(Gamma World) This is Not a Test #18 - The Bug-Mart

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers, after sufficient rest, are ready to explore Fair-Town!

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Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  Recovering from his injuries from the Glow near Ulmin.

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.

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.  Looking for trouble in all the right places.  

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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The explorers followed Loman Streight, militia captain and helmets of the Ancients connoisseur, to a large, open lot, brimming with people.  Tables were set up rather uniformly, with various folk peddling and displaying their own eclectic collections.  

This was certainly the bug-mart.

The group took just enough time to help Loman secure a spot and set-up, and everyone scattered the the four winds.   

Sonny was dead-set on obtain telescope parts to attach something to help aim his customized muskets with more accuracy.  He was immediately distracted by multiple tables stacked with thin books from Ancient time, many filled with pictures.  Titles like "Scout Life", "Ranger Rico"   They weren't the tech journals that Ramsay described were at KIA Academy, but they seemed to cover animals, science, and survival skills.  Some light reading might be in order.  

"Hey, excuse me, could you hand me that issue of Ranger Rico with the worms on the cover,"  a voice spoke from behind him.

"Sure, Squiggles... here ya.... Waitaminute, you're not Squiggles!"

"I am certainly NOT this Squiggles character you mention!"

Sonny was in front of a slightly effeminate version of Squiggles, a worm four-feet tall, wearing overalls and a very unkempt wig.

"Name's Ubenda, if you like that stuff. So, the flimsy book with the worms on the cover."

Sonny handed the worm the magazine, then furiously waved at Squiggles to get his attention.  Squiggles jogged over to see what the sunflower wanted, but went he saw the worm paying the seller for the magazine, he was smitten... or in worm heat. 

A few pleasantries were exchanged, and the pair walked over to a local gardener for some prime top soil and further conversation.

Meanwhile, Lathar talked the ears off of Loman, asking tons of questions about podogs, hut to hut salesmen, and just how many legs do the turkeys have outside of town.  Much to Loman's relief, Lathar finally wandered off.  After a long morning, he found a Moose craftsman, Bull, who collected signs of the Ancients and customized them to a customer's desires.  He purchased a red octagon with "Lathar" written across the center, with leather straps on the back to use as a shield.

The moose gave sage advice once payment was made, "I wouldn't use it as a frontline defense against a horde, but you're better off not antagonizing a horde. 

The two worms had found the folks selling plants. Both were gnoshing on topsoil out of large clay pots.

"So... you're a worm.  Where are you from?"

"A farm!  Not far from here. I don't know if you ever heard of the Yulius Medley farm.  Wide open spaces..  Great place to raise a family."

"You have a family?"

"Errr. ahh...if I had a family, I'd be on a farm.  You have a family."

"No, you're the first worm I've seen in years.   First time in Fair-Town?"

"Yeah, first time, it's big!"

"You'll like it more when the queen arrives."

"The Queen?"

"Yeah.  Everybody comes from all over.  I need to get a costume."

"A costume"

"Yeah, we dress up all fancy."

Squiggles raised an eyebrow, "I don't know what to do.  Can you help me."

**CUE CLOTHES SHOPPING MONTAGE**

Why are there so many bells.....

The wig is too itchy.....

And Squiggles settled on this. 

Lathar ran into the pair as Ubenda was trying on her outfit.  As she emerged, it was discovered that both her and Lathar had the same unique outfit. 

Neither were amused, and neither would budge.

Sonny arrived to the spot with Pete.  The sunflower had acquired a stack of these flimsy books, and a little red wagon, to pull them around town.  

"Hey guys, it's getting dark.  Let's find some food and shelter for you animals."  

GM Notes: Everything in Fair-Town is off the cuff, so customized road signs, worm fashion shows, and wagons full of back issues of Boys Life were all I could come up with. I will not that this was the same week of the great Intelligence leak from a Massachusetts National Guardsman.  At this point we had spent the first half hour of the session trying to analyze the random character sheet that was included with the classified docs. After that sort of effort, I'm shocked I didn't call the game off. 

Have trouble with gender identity and pronouns.   Run some mutant worms in your Gamma World game, and it will become second nature.

NEXT: #19 - The Wrong Celery