The Ark:: Instance I

Instance I.-


GM:


You arrive at Mc Gruffy’s just after sundown. The chill of the wind reminds you of the nonexistent energy necessary to heat up the commune houses, except those lucky enough to find some viable wood.
The commune of St George is nothing but a few streets aligned in a squared block pattern, with a couple streets running fairly straight and parallel to each other and another couple intersecting them. The buildings are squat, with round edges, in an attempt to preserve heater’s energy, back when they had it, most likely. In some arts of the commune, you can still see the ruins of what surely were massive walls of granite and concrete; now some stand about waist high, while others stand for four to ten stories, empty husks of a forgotten people.
The walk to Mcgruffy’s is not long, the bar stands in the center of the city, surrounded by several tall remains of building walls and the tallest of the squat constructions in the Commune, some of them even had three stories and a window or two. The night is chillier than most and a fine coat of grayish, watery ice starts to float about, like an icy, clammy mist.
Mcgruffy’s bar is house of one of the wonders of the region, an enormous red neon sign that flashes all above the door. You look down and you see, next to the door, the corpse of a frozen to death old man, the red neon giving him a sort of life glow. The man stares at you with blank, almost guilt ridden eyes. You step in to the warm atmosphere of the place.
The door slides close behind you, on gritty guides that squeal. Some sort of power runs these doors, but the Magistrates don’t tell much about this sort of stuff. As long as it works, they say, you don’t care where the power comes. And don’t care about the frozen people on the streets either, it seems.
The place stinks. The bodily odors of about twenty patrons scattered in small plastic tables or at the bar mix up with the odor of recently distilled liquors, brews and ales.
The lighting is provided by a red neon sign outside that shines through the windows. Inside, small querosene lamps dot the place.
The south east corner of the place, right hand from the entrance, is darkened as if the querosene lamps were shut off.
At a glance, you notice about six or seven occupied tables, leaving another dozen or so, empty.




Your attention is drawn immediately to the middle age woman dancing effortlessly among the tables. No one seems to be paying attention to her. Right next to you, around five other individuals enter the bar with the same puzzled look as you assume you must have.
The sounds of conversation are muffled by a juke box playing somewhere behind the bar…
Its an old tune, the sounds are scraped and filled with static, the jukebox plays “Paint it black” an ancient classical tune, very popular at social gatherings since last year when it was heard at a Commune’s council festival.
From the shadowy corner at your right hand, a thin, gaunt man wearing a long, leather open hoodie, faded jeans and a mean looking fire arm strapped to one side of his hip starts walking towards you and the other strangers that came in to the bar He appears ready to talk.


GM:
Roll initiative. Post your actions, if any, before proceeding.

Grexas takes one last look around before heading over to a table near the gaunt man, Trying to keep attention off himself rolled 2+2 = 4 for move silently.he takes a seat and watches the other strangers.

Zajeyu begins to hastily walk around the bar trying to find someone who can shed some light on the Gaunt man with a 16+2 Gather Info.

Nosko is not too sure about the Gaunt man. Lifting up his gas mask, being careful to only reveal his mouth and nose, he takes a big whiff of the room. Not senseing any danger, he replaces the mask and walks over toward the table keeping his eye on the man. He stops just short of the table and waits.

Seeing Grexas move to a nearby table, trying not to draw attention to himself, the barman greets him with a loud “Hallo Grexas!!”, and the middle aged woman brings him his usual.


The gaunt man turns to him and smiles a treacherous smile. He waits by the door for the other strangers and sees Zajeyou coming in to the bar, but walking past him; Zajeyou strolls in to the bar and walks around a bit, trying to gather as much info as he can, in a few moments he learns about a rumor that The Magistrate of the Atholl Highlanders, in the Atholl Commune, accepts high bribes for exceptions and favors when dealing with mutants. They say he is a mutant himself.
Nothing more on the gaunt man, no one has ever seen him in the St George Commune.


Then, the thin gaunt man rises his head and smiles at Nosko, his eyes are tired and reddish.


the atmosphere of the bar shifts and it feels more tense.


The gaun man spekas to Nosko: "I was hoping that more of you got my transmission, but I thank you for coming. this will both save you and me our very lives and souls. Ill try to use the Solar Transmiter reciever once more, to get a hold of some of the others, please take a seat"


The corner of the bar that was not propelry lit, Zajeyu manages to catch a glimpse of cold steel under a man's jacket. a man sittin in the dark.

Grexas kicks himself under the table, before standing and moving over to join the gaunt man Grexas looks him over trying to get an idea of his intent. rolled 20+4=24 for sense motive. Grexas rearranges his tail in his hoody, wrapping it around the grip of his gun before sitting

Noticing that the man looks like the type that wouldn't want to talk, Zajeyu cautiously approaches the man hidden amongst the shadows. With Tonfa in hand, he proceeds to try and intimidate the man(15+6) trying to gather as information as he can, before he considers approaching the Gaunt man.

*Grexas?* Nosko thinks to himself *where have I heard that name before?* Glancing in the direction of Grexas, Nosko decides it best to keep his eyes on the Gaunt man as he walks towards the group that just formed. Keeping his distance, he asks "how do you Know who I am?".

When Grexas approached the table, he studied the man’s features, posture and the way he “feels”; Grexas has always being good at knowing when some one was not shooting straight, and as for this man, he was hard to read, very hard. But in all that there is to see and feel, Grexas cannot help but to sense that this man was in a dire urgency, and his intent is both threatening and willing to do good at the same time. Also, there is a hidden power he cannot put his finger on.
The gaunt man answers to Nosko, “ I just know who you all are by name, not faces. My name is Armande” Once he’s got your attention, Armande carefully takes off a small leather satchel he wore and places it on the table. He caresses the brown leather and starts to take something out of it, while speaking to you, his voice is grave and there is a glimmer in his eye, a sterness and a strangeness abaut him that sends the feeling that you should be careful with this person, “As I said in the transmission I sent, we know what you are,” he lowers his voice and uses a strong emphasis on the word, that sends shivers down your spine, “mutants. And you have been targeted already, I know this. Lobos and the seven pure are coming for you”. He glances around the bar. Another song starts to play on the juke box, a romance ballad. Behind him, at the back of the bar in the shadowy corner, the middle age woman starts dancing to a table with two men in it, they seemed for a moment to be looking very intently at Armande. “And”, he continues, “you have also the attention of those who can resist the incoming tide!! And they will need your… talents, so to speak. There are an incredible number of mutations, all of them degenerative, horrible to contemplate. And its happening very fast. But also there are those whose mutations provide them with certain new opportunities and ways of life.” He pauses for a moment. “there are those who would gather these mutants to resist fascism and tyranny, they exist near the Municipalities major Communes, and of course in the big city. They are called The Triple Spiral, and they also have you on their minds.
Meanwhile, over by the darkened corner of the bar, the man that Zajeyu is threatening in the corner turns out not to be alone. From the shadows, another two men emerged their pimple ridden, flabby white faces, the sound of a crossbow being pulled could be heard. Zajeyu, with Tonfa in hand looked about him, not sure what to do. The man he was intimidating quickly said that they were paid to do it, they were not to blame!

Grexas takes a swig of his drink and looks at Armande. "So what you're saying is, we're being hunted and you're here to help us?" Grexas takes another swig, and relaxes the grip with his tail. "tell me more about these triple spiral people."

Realizing his life would be in danger if he were to try and engage the men in combat. Zajeyu begins to try and reason with the men hoping to find if they are after him and the others he entered with. Curious about the mans statement he begins to ask "Gentlemen maybe we could settle this in a civil manner without resorting to violence, now would you be kind enough to explain what you meant by "we were paid to do it"" (13+6 Diplomacy)

Armande tells Grexas that he is there to help them, but more specifically to help each other out. The third spiral is a fledgling group resisting the army of the seven pure, the LOBOS. That is all we know, and they promised to… Armande hesitates a bit… to help my people too, and your people, I mean, your kind. After a while, Armand states what he wants Grexas and Nosk and the others to do for him. He explains that he needs something delivered in safety, and that a small group of powerful individuals might accomplish this. He takes out a goldensphere out of the brown satchel ang explains to Grexas and Nosko that this must go to The Triple Spiral representative in the Glassgow Municipality. And he will pay you, handsomely, once the job is done.


Meanwhile, patrons in the bar start getting up of their seats, and moving uncomfortably around the room. Grexas and
Nosko notice this and turn around looking to see what`s going on.
On the dark corner, Zajeyu is negotiating with the three men, who after seeing him back away, stop paying attention to him and resume to stare closely to Armande and to dial in a frequency on their Solar transmitter-receivers. The man that was being intimidated by Zajeyu responds in avery kind fashion that they were paid to get the golden sphere, and apparently there is a being of unnatural precedence about, and they were to kill it, the snipers outside will take care of that. Us, he says, are here for the spehere.
Two of the men also draw crossbows and start loading arrows on them.

Grexas looks around the room paying special attention to the dark corner trying to figure out what has everyone so uppity rolled 14+4=18 for spot check

Realizing that civilians life's were in danger, Zajeyu begins to try and help them escape, he approaches the men once again. "gentlemen maybe for a small reward I could assist you. As a officer of law enforcement I could make up some story to hold there attention while you prepare for the kill" hoping they buy his story so he can get near the target men and warn them about the danger they are in. (7+2 Bluff)

Meanwhile, in the corner, Zajeyu finishes moving the patrons out of the way, while the three man are sizing him up, and trying to figure out if he will be of assistance. Then decided that he is actually trying to fool them. One of the man draws a nasty looking machete and smiles a grim ridden smile. “So you try to mess with the privateers, eh sonny?”
But before we continue, Armande says to Grexas, I will try once more the frequency of the other person I have in my records to be targeted. Armande pulls out a device that looks similar to the solar receiver-transmitters that Grexas, Nosk and Zajeyu use and in which they received the threatening transmission to make this appointment. He tunes in a few dials and a crackling buzzing sound starts to emanate from both the one Armande has in his hands and the one that Zajeyu, in the corner by the three men with drawn crossbows, has in his pocket. The man with the machete looks even angrier “He is with them!!” He shouts and raises the machete.
Grexas looks about him, and finds out that the dark corner has three men standing in it, with not very friendly faces and what appears to be some nasty crossbows pointed at them and a machete being raised at a man with a crackling radio in his pocket.
One of the men with crossbows speaks up to raise his voice over the music. “Paint it black” is no longer playing, now the tune that the middle aged woman was dancing to is “Yellow submarine”. The middle aged woman is now staring at the crossbows in shock. The rest of the patrons slowly back awa and out of the bar. The barman ducks under his bar.

Realizing that he has very few options to escape Zajeyu pushes the one in front with all his might hoping to hit either of the 2 with loaded Crossbows. (18+5 Melee Attack)

Grexas stands and draws his pistol from beneath his hoody. He flips the table in front of him hoping to take some cover behind it. He crouches down, and looks to Armande then Nosko. "GET DOWN!" He tells them. Rolled 12+2 and 60% for shooting attack. Grexas hits one of the crossbow wielding goons with his Five-seveN shot, The bullet tears through him like a knife through butter 8+5=13 damage

Nosko picks up the table and begins to charge in towards the fight in the corner. Ripping a leg off the table he tosses the rest to the side and comes in with a side sweep on one of the men left standing. Strength 17+3 Melee 20+3 Damage 8.

Zajeyu goes against the man raising the machete and manages to tackle him against the other two men, making them lose their aim on Armande and Grexas.
The shot from Grexas’ gun finds its mark, instantly killing one of the men holding a crossbow. Grexas feels that the table he is ducking behind is not sturdy enough to deflect a bullet, but it might hold an arrow, a very thin arrow.
Nosko sees his friend duck and in a flash of speed, connects a sweep agains the head of the man holding the machete. The blow connects and makes the man`s head turn almost 90º. He recovers, wipes the blood from his face and swings his machete at Nosko.
The slash of the weapon makes a gash in Nosko’s chest, that is definitely going to leave a scar, thinks Nosko while staggers at seeing gushes of blood pour his clothes.
The surviving man holding a crossbow regains his aim. He can’t believe some one in this slum would be carrying a fire arm! He screams in rage “Give us the sphere or die, under the heels of the privateers boots!!” Then he fires an arrow at Grexas. The arrow impacts the table just inches of Grexas’s face.
Armande sees the blood beginning to run and he silently begins to make hand gestures and movements.
The barman emerges from behind the bar holding a very large shotgun and screams “The next person that does something more than lie on its face or leave the bar gets it!!”.
Outside, screams from the fleeing patrons can be heard, along with engine sounds. There is a vehicle parking.

after seeing what the bartender is holding Zajeyu calmly speaks "ok we will leave, if you can just assure us these assassins are not gonna follow us" (16+6 Diplomacy)

Grexas flips the safety on his gun and holsters it. He looks over to the bartender. "Hey McGruffy, do you have any medkits around here? I might be able to fix up my buddy here." He says pointing at Nosko. Rolled (15-1)+1=15

Its ok Grexas I'm fine, I have had worse" Nosko says. "sorry about your table" he says to the bartender, and lays down 20 coins "This should pay for the damages".


Mcgruffy looks at the trio and then at that gaunt strange man, Armande, who keeps making hand gestures.
“Maybe I can help you out, but What about him,” he says pointing at Armande with the shotgun. At that exact moment, a light flashes from Armande’s hand and the last man holding a crossbow, suddenly goes limp, his hands relaxing, and his face a distorted mass of agony. A second later, he collapses to the floor. “I don’t need your help”, says Armande with a condescending gesture then he turns to Grexas, Nosko and Zajeyu, “Do you accept the deal? Or do I let the degenerates outside massacre you?”
Mc Gruffy throws a bag of medical supplies at Graxas and says, “Take it and leave, but you owe me Graxas, not for the first time, look at what you did to my bar. Then he looks up at Nosko and says “Ok, that will cover it, thanks buddy. And here you go.” Then Mc Gruffy throws another small pack of medical components at you.
As you step outside, you notice that the body of the old man lying dead on the ground is gone. But what is there is a vehicle which type Grexas, Zjeyu and Nosko have seen before, in scavangers and privateers: a black Humvee, with two men on the front seats and a gunner on top, handling a machine gun fed with a very long line of bullets. Next to the humvee is another vehicle, a small sports looking Buggy, with a driver, and a machine gun strapped to the side, and another gunner handling it.
The icy mist starts to turn in to a snowfall, the buildings around you looked darkened. The sun has set, and the only light comes from the neon sign on top of the bar entrance and a few lamps down the street in both directions.
The corner on both sides of the building is around 20 feet away and the street is about 40 feet wide. The buildings in front of the bar are husks, ruins of old buildings, and they must be around 60 feet high. The bar itself is about 25 feet high.
From the humvee vehicle, descend two men wearing red, gold and purple clothes and rags, holding what appear to be hunting rifles. The driver of the buggy descends and draws a handgun.
A voice can be heard from the larger vehicle “Give us the sphere and lay in the floor face down, or we will kill you.”
Next to you, Armande repeats the question, “Do you agree to our terms, then?” Grexas, Nosko and Zajeyu stare at each other.

Zajeyu turns to Armande with a look of fear and panic "We accept the offer now please tell us you have a plan to get us out of here"

Grexas turns to Armande "Yeah, plaease tell me you have a plan... I don't feel like dying right now." Grexas looks around for any flammable objects just in case. 10+4=14 spot check.
Grexas notices a large tank from a flamethrower strapped to the back of the humvee. If it's full it should be enough of a distraction to make an escape.

"I can take them" Nosko says to the group. He looks down at his chest "If I were in full health" *maybe I should have accepted the med kit* He thinks to himself. He still isn't too sure about this man but sees no other options at this times. "I guess I will agree with these two and take up that offer"

Armande looks up to the three of you with relief. He starts moving his hands in gestures you’ve never seen before, and screams, Distract them for a couple of seconds, then take the smaller car!”, I hope I see you again. He then proceeds to give his leather satchel to Zajeyu and runs ahead, chanting words you do not understand.
Before your eyes, the men walking toward you start moving slower. They all are reaching for their guns and lifting their rifles.
As you start to move, you notice flashes of light slowly appearing and disappearing from the husks of buildings in front of you. Then, something hot flies at considerable speed next to you, but you can make out the shape of a bullet hitting the ground from above, you can even see little streaks of its trajectory. The voices of the screaming men sound distorted and grave.
You notice how Armande draws its revolver, a colt that must be a 45 but looks a lot bigger, he goes in one knee and prepares to shoot. He screams at you at the same time he cocks the gun. “Now, Run for it!”
Then the whole scene collapses in to chaos of fire, bullets and blood.


Nosko walks quickly over toward the driver of the small car. After realizing that everyone is in slow motion he thinks to himself *this is going to be easy* Disarming the driver he takes aim and pops one off at the gunner. Roll 5-6=1

knowing that everyone is currently slowed Zajeyu abuses the situation to try and move to the Rifleman and tries to grapple him. He successfully grapples him taking his Rifle from his hands. He then take aim at the gunner in the small car, but misses striking the building behind.

Grexas draws his pistol and runs up to the side of the car, he keeps the pistol just off the gunners head and pulls the trigger. rolled 15+2, with 12 damage.
The gunners head explodes spattering brains everywhere. The body falling from the car in slow motion.

When Nosko tried to shoot with his stolen desert eagle hand gun, the bullet magazine falls heavily to the ground and all Nosko can hear is the click from the trigger. Around him, bullet trajectories fly at slow speed, but he notices that they are picking up, his enthusiasm that this was gonna be easy, starts to wane as he turns his head to see Zajeyu’s shot impacted a building across the street harmlessly. Both of them turn their heads to look at Grexas blow the Buggy driver’s head off at the exact moment that Armande, on one knee, lets out a barrage from his revolver. Three shots fly from the gun, impacting on the face of the Hummer’s driver, turning it in to a mass of hair, teeth and bone splashing the windshield and the passenger next to him with blood.
Time begins to turn faster, recovering from Armande’s meddling with it. The three companions realize that there is definitely something not right with their new employer. At that moment, they see Armande get up and start running to the farthest corner. Turning it, he disappears from sight.
Then, the three riflemen still standing lift up their weapons. Two of them aim at Grexas, the last one starts running towards the corner that Armande took. From the buildings around, shots continue to be fired.
The machine gunner from the hummer, turns the contraption at Grexas, ready to take down the perilous man.
Before they can fire, Nosko springs in to action…


GM:
The players turn must be updated by Monday at 1900, or the players will be treated as passive. The order of initiative is:


Nosko
Gunner from the Hummer
Zajeyu
Grexas
Riflemen
Snipers