Boztun Badlands, northeast of Fort Akton, Klos 15th, 350AC, 11:25 (sunny, 36 degrees, new moon)

 

Fort Akton, Akton Armory, Klos 15th, 350AC, 11:10 (sunny, 36 degrees, new moon)

Your characters have equipped themselves at the Akton Armory (either by privilege, credit, or cash).  The silvery light of a glow plant reflects off the various metal weapons and equipment stored here.  Q-bert, the old Norfo supply master, sits behind a warped wooden desk and scratches his scraggly chin with his leathery hands.  “Well?  Anything else?”  To Ragnor: “Any more rations?”

What now?

Fort Akton, The Bunker, Klos 15th, 350AC, 10:40 (sunny, 35 degrees, new moon)

The meeting ends, and you are free to venture forth!  As you leave the confines of the Bunker, the morning air is crisp and frosty.  The sun shines brightly over the thin crust of snow covering the badlands, and promises to bring a little warmth during the day.  Looking over the Bunker’s walls, the small path dubbed “The Klintok Road” can barely be seen, other than a few stretches of a thin brown streak amongst the white.

A smattering of townspeople are moving back and forth between the village and Fort Akton’s marketplace.  At the bridge to your south, some fishermen ply their trade in the cold raging river.  A dozen people and a wagon with rakoxen are heading over the bridge towards the ruins to the south.  Phallon recognizes them as a NET-Co salvage group.

Are you heading out now?  Any errands to run first, or equipment to exchange?  Where to?  (Remember that maps of your local area are in the “maps” tab above)

Fort Akton, The Bunker, Presidents’ Meeting Room, Klos 15th, 350AC, 10:10, new moon

(See previous turn, Briefing Part One, if you haven’t read it yet)

 

 

President Gaal Lont smiles.  “It is rather… unique, that so many different tribes and communities have come together to form Akton.  I suppose if it wasn’t for the Reevers and then your heroics, we’d still be feuding for scraps of badland territory.”

“Anyway, your new mission.  When Doctor Zeebo came to Akton, there was an arrangement between us, and Nashua College.  Zeebo researches the plants and shrooms in this area, and sees if they can be useful.  Or valuable.  In exchange for his work, the College gets a copy of his notes.  So far, this has been a good exchange.  Example: we now grow mushrooms for food, which were really needed this winter.

It was proposed that if Zeebo worked out, we might take this cooperation to a new level.  We want to start a program to raise, um, no the word would be ‘grow’ mobile plants.  Ones that we could use as mounts, guardians, and such.  In exhange, Nash will get samples of local plants.  Think of what this will do for us!  We can have the benefits of beasts of burden without having to feed them the usual massive amounts of food!  And food is not a luxury for us.  We can replace those rakoxen used in the trade caravan, and increase our number of caravans.

So your task is this: I want your group to travel to Nash, and meet with the Dean of Nashua College to propose this plan.  We want to establish a “cooperative botany program”.  We get mobile plants, they get samples of our local plant life.  Here is a contract we’ve written up to formalize this deal (he places a wax-sealed scroll upon the table).  If the Dean wants to alter details, you four as a group can make decisions to do so, but keep Akton’s interests in mind.  If uncertain, you can always bring the counter-proposal back, but too much delay and we may not be able to start a plant program this year.  As part of this mission, I want you to travel as a caravan would, heading to Nash.  That means taking our northern trade road, dubbed the “Klintok Road” since it passes along their territory.  Look at this route as a caravan would -note its benefits, its hazards and other problems.  Phallon, I want you to create a written report, and present it to Silas (Secretary of Trade) on your return.

Questions?

Fort Akton, The Bunker, Klos 15th, 350AC, 10:00, new moon

(At this point, your wounds are all healed, excepting the disintegration damage)  Your characters were all asked the previous day to report to the Presidents’ meeting room for a conference with President Gaal Lont.

 

You gather in the main hall, and are let in at 10AM.  You see the familiar ceramic table with its various ancient office chairs.  President Gaal Lont sits at the far end.  He is an altered one in his mid 30’s.  Similar to many of the norfo tribe, he has a small fleshy antenna protruding from each temple.  They are more prominent as his head is shaved.  He wears simple fiber clothing with a chocolate brown colored fur cloak.  His hands are sheathed in gloves in which have inset polished pieces of bone.

A true man also sits at the table.  He is perhaps in his 50’s, as his hair and beard are greying.  He wears a set of black colored ancient plastic armor, covered by a grey wool cloak.  (Arvak and Ragnor recognize him as Roman Dell, a member of the Brotherhood of Thought, who initially alerted the tribes to the danger of the cyborg Reavers)

Nelson, the creepy 4′ tall assistant stands motionless nearby.  The guard, Wuss Dog (altered one, previous member of Wootang Clan), stands to one side of the door, sporting a round duralloy sheild, and a sword held at parade rest.

Gaal Lont stands as you enter, smiles at Roman Dell, and gestures towards your group.  “Ahhhh, Akton’s action heros, in the flesh.  Congratulations men, on your impressive success at Middex.  You’ve rescued a whole community with a unique culture.  We are implementing your suggestions to integrate the group to Akton.  We will use a point/achievement based system of military training as suggested by Ragnor to give them real skills and confidence, and town meeting sessions in the evening “off hours” to help ease them into our society, as suggested by Zeebo.  I would ask you to help run these programs, but Akton needs you for a more pressing mission first.  Hmm, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

“For those of you who haven’t met, this is Brother Dell, peacemaker of the Boztun Badlands.  He brings some important news.”  Roman Dell looks up at each of you and smiles, his dark eyes twinkling.  You all feel at complete ease.  “You have done such a fabulous job here in so little time.  Your actions against the Reevers have saved the norfo, the lex, and undoubtedly all of the nearby tribes of the badlands and northern plains.  Since your victory at the Reeming Arena, the Reevers haven’t been seen again.  And I believe I know why.”

He unrolls a map onto the table.  “The King of Stormgate, Eryk Greywulf, is dead.  His younger brother, Hadral, the Arch-Duke of Arpex, is next in line for the throne.  The hitch is that the King died under suspicious circumstances, and the signs point to assassination from Hadral.  Those that value power over ethics have claimed Hadral as the new king.  The nobles that are enraged over this perceived fratricide, have claimed Eryk’s illegitimate son, Baydin, as their king.  The kingdom has fractured into seperate states, bent on civil war.  Malcom, the Duke of Rhodes has not sworn fealty to either camp, and is essentally a neutral independent state.  There is also talk that the moheeka population may return to New Warvale and revolt amonst the chaos.”

“Your analysis of the cyborg programming showed that they were under direct control of Hadral, the Arch Duke of Arpex, one of the “new kings”.  It stands to reason that in this time of crisis, he would recall them from the badlands and use them against his enemies.  Their crisis will bring a rest to your people.  I despise the Stormgate nobles for their oppression and genocide, but I feel bad for the peasants that will suffer from the upcoming war.  It is a shame that we can’t all live in peace.