The De Facto Explorers have discovered a facility that used to manufactured energy cells in the Glow Zone wilderness across the Big River. After resting awhile with their Hopper allies, a massive explosion has just occurred in the petrified forest above the Hopper warren.
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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. The two-time champion of the Fair-Town Queen's Joust. Recently married Thunnelda Haycock.
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 four arms, and trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable, but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. Sonny may have just detonated an atomic device in the petrified woods.
Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble in all the wrong places, 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. Recently gave birth to a pile of baby worms.
Luna of the Restorationists: Recent recruit of the Restorationists, who had uncovered artifacts across the River. An attaché, an intern, another set of snooping eyes against the Explorer's methods.
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The air outside was full of an abrasive smoke. Within a large swath, the petrified trees appeared to have vanished. A puffy cloud of the obvious explosion seemed to climb higher above them.
Inside the Hopper warren, it was utter disaster, and at best, sheer chaos. Squiggles was practicing with Rex Thumper, the Hopper drum circle, when the ground shakes.
"Alright boys, we're making the earth move!"
When parts of the ceiling fall onto them, they grabbed their drums and scurried out of their part of the burrow. In the dust and darkness, there were other Hoppers panicking around them. The good news, was that most of the drum circle emerged filthy but safe, except for the missing Clover-Mask, a laid-back Hopper who was well-liked for providing snacks during practice.
Squiggles immediately tried to burrow into the collapsed tunnel and eventually unearthed the breathing face of Clover-Mask.
"Squiggles, man! What happened?"
"We brought the house down."
"Righteous! Theses tunnels have held up for generations, man, generations.... Squiggles? I can't feel my legs."
He pulled out the Hopper, its legs mangled, dragging him to somewhere more safe.
"Man... in my bag, the red weeds... just put some in my mouth... I'll be okay... I'm just gonna close my eyes, man..."
Squiggles obeyed, getting his friend comfortable, before taking a deep breath before helping the other Hoppers possibly trapped.
Pete was hiding in an unused chamber with a bowl of his much-needed curry powder, when parts of the warren began collapsing. He grabbed his pack and went flush against the wall. In his part of the warren, there was a sense of panic. The weasel, put a bandana around his mouth and stumbled through the dust in his drug-induced haze to the outside....
Sonny, Lathar, and No-Name staggered through the wasteland the bomb had left. It was concentrated in circle 100 meters in every direction. There was a narrow sliver of petrified trees remaining before the main road they had originally travelled on, just enough to block the view of the facility off in the distance.
A few of the Hopper patrols, hunters, and gatherers, saw the explosion and started arriving on the scene, as well, as a dirt-covered weasel.
Pete: "What did you do?"
Lathar: "For once I'm not responsible for any of this!"
Sonny: "I agree, I have no idea what just occurred."
Pete went back into the warren to help with rescue efforts, leaving the duo to venture deeper in the blast zone, Lathar riding atop No-Name to keep a similar perspective as the 10' tall sunflower.
Sonny was concerned. His glow-badge detected nothing. Near the center of the blast, large glassy growths of minerals covered the ground covered ten square meters.
By the time Pete returned into the warren to assist, the Hoppers were pulling out bodies, rather than survivors. No one said anything to Pete or Squiggles' faces, but there was a growing consensus that whatever horrible thing had occurred, it was easy to blame their visitors.
If the Hoppers had actually known what occurred, the Explorers would be, at best, banished, at worst, executed. Right now, everything was a state of shock, and Sonny wasn't providing any information.
Luna was finally found in a trapped burrow, intact, but in complete shock.
Day 18 - Paranoia has enraptured the Hoppers, the leadership's paws forced.
The Explorers were thanked for their gifts, but they were given one final day to vacate the warrens, they would be allowed access to the energy cell facility through the large door in the warren, but they would be locking it behind them.
The Explorers did not argue, thanking them for their hospitality. The big question was, were they willing to cut their losses and report back home, or did they want one last foray into the mines for the alleged treasure stash?
GM Notes: It was noted early on this session, that Sonny's weapon of mass destruction villain arc, was hinted in the Return to the Lost City game at Historicon, which is a potential future timeline. Next: #112 - How Squiggles Got His Bongo
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