The sun was finally burning off the poisonous fog that pooled in the lower areas, but the High Inquisitor Lucius could sense that the lowly scavengers were already out in force. He had traveled far into the Glow since he was a child. The ruins of of Glaeve had many treasures, if one was true and brave.
The Temple of Sirinx tasked him with one job and one job only, recover as many artifacts from the wastelands that he could gather. Supplies and food were always welcome to avoid utter failure, but the Grand Inquisitor himself would review each artifact brought back to the temple. Lucius had earned many of those favors over the years. He only hoped his crew of neophyte acolytes was up to the challenge. The ruins seemed to be teeming with life. Regardless what type, the Servents of Sirinx would kill them and seize any ancient treasures they might possess.
So it was spoken, so it shall be done.
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| High Inquistor Lucius (far left) and his Servants of Sirinx |
A mixtures of gunfire, blasterfire, and howling could be heard off into the distance. Lucius immediately dispatched Brothers Silas and Malfoy to higher positions.
Malfoy immediately noticed a lot of activity. He flashed a series of complicated hand gestures down to his leader.
***TWO GROUPS LEFT FLANK. MUTANTS IN BUILDING. NO SHOT. KNIGHTS OF GENETIC PURITY NEAR CITY CENTER. DESPOILING THE GLOW.***
While the nearby mutants seemed to know how to act in their station, the Knights were gleefully destroying things. They ripped apart an old chemical dump, sending out swarms of mutated rats. The Knights set the dump on fire and fled.
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| The Knights of Purity terrorized the Lost City |
Brother Silas was desperately trying to identify the noise coming from their right flank, but the buildings hid the carnage. It was Brother Marcus, heading straight forward, that caught a mutant scurrying through the rubble, trying to survive.
So he promptly shot it with his Beamer Rifle, wounding and dropping the foe.
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| Brother Marcus spots a mutant. He hates them already |
Brother Malfoy continued to peer down from his position. He didn't have a clear line on the mutants or range on the Knights, but there was even more activity past them.
A group of scavengers have been searching a series of containers the Ancients called "Dumb-Stars" Lucius knew better than to search that area, for that area was well known as the home of the terrifying O-Skar.
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| Wasteland warriors woke up a very grumpy O-Skar. |
The being was angered and emerged from its lair, pummeling one scavenger to death, ripping another in two, and chasing off the Knights venturing too close.
Despite his lack of shooting, and total silence, some
thing could smell Malfoy's presence, and denizens of the glow clamored up to his position.
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| Ghouls clammer towards Brother Malfoy |
Lucius cursed himself, he searched a "Dum-star" that he though was safe. It appeared empty at first, but he foolishly left the side door open, allowing the Giant Flies sleeping inside to awaken and burst out.
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| Foul beasts inhabit the container.... |
Lucius could sense problems coming their way "Get whatever artifacts your can find back to the temple at all costs!"
Brother Verint was relieved no one could see him sinning, hiding behind a barrier, rather than engaging the mutant barbarians that were within his sight. It allowed him enough protection to uncover an artifact and briskly run back to the temple.
Brother Silas proved useless as a spotter for the others, but his futility would come to an end as the ground beneath the shattered building shook and an infamous Glow-Worm burst out of the ground. His death was slow and painful, as we was swallowed whole, forced to be slowly digested for weeks... while still alive.
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| Unspeakable horrors eat Brother Silas. |
The mutants on the Servants left flank were finally flushed out by spider-goats, their poisonous glands just dripping its ichor on their mandibles.
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| Spider-goats attack an opposing mutant. Sirinx smiles brightly. |
Brother Malfoy shot the first ghoul in the head, but the others were scaling the building too quick. He was never bitten while alive and possibly cursed with the ghouls' gift of madness and eternal life, one of the creatures pulled him off his position, and the subsequent fall killed him.
Brother Marcus had found an artifact, but it's exposed position allowed him to get shot, luckily the fall off of the top of the truck granted him enough cover to crawl further away on his hands and knees.
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| Brother Marcus, left for dead.. and ignored by the other groups of sinners. |
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| There is something comforting about listening to a spider-goat feast on the flesh of its victim. |
If High Inquisitor Lucius had a more experienced band for the mission, it was certain his lookouts would detect the Mutant Chickens, death dogs, and living metal engaged in a life-or-death fight. Unfortunately the Giant Flies took up his whole attention. He was wounded twice, and flailed with his machete while laying on the ground, unable to get up. He was able to kill both of the monsters, but the cost was already too high.
If he hadn't been bleeding out, he would have showed pride in Brother Marcus. Not only did he record his first kill, but the young acolyte prayed to Sirinx and found the strength to finally regain his footing and return to the temple with his artifact.
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| High Inquistor Lucius bleeds out next to a dumpster. A fitting end. |
As High Inquisitor Lucius' eyes closed for the last time..... a blast of cold air opened Sonny's
"Sonny, Sonny, are you okay??? You look really bad, what happened???
Sonny opened his mutant sunflower eyes to a sight of a weasel nose-to-bloom with him. It was his friend, Sneaky Peter.
Dr Sonny Helianthus, the Restorationist Mutant Sunflower, defacto leader of the De Facto Explorers had lost consciousness again. He was safely in his pot in the main room of the inn.... the slight smell of sulfur lingered on his body.
"I'm fine... it was just a long night with Lathar..."
Sonny looked away from his worried friend. The city looked familiar, and the deeds he had dreamt, felt like they hadn't occurred yet...
GM Notes: Sonny's dream sequence mirrors my success and failures playing Mike Lung's Fistful of Lead Wasteland Warriors game "Return to the Forbidden City" at Historicon 2024 . Sonny's previous dream sequence can be found in Episode 29.
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