One of Modeen’s War Band Camps – near Twin Falls

The van screeches to a halt. The Anti-Templar fires on Ben. Ben floats his own rifle around to fire on the war band members. Hammy exits the van and fires on the Anti-Templar’s group. Marilyn shoots one of the gang members in the 2nd group. Soria takes a few blasts at them.

The Anti-Templar signals his group on the posse members exiting the van. They unleash a barrage of bullets at the crew, but no one is significantly injured. Then the Anti-Templar rushes in and swipes at Hammy with his ax. Hammy drops the rifle and swings back, locking them into a one on one.

Nigel fires onto the second gang group. The Anti-Templar and Hammy continue to square off. Ben fires on the Anti-Templar as well.

Daphne takes out a war band member. Two of the gang members shoot at Ben. Nigel takes out several guys in the second group by going full auto. The remaining gang member chucks a grenade right at Nigel. In a split second Nigel attempts to grab the grenade, but it explodes, knocking Daphne back and down. The van takes the brunt of the damage.

Battle rages on…

Boise

The posse decides who to take with them. They wrestle with the idea of taking Marilyn, but as there are no other Templars present and Modeen has plans to attack Boise, they agree that bringing her along is the safest option. Ben manages to talk Barb into coming with them. The crew trades around to acquire equipment for Daphne and Barb. The whole group agrees to rest for the night and head out in the morning.

I-84 Toward Twin Falls, passing through Mountain Home

The path takes them by the Death Bat Church for the 3rd time. They easily navigate the winding path. Hammy rings the bell, keeping the bats at bay.

Orchard

Ben relocates the oil trail. Barb mentions she knows the location of the camp she was held, although it may have been only a temporary camp. They load back up into the van and follow Barb’s directions toward the camp. While on the way, Hammy changes into his Biker costume, but keeps his tabard on underneath.

The trail takes them through an area that is actually wooded. There is little ground brush, but the trees are still lively. If they didn’t know better, they would almost think the world had never ended.

Barb spots a downed road sign, remembering it as a marker for the entrance to the camp. Nigel parks the van and they outfit themselves for a fire fight.

One of Modeen’s War Band Camps

Ben and Nigel sneak out into the woods to scout out the place. They find a large group of men (30 or so) all hanging around the camp. In the middle, there is a large tanker surrounded by motorcycles.

Ben tells Nigel to head back to the van and get the others. “Wait for the boom” He says with a smirk. Nigel stealthily makes his way towards the other group members and fills them in on the plan.

Ben covers himself in a force field, then uses his powers to detonate one of the bikes close to the tanker. In a combo explosion the tanker ignites and erupts fiery death in all directions.

Nigel, Hammond and the others hear the blast and race in the van towards the camp. The tightly growing trees make the driving difficult, but they manage to maneuver through them.

Ben surveys the camp and sees that there are still a few of the war band left, including an Anti-Templar. The Anti-Templar motions in Ben’s general direction, but is not obviously aware of his presence.

Ben uses telekinesis to hover his gun several yards away and fire on the men. He doesn’t hit anyone, but creates a great diversion. The ruse works and several of the gang members head off to investigate the gun fire. Ben takes cover behind a tree.

The van screeches around a winding turn and Nigel slams on the brakes to avoid crashing into the flaming wreckage of the tanker.

Passing by Mountain Home en route to catch the Anti-Templar group near Twin Falls.

Driving down I-84. Daphne sits in front, directing them through the paths towards Twin Falls. The route through Mountain Home’s outer area is rather rocky. May parts are broken down or blocked by abandoned cars and debris.

Nigel successfully navigates through the winding ways. Ben spots a church slightly off in the distance. As they pass, the church bell begins to gong.

Hammy and Ben look out for an attack. Suddenly a black mass bursts forth from the tower. A swarm of Death Bats descends from the tower towards the van. Soria tries to blast at them, but the swarm breaks apart and avoids most of the projectiles.

Nigel accelerates and swerves around the potholes and wreckage in the road. Hammy fires on the swarm using the black widow. Ben fires a grenade into the mix, exploding into the crowd of bats. Nigel nudges a broken down truck to steady the van.

The swarm closes in and envelopes the van. Ben looks back at the church and notices 2 skeletons on the pavement, as if they had fallen from the tower. Ben and Hammy look at each other, simultaneously coming to the same conclusion. Ben shouts to Nigel, directing him to head back to the church. Hammy grabs Nigel’s sniper rifle and fires at the bell. With a little luck he lands the shot.

The bell rings and the bats are sucked back into the tower. All is quiet once again. Nigel sighs in relief, and looks ahead. He quickly jerks the wheel, just narrowly missing a tree.

Back on track, they question Daphne about the encounter with Modeen. Turns out its not just him and several of his Anti-Templars; there’s also a host of men in a war band.

Plains area outside Twin Falls

The posse slows down as they enter the Twin Falls area. Daphne helps navigate them through. They get off on a small county road to avoid the car piles and broken roadways. After some time they come to a small prairie.

Daphne points out some buzzards circling a burnt out vehicle. It’s some of her caravan. Ben does a brain scan, but finds only animals.

Nigel finds a spot to conceal the van. Ben looks around for evidence of where the Anti-Templar group may have been headed. Hammy checks out the vehicle and notices the horrific scene within. Many corpses litter the inside with a variety of wounds. Amongst them is the body of a syker from the “fightin’ 43rd”. Wild and domestic animals are inside scavenging the bodies. The vehicle itself shows damage of all kinds, from personal firearms to heavy weapons and rockets.

Ben locates some tracks in the dirt. It looks like one of their vehicles was leaking oil, and the droplets have created a path. The posse gathers back into the van and follows the path to an old apple orchard.

They come upon a grisly scene. Bodies hang from the apple trees. Some black crows pick at a few of the bodies. Rotten apples and dead crows litter the ground.

Daphne spots a lady she knows as a doomsayer hanging in one of the trees. Suddenly the woman begins thrashing around, desperately flailing her legs. Ben manages to cut her down. “Get away from me, leave me alone!” the woman gasps hysterically.

Hammy manages to calm her down and brings her some water. She introduces herself as Barb. She tells the posse how the Anti-Templars took them to a field nearby. In the middle of the night a Templar and some others came to fight them. The Templar was Aaron McConnell (the first Templar after Simon).

McConnell quickly made his way through the camp and found Modeen’s tent. “You’re the best Simon could do?” Modeen brashly questioned. The two men began to fight. At one point it looked as though Aaron had the upper hand. He thrust his sword right through Modeen’s heart.

Modeen laughed and cut Aaron in the gut. As Aaron trembled in shock, Modeen whispered something into his ear. He then called the others, as they would be some hangings. Aaron was hung first, “in that tree over there” – Barb points out.

The crew moved to the tree Barb mentioned. It’s not hard to find, as it’s up on a hill and is easily distinguished by it’s gnarled appearance. 3 bodies hang from it; all of them are Templars. The posse gently cuts them down.

Barb mentions she has an ability that will allow her to speak with the dead, but it requires a small amount of ghost rock. Ben still has his small stash, so he breaks off a chunk and hands it to her. Barb conducts the ritual. The ghost rock flame pulses with each word as Aaron’s spirit speaks:

”He is Modeen the destroyer. He has given himself to the forces of evil, and is now a Servitor. He can only be killed by the sword of the first Anti-Templar. (Julia Aiken)”

Back on the I-84 through Mountain Home towards Boise

They all agree to head back to Boise. Along the way they must pass by the church in Mountain Home. The Death Bats return and attempt to attack the van. Ben successfully shoots the bell and the bats are once again sucked back into the tower. Nigel points out that the last time they drove through, the bell had rung 12 times, but that this pass it only rang 11.

Boise

When they arrive at Boise they go to the Temple and bring with them the bodies of the 3 Templar who were hanged. Simon is not present, but Biletnikoff is around. They inform him of Modeen’s status as a Servitor and the need for Aiken’s Sword.

Biletnikoff tells them Simon has fallen ill, and no other Templars are available. Word of Hammond’s work (and that of the posse) has spread, and based off of these accomplishments Bilitnikoff hands over Aiken’s sword.

They must disperse Modeen’s army and force a move. Modeen is a proud man, and his pride could be used against him.

As Hammond takes the sword it sends a shiver up his arm and down his spine. Not having much prowess with a sword, he gives the hilt end to Ben and affixes the blade to his rifle (bayonet style).

They decide to head back to the orchard to follow the trail. They meet up with Marilyn. She gives them all a few things she’s scrounged up. They discuss plans for possible scenarios. As part of their mission, they are given an ample supply of gas.

Newtello

Nigel stops in to see John Prophet to have his cards read.

*Past*__Intuition, problem solving, negotiation, quiet authority, distant, kind, problems will be solved known to the figure, it may be best to let the heart rule the head__

*Present*__Healing emotionally and physically, encourage recovery, things are fixing and improving__

*Future*__Disappointing, the reward eludes you, cast out, feelings of suspicion and frustration.__

The posse turns in the bounty to Newtello’s sheriff. They deliberate about the direction to go. Ben suggests making an “S” shape by passing Twin Falls and Mountain Home, both of which have Maelstroms around them.

The van drives near a small depression in the earth, not unlike a dried pond or gulley. Ben spots a large storage container in the middle of the depression. An old parachute has snagged on the container and flaps in the wind, as if beckoning them closer.

The crew agrees to pull in closer to check it out. Ben and Hammond go out to inspect the container while Nigel readies his rifle. The box is somewhat rusted but still in decent shape. As they come closer, they see that the parachute is still harnessed to a rib cage.

All three of the men begin barking at each other about how to move forward. Finally Hammond jumps and climbs up the side. He opens the container revealing a stash of miscellaneous items. Among them they find a grammar book, Inferno grenades, a roadmap of Rhode Island, an unopened package of paper towels, and a battle axe.

As Ben and Hammy unload the items from the container, Nigel notices the ridges of the depression rapidly closing in on the container. The container shakes and begins to drop into the earth, as if being devoured by the soil. Ben and Hammy just manage to escape.

Nigel recognizes the event as indicative of a “creeping gulch”. They are living lands that lure people in with desirable items and swallow them up. The one before them has lost its meal, and so it “resets”. The container emerges once again and the scene is exactly as they had found it. Nigel recalls that one must destroy the original items of desire contained in the gulch.

In the interest of safety, they decide to destroy it. Ben uses a grenade from his launcher. As they drive away he lobs the grenade into the open container, destroying the contents and killing the creeping gulch. The rest of the ride is relatively quiet.

Boise

As the van comes closer to Boise they slow down. The posse inches closer to the Boise Maelstrom and they all express concerns about how it will affect Marilyn. Hammy describes to her how it may affect her. He also winds up the music box and plays it to keep her focused on something.

They pass through the Maelstrom, but are relatively unscathed. Inside the Boise Maelstrom it feels no different from the outside (unlike typical Maelstroms).

The van pulls in towards the center of town. Tents line the town square and various vendors surround the whole area. One of the vendors approaches, but the posse tells him they have other business to handle first.

First stop is the “Temple”. Nigel is a little confused by the less-than-impressive building (an old Freemason building). The posse enters and is called up to speak with Simon in private. Hammond is asked to tell of his past year’s travels. However, Simon is noticeably disturbed by something else.

Hammy tells of how He and Ben had found the exceptional young girl that travels with them. He also tells the tale of the Incubus, revealing the danger that could befall Marilyn. The whole group shows concern of the situation. Simon offers her sanctuary here in Boise. It is understood that this demon could be far more powerful in the flesh, and so this must be stopped.

Hammy begins to tell the rest of their travels (Near Dalls, Near Tuscon, Kingman, etc.) Simon interrupts, divulging that there is a more immediate problem. The “Destroyer” Brad Modeen, former Templar and leader of the Anti-Templars, has captured a trader group bound for Boise. Some of the traders were killed, and one girl (Daphne) was sent to deliver a message. Modeen intends to take the Temple, and destroy the Templars.

Simon requests that Hammond and the others in the posse go after Modeen. They are put in touch with Daphne (the girl sent as the messenger). She can lead them back to the place Modeen was last seen. Unfortunately she also informs them “The Destroyer” has over a dozen Anti-Templars in tow. The group of them was last seen around Twin Falls.

The posse discusses a strategy. They determine that it would be best to sneak up on the Anti-Templars by taking several back roads that Ben knows. They gather up their gear and head back out.

Newtello

The party rolls into town. It is nothing like what they expected, a tent town.

Two men with hunting rifles are standing guard at the front gate, literally a cow gate that swings open. They motion for the vehicle to stop and the party does so. Ben steps out and tells the guards that they are there to collect a bounty and fix up the van.

The group doesn’t even see vehicles upon entering the town. They see some scraps, mules, and malnourished and potentially mutated cattle penned to the side. The party can feel the eyes of the town watch them as they drive into town.

Hammond asks Steve where the local law dog/sheriff might be located. Steve directs them to a structure in the middle of town with wooden star on it.

Hammy and Nigel head to the sheriff’s shack. They pass some withered crops and thin cows. They arrive at the building. It looks like an old tourist info hut from a park.

They enter and find a portly fellow sipping on what smells like alcohol. He’s less than welcoming to the two of them. They mention the bounty and show him the bounty sheet from the JLA. The sheriff demands some kind of proof. They offer the data slug, but he has no way to view it. If they want the bounty, they’ll have to find a way to show him.

The two of them head back to the front of town to meet the rest of the party. Ben has completed the wheel repairs, but needs additional materials to repair the body and a plunger to pop out some of the dents. The posse converses about how the townsfolk seem a little off.

Marilyn and Soria hang back and watch over the van. Ben mills about in town to see if anyone is willing to speak. He shows off his Dragon emblems in the hopes someone will recognize the symbol and open up. It actually has quite the opposite effect; many of the townsfolk actively avoid him.

Nigel and Hammy ask around about getting a data recorder/player, but they get the cold shoulder. Steve gives them a little advice- “They keep to themselves, and if you want to be safe, you should do the same. Basic trading is fine, just don’t start a ruckus.”

They pay a man to look for a the supplies they need. While the man is rummaging around, a shady character offering to do some REAL trading approaches them. He claims to know what they are (cyborg, templar, and syker). However he is only willing to do business in private. Also, they will need to buy something from him now and then make a public scene about how they’ve been ripped off- just to keep up his reputation as an “insider”.

Hammy makes a counter offer- He could openly claim to be the mysterious trader’s long lost friend, and bring the trader under scrutiny from the town. The trader accepts and with a wink, storms off shouting out “Not worth doing business with you cheap ass strangers!”

They all reconvene at the van. Ben and Soria stay back to watch over it, but keep the radio communications open. Nigel, Marilyn, and Hammond all head to the mysterious trader’s hut.

The place is fully stocked with items of all kinds. The trader sits at a table listening to a music box. He creepily describes the three of them, with eerie details of their pasts. After this he is willing to do business. “Ask, and I will most likely have want you want- but know this, I do not seek sustenance for payment.”

The trader proceeds to ask them what they “want”. Not what they are looking to trade, but what they really want. Nigel wants to have his human essence. They trader can arrange something, but what will be the payment. While Nigel thinks, the trader asks Marilyn.

She says he has nothing that she wants. He agrees, for he cannot bring back her parents. Just then Ben radios in and mentions the parts for the van. They make a deal. They trade him deodorant and black mind seeds in exchange for the data reader and an aluminum boat hull (parts).

Ben comes to make the payment. When he arrives the trader asks the same question of him. Ben replies, stating he wants to “get the hell out of this town- but there’s nothing in this world I would want from you.”

When the trader asks Hammond, his request is a bit of a surprise. Hammy requests the music box. Intrigued, the Trader points out that the box may hold an answer for Hammond- if the price is right. Hammond offers the Bible as payment. The trader questions why. “The music box contains answers, and for me this book has also contained answers.” The offer is accepted.

Nigel finally decides to trade his tea set. The trader hands him a scroll and begins to tell a great tale of a brave chased by a bear. The brave hid on a peak, known as the Star Chamber, while the bear fruitlessly clawed away at the mountain. This place has come to be know as the Devil’s Tower. At this point there is a thin divide between our world and the Hunting Grounds. Go there and perform this ritual. “You will have an opportunity to defeat the Manitou and reclaim your independence.”

The transaction complete, the trader asks all to exit except Hammond. They do so, but as they exit Ben realizes there is something he would like. He runs back and interrupts the two men. “I want this translated” he says as he reveals the grimoire. The trader agrees and takes Ben’s Dragon clasp (his own, not his love’s clasp)

The trader reads the passage. It is part of an old song. This is the book of a demon. He thrives on the corruption, especially of children. Marilyn, being as strong willed and lively as she is, is a perfect candidate. The demon plans to use her as its mother. “It will choose another. A tainted one to impregnate her.” The birth will bring the incubus into this world, free from the rule of the 4 horsemen.

It is a powerful demon, but it can be destroyed. It is one of defilement, and its undoing will come from a counter to that.

The trader agrees to continue the private discussion with both men, as he now sees their fates are entwined. Both have given themselves to greater causes, and their actions may also be essential to the fate of this world.

The trade answers their questions. Hammond asks if the trader is a man. He IS mortal. He then asks Hammond of his thoughts regarding if a terrible man can find redemption. Ben asks about the battleground/torture bunker he had seen in Twitch’s brain- this is the lair of the incubus. The place they seek is located in the heart of Kansas. The trader asks Ben if he would have performed all of these good deeds if his love had not died. Hammonds also asks of the curse ( the trader points it out before he can even finish the questions). Go to it’s origin (McGovern Air Base- AZ) Solve the mystery.

Hammy then asks about the comment regarding their influence on the fate of the world.

The trader speaks of things to come-

A great flood of machine force and mind will come from the mountains in order to overtake the jewel of the desert

Then the trader offers to read the men their cards, a glimpse at whatever the question is in their mind. Think of one thing you wish to know- then choose cards

Hammond’s Cards read:
Past Responsibility, hard work, solvency, without extravagance, new things are favored.

Present A gift, token from a friend, or perhaps a gift given.

Future Ambition, strategy, a practice that is successful, seeing the big picture, things may come to a head, but may not pay attention to the details

Ben’s Cards read:
Past Suffering, victimization, depletion, constant battle, faltering

Present Pressure, external stress, reject further demands, need to put self first

Future Honor and compassion, calm integrity, passion and wisdom, understanding, honorable conduct, comfort, positive response

The trader then pulls a final card, one that applies to the whole party. “I seek an answer, to the question. The path you tread goes forward. Where is that path’s future? This is an important omen. Before you is a dilemma; a suppressed doubt. A person may need to make a decision on their own. The limitations may be self imposed. “

Then the trader offers to give them some info about himself. While he appears roughly 30, he had spent 200 years in the Hunting Grounds. He found a shaman and wandered the hunting grounds through heaven and hell. Eventually he was so overcome, he cried a great river of tears. He tried to drown himself in the river, but when he awoke he was in this body, in this time. All of his travels and the spirits he had defeated in the hunting grounds gave him additional spirit powers. He elaborates how he was able to identify each of their arcane backgrounds. He sends them on their way. Hammy asks for his name- Prophet. John Prophet.

JunkYard

Nigel awakens, very hungry for meat. He talks with one of the orderlies and finds out his stay has been paid in full. Nigel is in good enough shape to check out of the hospital. He gets some directions to the Hilton and heads out.

Ben wakes up to the sound of Hammond knocking at the door. They discuss the grimoire and decide it is best if they keep it with them at all times. They plan to take it to Sacramento (Librarian central)for further translation after they visit Boise. They pack up some items and head down to the lobby for breakfast.

Nigel bumps into Winister on the street. The Junker is looking for a flight “black box”. He would pay handsomely for it. Nigel takes note of this and continues towards the Hilton.

Back at the hotel Hammy and Ben order some food, then decide to go check in with Nigel. As they exit, Ben notices Nigel walking the wrong direction down a side street. The two men catch up with him and discuss the fates of Charlie and Crow. They also talk about Marilyn’s experience, and the grimoire.

Nigel goes into the hotel to grab some breakfast. Ben and Hammy start packing up the van. Nigel informs them of Winister’s request. They jointly decide it best to continue on to Boise. If they find the device they’ll hold on to it for later. They complete packing and head off towards Boise, with a quick stop at Newtello.

On and Around Route I-15 North towards “Newtello”

It takes a bit of a ride before they can find a path onto the highway. They hit a rough patch of road, but safely make it to the border. Ben spies a large mass swirling off in the distance. With the aide of the binoculars, he identifies it as a Gore Storm; a massive whirling tornado of blood, flesh, bone, and debris that tears apart anything in its path.

He alerts Nigel and they change course to avoid the storm. As they shift directions, every crackle and bump seems amplified, and fear of being spotted by the Gore Storm trembles through the posse.

Fortunately they go unnoticed and find a path that puts them back on track. As they approach Newtello, they see that here there is actually grass growing, albeit the grass is rather brownish and just clinging to life. Along the way they spot a car that has veered off the road into a ditch.

A man steps out of the car and begins kicking the rear side. Just then, the man notices the van approaching. He quickly darts to the other side of the vehicle and takes aim with a rifle.

The posse slows the van and Hammond shouts out to the man. They offer assistance, but he is not quick to trust them. Hammy points to the black widow mounted on the roof of the van, and notes that if they wanted to kill him he would already be dead. He still rejects the help. Nigel begins to pull away and, seeing this, the man lowers his guard and yelps out for their assistance. They are introduced. The man goes by the name Steve

They are able to patch of the vehicle, but it’s only sturdy enough to make it to Newtello for the additional repairs. Ben makes an observation about Steve’s arm, which is unusually large. Steve reveals himself as a Cyborg. He then agrees to help show them the rest of the way to Newtello in exchange for the car repairs.

As the two vehicles edge closer to Newtello, Hammy spies several odd looking holes in the road. They slow down accordingly. Ben notices that a suspicious number of bushes lining the raod near the holes. He uses the black widow’s zoom lens to scan the area and sees many people crouched in the bushes. Nigel radio’s Steve and begins to notify him of the ambush. Hammy quickly stops him, pointing out that Steve could easily be in cahoots with the ambush team.

They begin to back up the van, but the ambush squad catches on to their tactic. Three men emerge from the bush with rocket-propelled grenades. Hammy fires on one of the attackers pegging him in the leg. Ben sets a large portion of the bush ablaze, engulfing several of the ambush squad members.

A rocket launches into the side of the van, damaging the vehicle and Nigel. Another attacker fires at Nigel’s head, narrowly missing him. One of the grenades thumps against the van, and bounces out in front of them. It’s explosion is loud and bright; a flash-bang which stuns nearly everyone in the vehicles.

Hammy shakes off the stun. Another grenade hits the passenger side of the van and blows out two of the tires. Marilyn takes down one of the RPG guys with her hunting rifle. Steve steps out of his car and opens fire- as it turns out his cyber-arm doubles as a machine gun.

Hammy misses a shot. Soria shakes off the stun. Ben lights the remaining guys on fire, taking them all out. Steve identifies the ambush squad as a group of Mountain Irregulars.

The posse changes the tires on the van and continues on the road to Newtello. In the distance they can see the town. It’s more of a lean-to/tent city than an actual town. There is a lake just beyond the town.

JunkYard – Hilton

Hammond and Ben discuss going after the remaining Jaeger followers. Twitch heads off on his own. Jonathan Douglas stops by to congratulate them and leaves to conduct some other business in town. The two posse members decided they will go to the JunkYard Militia and assist with clearing out Jaeger’s mercs.

While all of this discussion is going on, Soria and Marilyn are playing checkers. Hammy asks Marilyn what she remembers from the night she was attacked. From what she can recall, Sylvia was reading to her from the large tome. The words she read were in some kind of gibberish, then Marilyn fell asleep. That’s all she can remember. Ben, Hammy, and Soria think it would be best to take the book to the JY Library to see if it can be translated. They notice on the way that there is a bookmark in place and Marilyn confirms that this is the page Sylvia was reading.

With a little negotiation they are able to convince one of the Librarians to translate it. The book itself is a few hundred years old, but the language is much, much older. As such, the translation is not clear, but close enough to compose a broken passage from the page that was marked:

Due to small number of children I figure I will take you away into having to of the magic. Come small number of children, the time has come to theater in my garden of shadows. Comy my little child, I will show you way through poignancy and sorrow. Cry not child life on this way murdering beauty and passion. Hush now the rage be this way too tired of life deceptions, rest and know my baby away in too early. We’ll settle down and quiet to come. A small number of children, I’ll drive us away having to enthusiasm of enchantment come a small number of child I’ll

Ben asks for the book’s title. “Johtua Armus Lapsi” or “Come Sweet Children”

The Librarian asks if they can keep the book. Ben and Hammond agree that it would be safer, and more useful, for the posse to keep it. They do have a donation however. “The Mysts of Avalon”. In exchange they get a free “FishBiscuit” book data slug.

The group heads out to find the JM so they can inquire about joining the fight. They have to jump through a few hoops and present their papers multiple times in order to get access to meet with General George Douglas (no relation to J. Douglas)

Upon meeting the General, they inform him about their involvement with Jaeger’s capture. He verifies their story, then begins filling them in on the operations. Jeager had assembled a decent size force. Now, many of the mercs are joining up and trying to make off with the supplies and weapons originally intended for the coup.

The posse is allowed to assist. They are to prepare for a medium size raid on a warehouse, not far from the Salem Apartment Towers. Apparently Jaeger had been using several of the warehouses in the district.

The group agrees to help and is joined by a JM squad. They run the assault on the building. Both squads go in guns blazing. The posse charges in, using a distraction from the B team to start taking out the ground forces. Hammy and Marilyn both take some damage. Each of the posse members takes out several mercs.

Suddenly a fortified truck barrels through from the back of the warehouse. Multiple mounted guns fire in on the posse, though they all manage to get to cover. Looks like the intel was wrong, there are many more mercs than anticipated.

Ben tosses a grenade under the back end of the truck. Hammy shoots the driver. The rig coasts to a stop and the sides open up, revealing several mercs with gas grenades. The smoke billows out as the small orbs are tossed in all directions. Hammy gets caught in a cloud and has a coughing fit.

Bullets pierce through the haze, striking everyone in the posse. No one is severely injured, and they return fire taking out the final men in the truck. As this happens, they notice several mercs are trying to escape via a catwalk. Gunfire rains down on the crew as they take cover behind some boxes. Hammy’s vest blocks a bullet to the chest.

Soria has had enough and uses her blasts to melt the supports of the catwalk, killing all of the mercenaries. The JM thanks them for their assistance.

The posse hangs around to pick through the rubble for supplies. Most of what they find is munitions and basics which they then sell. Among the list of items kept are Dr. Pepper and some TNT sticks.

JunkYard

Ben and Hammy hit the town to stock up on supplies and sell off the unneeded junk. With a little help from their newspaper story, they are able to sway trading in their favor and sell off all of their stuff at a decent price.

The fact that many in JunkYard know of them also helps them locate and purchase all of the supplies that they want.

The ammunition dealer they find is a rather odd Rastafarian fellow. He’s able to hook them up with some gyrojet ammo and 40mm grenades. For the rest of the weaponry, he directs them to a large man he thinks may have been in the military (Sarge).

The next order of business the posse has is to procure all of the necessary food and fuel. While hunting down these supplies they also pick up a map of Idaho. One of the bounties they need to collect is in New-tello- which is somewhat en-route to Boise.

Food and fuel acquired, they head back towards the JY Hilton. Twitch is paid for his babysitting services. As a token of thanks for the pay, Twitch builds the posse a G-Ray converter to take with them.

Seeing the G-ray converted, Ben is reminded of his small store of Ghost Rock. He and Hammy take it over to Winister to do some bartering. They negotiate having a remote control build for the Black Widow device.

The two finally complete all of their trading and head back to the hotel for rest.

the following is unknown to the posse
Across the street a man watches them with a keen eye. He folds his paper and makes his way through a small tent city. He meets with a dark figure.

The man reports “They’re back, Alive.”

“We’ll just have to rectify that.” – the dark figure responds in a male/female voice. As the figure steps forwards, a crooked smile spans a the decayed and cracked visage of Sylvia Chambers.

July 6, 2011

Warehouse

The dust and debris billows out from the crash site. The large APC’s frame smashes some crates and sends others flying out into the warehouse. A small group of mercenaries emerge from the sewers and join in the chaos.

Ben takes advantage of the distraction and fires full auto on Vrai, landing several shots to the guts. The APC’s doors open and a JunkYard Militia squad pours out. The JM officers spot both Hammond and Soria and immediately order them to freeze.

At that moment, the mercenaries form the sewers enter into the main room and encounter the JM squad. Immediately bullets begin to fly between the two groups. Hammy hears Jaeger shouting orders, including telling one of the mercs to escort him out.

Deep inside his chest, Ben feels a sharp tug at his heart “Aztec Surprise!”. Fortunately Vrai isn’t successful and Ben escapes with his organs all in the right places.

Soria tries to make her way over to Jaeger. Hammy alerts the HM to Jaeger’s position, and his intent to escape via the sewer. He then leaps from the second story to some adjacent boxes and hops down just behind Soria.

Vrai shouts the command “Kill Him!” The mercenary standing near Ben turns and, with a blank stare, takes aim at the hero. Vrai then makes a dash for large Ghost Rock pile. Ben ignores merc and charges after Vrai. “Not in this lifetime!” Ben shouts as he unloads his rifle into Vrai.

The corpse of Sydney/Vrai falls to the ground. The small pieces of ghost rock that were connected fall and form a small brain-like structure. The ghost rock brain floats up for a moment and explodes, sending a small wave of psychic energy. Ben is hit by the wave, but is able to resist damage.

The battle between the JM and the mercs continues. One of the JM soldiers rounds a corner and stumbles upon Hammy and Soria. He raises his gun to them. Hammond diffuses the situation and mostly convinces the JM guy that they are not enemies, and that stopping Jaeger is the most important thing at this moment. The soldier agrees, but insist that Hammond and Soria take the lead.

Hammond gets caught up on one of the crates, unable to move until he can get free. Soria charges Jaeger’s group and lays into them with the combat shotgun. Jaeger replies with a blast of his Juicer (acid gun). He lands a hit, but splatters some onto himself as well.

Ben picks up Sydney’s body and moves towards the rest of the crew. Jaeger tries to climb down the ladder into the sewer. Soria runs up to the hole and fires down at Jaeger. Her shots land and knock Jaeger off of the ladder. He falls to the bottom shattering his legs as he lands, but manages to stay alive. Hammy finally frees himself and charges the remaining mercs. As he round the corner he makes a mighty sweep at them, splattering one merc against the wall. The remaining merc surrenders.

Ben, Hammy, and Soria are all handcuffed and taken in for questioning. Hammond give over the data slug recordings as evidence of what had happened. Hours pass as they are interrogated and all evidence is examined.

In a rather uncomfortable state, the crew once again stands before Judge Tolliver. The judge reminds them that he had not wanted to see them back in his courtroom, ever.

A man stands up from the crown and gives testimony for the posse. That man is Dimitri Karkos. He explains how the group was hired by him to assist in stopping Jaeger. Tolliver is frustrated but satisfied with the evidence and testimony presented. All charges are cleared.

Karkos presents the crew with payment for their wok in taking down Jaeger. Additionally, he notes that the posse will have property rights on anything that may be found at Salem Towers. He also supplies them with a copy of the data slug recordings.

As they exit the courthouse, a haze surrounds them. The spirit of Bo Knudson introduces himself (he is the mysterious man that was beaten by Jaeger’s crew). He explains what had happened.

Knudson was trying to alert the authorities to Jaeger’s activities. That is why they captured him. He also tells of how Vrai was spiritually in debt to the darkness. Vrai had frequently tapped into the dark powers to enhance his own abilities. When Vrai was unable to crack Knudson’s mind on his own, he tried to “overkill” again- but this time he had overdrawn. Knudson asks for the posse to pray for his soul. Ben and Hammy read a few prayers and bless him, sending his soul of into eternal rest.

Soria heads back to the Hilton to check on Marilyn. Hammy and Ben head to Salem Towers to check for the other members of the posse, and to grab any spoils that may be there. There is no sign of the other members, but quite a bit of loot. Among the various items is Law Dog badge.

After the visit to the Towers, Hammond and Ben head to the JLA to collect their bounties. They also present the badge to them. The badge seems to hold some importance. As a thank you, they are given back their membership fee- but now have free access to the JLA database. They also find out that 2 of the bounties need to be picked up elsewhere. (NewTello, Idaho –kind of en route to Boise- and Buckland, Nevada – near spring creek.)

From there they head to the reporter. Presented with the data slug, he naturally asks what happened. Ben and Hammond recount the whole adventure. The reporter is taken aback by their story and incorporates it into the news report. They are given a copy of the paper once it is printed.

Finally they head back to the hotel for rest. As they come to the entrance of the building a man in a black suit approaches them. He is a representative of Isaac Taylor. They are presented with a letter from Mr. Taylor. In the letter he thanks them for stopping Jaeger’s coup , and expresses interest in meeting them some day. On the back of the letter, Karkos has attached a message as well. The remaining posse members were found in the tower and have been taken to the hospital. Karkos will be seeing them soon.

Warehouse

Hammy quickly swaps out the battery in his hammer while regrouping. The trio creeps as stealthily as possible. Soria accidentally crosses the path of 2 mercenaries on their way out.

The mercs are startled and a shoot out begins. In the muzzle flash she sees that they are carrying loaded backpacks smudged with ghost rock dust. Ben rushes to aid her, taking shots at the mercs and catching one of them in the arm. Soria takes a hit to the head but shakes it off.

On the east wall of the warehouse 3 windows are heard shattering. A glance up reveals laser sights scanning the room, all coming from the broken windows. Immediately after, the posse hears the unmistakable sound of a brain blast coming from the north end.

Hammy charges the 2 mercs on the ground. They trade swipes, but no one connects. More sounds echo from the north; this time a creepy male/female cackle followed by gunshots.

Ben fires one one of the ground mercs and blows a hole through his forearm. The hired gun drops to his knees in shock. Hammy finishes him with a swift hit to the skull, and takes cover from the snipers behind a partition. Ben also takes cover, opting to crouch behind some crates. Meanwhile, another merc emerges from a room on the ground floor and fires at Hammond.

A voice echos out – “Stop you son of a bitch!” then more maniacal laughter from Vrai.

Soria auto-fires and heavily wounds the merc closest to her. Ben fires on him as well. Having heard the earlier brain blast, Ben climbs on top of a stack of crates for a better view. While he is up there he takes a pot shot at one of the snipers.

The remaining mercenaries give the posse a run for their money. Hammond takes several hits, then retaliates with a sweeping blow killing two of them. Soria shoots one of the snipers in the hand.

Vrai’s voice echoes once again – “Die Now!” The sizzle and boom of another brain blast. Unexpectedly, he/she quickly floats past the group and towards the north/east corner – eyes glowing and a small piece of ghostrock burning in it’s hand.

Ben ascends to a higher stack of crates and gets a clear view of Vrai. “Hey Earthy, … Catch!” he exclaims while firing off brain blast. Vrai is also fired upon by one of the few remaining mercs.

Ben tells Hammy and Soria to focus on taking out the snipers. Vrai taunts Ben, but he retorts with yest another brain blast. Vrain uses telekinesis to throw the mercenary across the room, opening up a path to the storage of ghost rock.

Ben sprints down and attempts to use telekinesis to throw Vrai. There is a slight power struggle, but Ben is successful. He knocks Vrai down and slides him into Jaeger’s legs- hurting both of the baddies. Jaeger topples over dropping his backpack and spewing forth a stash of ghost rock.

Simultaneously, Soria burns one of the sniper’s arms and attempts to take him out with some gunfire. Hammy climbs a ladder and attempts to bash the sniper with the Sharps big 50. He and the sniper engage in a point blank shoot out, but neither is successful.

Back on the lower lever, Ben blasts Vrai once again. A lone merc fires once on Ben, before Ben convinces him to fire on Vrai. Exploiting the distraction caused by the merc, Vrai scrambles to pick up the ghost rock that had fallen from Jaeger’s pack. He/she picks it up and immediately begins to float. The ghost rock illuminates, then bursts into a controlled flame. The wounds on Vrai’s body melt away. It becomes extremely clear why he cannot be allowed to get to the large stockpile of ghost rock. Seeing what has happened, Jaeger hps up and makes haste for the exit.

Hammy finally kills the sniper he was wrestling with by knocking him off the 2nd floor. Just then he hears a heavy motor from outside. With a mighty crash a large APC bursts through the warehouse’s loading dock doors (south wall). The emblem on the side indicates that the APC is property of Junkyard Militia.