(Gamma World) This is Not a Test #75 - The Pharoah

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  were spending the winter scouting around KIA Academy, until they went AWOL escorting some the "enemy" blue-skinned Kirothian people around the KIA territory, and an arrival in Fair-Town.  They are injured from an encounter with a "Demon" in the deep inland hills, and are recovering in town, before deciding to return to KIA.

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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.  

Sonny Helianthus: a sentient sunflower artifact examiner with trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. Just went out of his comfort zone to rescue Lathar from becoming a human sacrifice to "The Beast." 

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble, and finding it often.   He  has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair.

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.  No Name has recently been fitted for a artillery device of the Ancients that chucks spears further than any human.  Looking for trouble in all the right places.  Former jousting champion of Fair-Town.  He had fallen in love with Elona, the leader of the blue-skinned Kirothians, until he was ceremoniously dumped by her once they reached Fair-Town. 

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The few travelers who braved the wilderness in winter brought back little news.  

There were multiple reports of a so-called "demon" who was eating people. Groups of scavengers said that some of their cohort had been kidnapped and sacrificed to this demon.

Sonny:  "It's not a rumor, it's flat-out fact!"

Restocked and rested, the Explorers ventured out to KIA Academy, to finally report on their scouting mission of nearly a month earlier.  

They encountered NO ONE along the road for more than two days as they headed KIA and soon they were on their paved roads, modern signs, and the approach to the massive "Great Overpass" leading to the giant buildings of KIA. KIA seemed intact, but beyond its surroundings,  multiple columns of smoke poured out of the forest.

Heading up an empty overpass, they passed the location of the cart rental facility they had used previously.  The building was barricaded and all the carts were gone.  

"I say we do our business and get out of there quickly. Let's not get involved," Pete the weasel stressed to his friends.  

Walking into the main complex was without issue, but there had been some significant changes.  Packs of individuals, with weapons shouldered, stood at corners.  

Pete and Squiggles quickly ascertained that the full conscription of the sub-levels had been conducted... and this time they armed them.  Pete worried about them getting conscripted as well, scout pay be damned. Lathar figured it might be best to take advantage of the situation, but Squiggles and Sonny thought it best to at least recover their payment from the scouts, then get out of there.

The group traveled up to Level 2 and once entering the scout offices, the clerks and other staff fell silent. 

Pete's telepathy flared out, "We should leave."

Lathar, "Agreed"

Pete, "Do what you want here, we rendevouz at the old rental place on the overpass."

Sonny, "Don't worry about me.  I can teleport."

Pete and Lathar left together, Squiggles wandered out a minute later....

Larry the Cat, lead officer of the KIA Academy Scouts, briskly walked out of this office on two legs. Seeing a battered and burned Sunflower in front of him, "Where's the rest of the crew?"

"They'll be back momentarily, they had some errands."

Larry was not amused, "You're alive?"

"As far as I know!"

"Thanks for letting us know!  We sent three more scouting parties and a company of conscripts to die after you diasppeared."

Sonny tried to be as transparent as possible, the skeletal living armor, the multiple groups of blue-skinned Kirothians, demons and wizards, and the Explorers escorting the Kirothians up to Fair-Town.

Larry: "You know we're not paying your for your report, three weeks after you probably should have reported, right?"

Sonny: "I'm sorry, I'm not the best for reading the room, I followed the lead of our experienced scouts."

Larry half-heartedly accepted the sunflower's apology, and was kind enough to fill in some details.  

The wizards seemed to be part of the Federation of Thought, a collection of communities organized by members of the Brotherhood of Thought.    Sonny remembered running into Artemus, a mental mutant, who seemed to turn hostile hissers into normal snakes.... and the Brotherhood taking over the governance of Ulmin, after the Iron Society's collapse.

"The Federation of Thought is actually much more powerful that normal Brotherhood members...  These guys can turn the living metal minions of the Pharoah into slag..."

Sonny was instantly confused, "Excuse me, the Pharoah.?"

Larry directed a clerk to lift a heavy object from behind the counter., "Yep, the Pharaoh!"

Larry explained the Pharaoh ruled over a town called Karo, far downriver.  They were known to large caches of Ancient tech, including some flying models.  So far, whatever beef they have is with the Federation.   Despite the Academy troops now massed along the lower river, neither group had even accidently engaged KIA's troops. 

Sonny was overwhelmed with information. and Larry's advice to leave quickly, allowed him to bid them adieu. 

Larry the Cat was not amused...

Sonny was the last to leave the complex, looking up over his shoulder towards the upper levels, full of archives of learning, unsure whether he would be able to make another crack at that knowledge. 

The group assembled and head upriver, going under their well-known overhead sign:

UPRIVER

THE EASTLANDS

RADIOACTIVE WASTELANDS

The Explorers no one on the road, but as the KIA maintained road ran out and the ruts and mud of the original road regained it's spot, they did observe a new phenomenon. A large gash in the land ran across the road, about two feet below the ground.  It ran as far as the eye could see on each side of the road, destroying a ten-foot-wide swath of trees across.  This odd scar stopped at the river but restarted on the other side.  

They arrived at Fair-Town near dark, a large collection of makeshift tents and shelters situated.  throughout the clearing and nearby woods.  They neared the gates and were shocked to find them closed well before dark. 

A lone guard, shouldering a musket, emerged from the guard shack.

"Evening folks!   State your case for entrance,  25 domars to enter Fair-Town, please. "

The Explorers were indignant with the though of five times then entrance fee!  Pete tried to plead their case, but the guard was not buying it.  Lathar tried to smooth things over, but Pete still refused to pay such an outrageous amount, just to keep out the undesirables, "We're not like them..."

A voice came over from the encampment, "At least we aren't all pussies!"

The group looked over to see a familiar face, standing up from the ground...

Razorback the Wolfman remained having hardtimes...

"Razorback!"  Squiggles cried, walking over to the familiar Mutant Wolfman, hugging him.

"This hug would mean more if you handed me 25 domars as well."

Squiggles was glad to hand him 25 domars, and that duo paid their fare and entered the gate.

"You're paying for HIM?" an incredulous Pete exclaimed.  

"Do what you want, you oversized ferret," Razorback insulted Pete

And with that, the rest of the group paid their way and entered Fair-Town.....

GM Notes:  The blame game getting passed around... all of a sudden, sending one person back to report on their engagement with the skeletal living metal (troops of the Pharoah) before engaging in a three week -plus jaunt around KIA Academy might not have been such a good idea.   In reality, the same scouting parties would have been sent out afterwards, and there was a chance all three would be killed.  

Although the same people who wanted to to originally report their findings couldn't read the room, that services they had received (charging power cells) might not be available to them anymore with the threat of was in the air.

Next: #76 - The Luminar Twins