Story May 27, 2093 - Dubois

taleteller50 · #1 May 11th, 2022, 03:00 AM

To DuboisAs promised Joey comes wake each of you quietly early in the morning so that you all might sneak out of the settlement before anyone notices. For some of you it's easy given the relative solitude that you lived in at the ranch but for others it's more complicated. Talia especially had to see to her siblings who were besides themselves with worry. Not only due to how she had disappeared for a good portion of the night but also due to hearing about what had happened to their father. As a mixed blessing Stella never came home, likely sticking to her husband as he was recovering, meaning Talia never had to sneak away while she was nearby but also meaning she was the only one available to care for her siblings through the night. Neither could sleep soundly and begged Talia to stay with them, gripping onto their sister as they cried themselves to sleep.

By the time Talia had to leave she had been up for nearly the entire night; resting enough that she wasn't about to fall over from exhaustion the next day but not enough to feel refreshed despite her comfortable surroundings.

OOCNo Bennies Regained from the night's rest for Talia (not that she's used any yet)

The rest have a much easier time. Even Samuel's sister, despite initially protesting her brother leaving her behind, understood his need to go. With all her will the small girl fought back the tears which threatened to cascade from her eyes but, once realizing this 'quest' was as much about keeping 'the fair' Talia safe as it was the rest of the ranch, Nimue was able to show her brother enough strength that he believed he would not have to worry.

Before long you all had been gathered and began your trek away from the ranch. Talia's horse had been loaded with a saddle and three sets of saddle bags; the bags provided by Mathew himself, containing the food which he had promised. The food itself appeared to be a collection of smoke dried meat (Jerky), loaves of bread, nuts, dried fruits, pickled vegetables, and old milk cartons filled with water; strung to the horse with a length of rope. It was a far cry from Dorthy's cooking but it would keep you from starving while you were hunting. It was actually a good thing Talia had brought the horse given that attempting to carry both your weapons and the supplies would have probably been near impossible; at least for many of you. Unfortunately, with so many supplies weighing it down it would be impossible for Talia's horse to carry anyone, at least until it's load was lightened some.

The walk itself was generally uneventful; Daryl's experience in the area showcased by leading you all easily through the terrain. Even sneaking away from the ranch itself had been relatively simple as only Mathew's patrols were the only ones out, even as the sun began to crest over the horizon. It was possible many other had difficulty sleeping the previous night due to stress and worry over Alex's condition. Before long you were already far enough away from the ranch that you could talk a little if you wished.

Daryl was cordial enough, answering when spoken to but otherwise keeping quite and focused on leading your group towards the ruins of Dubois. Part of it was likely due to thoughts of the task to come but it was just as likely due to the man's wounds which still appeared to bother him. Daryl tried not to show it of course but more then once the man would rub his side some as if attempting to nurse his aching wounds through will alone. On the other hand Joey and Match mostly kept to the back and only chatted with themselves. The pair would occasionally eye Talia or Samual but neither did much more then that and would even advert their gaze if either of the other two looked their way.

After a few hours of walking the sun has finally crested and is now well on it's way towards it's zenith as you can finally see the outskirts of Dubois. Although your vantage point from the road doesn't give the clearest view of the towns remains it's clear that not much likely remains within the town proper; the few building you do see being little more then bombed out and charred wrecks. The road itself looks relatively fine, with only the occasional large crater taking up half of it to one side or another. If someone was careful enough they could even drive a vehicle through the remains, albeit at a reduced speed.

"From here we'll be off road again", Daryl comments, pointing towards the East North East. "It's a bit of a climb but nothing too steep. Takes a little longer then just walking down the highway but you'd have to keep pretty quite that way unless you were looking for trouble. Should put us at my camp around Noon or so. We'll break for lunch, since skipping breakfast probably has most of our stomachs growling, and discuss things while resting. Sound good"?

"Why not just go through town", Match complains "It'd be faster and it's not like anything's living in those burnt out ruins, right? I'm starving here".

"Yeah", Daryl answers, slightly annoyed. "Nothing Living". Daryl's tone was clear that he wasn't saying everything but wasn't volunteering anything either; not without some prodding.

Experience Tracker

Player	Character	XP	Advancements	Level
Swordplay82	Talia Humphry	130	0	Novice
Effete	Bill Dawes	139	0	Novice
Silk	Amy Wong	59	4	Seasoned
Cap Ut	Samuel Wells	162	0	Novice
DBCowboy	Garret Sax	71	0	Novice

Effete · #2 May 11th, 2022, 11:56 AM

Bill Dawes

"psst... PSST!" Joey leans into Bill's shack to wake the man. "Time t'a go," he whispers when he hears the big guy stir.
"Aaaah, frag off pigsticker. I'll get up when I'm ready." Bill was clearly not a morning person, not that it could really be called 'morning.' Strange dreams of horned rabbits running around the Creek quickly faded from memory as Bill shifted focus to the day's task. Despite only getting maybe four or five hours of sleep, he felt surprisingly rested. Swinging off the cot, Bill attended to his earthly duties and then got ready.

The first leg of the journey was bizarrely surreal, with the eight of them walking silently through near total darkness, with only the sound of the horse clop-clopping along. The first light of dawn was a sobering moment, and Bill was relieved to find that he wasn't the only one who seemed to feel eerily exposed after the concealing cloak of night. However, that feeling soon faded, and people finally began exchanging words with each other.

Bill took this opportunity to try to get a better feel for this Sax fellow. Casually, he walked up beside the man and did his best at what he assumed was smalltalk. "Really glad I dropped a deuce before we left. Ain't nuthin to wipe with out here 'cept sticks. You a Texas man? I'm from the panhandle myself. Bout twelve miles north of Amarillo."

Bill chatted with Sax, and any else who wanted to, until Daryl eventually slowed up, pointing through the sparse trees. Bill had been out scavving with Daryl before, but never this way. This was the first he's seen of the ruin that was Dubois in all the years he's been at the Creek. Bill would ask, but it was always some excuse: "not today," or "I have another place in mind." Once, Daryl snapped, staring Bill straight in eye, "Why?! There's nothing out there for you! You wanna go, go! Damn fool." It wasn't long after that Alex asked Bill to take on a more permanent role in the garage. His scavving slowed, and then it stopped.

But now here he was, looking at the husk of the city that drew his interest not more than a couple years ago. Why did he want to come here? You know why. Why can't you admit it, that's the real question. Well, guess you just gotta see 'em for yourself, eh? Go on, ole man! Go down there and look at 'em. heh heh heh

Match took this moment to complain, and it was the perfect opportunity for Bill to redirect his anger at anyone but himself. "You gonna cause trouble for us? You two been doin a lotta whispering. Wutcha conspiring about, huh? Why'd you even come along? Only use for you is bait." As he spoke, the big man stepped closer and closer to the two young punks until he was close enough to touch them. "We're going around." Bill glared at Match for a moment longer, daring him to make a move, before turning to Daryl. "Yeah, sounds good."

OOCFor anyone wondering what they're reading, I've decided that Bill has repressed memories of the walking dead and many of the weirder beasties of the world. It's given him his "withdrawn" reputation around Crooked Creek, but as he faces those horrors again, his suppress personality begins to resurface with his memories.

Character

Cap Ut · #3 May 12th, 2022, 01:49 PM

Samuel Wells

Hunters of the Creek #1: Today, a group of intrepid heroes leaded by Daryl Dixxie, the Death Hunter, is on its way to track down the monstrous Nidhatak and finally put an end to her reign of terror over Crooked Creek. Among the ensemble we have the reformed Bill B.Good, the valiant and noble and amazing Red Resolver, and Junk Knight, bearer of the Q-Lance and champion of the Witch. Let's discover what challenges await the Hunters of the Creek in this first issue...

Samuel is surprisingly finding himself not as tense or upset as he's excited about this expedition, to defy the beyond with a well-supplied team and some nice new equipment; this feeling has been growing inside him since last night, from the moment he was enraptured by old Rodie's hoard, and now that the inner turmoil previously overshadowing it has been quenched by a decent sleep, it comes with a sense of guilt: why isn't he feeling worse? How can he be remotely electrified while leaving Nimue behind? Why isn't he more concerned about what may happen? The truth is, whether he likes it or not, there's adventure in his veins, and without that drive he wouldn't have survived the bombing, or found his mother again and a lovely sister, or discovered Crooked Creek.

Overall, the situation has certainly presented him with a few unpleasant issues. First, the Nimue matter: never before have circumstances of this gravity separated the two and telling her about the hunt has been one of the hardest things he has ever had to do; absolutely heart-wrenching to witness her protests and then her glossy eyes tenaciously holding back what threatened to be a torrent of tears, but thankfully she has been admirably strong and understanding, otherwise he isn't confident he could have gone through with the plan. He has made sure she knows she won't be alone and invited her to stay with Jacalin or Shakufa while he's away, and to inform the elder witch if anyone bothers her, a name in particular floating in his mind. For the rest, the siblings have spent the night hugging tightly and sleeping side by side, as a comfort to both.

Second, more of a nuisance than anything, encumbrance: the lad isn't small by any means, he has a good frame on the contrary, however he should definitely train to make a better use of it if he wants to keep up with his expanding inventory; the body armor, a mesh of metal and straps his hands have assembled and improved throughout his travels, the sizeable arsenal, the pounds of ammo and the remaining essential gear are together almost overloading him, so much that he hasn't even considered bringing his emergency toolkit.

"Let's not dwell too much on the negatives, though," at least he's quite well rested, more than can be said for someone else, it would seem. "You look awful," he comments bluntly on Talia's weary appearance once they can talk freely, his tone equal parts sympathetic and teasing. "Relatively speaking, I mean."

Later on, when they finally arrive in sight of Dubois, his scavenger mind can't help but wonder what hidden treasures are buried under the town's ashes; a more morbid curiosity also creeps into his thoughts, "What might inhabit those ruins...?" An answer, although quite vague, is not long in coming.

"He's totally going to die."

"I was right!" Sam feels vindicated by Daryl's response, tho is not yet satisfied, and believing it isn't the time to withhold information of this sort, he decides to challenge the guide's apparent unwillingness to explain further, "Have you seen these... Charred?"

The young man enjoys the scolding behind an almost neutral expression, if not for a malicious light in his eyes. Only in a second moment he realizes he has never seen Bill this aggressive before and begins to worry for his friend a little.

Sheet

DBCowboy · #4 May 12th, 2022, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBCowboy

Garret Sax

Didn't seem like he'd closed his eyes before Joey's callin' woke him. "A'ight," was all he could manage, takin his time to finally sit up on the edge of the cot, bare feet on the floor and rubbin' the sleep from his eyes.

He'd dreamed of her of course but could only remember bits an pieces. If he were a sentimental or even a religious man, Sax might believe she was watchin' over him. But he wasn't either. She'd told him enough about the forces that drove the war that ended civilization to make him put more stock in a boot in the ass and hot lead in the air than any spiritual help.

Speakin' of boots and lead...

He dressed efficiently, gathered his things and was ready when Darryl suggested they head out.

Any lingerin' cobwebs cleared from his head by the time the group was on the march. He stayed quiet, eyes scanning, ears listening at the beginning. Voices could carry in the early morning air with the strange things walkin and crawlin' since the bombs fell it was usually safest to be quiet while travelin'. Generally his instincts were good, saved him from stumblin into trouble time 'n again. Sometimes he'd get an itch behind his right ear, that's when he knew somethin wasn't right.

But as they walked Sax had to admit, nothin' seemed off. No itches. So when Bill started askin his questions Sax kept his voice lower maybe but he didn't mind answerin'. "Lived in Texas the most probably but moved all over the South and Southwest. I was a military brat; we relocated every 3 or 4 years. Ma had separated a few years before things went to hell but my dad was still servin'. She and I were in Colorado when the bombs dropped."

"How bout you?" he nodded to the burly biker, "What brought you this far North of the Texas panhandle?"

He didn' really spend much time rememberin' the Old Days. But every time he did it was a little more disturbin' just how long ago they were. And gettin' longer every day.

He'd glance at the younger members of the group now'n then just to see how they were takin' things in. No decisions or doubts on any of em, too early for that. Still possible the danger of the confrontation they were goin to hadn't hit some of em yet. Crooked Creek didn' seem to have made 'em soft but when Match chose to ask his question Sax had to admit they were definitely sheltered.

That's when Bill opened up the kid.

His eyes snapped back towards the ruins but they seemed far enough in the distance for the sounds of Bill's anger to keep from drawin' anything their way. Fortunately the big man was done almost as soon as he started but Sax still gave him a nod and cautioned, "Let's not ring any dinner bells, a'ight?" before lookin' back to Match to see how he'd weathered Bill's storm, "They're young. They'll go where we tell'em to. They just ain' seen some of what's outside Crooked Creek yet."

He glanced to Darryl and Amy but didn' say more. He was curious if Darryl would answer Samuel's question.

OOC

Stats/Gear

swordplay82 · #5 May 13th, 2022, 01:41 AM

-

Talia's mind tore at itself. Laying there with her siblings, doing what little she could to comfort them through the night, once again made her reconsider her decision to go hunting after the monster which had hurt her father. As fearsome as the creature had been described Talia was more frightened what might happen to Peter and Valery if she left them to achieve vengeance. But for as much as she stared her sibling's sorrow and worry Talia also burned with a rage that tightened around her heart with every sob and tear from the younger pair. That.. Thing had hurt not just her father but her entire family and she would see it dead for it.

Holding tightly to Peter and Valery as their tears slowly turned to exhaustion and finally sleep, Talia promised them both that everything would be all right. That, what hurt their Pa, would never hurt anyone else again.

With exhaustion weighing heavy upon her body, refusing to give in to sleep through pure force of will and the rage which rattled at the back of her mind, Talia counted the seconds on her fathers old pocket watch. Alex had given the time piece to her at the same time he had allowed her to begin carrying her own pistols around the ranch. Alex had told her that the watch had been passed through his family for generations, each time to the eldest child. In truth it should belong to Peter as she.. as she wasn't originally a part of the family, but Alex had insisted that she should have it.

Alex had told Talia of the many people who had held the watch before; of soldiers and wars, of parents and children, and how each one of them had taken the watch understanding they were now responsible for not only the watch but the family as well. It had been a reminder to her that even if she was skilled enough to use a gun that she had to carefully choose when to use said gun. 'This is not a toy', Alex had said. 'Nor is it just a weapon. It is a tool who's use is decided by the one who uses it. If you choose to treat it lightly and irresponsibly then you not only tarnish the gun but our family as well. Your guns, our family, this watch; you are responsible for them all now. You have to choose how you carry them all but.. I hope.. that when you do make a choice it's to protect rather then harm, to help rather then to hinder'.

When Alex had told her all this Talia had promised that she would only use her guns to protect the family, the ranch, and that she would never allow them, or the watch, to be tarnished from her own choices. The watch represented Talia's link to her family and now it counted away the seconds before she finally went to fulfill that promise. She would use her guns to kill that bear and make sure it never harmed her family again.

Quietly slipping out from under Peter and Valery when it was finally time for her to get ready Talia wrote a note for her siblings to read once they woke up. It told them to go see Lesley when they finally woke up and to not worry. She was just going out for a ride to clear her head and that she'd be back before long. It was a lie of course, one which churned Talia's stomach as she wrote it, but it was necessary. Even if Mr. Rodie thought he could distract her Ma long enough for Talia and the others to make it to Dubois it didn't guarantee that he could stop Stella. If Peter or Valery awoke with Talia gone without explanation they would rush straight to Stella and she would likely come after them. This way it wouldn't be until much later that anyone would question Talia or the one horse missing. It wouldn't last forever of course but maybe it would be long enough for them to get a head start; one which Stella wouldn't risk trying to follow.

First to arrive at the stable Talia loaded Ed up with a saddle and saddle bags. Ed wasn't the fastest horse the ranch had but he was plenty strong and wouldn't have difficulty carrying the supplies Mathew had promised. Talia also loaded a feed bag full of a mixture of oats and corn. Normally she would just have the horses graze out in the pastures but it wasn't a guarantee that they would have that luxury when they started hunting the bear. If Ed couldn't graze for any reason she would be sure he had something to eat on the trip.

During the trip itself Talia mostly kept quiet, too tired to really hold a conversation but refusing to let the others see her exhaustion or to slow their pace. Of course Sam saw through this brave front and voiced his concern for her; a fact Talia would have found sweet if she wasn't so focused on keeping her legs moving as she led Ed. "Ya, sorry. Valery was sobbing most of the night. Me and Peter laid with her and I couldn't risk falling asleep or else I might have missed heading out". In truth Peter had cried too but no reason to let the two knuckle heads behind her, Joey and Matchs, know about it so that they could tease him later.

"Can't wait until we make it to Daryl's camp so that I can finally sleep".

By the time they were at the outskirts Talia was almost ready to agree with Match. Her body was screaming for sleep and the faster they made it to the camp the sooner she could give it what it wanted. Still.. even in her sleep deprived fog Talia knew walking through the old town, especially when you might not be alert as normal, wasn't the brightest idea. Going around was for the best and what was one more hour extra compared to how long she had been up as a whole. Normally she would have also enjoyed seeing Joshua's goons taken down a few pegs but didn't have the energy to really pay attention to what Bill was barking at them past the idea that going around the town was not up for debate.

Effete · #6 May 13th, 2022, 03:00 AM

Bill Dawes

When Sax mentioned he was from a military family, Bill nodded. The man certainly carried himself like someone who was raised with discipline. He knew guys who were either army brats themselves, or who served and ran their houses like bootcamp. Bill never served, but he had his fair share of military ties. As for what drove him north...

"Opportunity." Talking about his homestate put a bit more of that Texas twang in the man's voice. "That and, uhh... hmph, too many bad memories." Bill lowered his voice a bit, but if his next words were meant for Sax's ears alone, he failed in that. The big man's gravelly pipes had a tendancy to carry, and anyone that tried listening could hear him. "Had a wife an' kid. Eh! Things fell apart few years 'fore the bombs. No idea if they made it. She always loved the city. Me?, I was more of suburb guy. Y'know, cutting grass on Saturday, beers an' barb'que on Sunday, then back to working for the weekend." Bill paused for moment, stuck on a thought. "Nukes took out all the major cities: Dallas, Houston, San Antone, Austin... well, that one wasn't much of a loss," he finished with a chuckle. Then, almost surprised he talked so much, Bill quickly cleared his throat and changed topics. "*ahm* yeah, well, anyway... who taught you to shoot? Yer ole man? Or jus' sumthin' you picked up after this?" Bill twirled a finger in the air, indicating the whole fragged up world.

OOCI would say a basic success on Notice allows anyone to eavesdrop, but it's TT's call.

Character

taleteller50 · #7 May 14th, 2022, 04:01 AM

Daryl's Camp

OOCIf any of you wish to continue conversations you've started on the trip out feel free to do so.

Joey and Match don't look impressed by Bill's comments even if they were a little intimidated by the large man. "W-We're here to make sure you all do the job Mr. Rodie gave you all those guns for, Old Man, so why don't you just back off", Joey said with building conviction while Match began to finger the chainsaw he'd been carrying the whole way. However, before either side could take it too far Daryl get's in between them and (hopefully) breaks it up.

"OK, ENOUGH! Look! I know this ain't exactly the dream team here but we're going to have to work together to get this done. If you don't like it I suggest you start walking back to the ranch cuz I don't have the patience for this; from any of you". Turning to the two younger men Daryl continued. "As for you two, MR. Rodie put me in charge of this hunt so that means if I say we're taking the long route that means we're taking the long route".

Turning away Daryl begins heading east to skirt the town before Samuel asks about the Charred, stopping the hunter for a moment. "Ya.. I've seen them a few times. Any time I tried scavenging in town. Not exactly sure what they are but.. Unk had some theories. Said that the disease that hit town was probably some bio weapon from the South, something to drive people mad or.. something. When they died they didn't always stay dead. Fire bombs were suppose to burn them all away but it only did half the job. They still.. move but they're not much more then charcoal and bone now. They.. they pop out of the ruins and.. tear into people; eye's and mouths glowing red like they're still burning inside".

Daryl's voice grows more somber and quiet as he tells about the horrors that lay within the nearby ruins; his eyes looking at the charred remains but never truly focusing on them. He was remembering something; something better left forgotten.

Finally turning back to the group Daryl appears to have recovered a little but was still deadly serious. "We don't want that kind of trouble. It'll only take an hour more going around then if we went through so you'll all get to rest soon enough. Just.. Just try to keep quiet and stop arguing. We'll have enough trouble with that bear, no need to go looking for extra. Now, follow me".

Marching around the old town and into the foot hills surrounding it Daryl led the party down a winding path which was difficult but not impossible to transverse. Joey and Match now followed along silently, their previous whispers replaced with angry stares at the back of Bill's head. If the two had been plotting something it looks like another target had gained their focus.

Just as Daryl had said the trip took a few hours, the group finally reaching Dubois's northern edge and the Fremont County School a little past noon. Unlike the rest of the town the school had not been burned by napalm but was still obviously damaged during the attack. One entire wing was all but ruins from what was possibly a more conventional bombing but the rest of the building looked relatively intact. This was however not your destination, Daryl instead leading you across a small creek to the northern edge of the schools yard where a large, locked shed stood.

The shed was about 10 yards wide and 20 yards long, shielded by aging sheet metal, and had likely been storage for a variety of athletic equipment when the school had still been in operation. Approaching the shed Daryl scanned the surroundings to ensure everything was clear before kneeling in front of the shed's door and grasping a small combination lock that held the sliding door tight. Quickly unlocking the door and sliding it to the side for the rest of you to enter you find yourself inside Daryl's 'Hunting Lodge'.

Stilled filled with a variety of sports equipment, from athletic mats to old tackling dummies to soccer nets, Daryl has converted many of these items into tools for hunting. Targets to practise archery, traps to capture prey, racks to clean hides, and other tools that might help the man in his preferred profession. Much of it was still a mess piled to the side to make room for the camp itself, but it was clear Daryl had turned this place into a home away from home for himself.

Hurrying everyone in Daryl secures the door from the inside with a makeshift mechanism that would likely hold against all be the most determined attempts to enter. "Try to keep quite", Daryl whispered. "We're far enough from town that the Charred shouldn't hear us but I'd rather not push our luck. Mats are good for seats or beds if you need rest. I've got a set up over there", he points to a corner. "To have a fire but keep it small. Only use the dry wood to avoid making dirty smoke. Over there is a rope ladder that leads to the roof. Don't use it unless it's an emergency. The roof is slanted so you might fall unless your careful. Talia? Put Ed over there. If he sh!ts there should be a shovel around here so pick up the mess and toss it outside. It'll get stuffy enough in here with everyone, even after I open the roof hatch, if we have to deal with that stink as well. Other then that take a load off and have a bite. We'll discuss stuff once everyone's settled".

OOCIf anyone has plans on scavenging through the shed or the nearby school as the others rest and plan please tell me.

Experience Tracker

Player	Character	XP	Advancements	Level
Swordplay82	Talia Humphry	130+4	0	Novice
Effete	Bill Dawes	139+3+2	0	Novice
Silk	Amy Wong	59	4	Seasoned
Cap Ut	Samuel Wells	162+3	0	Novice
DBCowboy	Garret Sax	71+3	0	Novice

Effete · #8 May 14th, 2022, 07:07 AM

Bill Dawes

After that well-deserved chastising from Daryl, Bill continued the next leg of the hike in sullen silence, with a few occasional mutterings when he was still hot. "Old man?! Hmph! Yeah, an old man that'll kick your sorry ass.
...
Little punk! I've been drinkin' since before you were even born. And I'll be drinkin' after I bury you."

The old man's eyes kept drifting to the edge of town, sometimes glimpsed through the trees, but most oftenly obscured. He stubbornly refused to admit that he hoped Daryl would change his mind and lead them through there, and he equally refused to admit why he felt that way. Before the end of the second hour was through, Bill had completely forgotten about his little spat with the kids. He wasn't actually angry with them, he was angry with himself, and like so many other things he hated about himself, he shoved it deep down inside.

When they reached the shed, Bill moved up closer to Daryl, casually looking over the man's shoulder to try to

Dice Notice d6:

d2-1rh1	(1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1		Total = 0
d6cx9,6t	3	Running Total = 3
d2-1rh1	(1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1		Total = 0
d6cx9,6t	4	Running Total = 4

see the combination code, then moved to a corner to keep a lookout as everyone else went inside. The shed had a musky smell; a mixture of rusting metal, old vinyl, and sweat. Daryl had apparently spent enough time in here for it to take on his smell. The hunter, naturally, was noseblind to it, considering his comment about the horse stinking up the place. Absently, Bill wondered if his own shed smelled bad to others (it did!).

Not quite as sullen as before, but still in no mood to talk, Bill found a seat near the open hatch where he could get some light and began checking his supplies. He was starving, but waited for someone to offer him food, rather than just go up and take it. While inspecting the machete, he noticed a couple rolled edges, so he smoothed them out with the file he found in the garage yesterday. Generally, Bill just tried to stay busy to curb his excitement. He counted his ammo three times before any meaningful discussion eventually took place.

OOC

Character

Cap Ut · #9 May 16th, 2022, 08:51 AM

Samuel Wells

Talia's weary response has Samuel feel for her and her siblings, "Poor kids, their father left for days and came back mauled up, and now their sister is leaving too: they really can't catch a break... You know what? Once this is over, we'll all do: me, you, Nimue, Valery, Peter, we shall take a day off and have some good time, we deserve it... hoping Stella won't lock you up and throw away the key when we return," because they will return, his mind rejecting the possibility of any different outcome.

The young man flawlessly picks up Bill's words without even trying, and so another melancholic story, this time eerily similar to that of his own family, is added to the many he has heard since the end of the world.

The instant he sees Match fiddling with the chainsaw, a predatory instinct dissembled by unthreatening features drives Samuel's hand to his holster, An excuse... Then all is defused by Daryl's intervention and the instinct immediatly fades; for no more than a fleeting moment, an irrational sense of disappointment is what's left behind.

Fully satisfied with the answer, if not a little disturbed by the images evoked, the youth doesn't probe any further and follows in silence, both because he has nothing else to say and because he has found Daryl's argument particularly compelling.

For the rest of the route, Samuel's attention shifts mostly between a sulky Bill and the Rodies' hands. On the one side, despite having greatly enjoyed the berating of those two, he has to agree that Brighton's comment didn't truly warrant such a reaction: something's wrong, but as much as his concerns push him to ask, the unwelcoming aura the grizzled man emanates deters him from actually doing so. On the other, his thoughts about Match and Joey ooze a poisonous mix of scorn and satisfaction, "Go on, make more enemies: we'll see in how many pieces you're getting back home, if you do."

The lad's mood is instantly brightened by the prospect of some nice scavenging when he sights the relatively intact school building; figuring it could also be a good opportunity to have a word with Bill, once inside the Hunting Lodge he makes his proposal to the colleague, now seemingly more approachable, his whispering voice following the guide's example, "Say, Bill, would you be up for a tour of the school, after lunch?" Then he readily turns to Daryl, anticipating any reaction from his part, "Can we? We might find something useful there."

OOC

Dice Notice roll to eavesdrop on Bill:

d2-1rh1	(1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1			Total = 0
d8cx9,8t	7	Running Total = 7

Dice WildDie:

d2-1rh1	(1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1		Total = 0
d6cx9,6t	6	Running Total = 6
→ d6cx9,6t	5	Running Total = 11

Sheet

Effete · #10 May 16th, 2022, 10:45 AM

Bill Dawes

Getting away from the ranch and back into the wilds has reignited something in Bill: an old urge for thrill-seeking... and perhaps some darker tendancies that would be better left unkindled. The excitement has made him antsy, and he fidgeted while the rest of the posse took a breather. He was counting his ammo for the third time when Samuel quietly spoke to him. The lad musta been a mindreader, because as soon as Bill saw the school he itched to go poking around inside it.

"Yeah, I'll check it out, if it's okay with the boss." He look at Daryl for affirmation of Sam's question. "That is if he hasn't picked it clean already."

OOC

Character

Silk · #11 May 16th, 2022, 07:18 PM

Amy Wong

hunting for salvage

When Sax diverted the subject of discussion away from Bill's surly mood to shared stories about where he came from, Amy was glad for the change of subject, if not the topic itself. Amy instinctively stayed quiet, having learned to not share that she was once in the middle of the attack on the east coast and only came out with a missing arm and her mind largely intact. Some thought Amy had to have done something to have made it to the waisted west. But she was trying to become a part of this town, and so when a gap in conversation appeared, Amy blurted,

"My plane crashed in downstate New York. Been walking home ever since."

Amy shrugged at the imagined question about her only managing to travel this far in the last 12 years and added,

"You can't survive the wastes in a straight line."

Amy said nothing about the tension brewing among everyone. Still, she kept an eye on it, especially when passing by the town.

Seeing the school, Amy tried scanning the building from afar and felt nostalgic. Before the bombs fell, her life was all about such institutions and the people in them. Briefly, Amy thought about her friends that died in the plane crash she had survived before crushing the memory and shoving it back down.

Looking at the inside of the storage shed, Amy asked,

"So Daryl, is the plague still a threat, or do you just tell everyone passing through about it to scare off competing scavengers? ...and how well have you searched this place?"

After a decade of scavenging, instinct took over when Daryl said he had only I can't find it, but I thought you said Daryl only looked around a little bit. I'll edit if nessisarylooked around a little and quickly shrugged off her backpack before going scavaging. There was no need to remind Amy to be quiet, as doing so was part of her scavenging routine. There was no need to wake slumbering mutant abominations after all, not that there were likely to be any mutants present if Daryl had used this place often.

OOC: Looking at the school(Notice): 7
Dice Looking at the school(Notice):

d2-1rh1 (1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1 Total = 0

d8cx9,8t 7 Running Total = 7

Dice wild dice:

d2-1rh1 (1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1 Total = 0

d6cx9,6t 5 Running Total = 5

Scavaging(Notice+2): 8
Dice Scavaging(Notice+2):

d2+1rh1 (1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))+1 Total = 2

d8cx9,8t 6 Running Total = 8

Dice wild dice:

d2-1rh1 (1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1 Total = 0

d6cx9,6t 4 Running Total = 4

Be quiet about it(Stealth): 15
Dice Be quiet about it(Stealth):

d2-1rh1 (1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1 Total = 0

d8cx9,8t 8 Running Total = 8

→ d8cx9,8t 7 Running Total = 15

Dice wild dice:

d2-1rh1 (1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1 Total = 0

d6cx9,6t 4 Running Total = 4

Salvage: $16
Dice Salvage:

2d6x2 (2, 6)x2 Total = 16

Move:
Action:

Gear: everything except Long-johns, Steel Crowbar, Soap, & the Good rabit hide.

I'll get a Stat Bar up at a later date...much later

Amy's Character Sheet

swordplay82 · #12 May 16th, 2022, 10:43 PM

-

FINALLY! Finally they had arrived at Daryl's hunting lodge and she could get some rest. Talia had hit a slight second wind when she had been walking around the ruins with the others but even that was quickly threatening to burn out. She wanted to crash and crash hard but she still had enough to tie Ed off to the one side as Daryl had directed and grab a quick bite so her stomach wasn't threatening to wake her with it's growling. Finding whatever mat looked comfortable enough Talia was soon catching Z's.

Normally the idea of exploring the school would have Talia jumping at the chance to have some adventure but she was just too tired, both physically and emotionally. She needed rest.

DBCowboy · #13 May 16th, 2022, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBCowboy

Garret Sax

When Amy mentioned a plane going down in New York state, Sax frowned and turned, wondering what kind of sense of humor the woman had.

Then he raised an eyebrow, quizzically.

Then he just managed a, "Oh....Oh H3#!" as he glanced to Bill.

There was something in her face, something earnest that left him certain she was tellin the truth. Surviving a plane crash during World War 3 and then traveling halfway cross the Wasted West in the years since? He couldn't imagine the grit it would take to make it through all of that. But standing there now, he was sure Amy Wong had done it.

Once this business with the bear was done he hoped to hear more bout the things she'd seen in her travels.

Entering the old shed Darryl had turned into a huntin cabin, Sax found a corner to drop his belongings and stack them neatly. Ready to go if something suddenly changed and the group had to fight or run. Others did similar without thought. Just one of the unconscious habits ingrained in folks these days.

He eyed the mats as Darryl pointed them out and watched as Talia collapsed onto one. She'd been draggin durin the hike to get here, he assumed she must not have slept well last night. To tell the truth, restin' up before they moved on sounded like the best thing they could do.

So it should come as no surprise when Samuel mentioned heading over to the school that Sax grimaced and shook his head.

"That ain't why we're here," he suggested, "Can ya say it's worth the risk of someone maybe wastin ammo or worse someone gettin hurt over there and them not bein there when we face the bear?"

Now he didn't have any illusions that his opinion meant a hill of beans here, he was just offerin up the practical side of the debate. Truth was, if Darryl said it was okay then he'd consider goin along to stand guard. Fact was he'd been on numerous scavengin runs and the items he'd brought back had been the difference between life and death for some in his settlement. It was pretty rare but amazing things could be found on a scavenging run.

But today his focus was the bear.

OOC

Stats/Gear

taleteller50 · #14 May 17th, 2022, 12:09 AM

Daryl's CampAs the others entered the Athletics Shed Amy took one last look at the school. It was an inviting target. Damaged but not as damaged as the rest of the city. The lack of military barricades made Amy believe that the site hadn't been used to house infected or detained but healthy citizens. And it was far enough away from the main road that a casual traveler might not notice it through the more charred remains of the ruins. Provided Daryl or other's from the Ranch hadn't already stripped it the school was possibly a good source of salvage.

But.. then Amy noticed something. Some movement out of the corner of her eye from one of the windows. By the time Amy looked again nothing was there. Had it been a trick of the light? Her nerves playing tricks? Out in the wastes it wouldn't have been the first time she had been spooked by something that wasn't there; some places seemed to be just primed to spook travelers and a broken school on the backdrop of a burned down town was just the kind of place to make people overly jumpy. Still...

On the other hand the Shed held at least a little promise. Daryl obviously wasn't the organized type; at least with anything that wasn't good for hunting. Tackle dummies meant Football which meant Football Pads which meant Makeshift Armor. Soccer meant soccer balls which were always fun and who knows what else. At the very least maybe there were some Parts Amy could use for later 1d6 hours to Scavenge through the Shedbut looking through it all would at least take a few hours.

As the others began to settle in Amy asked Daryl her questions.

"Well.. I think the bombs cleared out anything that was left of the plague but I'm no doctor. Like I said Unk thinks the 'plague' was some Southern Bio Weapon that created the Charred but beyond that I don't know. Far as I've been told the army kept most of the infected over near the old Medical Center and the Warm Valley Lodge. They were down near the east end of town but I've never really gone down that way. Kyle's drove by a few times but he's never stopped. Said it was pretty much leveled tho so.. Your guess is as good as mine. I've never gone far enough into town to really find out first hand".

"As for here", Daryl said looking at the assorted pile of junk pushed off to one side. "I looked though a lot of it but only really took what I figured I could use. If you want to sort through it some be my guest; most of it's just garbage tho".

Distracted by Amy's questions it takes Daryl a moment to realize that Bill and Sam were trying to get his attention. "Sorry what was that? The School"?! For a moment Daryl looks a little uneasy as he thinks about it. "Well.. I've gone in there before. Figured, why not? Get some books or the like for some of the kids back at the ranch. Maybe some cook ware for Dorthy. That sort of thing. Was actually pretty easy picking's and I've not really seen many Charred in there but... Just.. Something always felt off. Like I was being watched or something".

"Then there's that bomb that crashed right through the Library's roof. For whatever reason the thing hasn't gone off but I didn't want to chance it. Alex figured it was one of the firebombs that burned the rest of the town so it being a dud is probably why the school didn't go up in flames but.. Well, considering what it's partners did to Dubois I'd rather let that bag of fun sleep where it is".

"If you want to go look I can't see how much it would hurt. I was hoping to discuss hunting the bear after a quick bite but considering Sleeping Beauty", Daryl said nodding to the quickly fading Talia. "We can leave that for later. Just steer clear of the library and keep an eye out for any Charred. OH! And no guns if you do find one in there. I've never had much trouble taking one down when they're alone but if you raise a ruckus it's liable to draw the rest of them here. Last thing we want is missing a chance to rest before we start heading north because we had to run from a hoard of those things".

OOCJust to be clear it sounds like the group is doing as follows for now:

- Talia : Sleeping
- Amy : Scavenging through the Shed
- Bill and Sam : Exploring the School
- Garret : Exploring the School???

Looking through the Shed will take 1 hour as will looking through any specific area in the school (Individual Class rooms, Gym, Caffateria, etc). You will however need to look through the school in general first which will also take you about an hour to get the lay of the land.

Sound Good?

Experience Tracker

Player	Character	XP	Advancements	Level
Swordplay82	Talia Humphry	134+2	0	Novice
Effete	Bill Dawes	144+3+1	0	Novice
Silk	Amy Wong	59+3	4	Seasoned
Cap Ut	Samuel Wells	165+3	0	Novice
DBCowboy	Garret Sax	74+3	0	Novice

Cap Ut · #15 May 18th, 2022, 08:08 AM

Samuel Wells

"New York?!" A shocked Samuel bursts into the conversation, "In the Land of the Dead?!" Somehow, Amy surviving a plane crash isn't the most incredible part of her story: the rumors he heard during his years in Missouri about the damned East were confirmed by his mother, even though she had always been vague about the subject (and if it made Morgan uncomfortable, the situation there must be real bad, he imagines). "Is this woman some kind of superhero?"

The lad would likely agree it wouldn't be worth it if he wasn't confident in his ability to convert literal junk into wondrous devices: a faulty umbrella might provide shielding from hazards, components of a projector generate a slowing ray, expired glue become healing oil. Those and many other possibilities represent a great opportunity for a weird inventor like him to blend the useful with the enjoyable and create items that may spell the difference between life and death.
He doesn't say any of that, however, and simply settles for Daryl's assent.

"No guns, got it. Do you have here other crossbows or bows we can use in their place?" he asks while

Dice Notice Roll:

d2-1rh1	(1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1			Total = 0
d8cx9,8t	3	Running Total = 3

Dice WildDie:

d2-1rh1	(1 (Rerolls: greater than 1))-1		Total = 0
d6cx9,6t	6	Running Total = 6
→ d6cx9,6t	1	Running Total = 7

scanning the room for such weapons: if there are Charred in the school building he'd rather deal with them at a distance, and although the frying sound its beam produces isn't nearly as loud as the explosive discharge of a firearm, he would prefer to save his Q-Lance for emergencies only.

Sheet

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