Duck and Cover

There' s no firewood lying around, but you left the settlement with some kindlewood. As a last resort (because the kindlewood is running out) you could use some papers and possibly even chop up the chairs if you want.

On top of the desk lies some usual junk; strange writing tools, a couple of metal cups, a picture with a broken frame, a broken light and various papers and small booklets, all disorganised as if someone rummaged through it. Some of the books have pages torn out of them in random order and are quite useless now.

Searching through the drawers you find more papers, a pack of cards, a half loaded clip with 10 mm JHP, a small metal key, a switchblade and some pictures showing a couple of friendly guys dressed in uniform.

-Ok then... says Andrew. Seeing that there is no immediate threat he turn back and search the corpse for anithyng of any importance, mainly those metal trinkets that have caught his eye earlyer. After that he enter the cabin and look around at the drawers, lockers and cabinets. He chack the locked one (if it's really locked)...
-Maybe we can force open it with the crowbar... he says.

Out of character...
Because I presume that Andrew could not read or write, I think that he can't make out what are those writing tools and books. If I'm wrong please corect me ...

He takes a look at the picture and clean it hith his sleve to see it better...

You can all read and write, although be it a bit difficult, since the tribes' resources were mainly scavenged magazines, childrenbooks and short novels and such. It was regular education from the Shaman' s and the aprentices which you all had and it included a bit of reading and writing. Although later on it were only those that studied for shaman (like Atoga' s character) that got to read and write properly as part of their further education.

You scavenge everything from the corpse that seems valuable although you have no idea what the trinckets would be worth actually.

The file cabinets appear to be locked. Scratches on the metal surface tell you that someone already tried to open it but to no avail. The small key fits right on the other, smaller cabinet, which is made of wood, and opening it you find a set of cups and 2 full and 1 halffull bottles of strong reeking liquid. The label says; Finest Malt.

The various papers range from emergency drills in case of hazards, visitor rosters to grocery lists. The books appear to be short storries and love novels. One half-torn magazine strikes your eye; it contains pictures of females wearing strange clothing, all of them smiling at you.

The picture in the broken frame contains another smiling guy in uniform with a pretty girl next to him. In small lettres at the bottom is a message; My love Beth, taken 02-10-76, Nevis.

-Hey!...What connection can have those peoples vith Nevis? Take a look at this...
He gives the picture to Mordecai...
After that Andrew open the half-full bottle an smell it...
-Hmm... not bad... he take a sip...
-Maybe this can help endure the cold better...
After that he takes the magazine with the women in strange clothes starts to browse it, taking closer looks at every picture...
-Odd clothig I must say... Hmmm... Take a look at this one...Isn't she pretty!?
He puts the magazine in his sling bag...
-Now what shall we do?

Talon smiles at the way Andrew looks at the magazine.

Aren't you going to say that you are only keeping it for the articles?

Talon looks at the others.

Well lets get settled in for the night. We may have to break up some of this stuff for a fire, and we must keep watch. The guys we were following may come back, or one may anyway. So we will set up three hour shifts. I'll take first watch.

With that Talon starts breaking up the wooden furniture, and builds a fire in the wood stove.

Did we happen to notice if there was a stack of wood outside of the cabin? Or a source of fire wood about?

You' re right. I forgot to mention that next to the cabin stands a small lean-to where there used to be firewood, but the only thing left now are some small twigs and a log or two. It might help in making a fire but you' d have to use the chairs anyway if you' re planning on keeping the fire burning all night long. Sorry.

You can feel the heat of the fire and it is as if a burden falls from your shoulders. You get a comforting and safe feeling, knowing you don' t have to spend the night outside in the storm.

That night the three of you take watch in turns. Besides the crisping sounds of the burning wood and the slight howling of the cold winds on the outside there' s not much that attracts your attention. It is kind of hard though not to give in to that desire to fall asleep all the while with that nice fire next to you.

Before you know it the night has passed without anything happening and after a breakfast mostly made out of dried meat you venture outside. Before you, where there were green plains, hills and the old road, now lies a white blanket. Also ahead of you runs the razorwire fence you noticed the day before. It' s gate, rusted and fallen out of it hinges, now lies on the road. A couple of metres further runs another razorwire fence, paralell with the first, it' s gate is also smashed apart, possibly by something with an enormous strength, considering the bulkness of the gate. Above and left of the frame of the second gate stand two huge billboards.

Welcome to Fort William.


Warning!
You are now entering a restricted area.

'New Plague' quarantine.
Extreme caution!

Talon looks at the others.

What do you think? Think we should check it out?

I'm back.

Uh, 'new plague'... I don't like the sounds of that, but I think we might want to investigate. I don't think any people will be living in here - so it'll probably be pretty safe... but just in case... Mordecai looks at the others, awaiting a response.

By the way, do I know anything about this 'new plague'? Any prewar history passed on by the ancients?

-I think that as long as we don't touch anything that looks strange or alive, we can risk a little... But I think that we will need to be very carefull...
Andrew prepares his bow and wait for the others to make their minds...

Talon nods.

Lets go.

No, you this is the first time you hear about it. You know about the cleansing of the earth but any stories passed down to you are mostly from past that point. Remember that according to your tribelore you are suppossed to be the sort of 'reborn'-children of Mother Earth, so anything prior to the Great War is somewhat regarded as futile by the shamans as it is not really necessary to the tribes.

Pepared for any troubles ahead you walk through the crashed down gates and down the snowcovered landscape. Making sure you' re still following the old road you sometimes wipe away some snow to catch a glimpse of the road. Further up ahead you seem to distinguish shapes of a rather large group of buildings. Aproaching them further you can now clearly see a tall building with a large white circle surrounding a red cross painted on the wall. Surrounding the primary building stand groups of large wooden and concrete buildings but these are only one storey high. A concrete wall topped with barbwire surrounds the ruins and a single crashed down gate made from heavy meshwire seems to be the only entrance.

It is then that you notice two sets of animal footprints made in the snow. Wild dogs! The tracks seem to be wandering aimlessly around but in the end dissapear into the compound.

We should check out those buildings. But we should keep an eye out for those dogs, they may be trouble.

Talon readies his sling, and makes sure that the axe is conviently handy.

-Let's go then... says Andrew. He has allready prepared his bow and now checks if he can reach his crowbar easily.
-I'd say that is better to stick together in a tight formation and fight only from a distance. We don't know if those dogs are carrying that "new plague" or not...

Steadfastly but on your guard you enter the gate. Two towers guard the entrance but they seem to be in a dire state of decay. On the right side of a central path stands a large wooden building with ample small windows set against the roof and one large wooden door. Further behind it and on it' s left stand dozens of smaller rectangular shaped wooden cabins, all with filthy and greasy little windows. Parts of the path are litered with decaying junk and rusted barrels. A large stone building (the one with the cross painted on it) hinders your line of sight over the rest of the compound.

All of a sudden you hear some light growls as you aproach the first building, and no little later come 2 wild dogs from further down the path and they don' t seem to be in a petting mood.

Talon loads his sling and flings a stone towards the lead dog.

Adrew fires an arrow to the nearest dog and reload his bow. Any remaining action points are used to retreat.
-Use hit and run tactic! shouts Andrew.

Andrew quickly let' s the arrow fly before the rest of you even realise what' s going on. Swiftly it crosses the distance, hitting the feral pooch in the chest causing a serious wound. But the dog doesn' t give in and quickly continues his charge. Talon hurls the rock from his sling but misses the target by an inch or two, striking a metal barrel instead. The lead dog is now nearly on to the frail Mordecai, quickly followed by the second one.

Talon drops his sling, and hefts the stone axe. He rushes towards the dogs yelling.

YEAAHH, OVER HERE YOU SMELLY MUTS!!!!!

Trying to attract the dogs away from Mordecai.

Muttering sommething about "inconstient people" and "deadly deseases", Andrew stops retreating and start firing arrow after arrow towards the dogs (untargeted)....

Andrew' s arrow whizzes past Talon and Mordecai, hitting the dog in the head and tearing off part of his left ear. With a fierce battlecry Talon storms towards his intended target and swings his axe wildly. With one extremely well-placed hit the axe lands on the critter' s abdomen, shattering bone and muscles with ease. The dog' s corpse collapses like a ragdoll a few feet further. The second dog leaps up to Mordecai but the shaman seems to have forseen this and easily evades the snapping jaws. His counterattack however seems to hit only thin air.