Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers searching around Koto Dam for... The Mutant Master:
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Sonny Helianthus: a sentient sunflower artifact examiner with Restorationist ties.
Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble, and finding it often.
Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout. Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers. Just suffered severe damage from Glow-tainted water at Koto Dam.
Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend. He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters. Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.
Ramsay Kallax: Mutated Ram from the far-off KIA Academy with a predilection for ancient treasures... and the occasional head-butt.
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Sneaky Pete had emerged from the access shaft without the the artifacts he had hoped to find, but also missing patches of his fur. He had fully submerged himself in the moving water in his search, and it appeared to be infused with the glow, just like the lake behind the dam. He was weakening by the moment.
"Fascinating," Sonny thought aloud, oblivious to the obvious social queues. "The dam somehow filters out the glow from the lake. This water reaches Jainus and there are no issues."
Pete could only eek out one request, "Get me outta here...."
The party retreated off the dam, back into the treeline along the river. Blisters were rising from Pete's skin, and he could not keep down any water, but after a few minutes, the weasel was able to talk again with less stress.
"Leave me here with No Name... I'm no good to you now. A stiff breeze will kill me."
"Hey, buddy, we can secure you to No Name as we travel forward," Lathar tried to reassure Pete.
"If you do that, the first hostile encounter, I'm one dead weasel."
"Well, do you want to take No Name back to Jainus and then River Bend?"
"That's even worse. I'll get picked off by those Piranha-birds within the day. I might be better of hiding in that ledge where the skeleton is until you guys find something."
Sonny was resigned to their fate, "I mean, you shouldn't have to hide in a sewer, mere feet from the glow that cursed you. If we're at a dead-end here, it might be best for all of us to pack it up and head home."
Pete was much more animated, despite his labored breathing, "I don't know if we're at a dead end, I think we need to explore more. There's potential, and we do need to check out the island. I'll just drag you guys back. "
Lathar agreed.
Squiggles scouted the forest, and found a hollowed out tree that was just big enough to stash Pete, with two bedrolls for comfort, and enough food and water for days, if he could ingest any of it at all.
Their friend secured, the rest of the party moved quietly to where Squiggles had discovered flat-bottom metal boats.
The launch area was a muddy area, with no ground vegation, just many trees, with their roots exposed out of the ground.
Each metal boat had four paddles, and seemed to match the boats on the wooden dock they could see on the island. Sonny checked the boats with his Glow-Card, with minimal results. Squiggles could see significant traffic in this area, as it many have been a high volume area. Sonny noticed some peculiar puddles and fresh, exposed mud next to the boats on the ground.
"Hey Squiggles, how many boats were there when you saw this the first time."
"Three, just like there are now."
Sonny pointed, "Something else was here, VERY recently."
"So you're saying we're not alone?"
"That would be my supposition."
Lather quipped, "I don't know what a supposition is, but I'm willing to go cross the lake and find out who's over there."
Ramsay shocked everyone by speaking up, "I'll travel across the lake with Lathar."
Lathar and Ramsay pushed a boat inside the glowing water, while Sonny and Squiggles moved further into the forest and away from the coastline. The rowing duo proved adequate to reach the island. The structure seemed even more imposing, possibly reaching 40 foot tall at points. Outside of a wrought-iron gate leading into a courtyard, there were no obvious entry points. Catching more of their attention was a small tower detached from the building, but not with Ancients' building supplies, but with large rocks, clashing with the rest of the facility.
At Ramsay's prodding, they investigated the tower. The large oak door with giant medallion of the hammer of the Iron Society was oddly unlocked. They came upon a circular room with a bed, a fireplace, a table, and a chair, as well as a strange phenomena.
The room wasn't well lit, but both of them could swear they hear snoring coming from the room. Upon further investigation, they swore they could see a human female sleeping in the chair, with her feet propped up on the table. As the snore subsided, they appeared to blend into the table and wall.
Lathar secured his rope, gave Ramsay a knowing nod, and proceeded to pounce on the woman. He pinned her on the ground, and as he attempted to muffle her, she appeared to pass out.
"You have that effect on women often, Lathar?"
"I'm hoping it's just the garlic we ate for lunch."
Grabbing her brace of flintlocks and a spear, they climbed the wall ladder to a second floor. The second floor was barely finished, with a hasty roof put on but completely unfurnished.
Looking out the window towards the dock, they saw a horde of almost two-dozen, oddly looked New Men, pouring out of the main building, and loading themselves onto all of the boats. The took all of the boats, including Ramsay and Lathar's, and began paddling towards the coastline.
The duo ran to the opposite window and looked towards the coast. Neither Squiggles nor a giant sunflower were visible among the trees.
On the lake's edge, the on
"So... if they don't come back, do we just take Sneaky Pete and go home?"
Squiggles laughed, "I mean, we should, but the guy's looking pretty bad. He's losing all his mammal coverings. If he doesn't die on the trip back, he'll surely be one ugly sonnuvagun."
Sonny didn't find the humor of the earthworm, "You're not copulating with him, so I don't know why that matters. He's a fragile lifeform, but I feel obligated to get him back to at least Fair Town."
"Sounds like a plan."
Back on the island, they checked to see the altered human female was still tied up and unconscioius, so they went back down the ladder and cautiously moved along the wall of the main building. Turning, the corner, they were next to the wrought iron gate they had seen before. Upon closer inspection, the courtyard beyond held a large tree, a few benches, and a circular well. Before Ramsay had a chance to try the lever on the gate, Lathar had already discovered a narrow door around the corner of the building, and was trying to open that up. With a nod to the mutant ram, Lathar slipped into the door. Ramsay followed.
Lathar moved around a lit brazier to find himself in a large room. Two rows of a dozen beds each ran up each side. Ramsay came around the other side of the brazier and found and podium and an altar with a giant hammer emblazoned on it. A half-dozen New Men were fumbling through containers, and chests, looking for something. Lathar, pulled his hood up.
A female with a long snake tongue spoke up, noticing the pair. "Hey, did the boats come back? Where's my sword?"
"Why do you you need it?"
"You didn't hear the gong. Gotta go on patrol. Somebody spotted somebody across the lake, probably a false alarm."
Back on the mainland, the boats of Iron Society thugs landed ashore. Two heads popped out in complete surprise: one an earthworm, the other a sunflower.
"Should we hide?" Sonny asked.
"We should run.... quietly." Sqiggles advised.
Despite the limited underbrush, Squiggles essentially picked up Sonny and dashed from tree to tree, slowly working up the hill towards the healthier forest.
"You think our friends are dead?" Squiggles asked.
"Probably...."
On the island, the Iron Society member talking to Lathar and Ramsay were almost buying the story they were telling them, but the questioning side-eye from the woman made Lathar panic.
"Ramsay, just follow my lead.... "
Lathar jumped up onto the dais, grabbing Ramsay by the neck, "Iron Society members, while out on patrol, I found this mutated animal. We must take him to the prison, or sacrifice him. I'm new here, I don't know where they are."
The seven Iron Society members pulled out knives and raised them to the air, "SACRIFICE!!!!"
"But.... but.... but.... we do not have time for a sacrifice. Because if I found one of these, who knows how many others are out there..."
While the rest grabbed Lathar and dragged him out of the room and back outside, the one woman touched Ramsay on the neck with long green fingernails, "Stay put scum." Nothing affected Ramsay, but he played along.
Outside, the other six had realized that there were no boats for patrol. In fact, it was questionable how Lathar had arrived with the creature. Knives reappeared, but Lathar was assaulted by multiple psychic attacks. *Fade to Black*
The mid-credit scene was Sonny and Squiggles, "Can we actually get to Sneak Pete from this point."
"It's going to be tight, and I don't think I could tell the difference from Pete and those dying bushes over there."
A third voice spoke out., "That's a horrible way to talk about your friends...." and two Iron Society thugs jumped the duo. *Fade to Black*
The end-credit scene was Sneaky Pete, hiding in the hollowed out tree. He was as comfortable as he could be, trying in vain to keep spots of fur attached to his body. Outside the tree, two piranha-birds were working their way into the hole, trying to figure out what tasty pre-cooked treat was inside....
Next: #14 - The Caves of Ulmin
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