After a month out in the glow zones, the De Facto Explorers have returned to Riverbend. They've picked up the news of the village, some want to rest, others to reunite with loved ones, others to get a moment to tinker in their expanded lab. But a random letter to Lathar will probably throw the group off their sedentary plans and back onto the road.
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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 to the now-pregnant Thunnelda Haycock. Just received a letter from his long-lost father.
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: an over 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 recently detonated an atomic device in the petrified woods... although no one else knows.
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 another pile of baby worms.
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Lathar stood for a few minutes on the porch, one foot on the railing, conflicted over the surprise letter from his long-lost father. His father, Harkonn, was known to disappear for days on end, but just before Lathar's 15th birthday, he left for a potential "big haul," and never returned. Ultimately, he folded it up into his leather loin-croc and returned inside.
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| Lathar Bracken... possibly not fatherless. |
He showed his letter to his mother, who became angry and started shouting.
"After ten years!!!! Not now, not after all this time, to hell with him!"
Thunnelda was just confused and tried to support her husband as best as she could.
It wasn't enough, and Lathar grabbed a jacket and went into town. The black reeds the letter referred to were part of the Wildlands, , a mysterious land much further down the Big River. He needed advice from his friends.
Lathar arrived at Farmer Yulius' land looking for Sonny and Squiggles. Squiggles was easy to spot, or hear. The sound of a bongo could be heard, and as he neared the center he could see a few dozen of Squiggle's young worm spawn, dancing and swaying. Squiggles was playing, mixing in his telekinetic hand for a third hand and a unique beat.
The worm was so into his drumming, Lathar was able to almost sneak up to him.
"Hey Lathar, want to play my bongo?"
"No thanks... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm coming to you first for advice..."
It appeared Squiggles returned to farmer Yulius, his worm kin had thoroughly aerated the fields, and the crop was going to be bumper. He also announced his first generation spawn, Adelgardo announced he was going to have his own children. Squiggles was going to be grandpa... a "Manchi-Manchi."
Squiggles pulled his younger spawn together tonight and showed them the wonders... of the bongo.
Thus had already begun an idea of the building bongos for all of them.... "Most of you will play the smaller bongos, called a macho. I hope my macho worms make Manchi proud. "
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| The Macho Worms |
Lathar finally got a word in, explained the letter from his his father.
Squiggles:
Sure, but when are we leaving? We literally just got back. Can we take a week to recover? We've been gone for a month. I need to heal, the little worms are building their own bongos....
Lathar: Would some of your older children be interested in coming too?
Squiggles:
Sure, let's give it a little time to heal, and talk to my kids, but if you need me before, follow the thumping in your chest, the sound of the music, the beat goes on... and on... the rhythm is gonna get you....
Sonny was on the other side of the farm, already been enjoying the new barn at Farmer Yulius' with space for the giant sunflower to stand. He was sketching out plans for a device to shoot out powder... to reveal those invisible toll takers. They had plenty of the yellow powder.... and if Peter wasn't going to give up his, they could just make some at the Pool House.
Lathar: Sonny, what do you make of this letter?
Sonny: Lathar, stand right there, close your eyes.
The sunflower played with some pieces of equipment *BOOM* a cloud of dirt surrounded Sonny. " I knew what went wrong with that..."
Sonny: I could use a week to rest, and work on my projects, but I've got your back.
Down by the Big River, Pete had finally settled back into his summer burrow. He was paranoid enough after the long journey, that he personally carried his containers of his "special powder" back home himself. Once there, he sniffed and nibbled on a few handfuls and was zoned out in his comfy chair, next to a small fire. Pondering the universe.
"Is it genocide if I eat all the Hoppers? If my friends stop me, is it genocide against me? Weasel genocide"
Even under the influence, Sneaky Peter was receptive to traveling to the Wildlands...
Pete: You need to visit Fair-Town, we need to visit KIA Academy to recharge our power cells, but you know you're father is in a land with a huge animal population. He's in the heart of Parr... the animals who allied with the Hissers. "
One week later: The happiest moment of the week? The arrival of the White Hand to heal up the humans and mutant animals. Squiggles was a bit distraught when 18 of his worm children left home to learn from the White Hand. Sure they were going to be cannon fodder doing the searches and expeditions to refill the experienced members supplies, but it was a boon for the White Hand, nevertheless.
Sonny worked on his projects... including a few pushed wheeled objects for some of the younger worms. Worms on scooters.
Squiggles' bongo project netted the materials, but the end results didn't have the same sound. Still, it was enough to get the bongo circles going, sometime deep into the night.
GM Notes:
In a case of mishearing things, but it sounds better in Gamma World. Lathar's player stated Lathar was folding up the letter and putting him in his leather loincloth.... I heard "Loin-Croc" and will stand by that. Sure the footwear will be disgusting hundreds of years in the future, but I cannot unsee the image of Lathar using one as an athletic supporter.
While the storyline of the Power Cell facility, the Hoppers, and the "strange explosion" are well in the rearview mirror for the characters, Sonny accidentally detonating a controlled fusion bomb is still a gold mine for the group. Hoyce (Sonny) created this little gem to continue the campaign gaslighting.
Next: #116 -
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