April 14, 2259
The Traveler
Option 1 Selected
You hang around town and manage to spend the night in an actual room with air conditioning and a nice cooked meal by a chef. You hear plenty of word about things around town and once more have a choice over what you want to pursue.
You are in Pensacola in the Maritime Collective
A merchant offers to buy your Gladius for 20 Caps or your Hunting Rifle for 50 Caps
Local merchants offer the following useful items for sale:
Polearm: 50 Caps
Longsword: 80 Caps
10mm Pistol: 100 Caps
1. An emissary from a shadowy organization known as the Sons of Oscar is looking for someone to relay a sealed package to an agent in Fort Freedom in Jacksonia. They will pay 500 Caps up front and another 500 caps upon arrival. They have already established travel arrangements on a somewhat sturdy vessel heading to the Fruitlands.
4 Days
2. A very small merchant ship is preparing to depart for the town of New Panama, also in the Maritime Collective. You’re amazed that it even floats in the harbor, but the salty captain grins at you and said that ship may not look like much, but she has it when and where it counts. He will charge you 250 Caps for the voyage.
2 Days
3. The farms need hands for the planting of crops. It’s boring work, but safe. They will pay 100 Caps.
2 Days
4. Wait around for more opportunities to present themselves.
5. Head off in any direction on your own in search of adventure (specify direction)
April 18, 2259
The Traveler
Option 1 Selected
A man approaches you in the Pensacola inn you are staying at. He introduces himself as Cassius and refuses to provide you with a surname. He represents the Sons of Oscar, stating it is an organization dedicated to freedom for all in the Wastes. He hands you a large bag of bottle caps and states that there is more where that came from and all you have to do is deliver a package by boat. You accept, and he gives you a code phrase and a note explaining travel arrangements. You board a rusty old bucket sitting at the Pensacola docks and the crew gives you uncertain looks the whole time. (+500 Caps, +5 Reputation with the Sons of Oscar)
The voyage is mostly uneventful, but one day in, a major storm hits and a deckhand is swept overboard. The captain calls for you to help in holding a line to keep the sails in place, but as you try, it slips from your hand and you twist around, hurting yourself badly and losing your hunting rifle overboard in the storm. At least it was only a minor injury and you’re fully healed by the time you reach the Fruitlands. Tampa Bay teems with small ships of all kinds and a behemoth of a vessel sits not far from a series of makeshift docks. The captain drops you off on the shore and it’s a short walk to Fort Freedom. (Endurance challenge failed, -1 Hunting Rifle)
You are at Fort Freedom in Jacksonia
Local merchants are selling the following useful items
Leather Armor: 800 Caps or 700 Caps with Light Leather Armor trade-in
You have never seen a town like Fort Freedom. It sprawls across the oasis of the Fruitlands, and the streets are lined with trees bearing all sorts of exotic fruits. People simply pluck the fruit off the trees whenever they feel hungry, and scents of all sorts of delicious meals poor from the mostly wooden homes. A sturdy and lengthy wall surrounds Fort Freedom and smiling guards in body armor greet you and other passerbys cheerily. Only when you look down the back alleys do you see the markers of a town that rests rarely and uneasily when it does. Graffiti displaying “Junk Jackson” and “SOO” is commonplace and you see a raid by secret police on a house as you wander into an inn. You wonder what you should do with the package you carry.
1. Turn the mysterious package in to your contact in town.
1 Day
2. Turn the mysterious package in to the local authorities.
1 Day
3. Open the mysterious package and keep whatever it is for yourself.
1 Day
April 19, 2259
The Traveler
Option 1 Selected
You spend most of the day looking around town and hearing rumors and word for work. You are relaxing in the inn when you are approached by your contact. You exchange code phrases and hand him the package. With a grim smile he takes it and hands you another bag of caps. You engage him in conversation and by paying close attention to the clues he left behind you learn a lot about both him and the Sons of Oscar. It seems the package you were carrying contained two plasma mines and instructions for placing them under railroad tracks. It’s likely that they will attempt to sabotage Jacksonia’s new railroad! You reflect on this as you drift to sleep. (Intelligence challenge succeeded, +500 Caps, +20 Reputation with Sons of Oscar, -10 Reputation with Jacksonia)
You are at Fort Freedom in Jacksonia
Local merchants are selling the following useful items
Leather Armor: 800 Caps or 700 Caps with Light Leather Armor trade-in
Light Combat Armor: 1,200 Caps or 1,100 Caps with Light Leather Armor trade-in
1. Too many people will die if the Sons’ plan is carried out! Turn in the Sons of Oscar and their hideout to the local authorities.
1 Day
2. You approach the Sons of Oscar hideout. They are impressed that you managed to sniff them out. They offer you a job, to assassinate one of the Jacksonian secret police who is getting a little too close for comfort. They don’t have the caps to pay you, but state that this would be a major blow to the enemy counterintelligence apparatus. They offer you a sniper rifle if you take the job.
1 Day
3. They aren’t going to blow the train up anytime soon, so better take advantage of it while it still exists. Take the train on one of its daily trips to another destination (Specify between Haven, Davenport, and Terminus).
1 Day
4. A Flatlander Trading Company caravan is getting ready to depart for Bushnell in the New Gulf Commonwealth, loaded with all sorts of delicacies. They are looking to hire guards for the trip, and will pay 400 Caps.
3 Days
5. Wait for new opportunities
6. Head off in any direction on your own in search of adventure (specify direction)
April 20, 2259
The Traveler
Option 2 Selected
The Sons of Oscar are surprised when you show up at their Fort Freedom headquarters. They draw their guns before your contact identifies you as the traveler from Pensacola. He deescalates the situation, and in his office, he introduces himself as Apicius. They have identified a notoriously efficient officer in the Jacksonian secret police and they want you to take him out. The Sons of Oscar believe that this officer’s death will help stall Jacksonian investigations into their operations. They will provide you with a sniper rifle, but you have been allowed to undertake the contract in any manner you see fit. You reveal that you are aware of their plans for the train, but manage to convince them to find a better way to use the explosives, emotionally appealing for the lives of all the innocents who could be on board if they follow their current plan. Skeptical, but considerate of your view, Apicius agrees to look into other options. Now you must figure out how to eliminate your target. (Charisma Challenge succeeded, +1 Sniper Rifle, -5 Reputation with Sons of Oscar)
You are at Fort Freedom in Jacksonia
No local merchants are selling anything you can afford or use
1. This has gone on long enough, and you’ve come out ahead with a new rifle. Turn the Sons of Oscar in to local authorities.
1 Day
2. A blade in the dark in the best way to go, use your sword to ambush and kill him in the night.
1 Day (Strength Challenge)
3. Freedom! Make a public statement with this killing, gun him down with a barrage of bullets with your submachine gun then run like hell.
1 Day (Agility Challenge)
4. Take position on a distant roof near the police headquarters and take your shot with the sniper rifle at the right moment, easily avoiding the threat of capture.
1 Day (Perception Challenge)
5. Better quit while you’re ahead and avoid any further entanglement. Take the train on one of its daily trips to another destination (Specify between Haven, Davenport, and Terminus).
1 Day
6. Assassinating is fun and all, but adventuring is more fun! 6. Head off in any direction on your own in search of adventure (specify direction)
April 21, 2259
The Traveler
Option 4 Selected: Has the tyranny of Thomas returned? Stay tuned!
In the early hours before dawn, you climb to the top of a marketplace building across the street from the secret police headquarters. You spend a number of hours waiting for your target to make an appearance, avoiding detection. When he appears you take your shot. You miss completely, causing a panic in the market and around the building and the guards scurry about attempting to find you. With the opportunity lost, you head back to the tavern in the more secluded part of town. A few caps convinces the bartender to believe that you were there all day. Still, towards the end of the day, you see people looking at your sniper rifle and rumors abound of a large reward being offered for the location of the criminal who attempted to assassinate the official. A description somewhat matching your face is being passed around. It’s probably time to leave town. (Perception challenge failed, -100 Caps, -10 Reputation for Sons of Oscar, -20 Reputation with Jacksonia)
You are at Fort Freedom in Jacksonia
No local merchants are selling anything you can afford or use
1. The train is the fastest way out of town. Guards may be expecting this way of escape. For a cheap ticket of 20 caps, you can get a long ways away. Take the train (specify destination of Haven, Davenport, or Terminus).
1 Day
2. Go to the docks at Fort Plenty. It’s a decent sized town and you may be able to charter a boat with what caps you have left. Or not.
1 Day
3. All you have to do is walk away. Head off in any direction on your own in search of adventure (specify direction)
April 23, 2259
The Traveler
Option 3: East Selected
You slip out of town shortly after dawn, and none of the authorities are any wiser. You head east, following the railroad tracks for a decent part of your journey. It was at a point where they divided when you encountered a roaming Sentry Bot. Hoping to secure it for yourself, you attempted to sneak up on it and hack it. Unfortunately, you made just the wrong move at the wrong time and it began attacking you. You were able to destroy it, but your armor was badly damaged from sustained gunfire. Thankfully, none of the bullets it took made it through, leaving you with bruises instead of holes. You are able to retrieve some scrap from the destroyed robot, carrying it along until eventually you reach the town of Haven. A scrap merchant eagerly buys the bits off of you. (Intelligence challenge failed; +50 Caps)
You are in Haven in Jacksonia
A local tradesman offers to repair the damage to your armor for 100 Caps
A shady man probably with the black market offers to buy your Sniper Rifle for 500 Caps or your 10mm Submachine Gun for 200 Caps
A local civilian offers to buy your Gladius for 50 Caps
The blacksmith in town has items for sale:
Polearm: 100 Caps
Longsword: 150 Caps
Haven is not much compared to the towns of the Fruitlands. The town consists only of a few hundred people, most working at the railroad or scrapping operations throughout the area. A decent wall surrounds the heart of the town, but not much exists outside except a small area for passing merchant caravans. The town is populated by ruined buildings, and not just ones destroyed by the Great War. You have the feeling that this town used to have a much larger community within it. Whatever the case, no one seems to care about the attempt to kill a secret police officer, except to occasionally furtively wish the assassin didn’t miss.
1. Take the train to a new location (specify destination of Davenport, Fort Freedom, or Terminus).
1 Day
2. Wait around and see if any job opportunities emerge.
3. Head off in any direction on your own in search of adventure (specify direction)
April 24, 2259
The Traveler
Option 1 Selected: Terminus
You boarded the train without incident, but had a bad feeling about it the entire time. The train left the station, headed east, and you soon discovered the cause for your unease. You found yourself cornered in the passenger car by two secret police officers who immediately detained you and confiscated your weapons. They announced that they have arrested you under suspicion of being involved in the attempted assassination in Fort Freedom. When the train pulled into the station you were placed into the Terminus jail. (Perception Challenge Failed; -1 Sniper rifle, -1 Gladius, -1 10mm Submachine Gun)
You are in Terminus, in Jacksonia
You are being held in the town jail
Terminus seems like not much more than a railroad station and a number of shacks built on a runway with some ramshackle walls surrounding them. The people inside seem friendly enough, besides the ones that arrested you, and most have families back in Fort Freedom. It seems like most people would rather not live there long term, simply doing their job, and the town lacks a market of any substantial size. Large piles of scrap parts and salvaged materials from the nearby ruins of Orlando are scattered throughout the compound.
1. Await judgment from the local magistrate.
2. The guard looks like he has better things to do, why not give him what’s left of your Caps so you can grab your weapons and leave?
1 Day
3. The local secret police would literally kill for the information you have. Give them the Sons of Oscar in Fort Freedom, and not only will they let you free with all of your weapons, they would probably pay you too.
1 Day
4. Make your escape at night, grabbing your assets and fleeing before they know what’s happening. (Strength/Agility Challenge, low chance of success)
1 Day
April 25, 2259
The Traveler
Option 2 Selected
The guard was happy enough to accept the money and with mutters of “I’m not paid enough for this crap” he lets you loose with your guns. He does request that you somewhat assault him so he can claim you overpowered him and escaped. You manage to leave town easily enough, and set up camp still within eyeshot of the walls. You see an odd symbol nearby and for some reason it bothers you but you don’t know why. (Intelligence challenge failed, -170 Caps, +1 Sniper Rifle, +1 Gladius, +1 10mm Submachine Gun; -5 Reputation with Jacksonia)
You are outside the walls of Terminus in Jacksonia
1. The only real choice is to head out on foot and see what happens (Choose a direction).
April 29, 2259
The Traveler
Travel Direction East Selected
You leave Terminus and head east, following an old world road, not knowing where it will take you. The road crumbles in many places, falling into swamp and sawgrass. Signs of occasional other travelers are every and debris from caravans are scattered throughout your entire route, but you never see anyone. You also never see the ancient shotgun trap that you accidently trigger when you take the wrong step in the swamp. You lose a lot of blood before you patch things up and use a stimpack, and you get the feeling that this may be an injury that you feel for a long time. You hobble along regardless and eventually reach a large body of water that appears to be near the coast. (Perception Challenge Failed, -1 Endurance)
You are in the wilderness
1. The route north seems to be heavily travelled, and you fancy that you can see smoke from a community there.
2. The route south is boggy, and it looks like quite a lot of foundations and buildings used to exist in this area, but were stripped to pieces by unknown people.
May 1, 2259
The Traveler
Option 2 Selected
You travel without any difficulty, besides your injuries along the coast road. You start seeing a large amount of migrants and caravans moving along a nearby road, and you join some of them. You follow their path to a town on the coast, entering the domain of the Sunshine Kingdom.
You are in New Fort Cocoa, in the Sunshine Kingdom
There are no merchants with anything you can afford
Local citizens are eager to get their hands on any kind of weapons, they offer the following amounts of caps for yours
Gladius: 100 Caps
10mm Submachine Gun: 500 Caps
Sniper Rifle: 900 Caps
New Fort Cocoa is a peaceful and prosperous town that almost feels like it has never seen any suffering. Only a very basic ramshackle wall surrounds the heart of the community, but for the most part, it does not do much and people walk over and around it freely with no protest from the local militia. Farms surround the town, but most seem to work at the elaborate water reclamation facilities, pumping water from the nearby river and bottling it for sale elsewhere in the Kingdom. In the center of town stands a molten memorial, honoring those who died in the Minorne War, and the original Fort Cocoa that was razed in that conflict. Inns are near the memorial, as it is a popular pilgrimage for people throughout the Kingdom and beyond. A privately owned museum offers “exclusive looks” at the enemy that terrorized the Wasteland.
1. A weekly water caravan is preparing to head north to the Kingdom’s capital of Nasacity. They do not need any guards, but have offered to pay 50 Caps for extra hands in hauling the water.
3 Days
2. Wait around to see if any other opportunities arise.
3. Head off in any direction looking for adventure (specify direction).
May 5, 2259
The Traveler
Option 2 Selected
You spend a few days hanging around New Fort Cocoa, resting from your injuries and occasionally going out to hunt for food. Game is plentiful in the region, but you are beginning to tire of rare molerat roasted on a fire. Similarly, while sleeping in the outdoors is nice, the weather has turned very hot, even in the evenings. One of the days you’ve been in town, you’ve observed people coming and going from one particular house. Careful observation allows you identify it as a Sons of Oscar safe house. (Perception Challenge succeeded)
You are in New Fort Cocoa, in the Sunshine Kingdom
There are no merchants with anything you can afford
Local citizens are eager to get their hands on any kind of weapons, they offer the following amounts of caps for yours
Gladius: 100 Caps
10mm Submachine Gun: 500 Caps
Sniper Rifle: 900 Caps
1. One of the shadiest and most disorganized caravans you’ve ever seen is apparently heading south to Liberty City in the Survivalist Union. One of the “organizers” of the caravan is offering you 200 Caps to help guard the caravan.
8 Days
2. You approach the Sons of Oscar safehouse, looking for work. Recognizing you as an asset in the attempted assassination in Fort Freedom, they offer you a job, escorting an escaped slave from Jacksonia to Queen’s Deep in the Sunshine Kingdom. They offer 400 Caps up front to cover expenses, with another 400 Caps when you arrive in Queen’s Deep. You would have to travel first to Nasacity, alone and on foot.
4 Days
3. Wait around for new opportunities.
4. Head off in any direction looking for adventure (specify direction).
May 9, 2259
The Traveler
Option 2 Selected: Today seems much more even than yesterday I’d say with input.
You were lucky, the journey on foot to Nasacity from New Fort Cocoa was easy and without any hiccups. You spent plenty of time on the road talking with the haunted ex-slave the Sons of Oscar entrusted you with. He states that he doesn’t like to give out his name until he is safe at the refuge of Queen’s Deep. He tells you of his experiences as a laborer in the salvaging of Pinellas under the supervision of a harsh overseer for nearly five years. You can relate, telling of your own capture and enslavement up near the Empire of America. The two of you bond, and he has offered to help in his own defense if you give him a melee weapon. (+20 Reputation with Sons of Oscar, +20 Reputation with Haunted Ex-Slave, +400 Caps)
Most of the land you travel through seems to be barren of any habitation, but it also appears clear that the land was systematically cleaned of Old World rubble, likely for use by the communities of the Sunshine Kingdom. Still, it almost feels like your time in the wilderness of Alabama before you reach the walls of Nasacity.
You are at Nasacity in the Sunshine Kingdom
A local tradesman offers to fix your Light Combat Armor for 150 Caps
The local gunsmith offers the following for sale that you can afford:
10mm Pistol: 200 Caps
10mm Submachine Gun: 500 Caps
Plasma Pistol: 1,000 Caps
Nasacity is a lot smaller than what you expected from the capital of the Sunshine Kingdom and its empire. The walls are surprisingly small and unsophisticated when compared to other places you have visited. There are a few large buildings, mostly Old World in structure, but they appear to be in good repair and common use. One is labelled as the Royal Smithsonian Museum, and has a lot of traffic in and out. Most of the people here seem to be highly educated and well spoken, and there does not appear to be much of a middle or lower class beyond those who work the fields outside. Even at night the town is incredibly well lit as lanterns hang along the streets, providing a feeling of security and safety. A small airstrip exists outside of the town, and though it is well maintained, there are no planes. As you enter the town, automated gun turrets follow your moves until you are cleared as not a threat.
1. There is a local hospital with ample provisions beyond the usual clinics in most towns. They can probably help you recover some of your lost endurance from your past injuries, for a price. They can treat you for 400 Caps.
10 Days
2. In a capital like this, there’s almost certainly work to be found if you looked for it.
1 Day
3. You should press on by foot to the next stop on your way to Queen’s Deep, Mims.
1 Day
4. Head off in any direction looking for adventure (specify direction).
