense dislike of Portney (being a Yankie as he was) and his displays of "southern heritage"....his accent was too thick to disguise and he would certainly recognize him but Knowledge was much better at acting than the Sheriff.
    Also, while being transported to the swamp shack, his hood was never removed....right up until his daring escape, when all Hades broke loose. It would have to be Knowledge that drives the delivery car. THIS is a bad idea to rival (if not surpass) ALL other previous bad ideas.
    As dangerous as he is in a firefight, he has a Driving Skill of 9 with mid-sized automobiles. If anything happens along the way....he is most likely toast. He doesn't know the local topography and he has no clue of most of the rules of the road outside of:

    "When the car is in the centre of the big red "X"....you press fire!"

    Portney assures him that he only has to follow Bakers lead and there shouldn't be any problems.
    He'll hide in The Big C just up the road from the hand off and pick him up after Gary has left. The disguises are actually pretty good quality and will definitely be able to fool Stevenson for a short period of time but exactly how much is a gamble.
    Just get in and get out, that's the plan.

    "Plan: noun, A list of things which don't happen."

    TO BE CONTINUED....

    -Peace-
    Post edited by Adenides on
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