TL's Rocky Mountain Campaign

This was the first adventure I GM'd for Untold. It was a solo adventure for my Klik Roller player, as I wanted him to start on the Great Machine, and be party to the events that brought the Klik Node to the Rocky Mountain Region.

June 3rd, 2011 (6:30 pm to 10:00 pm)

Logan at Lost Cog

109@N (aka "Logan") is a Klik Roller whose function was locating and scrapping runaway Junkers. He served admirably for many, many cycles, but eventually was given the order to report for scrapping himself. Logan, however, felt that this was illogical, as he had never failed. The Roller knew of a small, remote Klik Node, 105T-C09 where it was rumored that a small group of Junkers had been hiding out.

Unsure of what he would do when he arrived, Logan nevertheless set out for 105T-C09, as it would at least be a decent hiding place (or so he hoped). When the Klik arrived at the Node, he immediately headed for the under-cog area, as it would prove more cover. Using his echolocation (two bugle-like projections set behind his shoulders that continually swivelled about), Logan had no fear of the dark places of the under-cog, but he still fell prey to several Iron Mites. In a precarious position, Logan was forced to employ his Cog-cranked Slug-thrower at point blank range to remove the offensive creatures.

While avoiding a patrolling Gear Guard, Logan encountered several Junkers. Before the situation could come to blows, Logan assured them that he was also a Junker. They were wary, but took the Roller to their leader, a truly ancient Junker named 2U5T33 (aka "Rusty"). When Logan saw that Rusty had difficulty moving due to a busted leg, he volunteered to repair it. Salvaging some scrap from nearby, the Roller used his Micro Assembler to process it into usable components, and then performed a Field Repair to fix Rusty up. This made Rusty and two of the other Junkers amenable to Logan, but the final Tripod, 2!V3T (aka "Rivet") was still wary.

That was soon to change, as several Gear Guards discovered them, and Logan immediately went after them with his CCST, while the Junkers moved in to use their Saws. The fight was short, but cemented Logan's place among the Junkers. Rusty then proceeded to tell Logan about the situation at the Node.

Rusty told Logan that a rogue Roller scientist named 13CT32 (aka "Lecter") came to 105T-C09 in order to engage in unrestricted experimentation with Flux crystals. He and his followers (known collectively as Enigmists), had begun construction of a massive Enigma Engine that Lecter called an Enigma Reactor. A Klik Tripod Harvester designated vv23K32 (aka "Wrecker") had attempted to persuade Lecter to stop his experiments, but the scientist refused, and the Enigmists moved the Enigma Reactor.

Soon, Wrecker had formed his own faction, the Steamists, and also contacted a higher authority beyond the Node. Meanwhile, the two factions had become belligerent, and the Gear Guards (known to everyone as Coggers) took notice. The Coggers stepped up their patrols, which is why the Gear Guards were in the under-cog.

A new element had entered, as a sniper designated 533K32 (aka "Seeker") had been sent to 105T-C09 to eliminate Lecter. Seeker had joined forces with Steamists, and were busy searching for Lecter.

Logan and the Junkers were discussing what they should do when they noticed several Iron Gnawers hanging around. They thought nothing of it (one of the other Junkers even let an Iron Gnawer clean him), until suddenly two Iron Gnawers lashed out with vv312d Energy Rays! The Iron Gnawers had been modified to carry Enigma Engines! Several Nervous Tics and a Tripod Guardian attacked the group, attempting to incapacitate one of the Junkers. After a fierce battle, the Iron Gnawers were rendered harmless (as they were very much glass cannons), and the Enigmists were destroyed.

This decided the Junkers. Rusty was too old, but Rivet and the other two Junkers led Logan to the location they had ascertained the Enigmists had moved the Enigma Reactor to. The Logan and the Junkers got into a fierce battle with more Enigmists, while they witnessed a group of Steamists attempting to get close enough to attack Lecter, who was adjusting a machine at the base of an enormous Flux crystal.

The race was on, for Lecter was cackling about being nearly finished, while the fight raged on. Logan, and (from a concealed, elevated position) Seeker were focused on Lecter when Logan realized that the machine should be destroyed.

Too late! As Lecter succumbed to his injuries, he threw the final switch. The smog-filled sky above the Node was replaced by orange, roiling clouds. Lightning danced across the hellish canopy and all the Klik felt a wrongness down to their cores. The feeling subsided somewhat as the machine was destroyed, but the whole Node was surrounded by a massive Flux-storm. Wrecker, noting that Logan and one of the other Junkers survived, mused in a loud voice, "It would be a shame if I found any Junkers around here, as I'd be forced to scrap them." He then poignantly turned away to examine Lecter's shattered chassis.

Logan and Rivet high tailed it back to Rusty and filled him in. After assuring that all three were in as good as repair as possible, the three hunkered down to weather the storm. Over the next several weeks, the Steamists and Coggers had formed an alliance in order to hunt down (hopefully) the remaining Enigmists.

Then the Flux-storm dissipated. The Node had been transported to another dimension! Early estimates placed them somewhere on the primary Apoc biosphere known as Earth. The two factions realized they were permanently displaced from the Great Machine. Wrecker and T@9 (aka "Tag", the head of the Gear Guards) elected to become the Lost Cog's Operating Directives.

Logan, Rusty and Rivet chose this time to slip away from the Node. One of the last things they learned was that some active power source had been detected to the south in the ruins of a city. The three Junkers felt that the ruins were the best option for survival (as it would hopefully provide plenty of spare parts). The three set off toward the ruins...

Excellent stuff, TL! I really like the factions you created! You should consider writing them up as a Fanonical post!

After I finish my two current Personas, I could give it a whirl. I think that it would be a single article, as the factions are all very new--and the Enigmists were wiped out (or were they...) :P

Cool! :D

This was my second adventure, when my Apoc High-bred player joined the game.

Edit: June 4th, 2011 (Noon to 4:00 pm)

Shadowhawk and the Junkers

Newly promoted to the lowest ranking Senior Scout, the NORAD High-bred nicknamed "Shadowhawk" was given an important assignment. Scouts had reported strange clockwork robots excavating something in the old downtown area of the ruins of Colorado Springs. Shadowhawk was to be driven partway into the ruins, and would then proceed on foot to gather intelligence on the clockwork beings and what they were excavating.

A Mechanist drove the jeep up the cracked remains of Highway 115 into town, while another Scout manned the "Light Fifty" mounted in back. The Mechanist brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop as near to the downtown area as he dared, remarking to Shadowhawk that he'd have to make it back to NORAD on foot.

Shadowhawk carefully made his way toward another highway, Interstate 25 that cut through the city, passing dozens of rusting cars parked in lots. He reached the embankment near an area where I-25 curved from East-West to North-South. As he neared the edge, he could see the wreckage from dozens of southbound cars that broke through the guard rail when the Event happened. Likewise, the rusting remains of cars that had been heading westbound had plowed through the concrete barrier separating the flow of traffic at the bend as well.

More importantly, he saw three of the clockwork beings trundling down the highway, one a Klik Roller (Logan), and the others Klik Tripods (Rusty and Rivet). The three weren't being stealthy, and were in fact carrying on a conversation about wanting to know what the other Klik were up to, when a group of Roving Maws leapt from the river that followed the inside curve of the highway at that point. Shadowhawk, who was concealed behind a wrecked car, was hidden from both groups.

He watched as the Roving Maws attacked the three clockwork robots, and realized that they were his potential source of information about what was going on. So Shadowhawk elected to help them from a position of concealment using his M8 "SI" Carbine. Logan used his Cog-cranked Slug-thrower, while Rusty and Rivet attacked the Roving Maws with their Saws. Together they killed or drove off all of the Roving Maws.

The three Klik attempted to determine where the shots came from that aided them, but soon gave up (as Shadowhawk was very stealthy). Logan led the two Junkers off the highway to the west to find a safe location for repairs. They ended up entering a large building through a loading dock.

Meanwhile, Shadowhawk followed them, and climbed up into the building through a damaged part of the roof to keep an eye on them. While balanced near the ceiling by clinging to some re-bar, he watched as Logan repaired himself and the Junkers. Then, a trio of Howling Horrors entered from further in the building, letting out Horrible Screams.

Shadowhawk felt bound to help the Klik, and so started firing from his perch. Inside the building, Logan's echolocation allowed him to pinpoint the Apoc High-bred's location once he started firing. Realizing that Shadowhawk was helping, Logan turned his attention to the Howling Horrors. They eventually destroyed them, though Rivet was shaken by the encounter.

After a tense round of questions, the Junkers elected to accept Shadowhawk's company (and protection) in exchange for what little they knew. Introductions were made, and Shadowhawk led them back toward the car lots, where there were covered garages with the remains of vehicles for cover. The four talked until nightfall, and Shadowhawk learned that the Klik excavation was to unearth an active power source that they wished to exploit. He also learned that as "Junkers", the three Klik were on the run from their own kind.

Shadowhawk wanted to get a closer view of the dig site, and Logan agreed to accompany him. Rusty and Rivet stayed in the multi-level garage (the area had obviously been a car dealership before the Event). Logan and Shadowhawk made their way a short distance up I-25 to the offramp that led to an eastbound road. Shadowhawk had to carefully climb across the remains of the bridge that crossed the river (which was no more than a creek before the Event) while Logan zipped across with his wheel-hooks. They then chose to climb to the high point of the ruined power plant that was there.

Once they reached the top (which was about ten-foot-square), they could plainly see the excavation, which was surrounded by floodlights–and dozens of Gear Guards and Tripods warding off swarms of undead that were attempting to attack them. Meanwhile, worker Tripods and a massive Crucible were busy clearing wreckage and other debris.

Just then, a pair of Crag Crawlers climbed up and attacked. After a precarious fight, the heroes sent the Crag Crawlers plunging to their deaths. Shadowhawk and Logan resumed their reconnaissance of the dig site, and determined that it would probably be at least a week before they uncovered anything.

The unlikely pair made their way back to the ground and were retracing their path when they encountered a Large Hydra Strand with 50 foot long tentacles! Fortunately, the beast seemed incapable of landing a hit, and the two made short work of it with their weapons.

On their way back to Rusty and Rivet in the dealership garage when they encountered five Wretches. The undead attacked, and Logan was having difficulty hitting, managing to fell one of the creatures in the time it took Shadowhawk to defeat the other four in unarmed combat, during which he employed his Whirlwind Fury, striking three at a time!

The pair made it back to Rusty and Rivet without further incident. Shadowhawk attempted to convince the Klik to return to NORAD with him. He assured them that they would be treated well. Rusty and Rivet were unconvinced, and suggested that if Logan went and then returned to them, that they'd go there.

At dawn, Shadowhawk and Logan traveled to NORAD. The High-bred had the Roller wait a distance away, and then approached the sentries, talking with 1st Senior Defender Jenkins (a dark-skinned man), who was on duty at the entrance. Shadowhawk then had the Klik join him. They were allowed inside, but had to surrender their arms once at the first checkpoint (as only active duty guards are allowed to carry their weapons while about the base). The two were debriefed by Master Scout Mercy Munroe (a slight, blue-eyed blonde woman) and Master Analyst Alicia Kreiner (who didn't say a word, or write anything down during the interview).

After the meeting, Logan was assured that he and his fellow Klik would be granted asylum, and placed under the care of the Mechanists. Logan would be allowed to work with Shadowhawk as an honorary Scout. The pair retrieved the other Junkers from the ruins and brought to NORAD.

Loving it!!! Keep it comin! :D

This is the third adventure I ran! I had the base idea for a few months, and the composition of the minions was inspired by Benraven's "Stalked" fiction.

It might be a little while before I get to run another adventure, as Independence Day will impact our schedules, but hopefully I'll get at least one session in during July!

June 18th (10:00 am to 2:30 pm)

Webs

A little over a week has passed since the Klik were granted asylum at NORAD. Logan had spent the time learning the basics of being a Scout (hand signals, stealth, etc.), while Shadowhawk visited the Augmentors to see if they could increase his strength.

Logan was in the machine shop talking with Rusty and Rivet when 1st Senior Defender Jenkins (NAU Grunt) comes running in, carrying the Roller's Cog-Cranked Slug-thrower and Shadowhawk's new weapon, an M201 Assault Weapon. Jenkins tossed Logan his weapon and told him to come along. They then collected Shadowhawk, and took them down to Level 13.

There, they met up with several other Defenders (3 NAU Grunts plus an NAU Firebug) and 4th Chief Defender Mitch Munroe (NAU HERo Sergeant). Chief Defender Munroe was short and squat, with blonde hair and blue eyes (like his older sister Mercy). Munroe told them that the Engineers working on expanding the base hadn't been heard from for awhile, and when they sent in a couple of War Dogs, they didn't return. He wanted Shadowhawk and Logan to scout ahead, while Munroe and all but one of the Defenders would follow them from a distance.

The soldiers entered the construction area, the two halves of the heavy sliding door closing behind them. Lights were strung along the corridors and an open chamber that were nearly finished, while off to one side, they found excavating tools and a tumble of debris from where the Engineers had breached into a natural tunnel. From beyond, the glow of orange crystals jutting from the walls dimly illuminated the passage. As they were about to enter, Logan noticed something on a crystal near the breach–dried blood.

Munroe, Jenkins, the Firebug and other Defender waited at this location while Shadowhawk and Logan proceeded into the tunnel. After about 80 feet, the downward sloping tunnel forked. As they had no clues as to which direction to go, they elected to head left. Soon, the tunnel was filled with gossamer strands cast in an orange hue from the glowing crystals. The strands hung from overhead, and were sticky–webs!

Cautiously, they came around a corner and discovered several large, bulging masses of webbing–some sort of weird cocoons. The nearest started moving as they approached, possibly sensing their presence. Suddenly it burst open, and a horribly twisted creature stumbled forth, unlike anything they'd ever seen (Mutamoto). Logan used his Grease Gun to make the area slick as three more of the warped creatures emerged from cocoons!

The fight went against the heroes, for even though several of the mutants slipped and fell, the others reached out with their misshapen hands, delivering Warping Touches to both Shadowhawk and Logan. They were forced to retreat back toward the NORAD Defenders, who jumped in to aid in the fight. Eventually they defeated the creatures, but they realized that these were some of the Engineers.

After they had recovered somewhat, it was decided that Munroe would take the Firebug and one of the Defenders and try the right hand passage, while Shadowhawk, Logan, and Jenkins would proceed to the left. Once past the area with the cocoons, the group still encountered more webbing, and were soon ambushed by indistinct mutli-legged foes that they eventually realized were giant spiders (Red Backed Spider Assassins)! While there was only a pair, the arachnids proved to be difficult opponents, delivering poisonous bites.

The trio eventually overcame the creatures, and Jenkins discovered tags hanging around one of the spiders–tags that belonged to one of the War Dogs. At this point, Logan spoke up about how the Flux crystals can do strange things, and even gave a brief summary about the Enigmists and their experiments.

Still, they forged on, and in a larger chamber with columns formed by stalactites and stalagmites growing together they encounter several dagger-armed humanoid arachnids (Silken Assassins)! These were undoubtedly more of the engineering team. The fight wasn't going well for the heroes, as they were still suffering from being poisoned, when Munroe appeared from another passage. He was injured, and the other two Defenders weren't with him, but he helped them defeat the monsters.

Moving on, they were attacked by another of the creatures, this one apparently unarmed (Slys-ayr Character), but which proved to have wicked Claws (4). Shadowhawk managed to pin the creature to the wall using Glue Grenades, and they eventually destroyed the creature.

Injured, the group chose to retreat. They followed the route that Munroe had taken, passing the remains of two more of the humanoid spiders and the bodies of the fallen Defenders. Eventually, they made it to the original junction were the two groups had initially split. As they made to leave, they heard a strange, feminine voice in their heads. Leaving so soon? I wanted to thank you for releasing me from my slumber. A hideous multi-armed creature stepped from the shadows (Weaver of Despair). The creature's hand dragged along the wall, reshaping it (Flux Shaper).

The group open fire on her as she assaulted Munroe psychically. As she fell, Munroe kept repeating, "I'm all right. I'm all right." Suddenly, he turned his weapon on Shadowhawk and fired! Jenkins, Logan and the Scout all worked to subdue Munroe without killing him, and Shadowhawk managed to Disarm the Chief Defender. They managed to drag him back to the entrance to the construction area, even though at times he was still violent in between phases of babbling and even lucidity.

Once there, they summoned Medics to sedate Munroe. All were taken for healing (though Logan was taken to the Mechanists instead). They managed to cure them of their poisoning (GM call–it seemed to me that they'd have a way to deal with that), and after a few days everyone had recovered from their injuries. Munroe was restored to sanity, and even though he wasn't responsible for his actions, he gave his "Light Fifty" Rifle to Shadowhawk.

Logan and Shadowhawk were summoned to a meeting with Master Scout Mercy Munroe and Master Analyst Alicia Kreiner. Kreiner spoke up, telling them that the creature they defeated was most likely a Weaver of Despair.

Mercy thanked them for saving her brother, before continuing with an intelligence brief: The Scouts watching the Klik dig site appeared to have unearthed an entryway. They wanted Logan and Shadowhawk to go recon the area, and if possible get inside...

Into the Ruins

July 9th, 2011 (10 am to 2:30 pm)

Shadowhawk and Logan are sent to find out if the Klik have gained access to the structure that they've been excavating, and if so, attempt to get inside.

The two are driven partway into town, and as Logan is taking in the view, he notices a winged serpentine creature flying around. The other Scout in the jeep with them informs the Roller that the figure is Wyvern, a L'na Twilight that's been around almost since the Event. The Scout also tells Logan that Wyvern hates undead, and that the L'na has occasionally taken issue with the way the NORAD High-bred use the area's resources. With that, the driver brings the vehicle to a halt, and the two heroes get out.

Just as the jeep rolls out of sight, a group of Caterwauls attempt to pulverize them with their screams. While they prove not to be a challenge, Shadowhawk does sustain a minor wound. As they proceed further into the ruins, they follow the road that passes under the highway above. Here, they are attacked by a group of Wretches, that prove to be no match for Shadowhawk and Logan.

They decide to approach the dig site from the east, and settle on using a tall building that was obviously still under construction when the Event occurred. As they approached, they could see that the Klik had used the debris from the excavation to build a primitive wall/berm around the site. Sneaking in from the far side of the building from their target, Shadowhawk suggested that they not use their firearms, as it could attract the Klik.

Climbing the stairs, they discover that the door to the level is missing, and a putrid smell emanates from within. Before they can proceed, a Rotting Brute emerges onto the landing. They quickly dispatch it with E-bolts and the High-bred's Onslaught, but two more try to make their way onto the landing, while another two Rotting Brutes can be heard coming down the stairs from above. Shadowhawk is injured by the monster, and has to work at keeping from being sick from their putrescence.

The two retreat down the stairs, so that the Brutes could only attack them one at a time. In this manner, the heroes manage to slay the creatures without being overwhelmed. Fortunately, Shadowhawk kept his stomach under control (as he wears a helmet).

They proceed up two more floors, where they hear low-pitched laughter, and then realize that another Rotting Brute followed them up the stairs. Logan moves into the sixth floor to engage their new foe, while Shadowhawk uses his Onslaught to drop the Rotting Brute with a single strike, but finds himself overcome by the stench (Impaired).

Logan discovers their new opponent to be a hideous humanoid with chains attached to wicked sickles in place of hands. He Strafes the Flesh Ripper while Shadowhawk recovers and manages to join him. Shadowhawk uses his recently learned Whip Strike to Daze the Flesh Ripper while Logan harasses it with his E-bolt. The High-bred Whip Strikes it again, causing it to become Staggered, and the two finish it with E-bolts and Onslaught.

The heroes manage to make it to the top floor of the unfinished building, and moved to spy on the Klik. They discovered that the Klik had uncovered a sturdy metal door and were attempting to open it. While they watched, Saws and Torches seemed ineffective, only scoring the door slightly. Soon the Klik placed what Logan identified as a Satchel Charge. The Klik moved to the other side of the dig site, and detonated the charge. As the smoke cleared, the heroes could see that the door had been blasted open.

Just then, they heard a terrible roar from ground level on the opposite side of the building from the excavation. Suddenly, the building started to topple toward the dig site! Logan activated his Wheel-hooks and grabbed Shadowhawk, racing toward the north (soon to be top) side of the building. As they crested over onto the building's side, they see a Gargantuan (60 foot tall) Xenarthra (Doomdigger) that had erupted from beneath the building! Still carrying Shadowhawk, Logan Raced down the building as it crashed across the excavation, re-burying it–and most of the Klik as well!

The two heroes Raced toward the two surviving Klik that they could see (a Harvester and a Gear Guard), trying to draw the enormous beast after them. They then saw how such a creature had gone unnoticed, as it Phased into the Earth to chase them. It dawned on them that the beast must have been under the building's north side when the explosion disturbed it!

As they flashed past the two Klik, Logan yelled for them to "destroy it." The Klik foolishly attack the Doomdigger, which Sunders the Earth, severely damaging the Gear Guard. Logan Strafes the beast, switching to his Stunner in hopes of incapacitating it, while Shadowhawk focuses himself on his physical being and begins hammering the Xenarthra with his "Light Fifty" Rifle. The Gear Guard is destroyed, and the Harvester attempts to flee, prompting Shadowhawk to direct Logan toward stopping it.

Meanwhile, Shadowhawk whittles the Gargantuan beast down until it tries to escape, apparently so wounded that it could no longer Phase into Earth. He finishes the beast, and then assists Logan in destroying the Harvester. Shadowhawk claims a tooth from the Doomdigger as a prize, while Logan removes the Harvester's Reinforced Klik Plating.

Upon returning to NORAD, they inform the Master Scout and Master Analyst of the events that had transpired, and believe that the Klik efforts to excavate the site have been set back significantly.

Awesome! Sounds like a blast! :D I'd love to know more about how Shadowhawk learned Whip Strike, though! :D

I believe as a "Hot Swap" he didn't actually have to have a Story reason to use it (I let him add it to his Deck after I printed the card out), but it was the first (and quite successful) use of one of the new TransVerse cards from here: http://www.untoldthegame.com/store/high-bred-mm3e

Shadowhawk's player, Nick, was quite pleased with the results, I must say! (Not that the Flesh Ripper liked it!) ;)

Coolness! Glad to see you're using and liking them! Yea, technically, no Story was needed. :D

The Flux Storm

Saturday, September 17th (Noon to 4 pm)

EDIT: Wow! The last time we played was July 9th. Dang, we've gotta play more. :)

The adventure starts with the Junkers (including Logan) being invited to attend the first baseball game of the summer. Temporary bleachers have been set up just across old Highway 115 from the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, with sentries posted around the perimeter. Shadowhawk is off-duty, so he attends as well. As the 8 to 12 year old High-bred children are divided into teams, the Winged Serpent, Wyvern, descends to join the crowd. The L'na Twilight resembles a brown tree snake over fifteen feet long, with bat-like wings. Just before he lands, six insect-like legs sprout from his body.

After the first game, Wyvern approaches Shadowhawk and the Klik. He says to Logan and Shadowhawk, "I foresee danger in your futures--danger that transcends the physical." With that, he launches himself into the air and flies off.

When the second game ends, a Defender informs them that Master Scout Munroe wants to see them. In her office, they meet the dark-skinned 4th Junior Researcher Stephanie Franklin. Franklin has been given permission to study the constant Flux Storm to the east. Shadowhawk and Logan are to accompany her.

They leave the next morning, heading east across the cleared out remains of the old army base. The first day passed uneventfully, but on the second, the three of them were ambushed by a pair of particularly nasty Ravagers (Body 8, among other increases). Franklin and Shadowhawk take the first devastating attack, and then the Ravagers began targeting Shadowhawk and Logan (even though he's a Klik Roller, Logan was hurting them). They eventually slew them.

That night, a storm blew in, and while they were being pelted by rain and wind on a little hillside, the Arc Coils on Logan's back attracted the attention of a pair of Living Lightnings (also tougher than normal). One moved in to attack the group with it's Lightning Claws, while the other called down Lightning Strikes. The heroes managed to defeat them as well.

The third day, they reached a spot within a mile of the towering, roiling Flux Storm. Bathed in the orange glow of the storm, the Researcher set up a machine to analyze and record the phenomenon. Only moments after she activated the device, a swirling orange tear in reality formed: a Flux Portal!

Out of the portal emerged a Disciple of Pain (aka a Faceless Monk), a Flux Warper, and three Hydra Strands. In a strange, disembodied voice, the Disciple of Pain said, "We heard your summons, mistress."

With eyes wide, the surprised Franklin only managed to vocalize a squeak. When Logan attacked, the Disciple realized that Franklin didn't intentionally summon them, so the horrors all attacked as well. The Disciple attempted to drive each of the heroes mad in turn using his Insane Eye, while the Hydra Strands advanced to engage them with their tentacle slams. The Flux Warper initially tried to control Shadowhawk's mind, but attempted numerous powers such as Mind Lash before settling in to just use his Flux Blast.

Slowly, they wore down the three Hydra Strands. Ironically, it was Franklin that managed to get the killing blow in on each! Once the hydras were gone, Shadowhawk was finally able to slay the Disciple of Pain, which fell out of the sky with a resounding thump!

Logan warned Franklin to stay out of sight from the Flux Warper, and the Roller and Shadowhawk wounded it gravely (even though it healed itself at one point). The wounded external attempted to retreat through the Flux Portal, but just then a hideously disgusting Rift Ripper stepped through, cutting down the fleeing Flux Warper.

The Rift Ripper said aloud, "I am Sergoroth! I am pleased with the outcome of your battle with the Faceless Monk and his followers. I grant you each a blessing!"

(At this point, I drew a Flux Mutation card for Franklin, and had my players each draw a Flux Mutation card.)

Suddenly, Franklin's eyes took on an orange glow, and she tried to run to Sergoroth. Shadowhawk cried out, "Grab her!"

Logan reacted quicker, and snatched her up, but not before Shadowhawk's arms stretched out weirdly, which shocked the heroes. Meanwhile, Sergoroth stepped back through the portal, and it sealed behind him.

With the portal closed, Franklin seemed a little more herself, but her eyes still glowed orange. Logan was also affected strangely, finding himself trying to bottle up a feeling of rage. The heroes discovered that Franklin's device had been destroyed during the battle, and it didn't seem to bother the woman.

That night, Shadowhawk awoke to discover that Franklin had slipped away from their camp during her watch. They discovered that her tracks led off toward the Flux Storm, but they couldn't locate her.

They made their way back to NORAD without any major incidents, but while Logan found his state of rage to be disconcerting, Shadowhawk became enamored with the possibilities presented by his newfound ability.

After reporting the events that occurred, the two realized that maybe Wyvern's warning held some merit, as they both proved equally powerless in the onslaught of the Disciple of Pain's and the Flux Warper's attacks. They are now considering asking Master Scout Munroe for permission to visit the Manitou Churls, in order to see if they can help the heroes with their weaknesses (and especially the rage that Logan now feels)...

Coolness! Great job, TL! So what Flux Mutations Powers did they get? Stretching and what else? :D

Sorry, Shadowhawk got Stretching and Logan (the Roller) got Rager!

The NPC ended up with Flux Shaper, and I figured that her obsession w/ the Flux Storm would cause her to cast all aside and rush into it as soon as she could slip away from the PCs. They may be meeting her again... (Evil GM laugh!)

A Roller with Rager! Interesting! Brings to mind all sorts of cool role-playing opportunities. Why would the automaton suddenly be getting angry? What is anger? COOL!

Flux Shaper + Flux obsessed NPC = Future BBEG!

Mwaa ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Manitou

Saturday, November 5th (Noon to 4 pm)

Logan and Shadowhawk want to travel to Manitou to see if the churl can help them improve their mental and spiritual capabilities. Also, Logan wants to divest himself of the Rage he's been plagued with since their encounter with the Rift Ripper Sergoroth.

They travel in a circuitous route from NORAD to Manitou, encountering no major problems. At the outskirts of the churl village (as they come down off of the broken highway near a collapsed bridge), they are spotted by a small churl (Talla, a Redplains Runner). The churl dashes off at high speed (about four times what Shadowhawk could accomplish). As they get further in (noting that little in the way of ruins lie west of the collapsed bridge), they see several churls awaiting them.

The small churl, Talla, approaches and asks, "Why does a high-bred of NO-RAD and a metal man come to Manitou?"

Once they tell her, she introduces herself and has them follow her. She says, "I will see if an elder will speak with you." In the village proper they see tents, huts, and wooden lodges, alongside a creek. Nature (with the help of the churl) has reclaimed much of the valley.

Talla goes into a lodge, and when she returns, informs them that one of the elders will see them, but that they must leave their tech (said like a curse) weapons here (in a hut), along with Shadowhawk's helmet. They leave their rifles (along w/ the helmet) in the hut.

They enter a dark lodge with a small fire that produces more smoke than light. The smoke has a strange scent and makes Shadowhawk a little unsettled.

The elder asks why they have come. When they tell him, he responds, "You both already possess what you seek, but to unlock it, you must first cast aside your unneeded complications." (They must "get back to basics" in a sense in order to strengthen their inner beings.)

As for Logan's desire about the Rage: "You have a spirit of a mighty warrior within your metal and wooden body. Why would you be free of it?" After Logan insists: "There is a ritual of transference, in which the spirit may be moved to one of our tribe. However, you must slay a flux grizzly and return with a flux crystal from the bear's body. Talla will guide you to such a beast, but you and your companion must defeat it–without your tech weapons. You will be given an implement to help you remove the flux crystal." They give Logan a battleaxe. Shadowhawk retrieves his helmet.

Talla leads them into the hills to the North of Manitou. She finds them recent evidence of the flux grizzly, and leaves them to their own devices. "I will wait here."

They travel for a while and are surprised by an advanced Nettleman (nettleman minion with Body 12). They defeat it, but must heal from it's wicked thorns (they use their field medic pack and micro gear medic disc).

Several hours later, they encounter the flux grizzly. At first, the fight goes back and forth, and the heroes realize they need to incapacitate the beast to prevent it from hurting them. Shadowhawk whipstrikes the bear, while Logan uses his stunner. They eventually realize that the group should separate, forcing the grizzly to choose between them. Shadowhawk employs his flux-spawned power to stretch to great advantage. Now at a distance, they discover that the flux grizzly can project bolts of electricity from it's glowing orange eyes!

After they defeat the flux grizzly, they heal once again (with medical training and field repair, as you can only gain healing from one specific power per day). They collect the flux crystal for the ritual, plus extra to give to the researchers at NORAD. They return to Talla, who guides them back to Manitou. They tribe is in awe of their ability to defeat the flux grizzly, and summon an herbalist to heal the rest of Shadowhawk's injuries.

The elder has selected a churl named Kirok to receive the spirit of rage from Logan. The ritual is arranged that evening. A circle in the center of a clearing is marked at the four cardinal directions: a slab of granite juts up from the ground to the west, a set of wind chimes hang to the north, a torch burns to the east, and a basin of water marks the south border of the circle. In the center, Logan and Kirok place their hands on the flux crystal, and the elder walks to each of the four corners, invoking the spirits of those elements. Nothing noticeable happens when he calls upon the earth, but when he calls upon air, the wind starts blowing, bringing forth music from the chimes. He calls upon fire, and the torch flares brighter. He calls upon water, and it begins sprinkling from the clouds that rolled in. Suddenly, the flux crystal glows a blinding orange, and Logan feels as if he's outside of his body. Then it's over, and the spirit of Rage leaves him and enters Kirok. Elated, the new churl berserker slaps Logan on the shoulder and moves off to his friends.

Just then, a flock of dark shapes swarm down the mountain pass toward the village. "Varms!" cries one of the churls, as scores of the verminous creatures descend upon the churls to bite and rend. Shadowhawk uses his stretching ability to great effect by combining it with a whirlwind fury, while Logan concentrates on attacking with e-bolts. Unfortunately, there are too many, and even with the help of Kirok and Talla, they are overwhelmed.

Then Shadowhawk notices that all the varms are attacking except for one: this lone varm is circling above. Shadowhawk moves partway to the hut containing his weapons, and stretches into it to retrieve his M109 "Light Fifty" Rifle. He then proceeds to shoot at the circling varm. At this, the varm calls down a bolt of lightning, which narrowly misses the high-bred.

A small percentage of the varms attacking Manitou flee when the circling varm is injured, but many remain. Kirok perishes beneath the fangs and claws of the swarm attacking the group, and Logan is severely damaged.

Shadowhawk continues to attack the "alpha varm," and more varms flee as their leader is further hurt and also unable to harm the high-bred in return. Logan retreats into the weapons hut, and when a varm forces it's way in, he snatches up his Cog-cranked Slug-thrower and commences blasting the monster. Talla also falls to the varms, and another (boar-like) warrior moves to aid the group.

Finally, one of Shadowhawk's attacks drives the "alpha varm" off, and all the remaining varms attempt to flee as well.

The churls tend to the wounded, and the elder (who was also injured during the attack) approaches Logan and Shadowhawk. He offers them the hospitality of the tribe while they recover from the varm attack. The high-bred recovers in only a few days, but Logan (who is unable to benefit from the herbalists' healing salves) requires four days to completely repair himself.

The two depart Manitou on good terms with the churls, and returns to NORAD with the extra flux crystal they collected.

Rockin'!! I love the "Stretching" and "Whirlwind Attack" combo! I need to use that myself!!! :D

Yep! Shadowhawk's player really liked that combo! He figured it out as soon as Stretching got added to his deck and he'd been jonesing to use it! :D

Supercool!!

Hey! I just remembered, I played a Disney-themed game with HALL and my boys one night @ Disney. I need to write up an Actual Play for it! :P

Klik Excavation

Saturday, January 21st (2012) (Noon to 4 pm)

(Dang it, it's been 2-1/2 months since my last session!)

GM's Note: I gave the Klik either Body 4 or Soul 4 cards (or a Body 2 and Soul 2 in the case of the nervous tic).

Master Scout Mercy Munroe calls Logan and Shadowhawk into her office. Her scouts have reported that the Klik have unearthed the entrance to the complex that they'd been excavating, and are getting close to opening it. She wants them to infiltrate the site and learn whatever they can. If they deem the site a threat, they need to come up with a plan to destroy it. If they don't feel that the Klik having possession of the site will be harmful to NORAD, they can sneak back out.

They're driven partway into the ruins of Colorado Springs. They quickly cover the distance to the excavation site, strangely unmolested by the local inhabitants. Shadowhawk and Logan carefully creep up the rubble of the collapsed building (the one dropped by the huge xenarthra the last time they were here). They can see an exposed area of the dig with a sliding door. The rest of the structure it's attached to is roughly a 20-foot cube (a rather irregular cube, as there's still quite a bit of debris).

The heroes witness a group of Klik debating how best to open the door. Finally, a tripod guardian is ordered forward to rip it off. Behind it, there is another set of doors. A Roller does something to a panel next to it, and these doors slide open. The Klik file in, and the doors close. After a short wait, another small group of Klik enter.

Shadowhawk attempts to quietly climb down into the excavation pit, but slips, and only saves himself with a Last Second Grab. As his arm stretches from the action, he realizes that he could have just lowered himself down with his stretching ability. Logan simply uses his Wheel-hooks to get down.

Once there was no Klik looking, they carefully moved to the entrance, where they noted a panel that the Klik had disassembled. Logan quickly analyzed it, and deduced the method of opening the door. They slipped inside, only to discover that they were in an elevator, which only had two buttons: Up and Down. They rode it down to the next level, which opened to a foyer lit by dim red emergency lights. There was a brief fight with a surprised gear guard. There were two more elevators in this area, and when they entered one, they discovered the same choices.

This elevator deposited them on what seemed to be the main level of the complex, and the elevators were guarded by a (rather ineffectual) harvester. After disposing of the Tripod, they soon discovered that the while there seemed to be many rooms in the site, the Klik had gone in a specific direction.

That led Logan and Shadowhawk to a door where the Klik had disassembled a panel. Once in, they discovered it was an airlock, with another beyond it. They moved into that airlock, where they found cabinets with environment suits. There was yet another airlock, which led into a vast room with rows upon rows of vertical cylinders about five feet in diameter and ten feet high. They cylinders helped block line of sight, but the heroes could hear the Klik farther into the room, and they could see an orangish glow from that direction. The heroes examined the nearest of the cylinders, which had small windows in them. One contained a normal looking human female, while another contained a hideous tentacles creature. Shadowhawk realized they were some kind of stasis pods, and that there was probably over one hundred of them!

Meanwhile, one of the Klik sounded fascinated by the pods (or perhaps just one in particular...), much to the annoyance of the other Klik, who were only interested in the power source that was maintaining the lighting and the pods (which, Logan noted, looked suspiciously like an Enigma Engine...). That first Klik suddenly screamed, and the heroes moved so that they could see it. It was a Klik Roller with a fanciful train of spoked wheels. It had opened the stasis pod, revealing a withered husk. Suddenly, it turned directly to face the heroes, it's eyes changing to a glowing orange. It declared itself to be "Invidilaris" and assaulted the other Klik (it invoked a Reality Bubble, bewitched a gear guard with it's Eye of the Beyond, and discharged it's Silicate Particle Blaster).

Shadowhawk and Logan began attacking it, while the Klik were confused. The lead harvester demanded that T@N93NT ("Tangent", the Klik Roller's designation) explain what was happening (apparently not understanding that Tangent was now possessed by the spirit Invidilaris). Invidilaris demanded that the Klik attack the heroes (which confused them further). It then used it's Eye of the Beyond on Shadowhawk (who resisted), and successfully inflicted Logan with it's Feed on Sanity so that it could heal from the damage Shadowhawk had caused.

Shadowhawk yelled at the Klik that Tangent was possessed, but they really didn't get it until Logan spoke up (w/ a successful untrained Diplomatic roll), informing them that Tangent was defective due to his interaction with the stasis pod and should be deactivated. At this, they finally got it. However, the Reality Bubble caused no end of trouble for the harvester and tripod guardian, while Invidilaris alternated using his powers and firing Razorcog Drones at the Klik. The two gear guards and the nervous tic did their best, as the battle raged on.

Eventually, the tripods made it in close (after Invidilaris had been incapacitated by Stunners), while Logan's repeated attacks with his Stunner and E-bolts, combined with Shadowhawk's Stretching-enhanced melee attacks laid Invidilaris low.

Unfortunately, as the possessed Roller collapsed, they witnessed a vaporous form move into the tripod guardian (I just added the Touched from Beyond 2 card). Logan, realizing that Invidilaris would just keep switching bodies, started firing E-bolts at the power source. The Klik, again confused, wanted him to stop. Shadowhawk took up firing his "Light Fifty" as well, and soon they caused the reactor to go critical.

Realizing they only had about a minute to escape, Shadowhawk put on a Burst of Speed and dashed for the airlock, having to waste precious seconds opening it. Logan, who had been damaged to the point that he was slowed, took the time to activate his MicroGear Medic Disc. Meanwhile, the nervous tic figured out that Invidilaris was in the tripod guardian (and also realizing that the place was going to explode), purposely delayed the possessed Tripod.

Shadowhawk got to the next airlock door, and used his Stretching ability to keep the previous airlock open, and managed open the next. Logan raced through and opened the last one. The High-bred then ran to the elevator and opened it, with Logan right behind. They managed to get out into the foyer when the reactor exploded below. The building shook, and the power went out, leaving them in the dark.

Logan charged his Arc Coils to give them a little light (enough for Shadowhawk to see by). They then forced the doors of the elevator that led to the surface. Debris began falling, as the site's supports began failing, and they smashed their way through the top of the elevator car. Shadowhawk stretched up to the exit doors and forced them, and they escaped (racing by the startled Klik on the surface with Logan carrying the now slowed High-bred) just as the whole complex collapsed in on itself.

They quickly returned to NORAD, and gave the Master Scout their report. She was especially disturbed by their account of Invidilaris, and saddened that they couldn't explore the stasis pods. She then sent them to one of the Researchers to get his input. The Researcher said that there were written notes from before the Event that hinted that were already fractures between the dimensions in that time. He thought that possibly one of these fractures was the source of the reactor that they found, along with Invidilaris (an obvious External), and the strange occupant of the one stasis pod.

The heroes managed to solve one mystery (what the Klik were looking for), only to find another (what was the facility?).

Dude, that sounds awesome!!! Just like an action movie....!!! :D

:D

First Snow

Saturday, April 7th (2012) (Noon to 4 pm)

(Yep, I had the basic idea for a while, and it took until Spring to coordinate a time to play!)

Shadowhawk shows up at the machine shop that has become the Junkers defacto home in winter camouflage (which confuses the Junkers). He takes Logan, Rusty and Rivet outside to experience the first snowfall of winter. The Klik are confounded by the two-feet deep snow, that Shadowhawk has to explain to them. The Tripods have no problem, but Logan (a Roller) experiences some balance issues (Agile checks) and opts to keep his Wheel-hooks activated. The High-bred teaches them how to make snowballs, and a brief snowball fight ensues. Shadowhawk also teaches the Tripods about sledding, which they don't care much for.

Master Scout Mercy Munroe joins them with a mission: NORAD's mountain scouts have reported some unusual activity several days southwest of the base. She wants Shadowhawk and Logan to check it out. She then comments, "Six months ago I hadn't even heard of a Klik–now I count one among my best scouts!"

The trek requires navigating in snowy conditions and avoiding pitfalls (Wilderness Lore checks), which results in them falling down a short ravine and upsetting a pair of Blesséd Apoc Mountain Goats that are feeling very territorial. The heroes end up fairly battered (Gore attacks, Quakes and Sunder the Earth 3, ouch!) by the time they finally drive off the menacing beasts.

As evening approached that first day, three Elder Rust Moths swarmed the heroes in look of a quick meal. They devour Shadowhawk's armor and Logan's tool set as the scouts attempt to slay the pesky vermin. (The whole time, Logan is practically cursing rust moths as a blight on existence!) Worse, after that, the moths eat Shadowhawk's precious M109!

Finally, between the High-bred's Onslaught and the Roller's E-bolts, they fell one of the beasts. Yet the surviving moths feed on their Field Medic Pack and MicroGear Medic Disc. The moths, now satiated, fly off. The loss of his beloved "Light Fifty" leaves Shadowhawk armed only with his M201 Assault Rifle. The traumatized heroes decide a retreat is in order, and the next morning they return to NORAD to re-equip. Before they leave, Logan spends some time practicing moving in the snow without Wheel-hooks (four consecutive successful Agile checks of reducing difficulty), until he's confident that he won't need them.

Once they resume their mission, they manage to detect and avoid a doomdigger. However, the next day they trigger a small avalanche (only MAG 20, but they just Shrug It Off), which they have to dig themselves out of.

Finally, the next day they spot a group of about a dozen and a half strange insect-like creatures in a valley, and there's a strange orange glow from a cave near the creatures. The scouts decide to conceal themselves and watch for a little while. About two-thirds of the creatures appeared to be digging up rocks and carrying them into the cave, while six acted as sentries. Four of the sentries had strange pistols (Arctic Antman Sentries: Arctic Antman with Body 4), and two carried unusual rifles (Issant Sports).

Finally, Shadowhawk and Logan realize that they need to get a closer look. They carefully pick their way down into the valley, and move closer (multiple opposed Stealthy checks). Inevitably, one of the creatures spots Logan (but not the High-bred--he is one with the snow!). Three of the creatures maintain their vigil near the cave, while the other three move toward Logan, stopping a respectful distance away.

Suddenly, Logan hears a voice in his head, demanding to know who he is. Logan responds aloud that his designation is Logan, and that he's a harmless Junker just wandering around. The Issant Sport that was talking with Logan, and still looking around to see if the Klik was alone (it suspected that he wasn't, but couldn't spot the Stealthy High-bred).

Meanwhile, the scouts were finally able to recognize that the other creatures were attempting to bury a Flux Portal in the cave. Logan pressed for details, and the Sport informed him (again, Telepathically) that they were Issants, and were forced to flee their home, which was attacked by vicious otherworldly monsters. They found the Portal and went through. The Sport then told Logan to leave.

Logan moved (slowly) up to the edge of the valley, and then resumed watching the Issants. Meanwhile, Shadowhawk couldn't move from his hiding place in the snow, as the Sport was still nearby, apparently searching (unsuccessfully) for him. The Issants held position, and about 30 minutes passed, in a strange sort of standoff--Shadowhawk could not move or he'd be spotted, and the Issants held position, as if daring something to happen.

In the end, something did happen--just not what anyone expected. A Wrecker Prime barreled through the Portal, causing the worker Issants to scatter. The monster menaced them with it's War Flail. Suddenly, Logan raced back into the valley (using Racer 2), and fired an E-bolt at the External. With a bellowing laugh, the Wrecker sailed across the distance to catch Logan in a Flying Tackle. The devastating attack left both combatants prone, and the Roller in a world of hurt.

As soon as that happened, Shadowhawk burst from the snow (earning a Telepathic, "I knew someone was here!" from the Sport), and began firing at the Wrecker with his assault rifle. The Issants joined in, and soon arcs of electricity and particle beams lashed out (mostly to little effect). The scouts continued to fight the Wrecker, and at one point Logan was forced to retreat and use his new MicroGear Medic Disc to repair himself.

Eventually, they overwhelmed and killed the Wrecker. The heroes then opened a dialogue with the Issants (Diplomatic checks). The Sport tells them that there will undoubtedly be more monsters coming through the Portal, so Shadowhawk has them all move back, and he uses the grenade launcher on his M201 to bury the Portal completely. The High-bred asks the Sport what his name is and it replies that it's called T'klir'klir.

T'klir'klir asks if they can have this valley to live in, and the scouts inform him that they need to talk with their superiors at NORAD. The Sport agrees to accompany them back. After several weeks of negotiation, the High-bred agree to give the Issants some equipment to help with their new beginning. In exchange, the Issants allow the High-bred mechanists to study their weapons. The NORAD High-bred can now construct P14 "Stinger" Pistols and T21 Ion Carbines. Shadowhawk gets the first of the Ion Carbines to replace his "Light Fifty".

Awesome and excellent, TL!!! WOOT!

We all enjoyed it (well, I don't think Nick, who plays Shadowhawk, cared for losing all his gear, but it worked out in the end)!

I was particularly pleased that they didn't charge into the valley guns a blazing. They earned extra UP for their thoughtful actions (they're now at 117 UP each, and still clamoring for more).

I can't tell you how happy it makes me knowing you guys are out there, having a good time with Untold... :D :D :D

Oh yeah! Matt (who plays Logan) won't play any other RPG now.

***DOES THE HAPPY DANCE***