(Gamma World) Not a Test #91 - Joust More Drama

Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers,  have decided do let their secret Toard Jakey facility lay low, after an odd, and radioactive break-in.  It's time for the Queen's Joust in Fair-Town, and every member has an agenda....

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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.  Apparently addicted to his newly uncovered yellow powder found at "The Pool House"

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.   Looking for trouble in all the right places.  Former jousting champion of Fair-Town.  

Thunnelda Haycock:  A peculiar local woman, who has a penchant for wandering the surrounding territories for particular oddities, but has become the fiancé of Lathar

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It was a great day when the De Facto Explorers launched their next journey, a short trek down the River Road to Fair-Town and to participate in the Queen's Joust.  Lathar had been the prior year's champion, and pulled out his old regalia to defend his title.   

Sonny had checked in with the Restorationists before leaving.  It wasn't surprising that they still did not have equipment to protect against the Glow, but he was given a shopping list to check out the famed Bug-Mart. 

Arriving at Fair-Town for their first visit since winter, a number of changes. Rough turrets had been constructed along the outer stone wall.  While the guardsmen at the gate still wielded a random assortment of pole arms, the guards along the wall had a diverse assortment of rifles from the Ancients at the ready.  The stone walls themselves were adorned with an assortment of metal bolted in, meant to strengthen the defenses.  Some sections of wall were still wooden further away from the river, but Pete was quite excited by the improvement to Fair-Town, showing a positive response from the conflict at KIA Academy and the recent flood of refugees.

Pete:  "Screw those elders back home!  This is what we need to do!"

Fair-Town

The crowd had murmured about the arrival of Lathar, the joust champion, as they lined up to pay their rate and enter the gate, but by the time he ducked under the gate riding No Name, the crowd had swelled and great acclaim and adoration descended upon the barbarian from Riverbend. He rode his giant Staggon slowly through the crowd, his peacock, Chambray, precariously balanced on his head, in full display of his plumage.    Lathar's beloved was impressed, but certainly overwhelmed. His entourge of a giant sunflower, a large furry worm, a tiny weasel, and his deranged looking beloved, wearing armor made of metal hinges riding behind him was quite a sight.

The group settled into an inn closer to the jousting arena, the Clockwork Carnival.

A few things were different than their visit a few months ago in the winter. 

• Gorrak Howlsunder, a wolfman mutant from the Catacombs, had walked with them down a portion of his journey to Fair-Town.  He claimed to have traveled far to participate in the first ever combat arena as part of the Queen's Joust.  Rumors of the melee seem to have attracted more folks than the regularly popular joust.  And rumors of great gambling were easily confirmed.  

Gorrak Howlsunder

• The blue-skinned Kirothians had made a presence within town, working for vendors, running tents, and mingling in well with the normal diverse crowd that attended the Joust.
• There was no live peacock to be given as the grand prize for the joust.  Rather, there was some artifact known as a plasma lance to be awarded to the winner, as well as a seat on the town council.

Pete: "I say Lathar wins the joust again, it'll be a piece of cake.  He'll get on the council, he convinces the council to conquer Riverbend, we'll finally get the real wall we need at home.  Sounds like a great idea.

Sonny: "Conquer sounds pretty counter-productive. What about some sort of merger..."

Pete: "We're not going to burn it down, it's our hometown!  They'll understand"

Sonny:  "Okay, an alliance..."

Pete: "An Alliance with our militiamen?"

Day One of the Queen's Joust

At Squiggles request, they wandered the crowd around the jousting field.  The worm was hoping to encounter his previous mate, Ubenda.  Alas, not a worm was to be located.  

Beyond the jousting field, they could see makeshift wooden stands, for the combat arena.  It could hold three times as many people that could witness the joust.  

Even with this exploding new event and colorful gladiators, mercenaries, and warriors filling the streets, Lathar's name was called repeatedly by adoring fans, and a few familiar faces.

The blue-skinned Kirothians the Explorers helped rescue, were quite fond of Lathar.  They had prospered greatly in the abandoned warehouse they initially took refuge in.  That building had turned into their church, the Azure Sanctum.  

Of course many Kirothians made comment on Lathar's old flame, the now leader of the Kirothians, Elona.  

Mention of an ex-girlfriend to the moody Thunnelda did not brighten her day, and she began casting a side-eye at Lathar.

The group went over to the jousting sign-ups,  Lathar and Squiggles signed up.  There were some notable jousters on the list:

• Zaxar the Gravity-Shaper returned for his revenge.
• Mistress Thrinn, a slender lizard woman.
• Sir Carrion, a mutant vulture, wearing all bone armor. 
• Lady Myra Glass of Storm Pyre, from the lands south of KIA Academy
• Grog, a large (7 foot tall) rock troll

As Lathar spoke with the officials, Squiggles wandered away.  He swore he noticed a diminutive worm, in fine silk clothing, but he spent the afternoon wandering the grand festival.  Despondent and mostly drunk, he began regaling his tail of woe, his lack of suitable breeding mates to copulate with. 

Squiggles before his hair growth... 

A sturdy hand pressed on Squiggles shoulder, "Don't tell them all our secrets..."

Squiggles turned to find another worm, just as tall, but far wider.  His physical body appeared fused his overlapping layers of chitinous material, as a layer of armor. Many of the plates had pit marks or pieces broken off.

Grubthor the Burrow King

"So you like to make tunnels?  Do you like to fill up tunnels?"

Squiggles:  "Fill them up with what?"

"I was hoping you asked that question. follow Grubthor...."

Drunk Squiggles blindly followed Grubthor towards the main stage used for the joust.  They wandered down stairs into a cellar, then into a large worm-like tunnel. 

"Grubthor will show you things. Grubthor is good like that, but you're going to have to earn it.)

The tunnel gets wider and soon there are were many other worms of different shapes and sizes.

Squiggles:  "Oooh, a worm-gy."

Grubthor: "You catch on quick, kid..."

Grubthor led him further down, nearly 40 feet down.

"It has taken a long time to influence the town council to schedule the Queen' s Joust at the same time as the annual breeding season for the Soilbinders!   We maintain the safety of the underground, and the soil fertility of the land around. 

Squiggles got excited:  "That's what I've been telling the top-siders!  All along!  Barely any of them listen!"

Grubthor:  "Do you like this my furry friend?"

Squiggles:  "This is heaven!"

Grubthor:  "If you want it, you're going to have to fight for it.  We only want the most virile worms."

With that the bulky worm lunged at Squiggles, barely missing.  With a flick of wrists, two large spikes emerged from each of his wrists.  

Squiggles quickly slid around him, sliding over the armor, and getting access under his defenses.  He put Grubthor into a chokehold and soon the worm was on his knees, waving his arm to yield.

Grubthor:  You're sneaky and furry, I don't know if I like that yet.

Back "Topside"  Sonny was hitting the Bug-Mart, enjoying all the wares, but primarily looking for anything that might protect against the Glow. 

The vendors and their wares don't inspire Sonny like his first visit.  No one had any gear, although Sonny patiently wrote down all the lore and old wives' tales they doled out to him for free. 

Sonny did pick up a box of sealed vials  that a woman selling labelled as "Anti-Hysteria Water."

Lathar soaked up his celebrity, preparing No Name, as well as a proper assortment of replacement lances.   

Lathar kicks off the first round of the joust against Lady Myra in convincing, but not dominating fashion. Zaxor vanquishes Grog, and Sir Carrion defeats the lizard woman.  After scouting his major competition, Lathar wanders off to the bar.  

He misses some controversy, because Squiggles' name is called, and the worm did not heed the call.  

But they do find a willing replacement:  Elona, Chief of the Kirothians....

Elona, Chief Kirothian

Word of Elona's appearance quickly reached Lathar at the bar, and he left his drink to return to the joust field.  Elona's appearance was shocking enough, but her opponent left Lathar's mind blown.

It was Thunnelda, adorned in armor made of hinges.

Current fiancé vs ex-girlfriend.   

No good would come from this. 

Next: #92 - The Queen's Joust, Year Two!