(Gamma World) Beyond the Eastern Barrier #1 - A Rescue in the Nightwood

The town of Cliffside was bustling, loads of bricks getting moved to be dried, others moving into storage, further teams downriver harvesting lumber for charcoal. 

With most of the adults doing the work of the town, there were few available for de when a pack of children, already in trouble for ditching school, run back into town with even graver news.  

After getting a stern hollerin' to by one of the elder constables, moreso about waking him up from his nap than ditching school, he assembled the town council that was available and small search parties were formed, with a more concerted enough getting organized when folks got back from their shift, if little Timmy hadn't shown up all by himself by then.  

Montese the Hamster Scout's job was finding people, but there was no way he was getting lumped in with a random search party.  He would work solo, or better yet, with the help of a friend.

Montese the Hamster

While a steep cliff separated Cliffside from the Infernal Run below, there was also a substantial cliff to above the town.  Attempts at quarrying it yielded mixed results, so it was largely abandoned, save a few vagabonds and loners who live atop or even within the cliffs.

One such entity was Soul'Miz, a Mutant Venus Fly-Trap.  

After Soul'Miz agreed to help, the duo traveled straight in the depths of the Nightwood. 

"I know exactly where he'll be," Montese proudly declared.

Once a month, the lumberjacks of Cliffside would stop harvesting down along the Infernal and stay up near town to "manage" a small section of the Nightwood.  It was much harder than their normal work, but the yield of fine and rare trees, as well as an open buffer to protect the town, benefitted all. 

But once the duo got through that open buffer zone, the world almost went dark.  The Nightwood got its name from the thick canopy it created, nearly blocking out all sunlight.  Bioluminescent mushrooms and moss dotted the ground, giving the whole region a mysterious tone on top of the random creatures that lived within.  

They had cautiously walked a bit of woods, when Montese cried out,  "Soul'Miz, duck!"

A series of rocks, tied to ropes, swung down from the high branches.  The Venus Fly Trap was not prepared for fast action, but luckily her short stature was enough to save her.  Each rock peaked and swung back and forth innocently until they stopped.  

A ghastly little trolls barreled down the hill where they had been hiding, their hoots and hollers piercing the eerie quiet of the woods. 

These were Um'brallers, once the fiendish races that somehow from the Nightwood liveable, if not completely pleasant.   They rarely visited Cliffside, but they were the number one suspects on Soul'Miz's list.

The base of the plant began to expand, forming bags of gas that allowed Soul'Miz to float above the reach of the creature.  

Montese, always a secondary target, and somehow vanished from everyone's sight.  While the Um'Brallers were jumping up, trying to touch the plant, the hamster re-appeared between them and bashed their heads together.  

"I really wished you weren't such a pacifist."  was all Montese could get out.

"Hey, if they accidently fall into a coma and land in my mouth, I'm not adverse to slowly digesting them.  I just don't want to hurt them.  We're on their land."

"With our kid..." 

A bit further, and they had another encounter with a lone Um'Braller, a much larger monstrosity, probably keyed to the previous ruckus.  Soul'Miz stared the beast down, raised a tendril, and suddenly the Um'Braller was floating.  She barely had enough energy and focus to move the creature into a nearby tree.  The smaller Um'Braller were quite nimble, but the larger "Gum'Brallers" developed a fear of heights for some reason, and they would frozen in fear for a number of minutes until they would start to cry out for help.   That gave the pair enough time to make a hasty exit from the area.

The Um'brallers (Two from the rock trap, and the one that chased our heroes)

They travelled for most of the day, although they could barely tell the sun had already set, until they fell upon a rare "bald", an opening the Nightwood.  A New Moon in the sky barely changed things, but the bald did create an interesting sight.  

Dozens of small tents and few small fires filled the void.  It appeared the Um'Brallers, who were afraid of most light, took advantage of no moon and decided to camp out amongst the stars.  

Located on the edge of the camp were three woven cages, a mixture of branches and briars.  One of them had little Timmy.  

Montese moved up undetected, and opened all three cages, quieting waking up and coaxing out Timmy, a woman with glowing eyes, and a man with very pointed ears.  The three prisoners making even the most mild stretching actions, as the cages were quite tight, was enough the alert some of the guards.  

A long chase commenced.  Our duo grabbed Timmy with them, but the other two prisoners split off in opposite directions. 

For most of the night, the Montese and Soul'Miz dodged search party after search party Um'brallers, no small task with a scare seven-year old human boy in their possession, but near dawn they stumbled upon one of the Cliffside search party that foolhardily decided to make camp inside the Nightwood.  Together they made it back to the buffer zone, where the human woman with glowing up was sitting on a falled log...

The Mystery Woman

Next: For now, we return to the "Not a Test" Campaign, with #61 - Kent Ky-Ky

(Gamma World) Beyond the Eastern Barrier #0 - Meanwhile, Back in Cliffside....

Cliffside is a refuge from the treacherous terrain and sun-blocking forests of the Nightwood.  Old-timer harangue anyone within ear shot that many years ago, way back in the Olden Times, the Rivertide Gorge didn't exist, and the Infernal Run that occupies the bottom of it, well, it once ran right beside the town.   

No one believes them, but as generations pass, the same story is told to the next generation with little variance. 

Most adults appreciate the Olden Tymes, because they produced most of the brick buildings that form the town proper.  Some of the Olden Tyme knowledge has disappeared, but a burgeoning industry in brickmaking and lime mortar have not only kept the structures upright, but have allowed some smaller buildings to be constructed.  

Cliffside, East of the Nightwood

Surrounding the town is the "dreaded" Nightwood.  Most townsfolk know better than to enter the portions of the forest that the militia scouts have not marked off, as folks have been known to encounter foul beasts, ridiculous encounters with the fantastic that many do not believe, or even disappear without a trace.  Most visitors to Cliffside come out of the Nightwood, confused how they arrived, as the forest has seems to give as many people to the town as they take away.   Once the new guests are confirmed friendly and confused, Cliffside hospitality kicks in and there given a quiet space with a piece of sweet potato pie and as much spruce tea as they can stomach.  Most stay, and the community has become quite diverse.

Interesting Personas in Cliffside

• Ezekiel "Brick" Acorn is the head of the Brickmaker's Guild, and has been elected mayor of Cliffside each year for the last twenty years.  He is towering figure in Cliffside with a reputation as a master brickmaker. Despite his imposing stature, he possesses a gentle demeanor and a deep well of knowledge about the town's history and survival strategies. He is also wise enough to work with the other guildmasters, many of whom are on the town council, to keep the town thriving.  He wears a worn apron over his work clothes, and his hands are perpetually stained with the clay he shapes into bricks. Brick never married, spending his little free time with all the children of Cliffside, passing on the art of brickmaking and the wisdom of community cohesion.

• Aurora "Glow" Wren is a human mutant who can emit a soft bioluminescent light from her skin. This ability has made her an essential presence in Cliffside, as her glow provides both illumination during the night and a sense of comfort to the community. Children often gather around her, captivated by the soothing hues that emanate from her. Aurora's friendly nature and her role as the town's unofficial night guardian make her a beloved figure among the residents.

• Flora is a Mutant Plant, a carnivorous vine that has developed the ability to communicate through rustling leaves and soft melodies. Her vines intertwine with the town's buildings, creating an intricate network that allows her to share information and observations with the community. Flora's insights about the Nightwood's inhabitants have saved many adventurers from perilous encounters, earning her a place of respect among both humans and other talking creatures.

• Balthazar "Whisper" Ravensong  is an mutant raven with sleek black feathers and piercing eyes. Known for his impeccable memory and gift for mimicry, he serves as a messenger and historian for Cliffside. His ability to recount tales of the past and convey messages between residents has solidified his importance within the town. Balthazar is often perched atop the old bank clock tower, observing both the human and non-human interactions that define Cliffside's dynamic.

• Montese is a mutant hamster, a recent arrival to the town within the past year. No one contests that Montese is a good scout, rather it's the constant conversations and staring up at the sky that confound most. Hamsters are a rare sentient animal race, and the few exotic rodents that residents have encountered are all a little goofy.  
  
  Montese loves to profess that his didn't emerge out of the Nightwood from some other chance location, like the rest, rather his compatriots arrived from beyond the highest points of the sky and left in their flying ships, stranding him here.  No one pays much heed to Montese's stories (crazy rodents, after all.)

Montese

But he is where our story starts....

Next:  #1 - Rescue Out of the Nightwood