thomas.berubeg
Wandering the World
The RAS still lives, BTW!
Adventures of the Traveler
- Thread starter EQandcivfanatic
- Start date
November 18, 2262
Another brilliant dawn breaks over Hackdirt, as you head out to guard duty once more. Marching from the barracks to the gate, you make sure to cheerily greet every passerby and citizen you pass. They say their own friendly greetings right back to you, and you can tell it will be another good day, just like every other. You take up your post at the gate and the next twelve hours pass by quickly and without any complications. There were a few odd incidents, like a particularly large group of travelers that came in on a working prewar truck. They acted unusually direct towards you and you make sure to note their behavior and activity in your daily log before heading back home. Another busy day accomplished, you eat your rations quietly with the other day shift guards and fall quickly asleep.
That night you have a number of quickly passing dreams that seem both strange and familiar. One dream comes to you of a haunted town full of odd and vicious creatures, as you and another man stand back to back fighting them. The next dream is even more surreal, traveling on an ocean along with a fleet of tiny ships. The ships begin to catch fire and you drift quickly along into another dream. You imagine an empty town with only a single inhabitant, not talking to anyone until he eventually talks to you, but all the words sound like gibberish. The following dream is of talking to a Mr. Handy in a lavish mansion, and having to obey what the robot says rather than the other way around. Lastly, you have a dream of walking through an unending forest with a single companion, until an earthquake begins, shaking the trees as your friend yells at you, trying to tell you something.
The dream fades away but the earthquake continues until you realize simply that you are being shaken awake by another guard. The world outside the barracks is still dark, but you are informed that you have to report to the mayor for a special duty. Putting on your usual smile, you offer a quick “Okay-dokey” and head over to the mayor’s office towards the center of town. The guards here are less friendly than most, but they readily let you in and the mayor greets you with a usual smile and friendly chat. After the requisite amount of small talk, he says, “All right friend, we need a new guard for Satan’s weapon in the church. Instead of watching the gates, we have been so pleased by your performance that we want you to guard the cellars tonight. You must not let the weapon out of your sight at any time, and make sure the door to the room is locked behind you when you go in.” This is a bit out of the ordinary, but you are sure that nothing truly terrible can happen in such a lovely town like Hackdirt, and you salute and walk over to the old church along with a couple other guards.
The other guards seem to be a bit uneasy themselves, and they are constantly looking suspiciously at all of the houses, but you can understand due to the nature of the mission that has been given to you. They let you into the church and begin boarding up the door behind you. You briefly wonder how you will get back out, but you eventually shrug to yourself, as that is hardly as important as obeying your instructions from the mayor. You head down to the marked cellar room, unlock the door with the key given to you by the mayor, and drop it on the floor. You walk in, and the door locks itself automatically behind you. What is known as Satan’s Weapon stands before you, a red and black pillar sitting on a raised platform, and for the first time since you began your life in Hackdirt, you feel uneasy. Gathered around the base of the platform rests what could be blood, but you intend to follow your instructions and you stand resolutely, and make sure that the Weapon always remains in your line of sight. Occasionally you think you can hear whispering, but you put it down to just the settling of a prewar building.
What you had thought was whispering begins to be drowned out by noise above and outside of the church. There sounds to be a large amount of thumping and shouting in the halls above you, and while it is all fairly subdued at first, eventually you hear what has to be the sound of someone letting off almost a full clip of a 10mm submachine gun. You wonder briefly how you know that sound so well before the thumping and indistinct talking draws closer to the door to the Weapon’s chamber. You can hear two voices outside of the entryway, but nothing they say seems to be clear in any manner. They must have found the key that you had dropped outside, and the handle of the door begins to turn. You are torn between two conflicting orders, guarding the room and watching the Weapon. Within a second you are forced to make a decision, turning towards the door and raising your plasma rifle. You make sure to be smiling, as it is always important to be smiling when you meet new people.
The door opens and you fire your first shot, turning the metal door into a pile of goo on the floor, but missing the person opening it. The man entering the room appears to be clothed in brown, hooded robes, armed only what appears to be a staff or spear. He runs up to you as you begin to take aim for a second shot, uses his weapon to knock the gun out of your hand, and pins you to the ground after tackling you. He shouts to the person behind him, “He’s here, and so is the spire! Tell Russell to get down here and help me carry the damn thing! Also, once you do, I’m turning over carrying the boss back to the truck to you!”
“You’re her problem anyways,” the robed man mutters to you as you can hear the other person running back upstairs. In the distance the noises of fighting have grown more distinct with the door no longer intact. It sounds mostly like clanging metal, but every once in a while you can hear gunshots. The person pinning you down seems a bit distracted so you try to throw him off and go for your own spear. He manages to catch what you are doing and flips you over, pinning your arms behind your back saying, “Nope, nice try boss, but I can’t let you do that.” You can hear him rustling through his knapsack before continuing, “All right boss, this should flush out your system of that nasty stuff they have here and bring you back to a bit of reality. Council of Pastors always recommends it for new initiates, and I can tell you, you are in for an interesting ride.” You feel a little pinch in your left arm, and recognize that he has injected you with something, and you struggle even harder to get free.
You begin to feel rather dizzy, and it is as if all of the color is slowly draining out of the world. The vibrant colors that fill Hackdirt begin to fade to more gritty blacks and browns throughout the cellar. You can also feel your desire to struggle and fight the robed man fade, as energy seeps out of you, and your arms and legs go slack. The robed man flips you back over, and shines a light into your eyes, saying, “Yep, your mind is clearing right up, in about a half hour, you should be good to go.” At last you see his face and the name “Eric” goes through your head, and you wonder how you know that. Your mind registers that the noises outside seemed to have become even louder, as more gunfire is heard and rushing footsteps are moving towards the room down the cellar corridor. Two more figures have entered the room, two women, but it is harder to say more with the confusion that has been inflicted on you by the injection.
The woman with blonde hair is wearing black leather armor, patched together and randomly reinforced with metal at key points. The other has black hair, a dark complexion, and no armor beyond a light vest strapped above her regular clothing. There is not a lot of light beyond the dim glow emanating from the Weapon, and it is hard to see much else about the two. Eric asks, “Where’s Russell? I need help moving the spire to the truck!” The blonde woman responds, “The guards are regrouping across the street, Gutter has them pinned down from the truck, but they are also trying to break in through the back of the church and Russell is making sure they don’t. I’m all you got for the spire, so let’s do this.” Eric and the woman, Bobbi you think, each put on thick gloves and pick up the spire from each side. It makes a brief howling sort of noise as they haul it out the door, which you think is very nice. You can hear them thunking it against the walls and occasionally swearing as they take it up the corridor and stairs.
The remaining woman leans before you, and props you up on her shoulder as she tries to make you walk. You look down at your legs and it seems as though they have no feeling and are completely out of your control. Neato, you think, before the woman manages to get them moving on their own accord. “Come on habibi, you can do it,” she says. You nod, finding your tongue to be about as useful as a heap of scrap metal, and begin following along with her. You need her to keep your balance as she slings your gear on her back and heads upstairs with you in tow. It is a bit difficult walking, and you remain apathetic and a bit dizzy as things appear chaotic around you at every step of the way. Making it up the stairs is particularly difficult, especially after someone shouts “grenade” and a great crash comes from the front of the church.
In the wake of the explosion, the woman is still hauling both you and your gear to the front where Eric and the other woman, Bobbi you recall, are gathered together behind the wreckage of the wall. You can see a truck out front and a particularly large man using a mounted minigun in the back to fire at shadows across the street. You can see the spire in the back, under a large piece of cloth between the seats on each side. For the moment it is quiet beyond the chatter of the big gun, but you hear more noises from the rooms towards the rear of the church. A man comes running out of the back rooms, pausing only a moment to throw down a mine or two behind him. Russell, you recognize him as your head begins to clear, says, “They’ve made it through the back wall, if we have everything, it’s definitely time to leave.” He sees you for the first time and says, “Glad to see you standing boss, but it’s time to go.” You gamely nod, but mostly to cover the fact that you still have no idea what is going on.
The man on the truck looks back towards the church and in the reflected light of the torches in front of the building a new name rises to the top of your head, “Gutter.” You cannot recall if that is his given name or a job description. For whatever reason, you have the feeling that you do not like him as much as the others around you, but Russell shouts to him something indistinct. He nods, and begins firing the minigun once more, clearly sweeping across the street back and forth. Some bullets are returned towards you, but they lessen as the minigun moves towards different targets. “Go, go, go!” shouts Eric and the five of you rush towards the truck. Gutter remains on the upper turret as Russell jumps into the driver’s seat. The two women push you up into the cargo bay of the truck and you lay down in the center next to the recumbent spire. Along with Eric, they crouch down in the back with you, occasionally looking up to start shooting at unseen others.
The truck starts with a roar and begins moving and the woman who hauled you up out of the church hands off her weapon to Eric and begins looking you over. “Come on habibi, it’s time to get up and go to work,” she says. The voice is increasingly familiar and suddenly the memories rush back to you all in one go. You finally remember who you are, a traveler from Vault 24, who has seen the world and many of its wonders. You remember the voyage in the Bahamas, a mutiny on a boat, a war between rats, and a myriad of adventures and journeys across the Sunshine Wasteland. More importantly you remember Salma and who she is to you. With the arrival of new memories, old ones depart, and the last you recall was a ceremony in the graveyard of Hackdirt. Nothing remains, and you look at the PipBoy on your arm and realize that a whole year or more has passed since your recollection. Salma seems thrilled as you are looking about, but still unsure if you have fully returned to the land of the conscious. A look of pleased surprise crosses her face momentarily as you pull her lips down to yours and offer up one hell of a kiss.
While you are entwined, the truck seems to shudder and a massive crash echoes throughout Hackdirt. Jerking up, Salma shouts, “What the hell was that?!” Eric turns to her from his own position and says, “Hackdirt’s gate, we just went through it while it was still closed.” At last everything that has been happening begins to make sense to you, and you finally assess the position you are in. Looking out the back of the truck you can see the lights of Hackdirt, and in front of them silhouettes of several hundred armed and very angry townspeople. To make matters worse, you smell smoke and you can see flames billowing out of the front of the truck. You shove the spire out of the back of the truck and stand up, grabbing Salma. Eric moves as though to stop you, apparently unaware that Hackdirt’s influences had finally warn off. “Don’t do that Eric, we all need to get off this ride right now, unless you want to be able to glow in the dark,” you say to him. The others hear you and one by one you all jump out of the back of the truck and roll into the dirt. As you regain your footing you can see Russell coming out of the driver’s seat and running before the explosion throws him down. A telltale mushroom cloud erupts from the wreckage of the truck’s engine, and you’re distinctly glad that you all jumped when you did.
The five of your friends gather around you, shaking off the dirt from the ground as they pick themselves up. The truck burns in front of you as the militia of Hackdirt is shouting and not far away, approaching with a large amount of sharp and pointy objects to express their displeasure upon your group. Clearly you only made it maybe a mile or two out of the town before the truck failed. There is a group of trees not far away that you could escape into, but probably not while hauling the spire with you. You thank them all for the rescue, and point out the impending attack by Hackdirt’s militia on your makeshift position. You suggest that without any more people or weapons, this may be the time to make a strategic withdrawal. Gutter grunts and says, “We ain’t goin nowhere without everything we came fer. There’s friends comin.” The others exchange glances and nod.
After a year of being forced into mindless servitude against these people, you decide that to hell with it and are more than happy to take more of the bastards down with you. Gutter had to abandon his minigun to the wreck, but has drawn two misshapen machetes. Eric prepares his staff with a scale you had never witnessed before, holstering his sidearm. Russell has a large scoped hunting rifle, with he reloads. Bobbi instead has your old submachine gun, clearly loaded and ready for bear, while a longsword is attached to her side. Salma has drawn her own sword in her right hand with an old pistol in her left. You pick up your plasma rifle from the ground and the six of you turn to face the oncoming hundreds of militia charging from the darkness in front of you, while the dawn breaks from behind.
Those of you with guns begin shooting almost immediately, bringing down the Hackdirtians in the rear with their own firearms. A few manage to close the distance, and Eric and Gutter immediately begin fighting them at close quarters, keeping them well away from the rest of you for the few moments they stand. You hear a wave of gunfire erupt from behind you and you wonder how they managed to get there without you noticing. Assuming that you are surrounded, you turn, bringing your rifle up to at least encourage those who encircled you to back off a bit. As you do, Salma hurriedly smacks down your rifle with the flat of her sword, shouting, “They’re on our side!” You recognize that the dozens of people erupting from the woods are wearing full metal armor identical to your own. From the insignia you realize that it is the Spartans, and they are showing their worth.
The six of you join the Spartans in pushing back the Hackdirt militia, bringing plenty of them down to blade and bullet. The rest soon start running back to the walls, and you are more than happy to let them go. The battlefield quiets as the Spartans collect their dead and wounded and the six of you pick up the spire in a tarp. With a rear guard keeping an eye on the town walls, you head into the woods. After a few hours’ walk, in which the six of you carry the spire and the Spartans keep a close eye out for trouble, you make it to a camp by a small lake. The spire is put in a temporary-looking shed with yet another pair of trucks parked beside it and some rather vicious looking guards unassociated with the Spartans. You have escaped Hackdirt and managed to bring along what you had set out to gain in the first place.
Gutter scowls at you and says, “Welcome back to the real land of the living, the real boss wants the item and I’m going to deliver it. You fight well enough, and you sort of did the job you were paid for in the first place. My boss says you still got one more to deliver, and to bring it to Universe City when you’ve got it. You should probably also talk to the King of Spartans, we’d be dead if not for him.” He shambles off towards the trucks and begins shouting orders at the men around it in a language you do not recognize.
Taking Gutter’s advice you next head over to the largest tent set up around the lake where the sigil of the King of the Spartans stand. He tells you how they joined with the Steelmen and were only led into disaster, with most of the clan being wiped out by the Enclave. The few who survived were forced to allow women into full membership of the clan, and you notice that many of the guards who had saved you were indeed female. The king states that regardless of your reasons, you still passed the trials and you would always be considered one of his people. He promises that should you ever seek out a friendly shelter or home, the tents of the Spartans would be open to you. You thank him before moving on to the others you must visit and thank.
You meet up with Russell next, and of course inquire how he has been since you last fought together at Locust Grove. He explains how after you left, he managed to become mayor of the town, bringing it into the Georgia Reclamation District, after passing some reforms among the citizenry. He was unelected mayor shortly after the District took over, and happily thought he could retire to hunting and guard duty. Unfortunately, when a band of raiders attacked one day when he was out on a hunt, he was not around to defend the town. When he returned at the end of the day, the population had been massacred and the Enclave had arrived too late to save them. For a time he tried tracking the raiders until he was forced to give up in the Raider Federation. Ultimately he wound up looking for you through the Florida Reclamation District until giving up. Since then, he had spent most of his time drunk at a bar in Pensacola. He stayed there until Salma and the others showed up and asked him to join them on this particular adventure. He was more than happy to lend you a hand and to remove himself from the bottom of a bottle.
Eric on the other hand volunteered that he had joined the holy orders of the Fellowship of the Palm shortly after you went separate ways. He had become an initiate in their order, and underwent both spiritual purification and training. When war broke out between the Fellowship and the Sunshine Kingdom he found himself unable to stick with his oath and fight against the armies of his friend Laura. He travelled to Universe City and spent time with Salma before Bobbi finally showed up and started the ball rolling with the current adventure.
Bobbi explained that while she was staying with you at the inn in Hackdirt, you became more and more distant, alternating between eating and staring at the walls. You would occasionally become lucid and explain to her the importance of your quest and what you were hoping to accomplish. She tried repeatedly to get you moving to achieve what you set out to, but ultimately was unsuccessful. Eventually she just stole the orb and related notes from your pack and left town, hoping to gain reinforcements. She wound up travelling across the entire wasteland before reaching Waycross, facing numerous challenges and adventures on the way. When she was there, she talked to Gutter, and met the Honest Businessman. He directed her to travel to Universe City and contact Salma, to put together a new expedition to head to Hackdirt and not fall prey to it. The trip was easy, catching the train at Newberry and heading into the city. While Salma was busy with a young toddler, when she heard the situation, she immediately took up arms.
As the others went to their own tents and the sun began to set, Salma tells you that shortly after being split up in Jacksonville, she wound up meeting the Honest Businessman in Nasacity. He promised her care for yours and her child and a safe place for the baby to be born while she was waiting for you to return from the ruins. Both he and her had complete faith that you had not perished at the hands of a deathclaw, and would make your way out of the rubble. She can tell the greatest question on your lips and tells you that the child was born all right, and she named him Abd after a her father. At this point he is over a year old and completely healthy. She tells you that a full team of nannies and nurses are watching over him at the Sunshine Empress, and the Honest Businessman has promised full protection. She promised that both you and her would return safely, and has asked that you travel to Universe City before going after the Miami spire. With these last remarks, you adjourn to your tent together.
The Traveler
You are encamped east of the independent town of Hackdirt
1. The Spartans are preparing to break camp and meet up with the rest of the tribe at the ruins of Lucedale in the east. They have offered to let you travel alongside them for the journey. 13 Days
2. The people of Hackdirt have your caps and some of your other items of gear. Sneak back into town and reclaim it. 3 Days (Agility Challenge; High Risk)
3. Head out in any direction.
Another brilliant dawn breaks over Hackdirt, as you head out to guard duty once more. Marching from the barracks to the gate, you make sure to cheerily greet every passerby and citizen you pass. They say their own friendly greetings right back to you, and you can tell it will be another good day, just like every other. You take up your post at the gate and the next twelve hours pass by quickly and without any complications. There were a few odd incidents, like a particularly large group of travelers that came in on a working prewar truck. They acted unusually direct towards you and you make sure to note their behavior and activity in your daily log before heading back home. Another busy day accomplished, you eat your rations quietly with the other day shift guards and fall quickly asleep.
That night you have a number of quickly passing dreams that seem both strange and familiar. One dream comes to you of a haunted town full of odd and vicious creatures, as you and another man stand back to back fighting them. The next dream is even more surreal, traveling on an ocean along with a fleet of tiny ships. The ships begin to catch fire and you drift quickly along into another dream. You imagine an empty town with only a single inhabitant, not talking to anyone until he eventually talks to you, but all the words sound like gibberish. The following dream is of talking to a Mr. Handy in a lavish mansion, and having to obey what the robot says rather than the other way around. Lastly, you have a dream of walking through an unending forest with a single companion, until an earthquake begins, shaking the trees as your friend yells at you, trying to tell you something.
The dream fades away but the earthquake continues until you realize simply that you are being shaken awake by another guard. The world outside the barracks is still dark, but you are informed that you have to report to the mayor for a special duty. Putting on your usual smile, you offer a quick “Okay-dokey” and head over to the mayor’s office towards the center of town. The guards here are less friendly than most, but they readily let you in and the mayor greets you with a usual smile and friendly chat. After the requisite amount of small talk, he says, “All right friend, we need a new guard for Satan’s weapon in the church. Instead of watching the gates, we have been so pleased by your performance that we want you to guard the cellars tonight. You must not let the weapon out of your sight at any time, and make sure the door to the room is locked behind you when you go in.” This is a bit out of the ordinary, but you are sure that nothing truly terrible can happen in such a lovely town like Hackdirt, and you salute and walk over to the old church along with a couple other guards.
The other guards seem to be a bit uneasy themselves, and they are constantly looking suspiciously at all of the houses, but you can understand due to the nature of the mission that has been given to you. They let you into the church and begin boarding up the door behind you. You briefly wonder how you will get back out, but you eventually shrug to yourself, as that is hardly as important as obeying your instructions from the mayor. You head down to the marked cellar room, unlock the door with the key given to you by the mayor, and drop it on the floor. You walk in, and the door locks itself automatically behind you. What is known as Satan’s Weapon stands before you, a red and black pillar sitting on a raised platform, and for the first time since you began your life in Hackdirt, you feel uneasy. Gathered around the base of the platform rests what could be blood, but you intend to follow your instructions and you stand resolutely, and make sure that the Weapon always remains in your line of sight. Occasionally you think you can hear whispering, but you put it down to just the settling of a prewar building.
What you had thought was whispering begins to be drowned out by noise above and outside of the church. There sounds to be a large amount of thumping and shouting in the halls above you, and while it is all fairly subdued at first, eventually you hear what has to be the sound of someone letting off almost a full clip of a 10mm submachine gun. You wonder briefly how you know that sound so well before the thumping and indistinct talking draws closer to the door to the Weapon’s chamber. You can hear two voices outside of the entryway, but nothing they say seems to be clear in any manner. They must have found the key that you had dropped outside, and the handle of the door begins to turn. You are torn between two conflicting orders, guarding the room and watching the Weapon. Within a second you are forced to make a decision, turning towards the door and raising your plasma rifle. You make sure to be smiling, as it is always important to be smiling when you meet new people.
The door opens and you fire your first shot, turning the metal door into a pile of goo on the floor, but missing the person opening it. The man entering the room appears to be clothed in brown, hooded robes, armed only what appears to be a staff or spear. He runs up to you as you begin to take aim for a second shot, uses his weapon to knock the gun out of your hand, and pins you to the ground after tackling you. He shouts to the person behind him, “He’s here, and so is the spire! Tell Russell to get down here and help me carry the damn thing! Also, once you do, I’m turning over carrying the boss back to the truck to you!”
“You’re her problem anyways,” the robed man mutters to you as you can hear the other person running back upstairs. In the distance the noises of fighting have grown more distinct with the door no longer intact. It sounds mostly like clanging metal, but every once in a while you can hear gunshots. The person pinning you down seems a bit distracted so you try to throw him off and go for your own spear. He manages to catch what you are doing and flips you over, pinning your arms behind your back saying, “Nope, nice try boss, but I can’t let you do that.” You can hear him rustling through his knapsack before continuing, “All right boss, this should flush out your system of that nasty stuff they have here and bring you back to a bit of reality. Council of Pastors always recommends it for new initiates, and I can tell you, you are in for an interesting ride.” You feel a little pinch in your left arm, and recognize that he has injected you with something, and you struggle even harder to get free.
You begin to feel rather dizzy, and it is as if all of the color is slowly draining out of the world. The vibrant colors that fill Hackdirt begin to fade to more gritty blacks and browns throughout the cellar. You can also feel your desire to struggle and fight the robed man fade, as energy seeps out of you, and your arms and legs go slack. The robed man flips you back over, and shines a light into your eyes, saying, “Yep, your mind is clearing right up, in about a half hour, you should be good to go.” At last you see his face and the name “Eric” goes through your head, and you wonder how you know that. Your mind registers that the noises outside seemed to have become even louder, as more gunfire is heard and rushing footsteps are moving towards the room down the cellar corridor. Two more figures have entered the room, two women, but it is harder to say more with the confusion that has been inflicted on you by the injection.
The woman with blonde hair is wearing black leather armor, patched together and randomly reinforced with metal at key points. The other has black hair, a dark complexion, and no armor beyond a light vest strapped above her regular clothing. There is not a lot of light beyond the dim glow emanating from the Weapon, and it is hard to see much else about the two. Eric asks, “Where’s Russell? I need help moving the spire to the truck!” The blonde woman responds, “The guards are regrouping across the street, Gutter has them pinned down from the truck, but they are also trying to break in through the back of the church and Russell is making sure they don’t. I’m all you got for the spire, so let’s do this.” Eric and the woman, Bobbi you think, each put on thick gloves and pick up the spire from each side. It makes a brief howling sort of noise as they haul it out the door, which you think is very nice. You can hear them thunking it against the walls and occasionally swearing as they take it up the corridor and stairs.
The remaining woman leans before you, and props you up on her shoulder as she tries to make you walk. You look down at your legs and it seems as though they have no feeling and are completely out of your control. Neato, you think, before the woman manages to get them moving on their own accord. “Come on habibi, you can do it,” she says. You nod, finding your tongue to be about as useful as a heap of scrap metal, and begin following along with her. You need her to keep your balance as she slings your gear on her back and heads upstairs with you in tow. It is a bit difficult walking, and you remain apathetic and a bit dizzy as things appear chaotic around you at every step of the way. Making it up the stairs is particularly difficult, especially after someone shouts “grenade” and a great crash comes from the front of the church.
In the wake of the explosion, the woman is still hauling both you and your gear to the front where Eric and the other woman, Bobbi you recall, are gathered together behind the wreckage of the wall. You can see a truck out front and a particularly large man using a mounted minigun in the back to fire at shadows across the street. You can see the spire in the back, under a large piece of cloth between the seats on each side. For the moment it is quiet beyond the chatter of the big gun, but you hear more noises from the rooms towards the rear of the church. A man comes running out of the back rooms, pausing only a moment to throw down a mine or two behind him. Russell, you recognize him as your head begins to clear, says, “They’ve made it through the back wall, if we have everything, it’s definitely time to leave.” He sees you for the first time and says, “Glad to see you standing boss, but it’s time to go.” You gamely nod, but mostly to cover the fact that you still have no idea what is going on.
The man on the truck looks back towards the church and in the reflected light of the torches in front of the building a new name rises to the top of your head, “Gutter.” You cannot recall if that is his given name or a job description. For whatever reason, you have the feeling that you do not like him as much as the others around you, but Russell shouts to him something indistinct. He nods, and begins firing the minigun once more, clearly sweeping across the street back and forth. Some bullets are returned towards you, but they lessen as the minigun moves towards different targets. “Go, go, go!” shouts Eric and the five of you rush towards the truck. Gutter remains on the upper turret as Russell jumps into the driver’s seat. The two women push you up into the cargo bay of the truck and you lay down in the center next to the recumbent spire. Along with Eric, they crouch down in the back with you, occasionally looking up to start shooting at unseen others.
The truck starts with a roar and begins moving and the woman who hauled you up out of the church hands off her weapon to Eric and begins looking you over. “Come on habibi, it’s time to get up and go to work,” she says. The voice is increasingly familiar and suddenly the memories rush back to you all in one go. You finally remember who you are, a traveler from Vault 24, who has seen the world and many of its wonders. You remember the voyage in the Bahamas, a mutiny on a boat, a war between rats, and a myriad of adventures and journeys across the Sunshine Wasteland. More importantly you remember Salma and who she is to you. With the arrival of new memories, old ones depart, and the last you recall was a ceremony in the graveyard of Hackdirt. Nothing remains, and you look at the PipBoy on your arm and realize that a whole year or more has passed since your recollection. Salma seems thrilled as you are looking about, but still unsure if you have fully returned to the land of the conscious. A look of pleased surprise crosses her face momentarily as you pull her lips down to yours and offer up one hell of a kiss.
While you are entwined, the truck seems to shudder and a massive crash echoes throughout Hackdirt. Jerking up, Salma shouts, “What the hell was that?!” Eric turns to her from his own position and says, “Hackdirt’s gate, we just went through it while it was still closed.” At last everything that has been happening begins to make sense to you, and you finally assess the position you are in. Looking out the back of the truck you can see the lights of Hackdirt, and in front of them silhouettes of several hundred armed and very angry townspeople. To make matters worse, you smell smoke and you can see flames billowing out of the front of the truck. You shove the spire out of the back of the truck and stand up, grabbing Salma. Eric moves as though to stop you, apparently unaware that Hackdirt’s influences had finally warn off. “Don’t do that Eric, we all need to get off this ride right now, unless you want to be able to glow in the dark,” you say to him. The others hear you and one by one you all jump out of the back of the truck and roll into the dirt. As you regain your footing you can see Russell coming out of the driver’s seat and running before the explosion throws him down. A telltale mushroom cloud erupts from the wreckage of the truck’s engine, and you’re distinctly glad that you all jumped when you did.
The five of your friends gather around you, shaking off the dirt from the ground as they pick themselves up. The truck burns in front of you as the militia of Hackdirt is shouting and not far away, approaching with a large amount of sharp and pointy objects to express their displeasure upon your group. Clearly you only made it maybe a mile or two out of the town before the truck failed. There is a group of trees not far away that you could escape into, but probably not while hauling the spire with you. You thank them all for the rescue, and point out the impending attack by Hackdirt’s militia on your makeshift position. You suggest that without any more people or weapons, this may be the time to make a strategic withdrawal. Gutter grunts and says, “We ain’t goin nowhere without everything we came fer. There’s friends comin.” The others exchange glances and nod.
After a year of being forced into mindless servitude against these people, you decide that to hell with it and are more than happy to take more of the bastards down with you. Gutter had to abandon his minigun to the wreck, but has drawn two misshapen machetes. Eric prepares his staff with a scale you had never witnessed before, holstering his sidearm. Russell has a large scoped hunting rifle, with he reloads. Bobbi instead has your old submachine gun, clearly loaded and ready for bear, while a longsword is attached to her side. Salma has drawn her own sword in her right hand with an old pistol in her left. You pick up your plasma rifle from the ground and the six of you turn to face the oncoming hundreds of militia charging from the darkness in front of you, while the dawn breaks from behind.
Those of you with guns begin shooting almost immediately, bringing down the Hackdirtians in the rear with their own firearms. A few manage to close the distance, and Eric and Gutter immediately begin fighting them at close quarters, keeping them well away from the rest of you for the few moments they stand. You hear a wave of gunfire erupt from behind you and you wonder how they managed to get there without you noticing. Assuming that you are surrounded, you turn, bringing your rifle up to at least encourage those who encircled you to back off a bit. As you do, Salma hurriedly smacks down your rifle with the flat of her sword, shouting, “They’re on our side!” You recognize that the dozens of people erupting from the woods are wearing full metal armor identical to your own. From the insignia you realize that it is the Spartans, and they are showing their worth.
The six of you join the Spartans in pushing back the Hackdirt militia, bringing plenty of them down to blade and bullet. The rest soon start running back to the walls, and you are more than happy to let them go. The battlefield quiets as the Spartans collect their dead and wounded and the six of you pick up the spire in a tarp. With a rear guard keeping an eye on the town walls, you head into the woods. After a few hours’ walk, in which the six of you carry the spire and the Spartans keep a close eye out for trouble, you make it to a camp by a small lake. The spire is put in a temporary-looking shed with yet another pair of trucks parked beside it and some rather vicious looking guards unassociated with the Spartans. You have escaped Hackdirt and managed to bring along what you had set out to gain in the first place.
Gutter scowls at you and says, “Welcome back to the real land of the living, the real boss wants the item and I’m going to deliver it. You fight well enough, and you sort of did the job you were paid for in the first place. My boss says you still got one more to deliver, and to bring it to Universe City when you’ve got it. You should probably also talk to the King of Spartans, we’d be dead if not for him.” He shambles off towards the trucks and begins shouting orders at the men around it in a language you do not recognize.
Taking Gutter’s advice you next head over to the largest tent set up around the lake where the sigil of the King of the Spartans stand. He tells you how they joined with the Steelmen and were only led into disaster, with most of the clan being wiped out by the Enclave. The few who survived were forced to allow women into full membership of the clan, and you notice that many of the guards who had saved you were indeed female. The king states that regardless of your reasons, you still passed the trials and you would always be considered one of his people. He promises that should you ever seek out a friendly shelter or home, the tents of the Spartans would be open to you. You thank him before moving on to the others you must visit and thank.
You meet up with Russell next, and of course inquire how he has been since you last fought together at Locust Grove. He explains how after you left, he managed to become mayor of the town, bringing it into the Georgia Reclamation District, after passing some reforms among the citizenry. He was unelected mayor shortly after the District took over, and happily thought he could retire to hunting and guard duty. Unfortunately, when a band of raiders attacked one day when he was out on a hunt, he was not around to defend the town. When he returned at the end of the day, the population had been massacred and the Enclave had arrived too late to save them. For a time he tried tracking the raiders until he was forced to give up in the Raider Federation. Ultimately he wound up looking for you through the Florida Reclamation District until giving up. Since then, he had spent most of his time drunk at a bar in Pensacola. He stayed there until Salma and the others showed up and asked him to join them on this particular adventure. He was more than happy to lend you a hand and to remove himself from the bottom of a bottle.
Eric on the other hand volunteered that he had joined the holy orders of the Fellowship of the Palm shortly after you went separate ways. He had become an initiate in their order, and underwent both spiritual purification and training. When war broke out between the Fellowship and the Sunshine Kingdom he found himself unable to stick with his oath and fight against the armies of his friend Laura. He travelled to Universe City and spent time with Salma before Bobbi finally showed up and started the ball rolling with the current adventure.
Bobbi explained that while she was staying with you at the inn in Hackdirt, you became more and more distant, alternating between eating and staring at the walls. You would occasionally become lucid and explain to her the importance of your quest and what you were hoping to accomplish. She tried repeatedly to get you moving to achieve what you set out to, but ultimately was unsuccessful. Eventually she just stole the orb and related notes from your pack and left town, hoping to gain reinforcements. She wound up travelling across the entire wasteland before reaching Waycross, facing numerous challenges and adventures on the way. When she was there, she talked to Gutter, and met the Honest Businessman. He directed her to travel to Universe City and contact Salma, to put together a new expedition to head to Hackdirt and not fall prey to it. The trip was easy, catching the train at Newberry and heading into the city. While Salma was busy with a young toddler, when she heard the situation, she immediately took up arms.
As the others went to their own tents and the sun began to set, Salma tells you that shortly after being split up in Jacksonville, she wound up meeting the Honest Businessman in Nasacity. He promised her care for yours and her child and a safe place for the baby to be born while she was waiting for you to return from the ruins. Both he and her had complete faith that you had not perished at the hands of a deathclaw, and would make your way out of the rubble. She can tell the greatest question on your lips and tells you that the child was born all right, and she named him Abd after a her father. At this point he is over a year old and completely healthy. She tells you that a full team of nannies and nurses are watching over him at the Sunshine Empress, and the Honest Businessman has promised full protection. She promised that both you and her would return safely, and has asked that you travel to Universe City before going after the Miami spire. With these last remarks, you adjourn to your tent together.
The Traveler
Spoiler :
You are encamped east of the independent town of Hackdirt
1. The Spartans are preparing to break camp and meet up with the rest of the tribe at the ruins of Lucedale in the east. They have offered to let you travel alongside them for the journey. 13 Days
2. The people of Hackdirt have your caps and some of your other items of gear. Sneak back into town and reclaim it. 3 Days (Agility Challenge; High Risk)
3. Head out in any direction.
thomas.berubeg
Wandering the World
Option 1.
Also, It's really good to see this, and kinda great this was an epic rescue mounted by our companions. Also, glad it wasn't bobbi who killed herself.
Also, It's really good to see this, and kinda great this was an epic rescue mounted by our companions. Also, glad it wasn't bobbi who killed herself.
TheLastJacobite
No Commies
Option 1. We're headed in that direction anyway
Grandkhan
Telvanni Master Wizard
Hahah, Team Traveller came through!
That was a great update. Every friend we've ever made and Gutter coming in in an epic rescue. Beautiful.
Option 1. Spartan Bros are Bros 4 lyfe.
That was a great update. Every friend we've ever made and Gutter coming in in an epic rescue. Beautiful.
Option 1. Spartan Bros are Bros 4 lyfe.
thomas.berubeg
Wandering the World
We need to make the spartans be cool, not raiders nor slavers.
thomas.berubeg
Wandering the World
That's a GREAT idea. Fill the lost niche.
DuneBear
Warlord
Option 1 and I like Decamper's idea.
Golden1Knight
Emperor
I agree with both option 1 and the merc idea.
Grandkhan
Telvanni Master Wizard
The merc idea is pretty cool as long as they've got guns - which I guess they do. Dunno where they got them from.
If they keep hanging out in Mississippi area, it's not gonna be an issue. My army still mostly relies primarily on close quarters combat, and so are the neighboring communities.
December 2, 2262
The Traveler
Option 1 Selected
You decide to head east with the rest of the Spartans. They welcome the presence of you and your party, as the journey is deemed to be fairly dangerous. Gutter provides you with a scowl as the trucks he commands head off in a completely different direction, likely to improve chances of the recovery of the spire. You feel a bit of tension and unease rinse right off of you, knowing that the second spire is well out of both yours and Nelson’s hands. You are able to actually enjoy the march with the Spartans more than you have other expeditions in the past, taking time to spend with Salma and the others, catching up on the events of the past year. Eric states that you probably never will regain all of the memories of your time in Hackdirt, which may be for the better. The whole raiding party managing to head east without any substantial issues for almost two weeks before you all arrive at the Spartan base camp.
You are at the Spartan base camp, set up in the ruins of Lucedale, AL
There are no merchants set up here yet, as the clan is still trying to figure out where to go.
1. The Spartans are preparing to move out as a clan, to find a concealed location with access to water to set up a permanent base and launch raids from. They are more than willing to allow you to join them if you choose.
2. Head out in any direction.
The Traveler
Spoiler :
Option 1 Selected
You decide to head east with the rest of the Spartans. They welcome the presence of you and your party, as the journey is deemed to be fairly dangerous. Gutter provides you with a scowl as the trucks he commands head off in a completely different direction, likely to improve chances of the recovery of the spire. You feel a bit of tension and unease rinse right off of you, knowing that the second spire is well out of both yours and Nelson’s hands. You are able to actually enjoy the march with the Spartans more than you have other expeditions in the past, taking time to spend with Salma and the others, catching up on the events of the past year. Eric states that you probably never will regain all of the memories of your time in Hackdirt, which may be for the better. The whole raiding party managing to head east without any substantial issues for almost two weeks before you all arrive at the Spartan base camp.
You are at the Spartan base camp, set up in the ruins of Lucedale, AL
There are no merchants set up here yet, as the clan is still trying to figure out where to go.
1. The Spartans are preparing to move out as a clan, to find a concealed location with access to water to set up a permanent base and launch raids from. They are more than willing to allow you to join them if you choose.
2. Head out in any direction.
thomas.berubeg
Wandering the World
Option 1: For now, attempt to convince the spartans to "Go legitimate" and become a mercenary band.
DuneBear
Warlord
Definitely what Thomas said
Decamper
..!
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2014
- Messages
- 1,159
What he said.
March 23, 2263
The Traveler
You decide to spend some more time with the Spartans, in repayment for your rescue from the clutches of Hackdirt. The King of Spartans has announced his intention to escape from the Georgia Badlands and set up shop in safer regions to the west. The resultant migration is time consuming and difficult, as all of the Spartans, not just the warriors, begin moving west across difficult terrain. You help the Spartans out to the best of your abilities, scouting ahead of the main clan and marking paths for the Brahmin and carts to follow. You have done this sort of work ever since you left the Vault, so it is all almost second nature to you.
The King demands that the clan avoid any extant settlements, particularly as you approach the territory of the Transmississippian Confederation. The Confederation is known to be very anti-slaver, and could pose a major threat should they learn about the origins of the Spartans. When you finally do reach Transmississippi, the clan begins moving at night to avoid detection before finding the ruins of the town of Skene. Other surveyors determine the area capable of producing enough food and water for the clan, and the tents are pitched for the first time, and a rudimentary earthwork is constructed. The rest of your party pitches in where they can, each providing their own unique voice and influences on the Spartans.
Bobbi appears to have integrated well among the women of the clan, helping them to raise their voices for the first time since leaving the Raider Federation. While they had been given equality at last during the brief reign of the Federation, most had remained subordinate to their men and the clan’s leadership. Bobbi has spent many evenings rallying the female voices of the clan, and convincing them to be more than just the pampered pets of the Spartan warriors. She has organized training courses with both blade and gun, and proved herself well when confronted by rather angry men. You only felt the need to intervene once against other Spartan warriors to prevent her from being overwhelmed. Still, the King then announced his appreciation for her efforts and the fighting stopped.
Eric on the other hand has taken a more spiritual route, preaching the faith he had learned from the Fellowship of the Palm. He tells you privately that while he has disagreed with their politics, the message is what is more important. Eric has done his best to show Spartans a path to moral righteousness and a brighter future in the afterlife. He has even offered a crash course to one of the younger Spartans, who is prepared to take up the mantle of the pastor of the Spartans should Eric be forced to depart. While most of the Spartans have ignored these attempts at religion, a goodly number have taken up the new faith.
Russell on the other hand has stayed away from the affairs of the Spartans, spending most of his time drinking and alone. He rarely leaves your party’s tent and for the most part refuses to engage with anyone there. Once or twice you think you have seen him at Eric’s sermons, but he always appears to have just been passing by rather than participating. He seems eager to move along and says to you, “What’s the point of getting attached to these people, they’re probably all just going to die anyways.”
Salma on the other hand has been equally eager to move along, wanting to return to your child in Universe City. She has expressed concerns and you two have fought once or twice about your desire to help out the Spartans where you can. She has so far conceded to staying with you, rather than attempting to depart across the wasteland on her own. Still, the two of you have had many bitter nights and arguments about the course you have chosen.
As things have settled down, you have begun to know the King of Spartans better and better. He seems eager to carve out a new life for his people, who are dedicated and loyal. He had thought the Raider Federation would lead to a better future of strength and power, but those hopes had been dashed when well over three quarters of the clan had perished at the hands of the Enclave’s vertibirds. These losses had nearly broken him, as three of his four sons had died in the nuclear fire. You have learned that he used to be a member of the Empire of America, a person of influence in that society before the Empire’s collapse and destruction. He says that now all he desires is a life of peace and safety for those he cares about and still live.
You are at the independent town of New Sparta
There are no merchants here yet.
New Sparta is a new town, that you have helped to build. There are no buildings yet, only rudimentary leather tents and metal lean-tos that offer basic protection from the elements. A small earthwork has been constructed as a precursor to a proper wall. Some construction has already begun by the clan’s artisans, as they layout the foundation for the first true walls. The only building that has been completed inside of the town is a location for the clan’s armory to protect the arsenal of weapons the community has left.
1. The King of Spartans is looking for volunteers to help build the wall, and wonders if your party can help out. 21 Days
2. Head out in any direction, looking for adventure.
The Traveler
Spoiler :
You decide to spend some more time with the Spartans, in repayment for your rescue from the clutches of Hackdirt. The King of Spartans has announced his intention to escape from the Georgia Badlands and set up shop in safer regions to the west. The resultant migration is time consuming and difficult, as all of the Spartans, not just the warriors, begin moving west across difficult terrain. You help the Spartans out to the best of your abilities, scouting ahead of the main clan and marking paths for the Brahmin and carts to follow. You have done this sort of work ever since you left the Vault, so it is all almost second nature to you.
The King demands that the clan avoid any extant settlements, particularly as you approach the territory of the Transmississippian Confederation. The Confederation is known to be very anti-slaver, and could pose a major threat should they learn about the origins of the Spartans. When you finally do reach Transmississippi, the clan begins moving at night to avoid detection before finding the ruins of the town of Skene. Other surveyors determine the area capable of producing enough food and water for the clan, and the tents are pitched for the first time, and a rudimentary earthwork is constructed. The rest of your party pitches in where they can, each providing their own unique voice and influences on the Spartans.
Bobbi appears to have integrated well among the women of the clan, helping them to raise their voices for the first time since leaving the Raider Federation. While they had been given equality at last during the brief reign of the Federation, most had remained subordinate to their men and the clan’s leadership. Bobbi has spent many evenings rallying the female voices of the clan, and convincing them to be more than just the pampered pets of the Spartan warriors. She has organized training courses with both blade and gun, and proved herself well when confronted by rather angry men. You only felt the need to intervene once against other Spartan warriors to prevent her from being overwhelmed. Still, the King then announced his appreciation for her efforts and the fighting stopped.
Eric on the other hand has taken a more spiritual route, preaching the faith he had learned from the Fellowship of the Palm. He tells you privately that while he has disagreed with their politics, the message is what is more important. Eric has done his best to show Spartans a path to moral righteousness and a brighter future in the afterlife. He has even offered a crash course to one of the younger Spartans, who is prepared to take up the mantle of the pastor of the Spartans should Eric be forced to depart. While most of the Spartans have ignored these attempts at religion, a goodly number have taken up the new faith.
Russell on the other hand has stayed away from the affairs of the Spartans, spending most of his time drinking and alone. He rarely leaves your party’s tent and for the most part refuses to engage with anyone there. Once or twice you think you have seen him at Eric’s sermons, but he always appears to have just been passing by rather than participating. He seems eager to move along and says to you, “What’s the point of getting attached to these people, they’re probably all just going to die anyways.”
Salma on the other hand has been equally eager to move along, wanting to return to your child in Universe City. She has expressed concerns and you two have fought once or twice about your desire to help out the Spartans where you can. She has so far conceded to staying with you, rather than attempting to depart across the wasteland on her own. Still, the two of you have had many bitter nights and arguments about the course you have chosen.
As things have settled down, you have begun to know the King of Spartans better and better. He seems eager to carve out a new life for his people, who are dedicated and loyal. He had thought the Raider Federation would lead to a better future of strength and power, but those hopes had been dashed when well over three quarters of the clan had perished at the hands of the Enclave’s vertibirds. These losses had nearly broken him, as three of his four sons had died in the nuclear fire. You have learned that he used to be a member of the Empire of America, a person of influence in that society before the Empire’s collapse and destruction. He says that now all he desires is a life of peace and safety for those he cares about and still live.
You are at the independent town of New Sparta
There are no merchants here yet.
New Sparta is a new town, that you have helped to build. There are no buildings yet, only rudimentary leather tents and metal lean-tos that offer basic protection from the elements. A small earthwork has been constructed as a precursor to a proper wall. Some construction has already begun by the clan’s artisans, as they layout the foundation for the first true walls. The only building that has been completed inside of the town is a location for the clan’s armory to protect the arsenal of weapons the community has left.
1. The King of Spartans is looking for volunteers to help build the wall, and wonders if your party can help out. 21 Days
2. Head out in any direction, looking for adventure.
DuneBear
Warlord
Where is the last spire?
March 26, 2263
The Traveler
You make your farewells to the members of the Spartans and even offer Bobbi and Eric the opportunity to stay behind and help out. They appear to think hard about the situation but instead decide to join your journey back to the Sunshine Wasteland. They make the point that you are likely to need all the help you can get to avoid the agents of Jacksonia, especially if you plan on going after the final spire in Miami. You leave New Sparta late in the day, headed southeast, intending on eventually reaching the coast and following it back to either the Maritime Collective or Florida Reclamation District. Instead, you reach the town of Moor’s Head, and camp outside its gates.
You are at the town of Moor’s Head in the Transmississippian Confederation
Merchants have nothing for sale here.
The town of Moor’s Head is a fairly ramshackle place, with a strong wall. The community is fairly welcoming, built around the ruins of an old world town. Most of the buildings inside are relatively newer works of construction, beyond the studier location. Unlike other places, the largest of the buildings appears to be of newer construction. Based on the totems and robed figures around it, you assume it must be a religious institution of some kind. Smaller buildings nearby seem to be the place of operations for the local government, resting in the shadow of the new temple.
1. This is a fairly sizeable town and there is probably work to be found if you look for it. 3 Days
2. A Freedman Company caravan is preparing to leave the town for the town of Chairkey Den. They will pay you 250 Caps to act as a guard. 5 Days.
3. Head out in any direction.
The Traveler
Spoiler :
You make your farewells to the members of the Spartans and even offer Bobbi and Eric the opportunity to stay behind and help out. They appear to think hard about the situation but instead decide to join your journey back to the Sunshine Wasteland. They make the point that you are likely to need all the help you can get to avoid the agents of Jacksonia, especially if you plan on going after the final spire in Miami. You leave New Sparta late in the day, headed southeast, intending on eventually reaching the coast and following it back to either the Maritime Collective or Florida Reclamation District. Instead, you reach the town of Moor’s Head, and camp outside its gates.
You are at the town of Moor’s Head in the Transmississippian Confederation
Merchants have nothing for sale here.
The town of Moor’s Head is a fairly ramshackle place, with a strong wall. The community is fairly welcoming, built around the ruins of an old world town. Most of the buildings inside are relatively newer works of construction, beyond the studier location. Unlike other places, the largest of the buildings appears to be of newer construction. Based on the totems and robed figures around it, you assume it must be a religious institution of some kind. Smaller buildings nearby seem to be the place of operations for the local government, resting in the shadow of the new temple.
1. This is a fairly sizeable town and there is probably work to be found if you look for it. 3 Days
2. A Freedman Company caravan is preparing to leave the town for the town of Chairkey Den. They will pay you 250 Caps to act as a guard. 5 Days.
3. Head out in any direction.
