Fallout: Arizona - Session 1 - The Heat, The Neat, The Beat

Forever A GM - Yesterday at 7:07 PM
War... War never changes. In October of 2077, the world would become forever devastated. The bombs dropped, and the world was scarred with irreparable damage that not even centuries of progress could undo. But still, Humanity presses on, as do all forms of life both new, and strange. The old-world government, clinging to its ideals and experiments, devastate populations for reasons and purpose unknown. Tribal societies grow and pillage. Drug-addled minds wreak unspeakable havoc. And those few groups of sane-minded people who band together struggle to scrape together what little they can to survive another day.

Over 200 years after what would come to be known as the Great War, the states of the American old-world had grown to become home to many different factions. The Brotherhood of Steel. The NCR. The Commonwealth. And more. But one such state - Arizona. - would be home and birthplace to a far more horrific cruelty than technological hoarders and old-world governmental ideals. Caesar's Legion, a group formed near the Grand Canyon by two Followers of the Apocalypse and a Mormon missionary. Edward Sallow, one of the Followers, used his knowledge of tactics, warfare, and history to lead the Blackfoot tribe to victory over their enemies. Between 2246 and 2271, the Legion grew rapidly, conquering nearly all of Arizona and establishing their capital in the ruins of Flagstaff.
Sometime in 2281, however, the Legion experienced a great loss. Their leader, Caesar himself, was slain. With such a vacuum of power open, the Legion slowly began to tear itself apart as many vied for the old Caesar's position. Now little more than squabbling sects of a once-powerful force, pieces of the Legion still reside within the Arizona deserts. The towns and cities that relied on the Legion for protection now find themselves open to attack at any moment from marauding bands of nomadic groups, raiders, and mutants of all kinds.

But still, Humanity survives. And it is here, in these sun-baked sands, that your story begins. Because no matter how long passes, and who rises and falls in the seat of power... War? War never changes.(edited)
In the town of Riverway, founded by the remnants of Vault 132 - an underground bunker built before the war which had flooded some years prior - Humanity continues to fight for the right to live. Located in some of the more fertile land of Arizona, crops grow - with enough hard work - and animals can be herded and bred, with the right care. The town became a layover stop for traders and travelers, even having the technical expertise, income, and source of parts enable them to build their own radio station cobbled together from scrap and the Vault's own communications equipment. As a result, traffic to this little stop grew, and so did the town.

It is in this little town that you find yourselves. Either resident, wanderer, or simply by pure unadulterated chance. Looking about the town reveals the cobbled-together radio tower and the shack housing the electronic equipment built beside it. From nearby, a radio plays, serenading you with the notes and lyrics of an old-world hit. People come and go about their business, tilling the ground, pumping water from a well, trading, or lounging.
One rather rambunctious youth, however, is spending her day in a different way. Expressing herself along a corrugated metal wall of a scrapmetal shack with a can of spraypaint. Meanwhile, a young girl with eyes of a curious and vibrant purple, having followed along in the wake of a trading caravan, finds herself standing in town as well, having arrived here for the first time. And to top it off, a man with flayed, peeling skin with an otherwise curiously perfect head of hair jutting out past his forehead, looks around in abject confusion, not quite sure what to make of the things he's seeing.

Noting the rambunctious youth, however, one townsperson seems displeased at her vandalizing. The girl recognizes the man, tall, messy-haired, with a powerful build and brown hair and eyes. Mr. Gratt, the self-elected town sheriff, who perhaps listened to too many old-world audio logs of police dramas for his own good. "Hanna! You cut that out right now, don't make me waste a good bullet on that can in your hand! We don't need your damned 'art' spoiling the walls and turning away good business."
Hanna - Yesterday at 7:33 PM
Turning her head to the fun police, Hanna simply glares at him. She waits for a couple seconds, and then sprays the last line on her graffiti without looking. A smug smirk rests on her face, seeming so pleased at having finished her work despite an authority figure's presence. "Or /what/, 'pops'," she snaps, disdain seeping in the last word. "You'll rough me up like a perp in one of your old-time dramas? Besides, don't'cha think traveler's would be more impressed with seein' something new instead instead o' the same five pre-war townhouses and post-war shanties in every town? Live a little, old man!"(edited)
Marvin - Yesterday at 7:44 PM
The man with the fantastic hair watches as Pops scolds Hanna for her vandalism for a moment, still confused, and adjusts his hair carefully before approaching the pair. "Hey, 'Pops' how's it shakin'?" he asks, pushing his shades up the bridge of his... nose? Whatever's left of it? "I was hoping you could help me out of a jam.. See, I got no clue where I am. Not exactly from around here. Well.." he looks down, "I am, but not topside."
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 7:48 PM
Mr. Gratt clenches a fist, trembling with rage at Hanna's disorderly conduct. A few eyes turn to regard the scene, being one of the few interesting things going on today, but none intervene. Gratt marches towards Hanna with a firey gaze. "You'd like that, wouldn't-!" he says, only to be cut off by Marvin's approach. As the ghoul enters his vision, he falls silent with a gasp, taking a half-step back. "What the-? God damn, you scared the crap out of me." Pausing to hold a hand to his chest, he clutches it and catches his breath as he gazes uncertainly at Marvin. "You're... one of those... ghouls, aren't you? You're a long way from home, buddy. Your kind usually stay near the Canyon."
Hanna - Yesterday at 7:51 PM
"Oh. Discriminating too. /Nice/," Hanna says, giving the sherrif the stink-eye.
Marvin - Yesterday at 7:53 PM
Marvin looks back up, surprised, "Ghouls? The Canyon?" he adjusts his hair again, "I didn't mean to spook ya, but you mean there are more like me, Pops? Thought I was original."
Syl - Yesterday at 7:59 PM
Syl, wandering through town without much direction, sees the gathering crowd and decides it might be a good idea to talk to them. She's a bit skittish as she walks up, not really sure how to interject, but she speaks up. "Oh... uhm, were you recently exposed to radiation, mister?"
Marvin - Yesterday at 8:04 PM
Marvin turns to look at the new group member, "Yeah.." he frowns, "Fusion core accident. Overseer wasn't keen on the new me, so here I am. So, doll, where's here?"
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 8:06 PM
"Overseer?" Gratt says, eyeing Marvin suspiciously. "I thought we were the only Vault around, and we flooded years ago, so you ain't from 132."
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:10 PM
Rolling her eyes, Hanna gestures with a firm, full-hand point towards the ghoul. "What he /means/ is: This is Riverway. It was made after our vault flooded. We managed to get all the important stuff out, and use the purification tech to make the vault into a well. Traders stopped by so we became a hub. We were a hub and had communication station parts, so we made a radio station. That's the big tower you'll see in the center of town. Cobbled together from what we could find, but it works well enough. Too bad they're too /lame/ to play any of /my/ music on it! Seriously, how can you all listen to the same twenty records on repeat day after day!?" By the time she starts yelling, Hanna's attention has already turned back to the lawman.(edited)
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 8:12 PM
At the noisy youth's attention turn and shouting, Gratt turns to sneer at the kid once more. "Because it's wholesome and better than the crap you make up that you pretend is /real/ music!" He shouts back.
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:13 PM
"Music is whatever you make it, man! There's no such thing as /fake/ music!"
Marvin - Yesterday at 8:14 PM
Looking up at the radio tower, "That's, like, crazy, man!" Marvin looks back to Hanna, "You bake biscuits?"
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:17 PM
Suddenly blinking, Hanna stops her shouting immediately. She turns toward the greaser, highly perplexed look on her face. With another firm measure of gesticulation, she speaks with a simple and firm tone. "... /What/?"
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 8:18 PM
Gratt turns back towards Marvin, silenced. Blinking mutely, he looks incredibly perplexed as he stares down the leather-clad ghoul. ".../What/?"
Marvin - Yesterday at 8:22 PM
"Biscuits, you know, like, you make your own records. Am I touchin' home, here?"
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:24 PM
"Oh. Oh, yeah. Sorta," she replies, shifting awkwardly from the dated slang. "Or I would if I had the tools. Or any support." With that last remark, she shoots a glare towards Gratt. "I make do with what I've got. Real music, straight from the soul! None of this centuries old crap they play all the time. But hey, no one wants to hear /new/ ideas around here."
Marvin - Yesterday at 8:28 PM
"You sure seem like one cool cat." Marvin says, before turning to Gratt "If you got sounds in your heart you gotta get 'em out, you dig, big daddy?"
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:29 PM
"/Yeah/. Ya dig?" she adds, turning her head with a smug grin.
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 8:32 PM
"You're damn right, nobody wants to hear your garbage around here," he says, turning from Hanna to glare at Martin. "No, I don't 'dig', whatever the hell that means! Nobody in town wants to suffer that crap, she's always making a mess of town with this, this-!" he gestures towards the spraypainted wall vigoriously. "This /vandalism/! And she subjects everyone to her constant complaining when she should just learn to live and deal like the rest of us. The people on the records got famous for a reason. /You/ are just making noise. You'd be better off banging pots and pans together. If you hate it here so much why don't you just get the hell out already?"

Hanna - Yesterday at 8:37 PM
Wincing from Gratt's last words, Hanna takes a half-step back. "... Where else am I gonna go, you antique? And how is my music supposed to reach people without a radio to rap into!? I bet you there's more people out there who'd kill to hear my rhymes, and /you're/ just too scared to face it! I don't /want/ to deal! I want to make the wasteland better and add something new to it! And you know what!? I bet I could bang on pots and pans and /still/ make something smarter and more creative than you could with a pre-war studio and a full band!"
Syl - Yesterday at 8:39 PM
"Uhm... Hey, this is getting heated," she says, stepping between the two of them, "so... why don't we all take a step back here? There's no need to fight over this, you know?"
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:40 PM
"Tell that to Mr. Long-Tall-And-Boring over here..."
Marvin - Yesterday at 8:48 PM
"Why don't we just cool it, and cop a breeze, huh?" Marvin says looking at the two girls, "You can clue me in on those tunes you're workin' on. Handle's Marvin, by the way."
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:49 PM
Looking over to the newcomer with a distant look, she reaches out and bumps knuckles with him. "Hanna. MC of the wasteland."
Syl - Yesterday at 8:52 PM
"I'm Syl. It's good to meet you guys." Holding out her hand a bit awkwardly, she smiles at the others. "I uh, hunt. Stuff."
Hanna - Yesterday at 8:54 PM
Looking to the more quiet member of the group, the rebel reaches out to bump fists with Syl as well. "Rad. ... Or do you have a problem with that too, pig? Gonna arrest us for doing stuff besides wasting away? These two seem like they've got more soul in their bones than you ever will."
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 9:11 PM
Gratt glares at Hanna once more, breathing a huffed breath and letting it out in a slow sigh. "The town's getting real tired of your troublemaking, Hanna. Pick up some turpentine and clean that wall off before I boot you out of town by force." With that punctuated by one final glare, his gaze shifts to each Marvin and Syl before he stalks off, fingering his gun idly in his pocket. As he walks off, you're left in your own little group for a moment before you hear the approaching footsteps of another person. Turning to the source, you find a dust-covered man in a thick coat that looks shockingly uncomfortable for the heat of Arizona approaching. Dusting himself almost pointlessly, his hands only seem to spread the filth more, though his pockets rattle with the sound of a great wealth of bottle caps. Reaching towards his face, he lifts the goggles from his eyes to sit atop his baseball cap, shaking himself off and looking at each of you. "Hey there, folks. Couldn't help but overhear your uh, conversation. You all seem a little green around the gills, and I fancy myself a generous guy. You feel up for some work? Could get you out of this town safely, if nothing else."
Syl - Yesterday at 9:14 PM
Syl returns the samurai's fistbump before turning to the dustboy. "Oh, uhm... Yeah, actually, I was looking for some work. What exactly do you need done?"
Hanna - Yesterday at 9:16 PM
As Gratt walks off, Hanna thumbs her nose and turns around the moment he's out of earshot. Shaking her can, she sets to work adding another graphic to a nearby wall out of spite. Even as the other man walks up, she keeps her attention on the wall, painting on a cartoonish graphic of Gratt with a couple extra chins, buck teeth, and a less-than-flattering expression. "Yeah...?" she replies, listening passively.
Marvin - Yesterday at 9:17 PM
Marty adjusts his jacket, and takes off his sunglasses, "Well this skinny flutter bum's cranked on it." he replies, jabbing himself in the chest with his thumb.
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 9:21 PM
The man looks questioningly at Marvin before glancing at both Hanna and Syl almost pleadingly, silently hoping for an interpretation.
Syl - Yesterday at 9:21 PM
Syl shares the questioning look, turning to the man with a very slow shrug.
Hanna - Yesterday at 9:22 PM
"I think he means he's one rad cat, 'daddy-o'," Hanna chimes in, not taking her eyes off her work. "And... maybe he's high? Or broke?"(edited)
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 9:30 PM
With a slow nod, the man simply tries once more in vain to dust himself off. "Well, I'm a trader. I'm heading out a few hours from now to Outpost 85, along the old highway 85 street. Since the Legion shattered, the road's been a lot less secure, with all the not-so-pleasant wildlife having free reign to reproduce unchecked. So I could use a few extra hands, even if it's just as another body to add to the mass and scare off anything that thinks it's tough enough to try us. You'll get the security of group travel, get out of this little hole, and I'd be willing to pay in caps or merchandise. Sound like a fair deal?"
Hanna - Yesterday at 9:32 PM
"Why would I want to go anywhere? This is where the music's at, and I'm not gonna let some bogue pig burn my groove and run me out."
Syl - Yesterday at 9:35 PM
"How much are you paying, mister....?" She looks the man over carefully, hoping to get a grip on who exactly she's speaking to.
Marvin - Yesterday at 9:37 PM
"Yeah, what kinda bread are we bashin' ears on here for this gig?"
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 9:45 PM
Giving Marvin another wary glance, the merchant responds. "Well, for one, two hundred caps is a good bit of change to put in anyone's pocket for a secure trek to 85 along with a bunch of other hired guns. That's enough to put food on the table for a good week, at least. And as for why you'd wanna go, well..." the man trails off, turning to the direction Gratt wandered off in before looking back towards Hanna. "Can't say one way or another whether your music would sell, seeing as I haven't heard it, but this town's not the only place with a working station. I'm guessing, having their own tunes, you probably don't hear much but the radio they play here. If you make your way towards Phoenix, though, you could hit up the Wasted Waves radio station. They're always looking for new talent, and they probably broadcast a hell of a lot further and clearer than a cobbled-together tower. The wasteland's a big place, and I can't see you makin' much progress in this hole, judging by the reactions." He shrugs, his bag of caps jingling from the motion. "Your call, though. I'm just making an offer."
Hanna - Yesterday at 9:49 PM
Hanna stops as the stranger disses their station. She wants to object, but she's tired and he's right. Her head slowly pans over to him, lazily holding the can as the teen looks over the generous man. "... Yeah, alright. I dig. .... If Gratt doesn't throw me out, my folks probably will." Turning back to the wall, she starts making the finishing touches on her art. "Give me some time to get my stuff. Maybe disappearing into the wastes'll make 'em think twice anyway."
Marvin - Yesterday at 9:50 PM
"Now that we're in orbit it's lookin' real chilly, daddy-o."
Syl - Yesterday at 9:54 PM
"Yeah... What time are we heading out, then?"
Marvin - Yesterday at 9:59 PM
"Don't want to make you think I'm writin' a book or nothing', but I got a few questions." Marvin adjusts his hair again, then starts counting off fingers "Which way's the 85? What's a cap? Where's Phoenix, it sounds like a real Fat City. And do ghouls have super powers? I just had to split from the Vault, and I'm just tryin' to get with it."(edited)
Hanna - Yesterday at 10:00 PM
"That way, dead presidents, that way, and kinda." Hanna doesn't even turn around, just pointing with her thumb over her shoulder.(edited)
Marvin - Yesterday at 10:04 PM
"Crazy! We'll be tight flat out." Marvin looks back to the dusty fellow, "What she said." pointing to Syl
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 10:12 PM
The merchant looks to Hanna briefly, scoffing at her answers. Raising a brow at Marvin's blatant acceptance, he shrugs. "We'll be heading out in a few hours, so you've got some time yet to get some things together. If you need to pick up a few things before we leave, I'm willing to give you each 50 caps in advance."
Hanna - Yesterday at 10:16 PM
"... Yeah, alright." As the last line of paint connections, the MC gives her can a flip, turns around, kneels down to her bag, and catches it again upright. She pulls the flap and chucks it in after popping on the cap. When she rises, she walks over to the enigmatic traveler and holds out her hand. "Where the meet?"
Syl - Yesterday at 10:19 PM
"Oh, and also... I don't think you told us your name, or... What kind of merchandise we're going to be escorting."
Marvin - Yesterday at 10:28 PM
"Hey, scootch, you hip on where I can get some due backs?"
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 10:29 PM
"We'll be meeting at the edge of town, you'll see my caravan. Can't miss it, we've got brahmin hauling wagons and we're the only group in town right now. As for what we're escorting, it's a mixed bag. I'm a general merchant, lotta parts, ammo, some non-perishable food, you name it, I probably got something related." Stopping and letting Marvin speak, he stares blankly at the ghoul. "Some uh... what?"
Syl - Yesterday at 10:30 PM
"Still not hearing a name."
Hanna - Yesterday at 10:31 PM
"You're on your own on this one, dude," Hanna says, shifting her fingers to urge the guy to cough up the dough.
Marvin - Yesterday at 10:32 PM
"Cigarettes, pal."
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 10:36 PM
Giving his head a shake, he looks apologetically to Syl. "Sorry. I uh, just," glancing towards Marvin, understanding washes over his features at hearing something he actually understands. "Well, talk to me before we head out and I can hook you up with a pack. They sell quick in the wastes." Sighing and rubbing the back of his head, he looks between each of you and says, "My name's Oliver, good to meet you folks. Though by the sounds of things, you're greener than most, buddy," he says, looking at Marvin. "You said you were from a Vault, huh? That's a rare sight. Rarer still to see a ghoul dweller, since I always thought those bunkers kept /out/ rads." As he speaks, he reaches into his pouch, withdrawing three smaller canvas sacks that fit easily within your palm. Looking inside reveals a handful of bottle caps, from an assortment of brands - though mostly Nuka Cola.

[+50 Caps]
Hanna - Yesterday at 10:39 PM
"Right on." The moment the sack hits her hand, Hanna's already off, her pack slung over one shoulder. "Check ya later, Oli." Wandering off into the town, she makes to head home first before hitting the markets to buy a little food and what medical supplies she can afford off this stipend.
Syl - Yesterday at 10:43 PM
Taking the money, she nods gratefully and puts it in her jacket pocket. "Alright, I'll see you then, Oliver." She turns away from the others, walking into town to try and find the market on her own.

Marvin - Yesterday at 10:48 PM
Marvin opens the sack and looks at the caps, "Alright, alright, I'm real straight, you'll see, scootch." Marvin looks back as he turns to leave, "I'll see you real soon when we cut outta town."
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 10:56 PM
With a scoff, Oliver says to himself with raised brows, "At least that I understood. Mostly." Letting you all wander off to do your thing, Oliver heads back towards his caravan to hawk to his wares and speak to someone from the town's station.

Purchasing your wares and hanging around until go-time, you soon enough notice Oliver packing up and preparing to head out. Approaching the trader, he waves you over as you notice a handful of armed and armored guards, none wearing much more than thickly padded or plated leather and toting some decent-looking hunting rifles. "There you three are. Welcome aboard. Got everything, ready to head out?"(edited)
Marvin - Yesterday at 10:59 PM
Marvin adjusts his hair for the thousandth time today, and approaches Oliver, "You said were in orbit on some due bac- er, cigarrettes?" he asks, quickly correcting himself for Oliver's sake.
Hanna - Yesterday at 11:02 PM
Hanna strolls up, wearing her pack the way it's supposed to be worn and tossing a bolt up in the air to catch it time and again. She looks around, checking over her back with a smug, guilty smirk. Slung across her hip is a rough-looking blade held in an equally rough roll of leather. Over her torn clothes are some metal plates strapped on like armour here or there, and wooden and pipe rifle with a spear poking out the end of her back. Her pack is much more filled out this time, with some extra spears hanging off loops on the side and a folding shovel knocking against the back. "Yo, Oli. We splittin' soon? Heheh~..."
Syl - Yesterday at 11:04 PM
Syl meets up with the others, tightly gripping the sling of her rifle. Her backpack is sitting comfortably on her shoulders, its contents packed neatly inside. "Oh good, you haven't left yet."
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 11:11 PM
Oliver nods, reaching into one of the numerous pockets on his coat. "Yeah, here's your uh, 'dues'." Holding out the beat-up cardboard box with a faded brand label, he nods to Marvin. "35 of those caps back'll do it. And yeah, we're heading out in just a few. Waiting on one of my boys to finish up, and we'll be rolling. Looks like you three are set to hit the road. Sure you're ready for a trip through the wastes, though? You'll have nobody to cover your ass once we hit the 85, unless you plan on tagging along for a while yet. Should probably think this through before you commit to leaving town. Not tellin' you to back out or anything, just... making sure I'm not about to get a couple of kids and one very lost dweller killed."
Hanna - Yesterday at 11:14 PM
"Yeah, well... A bit late for that, dude. I'm not gonna want to be here much longer. Can't just drop lines like ya did and /then/ make us second-guess it. Not cool, man."
Syl - Yesterday at 11:15 PM
"I know how to fend for myself. Used to run with a band of hunters. They don't bring dead weight along for the ride, you know?"
Marvin - Yesterday at 11:17 PM
"I ain't got no marketable skills, daddy-O. I ain't cruisin' for a bruisin' but I'm chill, you dig?"(edited)
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 11:18 PM
He shrugs, hands held up defensively with a sheepish smile on his face. "Alright, alright, fair enough. Just figured I'd give you the chance. Wouldn't even ask for the caps back. But uh, you gotta be decent at something, right? I mean... what'd you do in the vault?" He asks, turning to Marvin with a curious look.
Marvin - Yesterday at 11:21 PM
"Vault Sanitation Expert. I managed the games room. Held the highscore on Six-Gun Showdown til the day I split." Marvin opens his jacket to show a Colt 1911 pistol. "My brother gave it to me incase things got grody."
Forever A GM - Yesterday at 11:35 PM
He stares at the pistol, seeming impressed. "The vault packed some heat, damn. Well, if you've got it, you gotta at least know how to shoot it, right? That's good enough to tag along, far as I'm concerned. Just don't hit any of us. Or the brahmin, or you'll be hauling the truck yourself." He says the threat half-joking, turning at the sound of footsteps to nod at his returning man. "Took you long enough. Alright, that's everyone." Giving the lead brahmin a hard slap on the rear, the two-headed cow brays in an irritated moo before calming down and trotting off ahead, the canvas-clad wagon of goods made from the rear of an old truck. "Let's get moving." With that said, Oliver walks casually off at the brahmin's pace, the two other brahmin following along with their own loads, each flanked by two men with rifles. You three follow along at a relatively even clip, not having any designated place in the caravan, simply joining the group wherever you feel comfortable. As you break the perimeter of the town and head out, the buildings behind you grow smaller and smaller while you trot along the cracked, broken asphalt, overgrown with brown weeds and dead shrubbery. A few barren trees with blackened bark dot the area among more alien-looking, oddly bent foliage that somehow continues to survive in this climate and with limited resources.
Hanna - Yesterday at 11:41 PM
Hanna catches the bolt and pockets it before reaching back to her pack. She grabs up an old military patrol cap and pulls it on over her head, tugging her ponytail through it. As they get moving, she pulls a pair of mirror shades from her opposite pocket and flips them open one-handed to slide them on her face, looking smug the whole time.
Syl - Yesterday at 11:41 PM
As she walks, rifle at the ready, she slowly works up to talking to her newfound companions. After a good half hour or so, she approaches Hanna and walks alongside her. "So uh... You seemed pretty eager to split there. You do something that'd piss someone off?"
Hanna - Yesterday at 11:47 PM
Hanna, having gone back to tossing that bolt of hers, looks toward Syl from the side. "Oh uh~... Aheheh~. Yeah, you can say that~. When I got home, my folks busted up my soundboard. I made that thing by hand for my music, but I guess they got tired of it. Well, I figured if they thought it was okay to break my stuff, I'd break some of theirs to see how /they/ like it~. Aheheh. I hobbled one of their table legs, took the screws off the door hinge then glued it up so it'd stay until they opened it, and then I pulled the bolts out of their bed frame~. They'll see the first two, get pissed, think that's the end of it, and not notice a thing until they try to sleep tonight~." Struggling not to laugh too loud, the musician seems quite pleased with herself. "Aaah~. If I hadn't split, that wouldn't have ended well~. But hey, someone's gotta teach 'em they can't just go jackin' up other people's stuff, y'know? Not without some kinda payback~."
Syl - Yesterday at 11:55 PM
"Heh... Yeah, I've had a bit of experience with that myself... Good that you got your chance to get out though." Giving her companion a smile, her hand comes off of her rifle to scratch her neck. "When I had to cut and run I was stuck on my own. Wish I had a caravan offering me a job then, hehehh."
Hanna - Yesterday at 11:56 PM
"Yeah? What kinda scrap you get into? Dad wanted you to move to Nevada and fist-fight Ceasar? Heheheh~."
Syl - Yesterday at 11:57 PM
"Uh... The hunters I was running with started killing people for sport."
Hanna - Yesterday at 11:58 PM
"... Oh."
June 11, 2017
Syl - Today at 12:00 AM
"Yeah. Kinda wish I could've left them a little 'parting gift', but... I just had to leave."
Hanna - Today at 12:01 AM
"... Well... could be worse... I hear fighting Ceasar could have turned out worse than that. Still mad bunk, yo, but at least you got out. ... You don't think they were tracking you after that do you?" Hanna asks, peering over the rim of her shades.
Syl - Today at 12:04 AM
"Doubt it. They think I'm tracking someone that stepped into one of my traps. Told them I wanted a real challenge, let him go and ran. They should think I'm just one of them..."
Hanna - Today at 12:05 AM
"... Yeah... Let's hope, right? For however long that lasts..."
Syl - Today at 12:08 AM
"Yeah... Maybe if I run into them again I can just pretend I'm really shit at hunting, right?"
Hanna - Today at 12:08 AM
"If you meet them alone anyway. If I'm with you, I sure hope they don't think I'm your new target."
Syl - Today at 12:11 AM
"...I uh... Dunno if you'd be with me. I normally just roll on my own. I don't gel with groups much."
Hanna - Today at 12:12 AM
"Up to you. Good luck if you are on your own. Though with what they're doing, someone'll try to stop them eventually. Maybe you don't want to be mistaken for one of them."
Syl - Today at 12:13 AM
"I'll be fine. Not like we had a uniform or anything, so... If I'm not with them, I won't look like one."
Hanna - Today at 12:13 AM
"And if you are...?"
Syl - Today at 12:17 AM
Syl goes silent for a moment, shaking her head. "I won't be."
Marvin - Today at 12:18 AM
Marvin finally speaks up, "Ain't that a bite? Sounds like you dolls got it rough."
Hanna - Today at 12:20 AM
"Feh. They'll miss me. That town was putt, man. Pure, grade-A bunk. I'm the most exciting thing to happen to that place since the flood."
Syl - Today at 12:23 AM
"I'll be fine. Better off without those shitheads."
Marvin - Today at 12:29 AM
"Righto, gal. This morning my favorite game cabinet exploded in my face and just like," Marvin snaps his fingers, "that, I gotta agitate the gravel on out with nothin' but my threads."
Syl - Today at 12:29 AM
"...What's a game cabinet? And... How did that irradiate you...?"
Marvin - Today at 12:34 AM
"It's a blast is what it is. Machine let you burn rubber without the smell." Marvin replies with a grin, "And they don't make fusion cores like they used to."
Syl - Today at 12:37 AM
"Huh. So then you know how to drive?"
Hanna - Today at 12:38 AM
"We used to have a few of those. I don't think they made it out of the flood... The rec room was one of the last rooms to get touched when evacuating the vault."
Marvin - Today at 12:42 AM
"I had the fastest times til this morning, doll, so righto I can! I can make any set of wheels scream!"
Syl - Today at 12:47 AM
"That's pretty useful. Might be able to find someone looking for a driver, if you looked around hard enough."
Marvin - Today at 12:50 AM
"Not much use without a rocket to fire up. But I'd be on cloud 9 if I could sit in the driver's seat again."
Mavin keeps walking, reaching into his jacket and retrieving a cigarette and a box of matches. He puts the cigarette in his mouth, and strikes a match to light it, before taking a long drag from it, and coughing.
Forever A GM - Today at 12:56 AM
One of the guards snickers at Marvin's coughing, remarking, "Not much of a smoker, are you? Funny. Don't think I've ever seen a ghoul who didn't. Haven't seen many ghouls overall though, so." He shrugs, looking over his rifle idly while you walk.
Marvin - Today at 12:58 AM
"Gotta start somewhere, you dig, scooch?"
Forever A GM - Today at 1:07 AM
As you walk along, the hours and miles pass by in a steady, monotonous blur. The sun is starting to dip down well past the noon-time peak when, as you walk, one of the brahmin suddenly moos with an intense, loud, and frightened bray. It stops in its tracks, rearing up as best the lumbering beast can and rocking the wagon in its wake before slamming its hooves down on the ground with a solid thud. The guards look about, startled at the sudden sound and violent reaction, readying their weapons quickly. Syl feels something brush past her leg at a hurried pace, startling another of the pack beasts. "Mantis swarm! Ready up!" The guards start opening fire as, looking about the caravan, you spot numerous large green insects, scurrying on multiple legs and with large claw-like arms, marching towards your caravan in a pack, their wings flaring and buzzing.

Marvin - Today at 1:15 AM
Marvin quickly reaches into his jacket for his gun, readying it as fast as he can to protect the caravan
Forever A GM - Today at 1:17 AM
You should all have a "Sequence" number in your stats, probably secondary stats. That's your initiative. List it for me?(edited)
Syl - Today at 1:17 AM
16
Hanna - Today at 1:17 AM
Go Fish
10
Marvin - Today at 1:18 AM
12
Forever A GM - Today at 1:24 AM
A number of large mantis, all varying in size but no less bloodthirsty by the looks of it, emerge from nearby shrubs or tunnel out of small mounts along the dirt on the roadside, beelining towards the caravan. The guards fight off multiple mantises with a fierce initiative, gunshots ringing across the field and open asphalt. A number of them, however, are unengaged and approaching you three fast! Syl gets first move.
Syl - Today at 1:28 AM
[Small Guns, 51, 55](edited)
Syl takes out her 9mm pistol, taking two quick shots on the nearest mantis (Mantis A).
7+6 damage
Forever A GM - Today at 1:33 AM
The Mantis has an AC of 5. So the hit chance is determined by your Skill minus the AC.

Syl draws her pistol, aiming down the oncoming mantis and squeezing the trigger. The gun goes off with a loud rapport, echoing and joining the percussion of the other firing weapons while her rounds soar towards the bug. The first round strikes the mantis clean with a squish, sending the mantis to the ground with a green splatter and a chunky squish, while the second round punches into the pockmarked asphalt, kicking up dust and little else.
Marvin's turn!
Marvin - Today at 1:36 AM
Marvin steps to the side to give Hanna a clear line of sight, then takes aim and fires his gun for the first time at Mantis E.
[Small Guns (49%) - 58]
Forever A GM - Today at 1:41 AM
The shot, though it seems to graze the mantis, seems to do little but irritate the big bug as its hard carapace deflects the round.
Marvin - Today at 1:42 AM
After missing, Marvin crouches to better steady his aim in the future.
Forever A GM - Today at 1:43 AM
Hanna's go~.
Hanna - Today at 1:47 AM
Hanna draws her blade, a hefty piece of scrap metal welded to the end of a leather-wrapped grip. It looks like a rough-shod, homemade work put together with a couple of plates around what appears to be an old, heavy-duty paper cutter blade. She shifts around Syl after her shots, standing ready to intercept any of the mantises as they draw near. Staring them down, they're reflected back in her shades and getting larger the closer they get. Defending: 2AP Move, 6AP to AC. AC = 28.
Forever A GM - Today at 1:56 AM
The mantis make their move, scurrying forwards swiftly on their many legs, claws bared and ready to strike. Mantis B scurries forwards, blades primed as it prepares itself in a position between your group [Defend, +2AC]. Mantis C skirts your group wide, flanking from the side and seeming to smell Marvin's rad-fried flesh as delicious. Mantises D and E swiftly move side-by-side towards the girls, Mantis D swiping with a blade at Hanna and Mantis E darting its head forwards to clamp with its mandibles on Syl.

Mantis D, [Claw (75%), 5 - 2 damage]
Mantis E, [Bite (70%), 93](edited)
The Mantis' claw clacks off Hanna's shinplate, sending it stumbling a few steps backwards despite the well-timed slice at the girl's shin.
Forever A GM - Today at 2:00 AM
Syl-ly bitch, your go.
Syl - Today at 2:01 AM
Syl takes a step away from the mantises, taking a shot at the two that attacked her and Hanna.
[Small Guns (57) - 60, 40]
Forever A GM - Today at 2:03 AM
Your first shot breezes between the two mantises with little effect, plinking harmlessly against a rock that skitters off into the sand. Your second shot, however, strikes a powerful blow. Damage?
Syl - Today at 2:03 AM
1+6
Forever A GM - Today at 2:04 AM
The shot connects with a massive splash, tearing one claw off Mantic E and burying itself into the insect's side. Unfortunately, this only seems to aggravate it, as it continues skittering about and feverishly waving its remaining claw.
Marvin's go!
Marvin - Today at 2:07 AM
Marvin fires his gun rapidly once to the right, then after moving his right arm under his left, fires again, at both Mantis C and B.
[Small Arms (49%+10) - 49, 32]
Forever A GM - Today at 2:09 AM
Both shots hit! Roll damage~
Marvin - Today at 2:10 AM
21, and 25 before any modifiers
Forever A GM - Today at 2:11 AM
Meaning your damage is 14 and 17, and damned punchy. The two mantises you target all but explode from the force of the impact, shattering into chitinous giblets and mantis limbs.
Hanna - Today at 2:15 AM
Hanna shrugs off the attack to her shin, being taken on the crude scrap metal guard strapped over it. She raises her blade, taking one swipe apiece at each of the mantis beside her (D & E; 4 AP apiece). [Melee Weapons (70) - 43, 64]
Forever A GM - Today at 2:16 AM
Two solid hits!
Roll that damage~
Hanna - Today at 2:17 AM
Damugu: 19 on D, 14  on E. (whoops. Forgot my +2 melee damage.)(edited)
Each broad stroke rains down hard, cleaving right through the frail bodies of the buggies. Their heads come free with each stroke like a crazed cartel hitman sending a message. They go flying off while the bodies spasm and flail and roll over onto the ground slowly burning out the last nerve-spasms before they go still.
Forever A GM - Today at 2:23 AM
When the little twitching bodies fall still, the gunfire soon silences. The guards remain alert for another few moments, rifles at the ready and peering around at the carnage before breathing a collective sigh and relaxing. "Show's over, people. Good work. Lucky for us that was a small pack." Looking around again, he gazes up towards the sky and the descending sun before he gestures forwards. "Let's get a move on. We're gonna have to settle for the night soon and I don't want to do it in the middle of this mess."

[+250 XP each](edited)
Hanna - Today at 2:27 AM
Spinning her blade in a little flourish, the rebel swordsman shoves her blade back in its scabbard, albeit not that smoothly. She looks up to the caravan owner, lip tugging back in a small sneer. "Hey, Oli. I thought numbers wer supposed to scare off the small ones like this."
Marvin - Today at 2:28 AM
Marvin nods, adjusts his hair, and follows along inserting rounds in the magazine of his gun, before reholstering it.
Syl - Today at 2:30 AM
Syl follows suit, reloading her gun quietly.
Forever A GM - Today at 2:31 AM
Oliver looks back towards Hanna before reloading his weapon. "Numbers don't mean jack when they're hungry. Something must have blown through this area or made one hell of a ruckus to scare away the boars they usually prey on."
Hanna - Today at 2:33 AM
"... Should we be worried about that?" she asks, seeming even less sure, even as she falls in with the rest.
Forever A GM - Today at 2:38 AM
"I'm guessing not. They mighta just been overconfident thinking they had the numbers anyway. Don't worry yourself too much about it, we're a big group anyway. We'll keep overnight shifts cycling like always for security." One guard lightly boots a listless mantis corpse, shifting the body and rolling it over. "Mantis makes good eats though, if you know how to grill it." Oliver looks towards the guard with a scoff, "Well, you never were much of a chef, big guy. Last time you tried, Tommo had the shits all night. Now c'mon."
Hanna - Today at 2:40 AM
Sighing and pushing her shades up her face, Hanna shakes her head. "Yeah, okay. I'm sleeping with a knife in my hand anyway," she mutters to herself.
Marvin - Today at 2:43 AM
Marvin chuckles a little at Oliver's comment, "I'm lookin' foward to pilin' up some Zs once we kick back, you dig?" he says to no one in particular.
Forever A GM - Today at 2:47 AM
"After all this walking, I could do with some Zs myself," Oliver says, seeming to understand that one of Marvin's Marvinisms, at least. Slapping the lead brahmin once again, the pack gets moving, and the crew follows suit.

The sun is low in the sky and beginning to set as Oliver holds up a hand, calling everyone to a halt. The skies are tinted a colorful orange, the occasional cloud floating overhead in the steadily darkening skies. "Alright, boys and girls, let's that's enough walking for today, let's call it a night here. We're far enough from the mantises to be in the clear I think."
Marvin - Today at 2:49 AM
"That's boss, boss." Marvin replies
Syl - Today at 2:50 AM
"Works for me. My feet are fucking killing me."
Hanna - Today at 2:52 AM
"Yeah, alright. Wish there somethin' to spray around here..." Sighing and looking around, Hanna shrugs and crosses her arms to wait for direction of where to set up. "Hey, Syl, if you're a hunter, how are you worn out already?" Despite trying to play tough, it's pretty clear she's probably the most tired out of everyone here.
Syl - Today at 2:57 AM
A bit taken aback by Hanna's question, Syl shrugs. "I'm mostly used to sitting in one place with traps set up. Don't do a lot of walking."

Hanna - Today at 2:58 AM
"Oh. Well... That would make sense then, wouldn't it?"
Marvin - Today at 3:01 AM
"I ain't done much long distance walkin', neither" Marvin adds, "Think I'm cookin' so far."
Forever A GM - Today at 3:10 AM
"Then let's set down here," he says simply. Tugging the brahmin to a halt, the two behind it follow suit, and the guards come to a halt with a series of sighs and stretches, glad to finally have the chance to stop. The guards get to work prepping a makeshift camp, digging out a small firepit and gathering up some foliage and burnables to start a fire. They don't seem to pay you much mind as they set up camp and discuss who's taking what shift, though they seem appreciative of whatever help you throw in during the course.
Anyone gonna do anything special during this little break period?
Hanna - Today at 3:15 AM
Hann finds a nice spot against a rock, taking off her pack and tossing it to the ground. She pulls the speargun off, swapping the current spear for one of the more nasty-looking barbed ones. A tearing sound can be heard as she pulls the loops from the pack off a velcro strip and attached them to her thigh plate to keep her spear bolts close. Partway through, a small beat comes into her mind and she starts beatboxing it out trying to get the sound right in her head.
Syl - Today at 3:18 AM
Syl takes a spot against another rock, close enough to the others to talk but not directly on top of them. Sitting down, she pulls out her bag and grabs her bear trap, checking it. Once she's certain it's still workable, she carries it over towards a nearby ingress point, hoping to alert any of the guards if something comes that way. With it set, she stands up and heads over to the camp, telling everyone where she put it so they don't get a nasty suprise.(edited)
Marvin - Today at 3:24 AM
"Hey, Syl, you're hip with the outdoors, right?" Marvin asks, taking off his shades, "Care to lay some advice on me?"
Syl - Today at 3:25 AM
"Uh... Well, what do you want to know? There's a lot of stuff to talk about... Foliage, fauna, geography, climate... Where would you like to start?"
Marvin - Today at 3:33 AM
Marvin thinks over it for a bit, before replying, "My noggin's pretty vacant on the subject," he tabs the side of his head with his finger, "let's start real simple, anything I should catch a breeze when I cast an eyeball on it?"
Syl - Today at 3:37 AM
"Well... If you see a big-ass ten foot tall lizard that everything else is running like hell from? That's a Deathclaw. Best thing you can do is get the fuck out of there as quick as you can and pray they don't see you. Other than that... There's these big, fucked-up looking bears. Called Yao Guai. Also not worth fucking with if you don't have to."
Marvin - Today at 3:40 AM
"Righto." Marvin points to some kind of plant, "Can I refuel on any of these things?"
Syl - Today at 3:44 AM
"Probably. Might be irradiated, but that probably won't be a problem for you now that you've been irradiated yourself. Won't help with anything poisonous, but ghouls usually don't have problems with radiation."
[Survival, 42 - 22] Syl takes a moment to look at the plant and see if it's actually edible.
Forever A GM - Today at 3:52 AM
Looking about the area, the shrub you're pointing to is a listless, sad-looking bit of foliage. But beyond that, your trained eye spots something more familiar: a cactus, flowering on some branches, but ripe with fruits for the picking on another. A barrel cactus! And atop its ripe branches, you're able to spot 3 barrel cactus fruits.
Syl - Today at 3:53 AM
"Okay, so, you can eat these," Syl says, taking the cactus fruits, "And... If you really wanted to, you can eat those. Won't do anything for you, but you could."
Marvin - Today at 3:59 AM
"You're one cool cat, syl. I ain't writin' a book, but I'll ask you more tomorrow. As for right this second this flutter bum's gonna pile up some Zs." he replies
Forever A GM - Today at 4:05 AM
With your traps laid and the watches arranged, the guards have a short meal of their own before they go about the business of bedding down, pulling their rolled-up bedding off the sides of the wagons to nestle into an ideal spot behind some comfortable cover. Doing as you all will yourselves, you soon find yourselves laying down to bed as well, sleep taking over quite swiftly in the desert night following your heat-wracked, multi-mile trek, leaving you in the comforting embrace of slumber.