Episode 15: Battle on the borderlands[]
Korgak goes through the drill with the crew, required to keep their Mars expedition alive. He tells of the importance of keeping formation, direct response and team cohesion. Moving out into the canyon they navigate through thick fog covering their vision while hear countless skittering sounds. Heater activating heat vision detects countless lifeforms, so many heat signatures that he is even unable to count them, they proceed regardless. Locating an old vehicle they get ambushed by smaller sand fleas. Luca is wounded in the attack but Korgak applies his field medic skills, cauterizing his wound and they carry on. Under the vehicle are more fuel cells that Heater can use to refill his flamethrower. Killing creatures one after another they are backed in a corner with a makeshift grave, presumably belonging to the remains of the previous Mayor of Scrap Town, the now dead Rico Suave.
The crew discover an abandoned corp mining operation
Deeper inside Vee recieves a corp radio message recording playing on a loop calling for aid. Following the signal they find an abandoned mining expedition inside of a canyon. Searching through crates and data logs on the panels of the gigantic machinery they find valuable data documenting the mining operation that went on but it will take time to extract. Luca specifically finds a sign that says the following, maybe it is a code of some kind?[1]
- "Don't bug - open inside"
Another recording reads :
- "They dug too deep, theres so many of them..."
Restocking on the ammunition, which there is luckily plenty of, another wave of creature of starts surrounding them and charge to attack. This time 4 gigantic scorpions are go at them as well as many smaller sand fleas. Retreating the group get pinned down under a vehicle digging machine aside from Vee who gets separated by herself. She is attacked and crushed under the many blows from giant pincers, overwhelmed she is put out of commission unless she can get major repairs.
The digsite is attacked as Luca attempts to gather reasearch data from a console
Taking cover underneath a vehicle with pinchers reaching in after them
Korgak is grabbed and thrown to the ground with his legs shattered and torn to pieces and Heater is smashed down, breaking his flamethrower. Korgaks body is dragged to safety by Heater, his orcish blood keeping him conscious he is somehow still alive, battered and broken. He wont be getting up again and with his heavy power armor its not practical to carry him. Shouting for the others to leave him behind, they do so and he is overwhelmed by the creatures while Luca, Razz and Heater move to the digging console thanks to the distraction of his sacrifice.
Keeping the creatures at bay while Luca sets the system to gather all info Heater and Razz fight off a gigantic scorpion. The intel reveals thousands of lifeforms and a complex enormous tunnel system underground as well as valuable research data. Once cellected all of as sudden the creates retreat and are replaced with another imminent danger - raiders. In the chaos of raiders shouting and cheering Heater is lost in the masses but Luca and Razz, running and firing manages to make it back to their vehicle as a stranger comes to their aid. "The stranger of the sands" is dual weilding two semi-automatic firearms and happens to be the same that helped Rikky Raclette on his spiritual journey before, but only the audiance is privy to this. Escaping Luca and Razz rush and make way back to the safety of Scrap Town.
Korgak tells Luca to strip him bare for parts and leave him behind
The raiders moving in inspecting the haul from their scrap discover the damaged Vee, Heater and the body of Korgak. Undoubtedly otherwise certainly dead Korgaks Lazarus protocol activates, reviving him. If they are to be recovered someone will have to launch a rescue mission or be scrapped for parts by these bandits.
DM: Pillbugs sell stuff[]
Arcadum portraying the Pillbug trader Puke, he and his kin make their way to Scrap Town on a rekitted vehicle cart to trade, all while beatboxing merilly. Trading food their chef attempts to make some kind of trade but they are not understood. Getting his hands on a rifle Puke started shooting in the air excitedly and visually impressed by the firepower. He ends up almost shooting one of the locals after which the pillbugs jump back on their cart and drive off, fleeing before anyone calls them out or try to arrest them.[2]
DM: Sir Polka becomes a real boy[]
A spirit of a Knight with a flaming sword whispers on the winds to Sir Polka.
- "The time has comes - the fire calls - find me"
Speaking to himself Sheila hears the spirit too and asks polka if he caught an STD or something. They start searching for Rikky telling him that they gotta go find source of the whispers. They find him in Scrap Town having left his relic guns for repair at the local gunsmith.
Moving to the edge of town Sheila senses the same presence she felt before in the upper city and Polka feels a tug at where his heart should be - if it were he not simply metal. Sheila with her spiritual touch follows in their tracks. The gathering is swept up and are suddenly transported magically to the obsidian wall located outside of the volcano. Moving up and touching the wall from inside, there is a body of a corpse with a skull that begins to move at her presence.
Everyone is knocked backwards as a fire spirit appears and speaks:
- "Your flames dwindle but it does not need to be your end. The mountain angers, spews its blackened ash and the sky shall be your blanket of twilight. The spirit walker shall do her part, the voice of the others shall be their hands - but you are a sword."
The spirit mentions to direct his fight upward and that forces beyond the stars bring weapons from above but that they shall fall to the weapons of the old. Possibly hinting that Sir Polka has an important part to play in the upcoming battle against the invading alien fleet.
The spirit returns Polkas humanity to him... in painful agony
The spirit offers him a choice, one of flames, pain and suffering. Polka gleeing with anticipation says that he really looks forward to being able to feel pain and accepts happily. The spirit touches him and stabs him with his fiery sword, and indeed pain he feels once again. Polka suddenly short of breath - from having lungs - he starts to bleed through the cracks in his suit, is the spirit supposed to help him or kill him?! Looking under the suit of armor reveals torn flesh beneath the metal as the spirit fades away.
Human Sir Polka, without his armor
Severely injured Reeza and Sheila help take off his armor and start to magically heal him. Sealing his wounds Polka stands up. His first words being - "This is really heavy..." and "It's really hot..." Sheila helping to take off the rest oh his upper armor reveals him barechested, to actually be a man again. To his grievances he is suddenly very aware of his newfound mortality as Sheila introduces her husband to Rikky and the rest of the gathering. Rikky asks Sheila to direct them to the water spirit tomorrow and she agreed. Horizon immediately hands Polka a shotgun and starts instructing him on how it is used.[3]
Twitch Clips[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Joke reference to Chandler Riggs - The Walking dead meme "Dont open - dead inside"
- ↑ Twitch Clip - Big pep pep? Twitch Clip - Learning what happens if you get killed by Pillbugs Twitch Clip - Never leave a gun near near pillbugs Twitch Clip - The Pillbugs flee
- ↑ Callous Row Season 2 Ep 15: Battle on the borderlands