Icerust - Update 8
Long Winter Y100.M9: Skip The Loop, Just For Fun
Order Implacable
The recent triumph in the second battle of Hammerhill gave the Implacables some confidence to venture out of Hammertown once again. Under Dame Schwinn’s command, a sizable force bike-in-arms, light artillery carlets and superlight transports ventured west, crossing the labyrinth of Old Milwaukee ruins along a wide, Oz-free corridor extending to the both sides of the ancient Bluemound drive. Along the way, they passed by a semi-looted and anomaly-ridden cluster of ancient superstores and warehouses, in which the Implacable daredevils stayed for the night and discovered a large stash of beautiful, old-world apparel. The route eventually took them to an aluminum-rich small plane graveyard that used to be Waukesha County Airport, with a permanently frozen runway and signs of ancient kerosine-fueled fires. Not seeing any signs of the feared Cheese Martians nearby, the party returned to Hammertown with the news of their discovery. On their way back, they were greeted by friendly harvesting parties, salvaging Old Milwaukee’s residential areas and hunting for the local wild dogs and rats. At home, this metal haul was used to restore and arm the previously destroyed sentry tower and build another food preservation facility. Having heard Dame Schwinn’s report, Bishop Lamborghini (the Order’s new de-facto head) floated the idea of expanding into the airport ruins, immediately rushing to the bike stables. There, the Order’s mechanics were tasked with producing two more miniature “Mule” transporters and a war bike to accompany them in the future.
(Hammertown: +19 Grub, +107 Junk, +127 Guzz, +31 Plush, -9 Proles, +1 Sentry tower, +1 Food sizzler)
(Order Implacable: +1 Glory, +1 “Zard” Bike-in-Arms, +2 “Mule” Hedgehog Carlets, Highway discovered: Blue Mound Drive (Expanse: 340, Openness: 70, Perils: 320), Site discovered: Luminum Nest (Population Growth: 3, Fertility: 0, Deposits: 4, Fossils: 0, Protection: 2, no anomaly))
Grand Master’s challenge: Carapace armor
In between the more urgent tasks, Hummertown’s armorers continued working their prototypes of carapace armor that could be worn over the fur coats and parkas by the Order’s warriors. (Investment: Labor 23/100, Expertise: 5/8, Finesse: 2/2, Award: new Small Arms available only to Order Implacable in the Small Arms list, +1 Glory)
Mommaz Boyz
Candyman’s plans for the early fall were grand. First of all, his new powerseat, Candyheart Grove had to be quickly brought up to self-sufficiency, while also becoming the heart of the faction’s industry. To help with this, not one, not two, but three scrap recyclers were built in the humble settlement with the help of the materials brought to it by the various debtors and clients of the Mommaz Boyz. Meanwhile, the Candyheart workers (most of them staunch Candyman’s loyalists) organized only small harvesting runs across Shady Grove, mostly supplied with food and fuel by Fireman Pierce’s convoys that luckily weren’t intercepted by the Czech Mates. Back at the capital of the cult (now called interchangeably the Crib and the Frosted Palace), the power struggle continued, as Candyman promoted his lackeys, the Candy Stripers, to positions of average authority, eroding the network of jacks still loyal to Grandma even after her death. Lacking her charisma, Candyman also doubled down on showcasing the successes of his short rule, one of which was the brand new heatcatcher plant. To fuel this industrial expansion, he also dispatched massive harvesting parties across the Ruins of Five Seasons, particularly looking to accumulate enough food to keep the Crib fed and Candyheart Grove sated. The harvesters, however, reported sightings of the Czech Mates’ motorbikes and three-wheel minicars in the edges of Old Cedar Rapids, as the Mommaz Boyz’s archnemesis appeared to be preparing for yet another, more daring attack. To prepare for it, Uncle K-9’s mechanics constructed a rather unorthodox vehicle: a spike-covered, ram-equipped tricycle with a golf cart frame and an economic engine, transporting two shieldbearers equipped only with massive, bulletproof pavises. Two of these curiosities, named “Absinthe Sparklers,” were manufactured in preparation for Fireman Pierce’s future convoys. Meantime, Pierce’s fellow commanders had yet another month of scouting to do. John Fisherman, having recovered from his past trip through a mindbender, traveled to Candyheart Grove and headed eastward from there… only to hop into another, more vicious mindbender. After an impossibly long trip through the surreal landscape of Oz, he miraculously reappeared on Candyheart Grove’s other side, disheveled and confused. The newly promoted Electric Auntie Sam fared much better, taking her cutie-quad to Mill Creek and from there eastward. The trip turned out to be rather straightforward, following a narrow, open road cutting through the snowy fields flashing with anomalies. Eventually, the long ride took Sam to the impressive ruin of an ancient casino, thoroughly looted, but protected against the wind and overlooking a creek rich in fish. Having mapped it, Sam turned home, innerly preparing for Candyman’s anger. O Iowa, o Iowa, the land of plenty dog meat - and nothing else!
(The Crib: -525 Grub, -190 Junk, -19 Guzz, +1 Plush, -13 Proles, +7 Jacks, +1 Heatcatcher)
(Candyheart Grove: +147 Grub, +100 Junk, +80 Guzz, +3 Scrap chowders)
(Mommaz Boyz: -1 Glory, +3 Notoriety, +2 “Absinthe Sparkler” Escort Trikes, Highway discovered: Dimwit Road (Expanse: 70, Openness: 340, Perils: 90), Site discovered: Wild Rose (Population Growth: 5, Fertility: 4, Deposits: 1, Fossils: 1, Protection: 4, no anomaly))
Stepdad’s challenge: Mommaz Boyz no more
Despite de-facto taking over the Mommaz Boyz’s leadership, Candyman is still far from solidifying his position and enforcing his rule upon the cult-gang. Still, his Candy Stripers are already starting to challenge Grandma’s favorite mechanics and craftsmen, while Uncle K-9’s loyalists remain pragmatically aloof to everything political, as long as the things run smoothly. (Investment: Labor: 30/60, Expertise: 10/20, Finesse: 1/5, Award: +2 Glory (one-time gain), +1 Notoriety (one-time gain))
Stepdad’s challenge: Anemo-city
A party of experienced ferals appeared at the Crib’s doorstep shortly after Auntie Sam’s return. They said they followed her trail and became aware of what every Mommaz Boy already knew: the Czech Mates were after the ambitious cult-gang. The ferals, however, had a joker up their sleeve: they used to be experienced mercenaries and Highwaymen themselves, but now wanted to leave the miserable Iowa wasteland for good. The deal they proposed was simple: a donation of cutie-quads with some spare fuel and niceties, plus, perhaps, a little bit of polite persuasion, in exchange for revealing where the Czech Mates’ base of operations is located. The said base, they claimed, was hidden behind a thick no-man’s land of Oz anomalies, but the three ferals claimed to know the path through to the fabled Animo-city. When Candyman attempted to have the sly ferals seized for interrogation, the trio easily escaped the Crib, showing themselves to be indeed rather adept at the art of adventurism. They did leave the list of their demands and the tribute-gathering location on Candyman’s table, though. Now, it’s up to the family’s Stepdad to entertain this proposal. (Investment: Glory: 0/1, “Peekaboo Puffy Paws” Cutie-Quads: 0/3, Fuel: 0/60, Plush: 0/6, Award: +1 Notoriety (one-time gain), Highwaymen base and secret Highway are revealed (The Czech Mates: Anemo-city))
Ogayori Clan
Ryūgū-jō continued growing faster than any other settlement in Icerust as fishing and metal scrap salvaging continued keeping its citizens well-fed and sheltered, and the Red Beach memorial saw a first donation from the outsiders visiting the town from the Old Detroit ruins, which coincided with a gracious tribute of scrap metal from the client families. The second food conservation factory was built, and a lorry plant was added to Ryūgū-jō’s already impressive list of automotive facilities. Unfortunately, Ogayori Clan’s vehicle fleet remained rather humble, despite a great potential for expansion. In fact, the said fleet even shrunk as a result of Ogayori Denji’s expedition east alongside the frozen lake. Out of the four “Yari Ashigaru” trikes taken for the ride, three ended up being infected with rust locusts. While one of the vehicles was eventually saved, the other two fell apart along the way, and several crew members were lost to the crushes or elements. The loss of morale was so bad that even the Great Unifier’s personal charisma couldn’t persuade the disheartened crewmen to continue with their expedition. With this shameful display, the Clan Head returned to his castle.
(Ryūgū-jō: -56 Grub, -29 Junk, +133 Guzz, +1 Food sizzler, +1 Lorry plant)
(Ogayori Clan: -1 Glory, -2 “Yari Ashigaru” Trike Cavalry)
Clan Head’s challenge: Yacht wharf (Completed)
After a lot of trial and error, the Ogayori Clan’s woodworkers and engineers finally developed the necessary know-how not only for building custom-made fishing yachts, but also for the establishment of a proper wharf on the shores of the Lake St. Clair polynya. While this knowledge remains to be only theoretical, now the Clan may attempt to build the first of such wharves on the shores of Utsukushī Shima, and sail the narrow canal chopped in the ice of the Detroit River to the fish-rich polynya. (Investment: Expertise: 40/40, Finesse: 5/5, Award: new structure available only to Ogayori Clan in the Building list, +1 Glory)
Clan Head’s challenge: Empire of the Setting Sun
Ryūgū-jō’s meteoric rise and the relatively mixed success in exploration had made many kazoki nobles consider some form of glorious isolation the best path forward for the Ogayori Clan (even with some forms of exploration and colonization ongoing). In fact, they thought that the Great Unifier had accumulated enough splendor to declare himself an emperor of the Empire of the Setting Sun. Of course, such a grand proclamation would need an awesome ceremony and set of rituals to match it, so plenty of work would need to be done by the various groups loyal to the Clan. A side effect of proclaiming oneself the Emperor, many agreed, would be the envy of the local Highwaymen, who’d love to raid such an upstart even more. (Investment: Labor: 0/120, Expertise: 0/10, Finesse: 0/5, Award: +2 Glory (one-time gain), +1 Notoriety (one-time gain))
Mikeland
The Kingdom of Mikeland experienced its first big expansion in the first months of the chilly Icerust autumn, as three out of four citizens of Popsicle Junction were shuttled to the cool shores of the Bestie river, where they were tasked with building a proper fishing village at the river’s mouth. Delivering provisions and material for the construction, was a convoy of a “Cargo Goer” limo-truck and “Killer” buggies, cartoonishly loaded with bundles of scrap and barrels of oil and overseen personally by Mike the Great. The construction sucked all resources from the realm’s treasury (specifically, from Mike’s personal salvage lot), so the king leveraged his informal authority in Michigan Wasteland to extract a tribute of food and scrap from his various debtors and demivassals, supplementing this with the game and haul gathered by the servitors remaining back in the ghostly capital of Popsicle Junction. Meanwhile, Mike’s adventure-thirsty daughter Molly took her well-armed buggy up north, past the eerie Sleeping Bear duneland. Almost immediately she drove by a clan of rugged refugees escaping from a failing community that once existed in the Leelanau Peninsula. They turned out to be peaceful, cooperative, and civilized enough to be good serfs for Molly’s dad, so she directed them to the newly built village of Mikeville-upon-Bestie. After that, she drove along a network of frozen ravines and animal trails transecting the fir forests, until making it to a bald cliff overhanging the vastness of the frozen lake, with a massive ancient oil barge crushed at its feet, contaminating the waters and the shore with fossil fuel. With the news of that discovery, Molly Clever returned home, only to meet the equally proud uncle Larry. Apparently, in her absence Unlucky Larry attempted to clear his name after the previous month’s failure of the southern expedition, taking his buggy south past Free Soil. He found a narrow, overground rural road serenely free of Oz anomalies, and he drove along it until hitting a meadow in the dense coniferous forest, once occupied by a meager trailer park of old-world “patriot militia.” While not as impressive as Molly’s find, Uncle Larry’s discovery was a site nevertheless, and it brought some prestige to Mike’s realm.
(Popsicle Junction: +70 Grub, -86 Junk, -118 Guzz, +1 Plush, -500 Proles)
(Mikeville-upon-Bestie:+500 Proles, +1 Drag)
(Mikeland: -1 Glory, Highway discovered: Ice Puddle Trail (Expanse: 150, Openness: 160, Perils: 250), South Branch (Expanse: 60, Openness: 240, Perils: 390), Site discovered: Pyramid Point (Population Growth: 3, Fertility: 0, Deposit: 3, Fossils: 3, Protection: 2, no anomaly), Walhalla (Population Growth: 1, Fertility: 1, Deposit: 1, Fossils: 1, Protection: 3, no anomaly))
King’s challenge: Tramp market
The construction of Mikeville-upon-Bestie took the most of the realm’s resources and truly depopulated Popsicle Junction in merely a month. With the city shrinking four times in size, the tramp market construction was postponed. (Investment: Labor: 10/180 Labor, Expertise: 4/4, Finesse: 3/4, Award: -1d10 Proles, +1d10 Grub, +1d10 Junk, +1d10 Guzz, +1d4 Plush (5% chance/turn), +1 Glory (one-time gain))
The Republic of Sinclair
The Republic of Sinclair continued its vigorous pushback from the recent low point, attracting more candidate citizens, as several survivor families trekked to Sinclair from as far as Indiana Wasteland, greeted by the Republic’s hunters and scrap gatherers during their passage through the Old Cleveland ruins. Once inside the city, they spent some time gawking at the local metalsmith’s shop, where a part of the recently brought metal was turned into beautiful jewelry and insignia for the honorary Republican Watchmen from the state’s leadership. Yet, the most awe-inspiring view for these new joiners was presented in the Sinclarian car shoppe, where the legendary Eugenia St. Clair (herself! In flesh!) oversaw the construction of three warcars her lieutenants had designed. Named “Guardian,” these were restored average person's cars of the World of Autumn, with a minigun installation on the back and space for a fireteam equipped with an automatic rifle and a machine gun. With any luck, soon these carriers of the spirit of Holly Corolla would bring the name of the Republic to the greater Icerust.
(Sinclair: +20.8 Grub, -162 Junk, -50 Guzz, -3 Plush, +11 Proles)
(The Republic of Sinclair: +Design (“Guardian” Corolla Warcar w/ Auto Fireteam), +3 “Guardian” Corolla Warcars w/ Auto Fireteams)
Captain-Defender’s challenge: Republican Watch (Completed)
After her personal audit of the newly created Republican Watch, Captain-Defender St. Clair paraded her loyal Republican Watch through the main street of the state capital, upon which the officers were dispatched to their first, so far peaceful watch. (Investment: Labor: 120/120, Expertise: 10/10, Finesse: 5/5, Award: +2 Glory (one-time gain), +1 Notoriety (one-time gain))
Captain-Defender’s challenge: Church of Holy Corolla
The warlords of the early Icerust were vicious, extravagant madmen and crazy women, despising everything mediocre. In a way, Captain-Defender St. Clair grew to match their outstanding, bigger-than-life personalities, but that brutal life in the fighting arenas also taught her to respect and even savior simple, happy life, in which even mediocrity is allowed to survive. The ultimate symbol of such long lost, comfortable living was the Corolla, a car that even the most average person in the World of Autumn could once own and drive. With the Republic of Sinclair starting to come to its prime, many of its statesmen and -women started to suggest that, perhaps, the worship of the Holy Corolla could become a spiritual spine of the young nation, attracting pilgrims to the capital and accumulating their donations of old world novelties and gasoline. (Investment: Labor: 0/100, Expertise: 0/12, Finesse: 0/2, Award: +2d10 Fuel, +2d2 Plush (5% chance/turn), +1 Glory (one-time gain))
Mid-Apocalypse Chaos Carnival
A quiet, simple month was had at the place that seemed to be least likely to have a quiet, simple month. The Chaos Carnival’s roustabouts worked dutifully on salvaging fuel canisters and various pieces of scrap metal across the Carnival Grounds, adding much to the settlement’s already profit-generating economy. They, however, warned Ringmaster Vanessa upon their return to Shelby Carnarium that on multiple occasions they could hear loud, speakers-enhanced ramblings of young firebrands in the distance, suggesting that the vicious Trolls could be scouting the location for future raids. For her part, the Ringmaster herself concentrated on expanding the Carnival’s humble vehicle fleet, with two utility buggies being constructed under her supervision in the local car shoppe.
(Shelby Carnarium: +13 Grub, +317 Junk, +127 Guzz, +2 Plush, -2 Proles)
(Mid-Apocalypse Chaos Carnival:+2 Notoriety, +2 “Cargo Bugg” Utility Vehicles)
Ringmaster’s challenge: Madhouse Circus
The labor of creation turned out to be the hardest part of establishing the Madhouse Circus. Yet, slowly but surely, the act kept coming along - at least, according to its art directors appointed by Ringmaster herself. (Investment: Labor: 100/100, Expertise: 4/4, Finesse: 2/6, Award: +1d4 Plush (15% chance/turn), +1 Glory (one-time gain))
The Wobblies
The month started rather regularly for the Wobblies. Massive trapping ventures were outfitted, hunting Raven’s Wood for its elusive squirrels, rats, and other vermin. The settlement swole with dozens of citizens of a nearby tent village, attracted by the IWW’s growing authority, and it suggested to Grand Foreman Sandra Gardener that it was high time to start preparing for the first actual expedition into the larger Windy Wasteland. The construction of the first “Icebreaker” truck in the Wobblies history was still ongoing (and far from completion), when the situation changed from a lull to a storm. A band of Highwaymen appeared seemingly out of nowhere, riding along the elevated railroad track at night. The core of the raid was composed of four very light tricycles with the most economic engine available and chariot-like desant nests in the back, carrying band of hooligan warriors with spiked baseball bats and crossbows.Accompanying them where five outriders on light bikes made of pushbike frames with tiny motorcycle engines and electric generators for heavy searchlights, to spot or blind enemy targets. The raiders quickly took the initiative, descending from the tracks at a broken train line section and interjecting themselves into the barricade the Wobblies barely had time to man. Neither gang had any firearms to speak of (a tribute to the ancient Northside Chicago tradition), so the battle quickly devolved into a brutal melee, in which hammers and baseball bats were swung, crossbow bolts and armature javelins shot, and wounded enemies finished with the most ancient weapon of the proletariat, a cobblestone. The Highwaymen’s light bikers caused a lot of confusion among the barricade’s defenders, zooming between them with their searchlights on, blinding the Wobbly militia and eroding their cohesion. Yet, one by one they were picked off, leaving only the pedicab chariots and their crew to continue the fight. The battle for the barricade eventually swung in the Highwaymen’s favor, as its garrison was slaughtered. Yet, the sentry tower, previously surpassed by the raiders’ daring maneuver, intervened in the battle once again, as the approach to the settlement was still in its visibility. Having re-aimed their brickthrower catapults, the sentries proceeded to shower the hooligan warriors with a barrage of debris until dawn, when they opted in for a surrender. This left the Wobblies with a devastated fortification, but in possession of three damaged pedicab chariots and weapons, while all the rest of the enemy vehicles were thoroughly destroyed (except one light bike that lost her nerve early on into the fight and returned to where the raiders came from). The prisoners of war were quickly disarmed and dispatched to a labor-heavy re-education camp, but not before being interrogated by the IWW committee. They revealed that they belonged to a proud guild originating from the ancient Central Transit Authority that was rumored to rule over the Old Chicago in the World of Autumn, when even the poorest sod could ride in a vehicle daily. Worshiping the ancient machines of “public transit” and using the railroad tracks and tunnels to get around the Windy Wasteland, the Highwaymen claimed to reside in a secret base hidden in the labyrinth of the old downtown, the mysterious Loop. With the interrogation over, the captured Loopers were dispatched to their prison tents, while Chandra Gardener joined her Supreme War Council in a long discussion of how to prevent the next battle from getting as bloody as this one.
(Ravenswood Commune: -88 Grub, -1 Junk, -110 Guzz, -4 Plush, +85 Proles, -1 Rockpile)
(The Wobblies: -1 Glory, -2 Notoriety, +1 Experience, +3 “Palooza” Pedicab Chariots captured)
Grand Foreman’s challenge: Squirrel tap dance (Completed)
The most proletarian of all art forms, the squirrel tap dance prominently took its place in the hearts and minds of the Wobblies.As a tribute to that organic offshoot of the working class culture, the IWW Committee even put some resources into organizing regular festivals in an improvised communal venue, promoting them and, by extension, the practice of fur trapping among the people of Old Northside Chicago ruins with the new issues of “Icerust Worker.” (Investment: Labor: 100/100, Expertise: 24/24, Finesse: 2/2, Award: +2d20 Grub, +2d4 Plush (5% chance/turn), +1 Glory (one-time gain))
Grand Foreman’s challenge: Cult of Mad Marx
“And then Mad Marx spoke unto His Guardian Engels: Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary.” This quote and many others recently found quite a following among the Ravenswood proletarians who learned about the figure of the ancient prophet through their rather liberal interpretation of “Icerust Worker” articles. Some true-believers even attempted to speak to their flock about seizing the means of production from the ruling class, upon which the ruling class of the Wobblies promptly dispatched these firebrands to less communications-friendly professions, such as latrine cleaning. Either way, the new religion of the IWW seemed to be there to stay, although quite a lot of effort should be put toward organizing it and developing some sort of orthodoxy. Yet, the new faith’s beginning was promising, as it could only increase the popular pilgrimage to Ravenswood Commune from across Windy Wasteland, hopefully accompanied by gifts of old world relics and useful scrap. (Investment: Labor: 0/50, Expertise: 24/24, Finesse: 0/2, Award: +1d40 Junk, +1d4 Plush (5% chance/turn), +1 Glory (one-time gain))
Greylaw
The persistent rumors of the hostile People’s Republic of Arboreum at the border of the gang’s territory made the cautious Alfa-Alfa of the Greylaw postpone his plans for expansion once again. Instead, Conan the Snowflake doubled down on fortifying his powerbase, directing his rookie teams to turn a local dispatcher center into a sentry tower bristling with weapons, while also converting a section of the bus terminal into a proper bunker. Not willing to sacrifice prosperity for safety, he also sent a call across the Old Detroit and Old Ypsilanti ruins, drawing hundreds of have-not youths to volunteer to join the Greylaw ranks.These newcomers were immediately sent to augment the massive teams of hunters and gatherers combing the Ypsi ruinscape for anything edible or scrap-worthy. Meantime, back in the Greyhound station’s chief office, Conan and his fellow force leaders discussed the strategic plans of future expansion (theoretical so far, in the light of complete lack of functional vehicles). The head of the Roger lineage, the sly Rambo the Roach, was elevated to the status of second-in-command (potentially putting him in charge of future expeditions), and it meant that Conan had to give in on Rambo’s insistence on changing some elements of Greylaw’s engagement doctrine. To the pragmatic Alfa-Alfa, this was a small bone to throw to the authoritative Roger-Roger, as so far that change in doctrinal thinking was purely theoretical.
(Thunderbolt: +62 Grub, +100 Junk, +100 Guzz, +2 Plush, +185 Proles, +1 Sentry tower, +1 Bunker)
(Greylaw: -2 Glory, +1 Commander (Rambo the Roach (Ruse: 3, Tactic:1, Spirit: 0)), swap “Spearhead” for “Motorised Screen”)
Alfa-Alfa’s challenge: The thin grey line
Alfa-Alfa’s ambitious fortification projects and other day-to-day needs of the swelling town took priority over the foreign officer recruitment program - for the time being. (Investment: Labor 0/50, Expertise: 0/6, Finesse: 0/1, Award: +1d12 Jacks (5% chance/turn), +1 Glory)
The Speed Freaks
The Speed Freaks did all they could to prevent the heartbreak of the previous month, dispatching huge groups of trappers to the cliffs surrounding Buried Sod, where they, luckily, stopped just a step short of exhausting the local ecosystem with overhunting. Parallel to that, the ore miners and salvagers combed through the ancient open-pit mines, bringing enough material not only to supply Joe’s Pitshop’s industry for months to come, but also delivering some precious metals to the local craftsmen who turned them into shiny new artifacts for the cult’s leaders. Wearing on these new “lucky helmets,” Joe One-Toe finally joined his humble vehicle fleet for the first venture beyond the Pitshop in years. Yet, the helmet’s luck didn’t last, as the two “Battle Buzzards” soon found themselves being closely followed by a pack of pseudowolves that gradually swole to truly horrifying proportions. The trails running parallel to the expedition swarmed with hundreds pack hunters, their eyes shining in the dark, shadowing the war roadsters for days. Eventually, the wear-and-tear of the vehicles and the sheer exhaustion of their crew started to show, as the expedition couldn’t stop to inspect the landscape or perform even the most basic maintenance. At that point, Joe begrudgingly had to turn back to his Pitshop - mostly out of the fear of losing the precious “Battle Buzzards.” Upon their return home, the war roadsters went straight into the garage for a good month of maintenance, but, at least, they were preserved against all odds. Days later, some of the crewmen and their relatives succumbed to a disease they caught (and later passed) during the grueling drive due to the exhaustion and poor heating and hygiene. Likely, the outbreak was contained, but before passing one sick driver said that he saw an enigmatic vehicle crossing the wood country in parallel with the pseudowolf packs, seemingly unbothered by them. With it, a rumor spread among the Speed Freaks that some wicked Highwaymen faction may be living in some sort of a devilish pact with these cryptic, wily creatures - and now that faction may be aware of the cult’s presence.
(Joe’s Pitshop: +129 Grub, +443 Junk, -17 Guzz, +6 Plush, -4 Proles)
(Speed Freaks: +1 Notoriety, 2 “Battle Buzzard” War Roadsters are disabled)
Speed-Ace’s challenge: Scrap-mania
Gradually, the Speed Freaks shaped the most of the logistics behind Joe’s planned scrap trade pact (or an extortion scheme, depending on who looked at it). However, the speed cult still needed to coerce a few remaining nomadic clans into compliance, upon which its framework would start to truly function. (Investment: Labor 60/60, Expertise: 4/4, Finesse: 3/4, Award: +1d8 Junk (20% chance/turn))
Monolith of Sarkic
The Cathedral continued to thrive, propelled by the plenitude of scrap metal around Still Mill, as well by the proximity of migratory deer trails next to it. The settlement’s metal harvest and game haul were put to good use, as yet another biofuel facility was constructed on the outer edge of the millwork ruin, not without some help from the chemists and mechanics attracted to the Monolith by the growing authority of the Sarkic faith in the Northwest Ontario Wasteland. Some of these technicians also helped the sect to expand its vehicular fleet, providing their expertise for the blueprinting and construction of a less heavily armed, transport-oriented variant of the "Proselyte" technical, featuring a coaxial rotary gun with an operator, heated interior for the driver, and a bigger, reinforced back trunk. Together with the first prototype of “Proselyte-2,” the Sarkic automakers produced two more “Zealot” interceptors, which where slated to join a new exploration column in the future, likely to be led by one Klavigar Ann-Sophie Caarsvärd, a wily and fanatical clergywoman of the cult, who had previously been expelled from her migratory clan of Norwegian Canadian survivors under a suspicion of cannibalism. Entirely inexperienced in warfare, the newly promoted Klavigar was not unlike her brother-at-faith, Karcist Kane, who was tasked with leading two interceptor cars and one “Piskie” snowmobile to explore the northern approaches of the Old Sault Ste Marie ruins. Brother Kane’s expedition started off well, with a discovery of a family of survivors who froze to death along their trail, leaving their foodstuffs perfectly preserved. Having loaded the frozen food into the trunks of the “Zealot” interceptors, the expedition proceeded north along a narrow ancient Canadian highway, sparsely dotted with ramshackle cars and virtually anomaly-free. This easy ride took them to a quiet, icy lagoon on the shores of the Lake Superior, nested among high cliffs and frequented by ice fishers, but lacking anything else of value. Compared to Karcist Kane’s trip, Prophet Maxwell’s southwestern exploration was a true test of will and perseverance. While he and his column of a “Bucca” mining car and two interceptors didn’t face any threats from the wildlife, elements, or the Highwaymen, they were forced to chop a narrow trail through an incredibly dense fir-tree forest, sandwiched between two corridors of destructive Oz anomalies. Their work wasn’t made easier by the fact that the saw-equipped “Piskie” was taken by the lucky Karcist Kane for his smooth drive. Yet, eventually Maxwell and his people reached a safe, camp-friendly clearing in the woods, overseeing three small lakes frozen solid to the bottom, and not much of anything else. Dissatisfied, the Grand Karcist still managed to convert his expedition into a prestige boon for the Monolith, but rumors swirled that the Yaldaboathites’ recent expeditions had annoyed the Highwayman clans of the Iron Range greatly.
(The Cathedral: +22 Grub, +55 Junk, +2 Guzz, -10 Proles, +20 Jacks, +1 Waste kitchen)
(Monolith of Sarkic: +1 Glory, +2 Notoriety, +1 Commander (Klavigar Caarsvärd (Ruse: 3, Tactics: -2, Spirit: 3)), +Variant ("Proselyte-2" Technical Transporter), +2 “Zealot” Militant Interceptors w/ Mounted .50 BMG, +1 “Proselyte-2” Technical Transporters, Highway discovered: Harmony Road (Expanse: 100, Openness: 250, Perils: 330), Pine Needle Trail (Expanse: 20, Openness: 80, Perils: 250), Site discovered: Harmony Beach (Population Growth: 5, Fertility: 2, Deposit: 0, Fossils: 0, Protection: 3, no anomaly), Three Lakes (Population Growth: 1, Fertility: 1, Deposit: 0, Fossils: 0, Protection: 2, no anomaly))
Grand Karcist’s challenge: Flesh temple
Impatient to see his promised flesh temples finally built, Grand Karcist Maxwell sent many of his Klavigaar clerics to work on getting the blueprints figured out. With this, only a few engineering issues remain to be figured out before the construction becomes available to the cult’s architects. (Investment: Expertise: 37/40, Finesse: 5/5, Award: new structure available only to Monolith Of Sarkic in the Building list, +1 Glory)
Grand Karcist’s challenge: Sculptors of flesh and metal
Starving for competence and talent, the Monolith of Sarkic opened the gates of the “industrious college of artisans” in the Cathedral. Unfortunately, so far the effort hadn’t gone past the declaration alone, as much effort was still pending before the cult’s seat of power truly could become attractive for various experts and metalworkers. (Investment: Labor 0/50, Expertise: 0/2, Finesse: 1/2, Award: +1d4 Jacks (10% chance/turn), +1 Glory)
Map:
GM's notes:
- the stats are up to date
- orders are due by Wednesday, Dec. 9
