(Gamma World) This is Not a Test #76 - The Luminar Twins

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  are on their way home from a roundabout series of adventures in the ultra-modern KIA Academy.  War is in the air, and the participants are still largely unknown.  The party has stopped off in Fair-Town, to rest a day or two before the last stretch of their journey back to RiverBend.

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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 nearly 10' tall 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 heroes had paid the exorbitant fee to get through the Fair-Town gates, along with their prior acquaintance, a beat up mutant wolfman named Razorback.   

They were just a few days away from their previous visit, but the thawing snow, and the first influx of refugees had made the down a little more run-down, a little dirtier.  The militia presence was much more profound.  Militiamen stood on streetcorners, wielding different versions of weapons the group owned.  

"This is a nice place, are there ferrets?" the wolfman asked.

"Probably," was all Squiggles could say.

"Thanks for the warning, Holmes.  Later!"  And with that, Razorback cut down a side street to fend for his own.  

Once at the inn, they got their same rooms, despite little vacancy, and crashed.

There was little the group needed from Fair-Town that they couldn't wait until they arrived back in Riverbend, so they wandered.  Sonny needed a new frock, after the damage it received while rescuing Lathar last visit, so a trip to the tailor was in order.

The news of war downriver had it's effect in town.  militia member, young and old, were training,  prices were creeping up, and despite a run in with the militia, the Pathfinders were trying out new combustion engine vehicles and tearing up the forest.

With Sonny needing to wait a day for a new and larger frockcoat, Lathar and Squiggles decided to try out a new bar, The Girded Tankard.

Pete scanned the bar, there was an eclectic group of patrons, even a large fellow made entirely of rocks, but he grabbed a bar maid to order a drink.

Of course, it was Lathar who noticed the twins at the bar.

Lyra and Selene.... or Post-Apocalyptic Mary-Kate and Ashley

It wasn't the fact that they were twins that made Lathar wak over to them initially, it was the strange blue aura that seemed to be surrounding them.  Lathar slid in between them and looked at the bartender, "Back these ladies up, and I'll take one too!"

The girls swivel their barstools in towards Lathar.  Their stare weren't immediately hostile, but they were entirely friendly either.   Lathar tried to use his smolder but it seemed ineffective.  They seemed to finish each other sentences. 

It looks

like we have 

a guest....

"Yes you do..."  and with that Lathar pulled his shirt over his head, dropping the fabric on the ground. 

"I just want to bask in the blue light..."

The ladies stare at the bare-chested barbarian, nodding in unison. 

We'll

Take

That 

Drink 

Now

Please

One of them pulls out a small crystal vial, and they pour an odd colored orange liquid in their drinks.  They offer the strange liquid to Lathar.  Lathar made a quick look for Squiggles, but his perennial wingman had found a table, and simply gave him a thumbs up.  Lathar agreed, they poured the liquid, and he took a sip.  

I'm Lyra

I'm Selene

Who are you

My Friend?

Selene touched Lathar's bare chest.  Lathar could only choke out "I'm Lathar" before the orange liquid hit his system. 

His bravado multiplied, no filter, just loving life, and feeling invincible.  He wrapped his arms around the Lathar, "Let Lathar tell you all the stories about Lathar, unless you have other plans."

He regaled his tales, but the ladies fell bored.  

Have 

You 

Ever 

Been 

Out 

to the 

Woods?

It takes little convincing for shirtless Lathar to leave the bar with girls, Selene, picking up his shirt....

We have a 

Need for a 

Big, Strong 

Man

Just for 

an hour...  

We'll 

Make it 

Worth 

Your   

While

Squiggles tried to follow the girls to see where they were taking his friend, but Lyra became very confrontational with him, and he went back to the bar without any further issue.

The twins led Lathar deep into the woods, arriving at a small encampment with a tent and a fire pit. 

This 

is what

we 

wanted 

to show 

you

Near the camp was metal plate in the group, with a flip handle still attached. 

The ladies explained that they couldn't open the lid, and assumed a big, strapping man could do it for them.  

Lathar was super stoked and fake limbered up "Move back ladies..."

The lid wouldn't budge.  

With more intimate instructions from the girls, Lathar focused all his energy on lifting the lid.   He was so focused that he didn't realize his hands were glowing orange.  With one last grunt to try and pry the lid up, his hands release an explosion, popping off the lid.  Everyone stood back afterwards, Lathar's hands returned to normal.  

Lathar was still dealing with the echo of the explosion, he didn't hear the twins speak in unison.

I told you it would work on pure strain

The girls moved towards Lathar, and the camera pans away....

A still stoked and excited Lathar returned back to the town a few minutes later, never even looking what was underneath the lid....

GM Notes:  This is what happens when the players for Sonny....  and later Pete needed to step away for a bit, leaving Lathar to his own devices, and Squiggles as a gleeful spectator.

Next: #77 - The Return of Manchi