0025 – Team Reunited (1530 22 JUL 2000)

So, the casings settle and the city becomes quiet again. The party has one wounded (Macron) and three captured WIA from the guards. Harris will do what he can for them, but he is literally working with nothing. Unfortunately, the guards also have nothing of use on them.

Robinson stays on the L7 while the rest search the building. The find the girls, locked in rooms and a little drugged but otherwise OK. (Yes, this could go differently but I do not believe such things would add to the fun part of roleplaying.) They find signs of the remaining guards, but these have fled the building. The also fine no sign of Grand Ma Topolski, as she fled with the guards. 

 

The fact that Grandma Topolski is missing adds a convenient major villain that can pop-up again and I am sure she will be out for revenge. The characters just drove her from her home and ruined the best chance she had to get back into business. I believe a major villain does not need to be physically dangerous but must be extremely motivated. We will be seeing her again.

Now to the bigger problem. Maybe Mitchell can describe it for us:

I never knew elephants could tap dance. All those years in blissful ignorance just to wake up one day, locked in a dark room in Poland to find a herd of them dancing to their hearts content behind my eyeballs. Pain does not justify it. I thought I was going to die and it could not get worse. It did.

Potato kick open the door, which conveniently slammed against a table behind the door, throwing a decanter and several glasses to the floor. Although my inner child was grateful to see his hulking form and ugly mug, the noise made the pain in my head rise to nuclear proportions. I may have said a few unchristian things to him, but I am sure he deserved it if I did.

He dragged me out into the street where a thousand suns burned through my eyelids and I sank to the ground with my back against a truck tire. I was off to a bad start and all that without coffee. I was a ball of wretchedness. I heard a truck and the group shifted as the truck stopped and the sounds of boots on paving stones was heard. Whatever comes, please let it be quiet.

The Major runs a tight ship and a firefight within the city is bound to get attention. When you add a number of trussed up sentries without weapons, then it would probably become boss business. Anyway, the Major arrives at the scene with a truck load of men.

We know from the motivation of the Major that he is generous and moderately sociable, we also know from the description of the town that he is trying to restore order. It is unlikely that he will roll up shooting, but the situation must be resolved some how.

The characters will keep the weapons ready but offer no resistance as the major approaches with his men.

Klasha would be best to explain the situation, but she is still down for the count. That leaves Potato. We know that the Major is no big fan of stragglers running around, especially with “the enemy”, so this may be difficult.

Potato will present their side of the story when the major asks, as well as the team members and girls they recovered from the place. Their are also the three wounded guards to tell their versions. All in all, there are a lot of witnesses. Will it be enough? Let’s ask the GME:

GME Question: Can Potato convince the Major that the group acted in self-defense after presenting the evidence they have? - Likely – Chaos Rank 5 (75% chance of yes) – 84 – No.

Well, that went as expected. The major is not amused and is not willing to believe the characters side of the story. Maybe it is time for a rant.

“You are a traitor to your people and Mother Russia! I will hear no more from you! We allow you into town and you repay us by attacking our guards and killing civilians! You will pay for your crimes!” The major waves his hands and ten safeties click off behind him.

Not much to do now except wait for the dying. Generally speaking, 11 NPCs versus 7 characters is not a challenge but considering the characters do not have much in the way of equipment, it will hurt a lot. In addition, I was hoping on not having to kill the Major. I have grown attached to him as an NPC. There is only one element that can now save the day: the refugees.

As we determined before, they have also lost members to Grandma Topolski but they were too afraid to take part in the rescue mission. Still, now that the shooting has stopped, maybe they will step forward.

GME Question: Will the refugees step in to help the characters? - 50/50 (we determined they were not the bravest of lots) – Chaos Rank 5 (50% chance of yes) – 10 – Exceptional Yes.

So, the refugees will not only step in but in a spectacular way. Maybe Marshall has recovered enough to take notice.

I looked up and we were staring down the barrels of several weapons. About par for the course, in my experience. I was focusing on focusing when a group of scarecrows flew into and grabbed some people near me. I first thought it was an after effect of the drug but they turned out to be real, if smelly people. A large man stood between the Russians and us and fired off some rapid words in what sounded like Russian. After hearing his words and adding a dramatic pause, the Major waved his hand and the business of the weapons were lowered.

So, the chapter comes to and end. We can assume the Major will give the characters until the next day to disappear from the town. In addition, the characters will always have a place in the heart of the refugees they rescued. Maybe there is the kernel of an adventure there somewhere.

The Major has his food, the refugees are rescued, Grandma Topolski has been temporarily defeated. The curtain may close on this one.

We have three new NPCs (Grandma Topolski, Lt. Femerov and the Major) as well as the group of refugees. We have several new locations that we may use later and a detailed town.

For the adventure, the characters will receive one Initiative and two Experience points for the recovery of the trucks and the rest of the adventure. 

 

[Curtain closes]