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>Evening

Even tho the sun has not full set yet, the canyons of the north-east are filled with cool shade already. The end of your second day of travel slowly approaches - But, just as you are about to look for a way up the rocks around you, the ticking companion of yours nudges you into the side. “Hey, do you see that sign too, or am i having a malfunction?”
Indeed, a sign, made out of scrap, painted green with white letters on it. “Welcome to Memory Point”, it says. Looks like you wouldn’t have to scout ahead after all. You throw in the next gear and make your way into the clearing beyond the sign.

The air is heavy, the taste of salt forms in your entire throat. Before you lies an abandoned village, houses made out of scrap and stone, some slowly giving in to the gnawing teeth of time. And the salt. A fine crust seems to line everything around. Houses, interiors, the husks of vehicles - You feel, you won’t have to stomach any more rations of insipid food. As your Rover rolls over the cobblestones of the main street, you can make out a large, empty area, behind the village, all white, vapors rising off it. A jetty extends out, no boats line it, but you think you can spot a camp in the distance - Not fully encrusted in salt.
“I have to say, it’s still hard to believe we found Memory Point. I thought i was all but a legend. Let’s make base camp and have a look around, or two.”, the Ticking Mechanist proposes. You take up residence in a still sturdy house, the outside well laced with salt - but the interior is still welcoming. After breaking off a few chunks of salt to get in through the door, you make yourself at home, and make plans how to spend your evening and night.
>You have discovered Memory Point!
>Gained: Oddity - Report: Memory Point. Bring it back to the old Archivist!
>You should replan your evening and night again. Pick an action for each phase of day:

>Scavenge the houses. Maybe you will find something of interest.
>Pick over the abandoned vehicles. The Mechanist might give you a hand.
>Explore the lake, jetty and camp - maybe you are not alone.
>These is something else you wanted to do... (Write-In)
>Actually, you’ll just be resting for a few hours - Got enough time to explore later.

>>2506082
>>Pick over the abandoned vehicles. The Mechanist might give you a hand.

>>2506082
>Pick over the abandoned vehicles. The Mechanist might give you a hand.

>>2506082
>Pick over the abandoned vehicles. The Mechanist might give you a hand.

The Mechanist gladly helps you out, supporting your efforts with her technological knowledge. The two of you go around the village, collecting scrap metal, spare parts and other materials, freeing them of their salty overcoat and piling them up in front of your base.
“I’d say this is enough stuff to get that bike of yours back into… well, better shape, i’d say. Will take me all night tho, so if you planned on doing some exploring, you’ll have to do that by yourself.”

>Tell the Mechanist to put the bike on hold for now (And choose another activity you want her to help you with.)
>Scavenge the houses. Maybe you will find something of interest.
>Explore the lake, jetty and camp - maybe you are not alone.
>These is something else you wanted to do... (Write-In)
>Actually, you’ll just be resting for a few hours - Got enough time to explore later.

>>2506155
>Scavenge the houses. Maybe you will find something of interest.

>>2506155
>Scavenge the houses. Maybe you will find something of interest.

Rolled 2, 4 + 1 = 7 (2d6 + 1)

>Rolling for scavenge.

You leave your untiring companion to her own work, while you decide you’d be spending your night picking over the abandoned houses around. Armed with your trusty lantern you begin to search both crumbling ruins and still standing have-been homes. When the night slowly gave way to the dawn of a new day, your bounty was not very plentiful - Early in your endeavor, you made the discovery that the villagers had taken everything that was of any value to them, leaving behind only tit and tat. Tho, not being discouraged by this, you still sifted through all kinds of salt-crusted items to unearth a few interesting things. Diaries, notes, letters, all kinds of accounts detailing the last few days of their home.


Spending the rest of your night sorting through your new intel, you have started to piece together what had happened - Yet, you are still in the early stages of understanding. From what you were able to gleam right away, this village had been struck by some kind of tragedy, involving the only freshwater source around: the lake behind the village. Unfortunately, the accounts are confusing, as if they happened out of order, warped in writing, and some just make no sense at all. You feel this would be a project of it’s own, but with the sun slowly turning the sky from black to orange, you decide to catch a few hours of sleep, before the new day breaks.

Your companion is sitting downstairs, preparing some of the sandflyer flesh for breakfast. “The bike is in working condition now.”, she reported, beaming back at you, “No explosion hazard on wheels anymore. Okay, maybe less than before, but that’s something, right?”
You eat with her, discussing how you two should spend the day. “I really want to see the lake. If this place isn’t a legend, maybe the rumors about the memories of the dead isn’t either. I know, sounds ridiculous, but, you see the layer of alt out there too, right? Yeah, thought so. So, maybe that isn’t too far fetched either….”
>Changed: Raider Bike - No longer in bad condition.

>Sort through some of your collected accounts of the disaster.
>Explore the lake, jetty and camp - maybe you are not alone.
>Take the bike for a spin, scout the surrounding land.
>These is something else you wanted to do... (Write-In)
>You got your report for the Archivist, time to pack up and go elsewhere.

>>2506263
>>Take the bike for a spin, scout the surrounding land.

>>2506263
>Explore the lake, jetty and camp - maybe you are not alone.

>>2506263
>Take the bike for a spin, scout the surrounding land.

>Scavenge the houses.

With your newest acquisition in better conditions, you decide to take it for a ride around the canyon. To your surprise, the bike runs very smooth, even for a self-made contraption. You give it a short round through the village before blasting off into the canyon. After circling around a few times, you find a collapsed stone column that you can ride up to the top of the surrounding rocks. From up there, you have a rather beautiful view over clearing; the village and the… Calling it a lake might be a bit much, in fact, the entire body of water has sheets of salt floating on it. Using your broken scope, you spot something in the vapors, near the middle of the lake. On some kind of float, or boat, a man slowly ferries over the lake, using a long stick to push himself forwards.
Besides that, you take some note of the meandering canyons, in particular, what seems to be a mining operation. Although you cannot tell exactly if it is abandoned or not, you do spot a few pieces of heavy machinery and refining equipment. Sadly, beyond that, the canyons are rather silent, only the wind howling a little as it is channeled through the rocky formations.
Shortly afterwards, you take your trip back to the village. When riding down the main street, you feel like the vapors of the lake have consolidated into a murky fog, slowly rising up from the crusty waters and rolling towards the village. For whatever reason, the sight makes you a little uneasy - not much, but this little bit, like being home alone at night and hearing something downstairs, knowing there shouldn’t be anything…
Reuniting with your companion back at base, she is busy cleaning the Rusty Rover. Overnight, the old vehicle has gathered some distinct patches of salt. “Damn salt, getting into all the fine gears... ”, she grumbles, as she removes a few larger crystals from the treads.

>Sort through some of your collected accounts of the disaster.
>Explore the lake, jetty and camp - maybe you are not alone.
>Get the Rover going, and check out the mines.
>These is something else you wanted to do... (Write-In)
>You got your report for the Archivist, time to pack up and go elsewhere.

>>2506500
>>Get the Rover going, and check out the mines.

>>2506543
Supporting.

>>2506500
>Sort through some of your collected accounts of the disaster.

Hey people. OP here, just giving you all the heads-up that i'll get going for now - expect more updates in about 10 hours, and a full blown run till i pass out in 18 hours! Hope to see you all around, OP out.

>>2506576
Thanks for running.

>>2506543
Supporting

“Aye, let me grab my gun!”, the Mechanist weasels off, you start up the Rover. Together, you two head out of the village and through the meandering canyons, as the sun slowly mounts the sky. As you enter the small clearing of the mining operation, in addition to the heavy gear you spot a small collection of tents, hidden away in an alcove drilled into the side of the canyon. The Mechanist readys her gun as you park the rover slightly in cover of a large boulder. “Stay alert, who knows who or what is in those shafts...”

>Have a look through the tents, maybe someone's home.
>Inspect the machinery. It doesn’t look salt-crusted, maybe it’s still working.
>Head down the shafts. Who knows what’s in there…
>Actually you wanted to…(Write in)
>Better leave this camp alone, return to the village.

>>2507593
>Have a look through the tents, maybe someone's home.
It wouls be rude to scrap a neighborhood's public assets while the homeowners are sleeping on the front porch.

>>2507593
>>Inspect the machinery. It doesn’t look salt-crusted, maybe it’s still working.

>>2507593
>Have a look through the tents, maybe someone's home.

You give your companion the sign to search the camp first - No need for nasty surprises. Walking through the camp, you find several personal tents, while not abandoned, with a spartan interior at best. Nothing has gathered too much dust yet, these tents have been lived in not too long ago. In addition, you make out a larger tent, built out of multiple tarps, hastily stitched together. Inside, you find several field beds, a couple containers for medical supplies - all empty - and… a body. It lies in the far left back, a thin white cloth thrown over it. Surprisingly, it doesn’t smell of decay in any way. The machinist reunites with you shortly after your discovery. “All empty, but not abando- Oh. Oh shit.”, she stops herself mid-sentence, having seen what lies in the bed next to you, “May they rest in peace...”

>Lift the cloth, inspect the body. Something isn’t right - in this heat, a body should have decayed by now.
>See if you can find any written accounts of what had happened here.
>Inspect the machinery. It doesn’t look salt-crusted, maybe it’s still working.
>Head down the shafts. Who knows what’s in there…
>Actually you wanted to…(Write in)
>Better leave this camp alone, return to the village.

OP is finally back and kicking off today's run! Hope y'all enjoy exploring Memory Point and assorted places!

>>2508190
>>Inspect the machinery. It doesn’t look salt-crusted, maybe it’s still working.

>>2508190
>See if you can find any written accounts of what had happened here.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Rolling for that tiebreak!

You better leave the dead undisturbed - And who knows, maybe staying away from that copse is the best choice after all. As such, you and the Ticking Mechanist start scouring the remains of the personal tents, gathering together all written media, be it diary, reports or crumpled up notes. Resting in the shade of the alcove, you two start sorting through your findings.

It appears, that this mining operation has been set up not too long ago by a merchant operating out of the Middle. The miner write about their day to day, plucking metals from the rocks around, using the refining equipment to produce highly sought-after pure ingots of metal, which would be gathered up by a caravan every so often. You find a rather recent piece written by the foeman, complaining about how the last caravan that passed through had “lost” their new powercell charger. “Amateurs! How exactly do you ‘lose’ a tank-mounted powercell charger! It was bolted onto the damn thing for a fucking reason! And fucking antaurs are no excuse - those things don’t venture that far out, for fuck’s sake!”

Aside from that, you find reports of the foreman about the village, as well as some miner’s worried accounts. “The fog has rolled back in.”, one of them wrote, “The foreman says it doesn't reach back here, but i aint so sure anymore. Ever since Harris came back from it a few days ago, the vapors have grown thicker and thicker. Poor guy. Hope the salt consumes him soon. His constant groaning keeps me awake at night.”

And finally, after a lot of work, your archivist training has paid off: You find the latest report of the foreman, hastily scribbled onto a paper mushed between the last pages of his notebook. “The fog is back - it has reached us. We decided to venture into the mines, in hope that neither fog nor the stranger will reach us down there. We’ll take all supplies, and won’t be coming back out until three sols have passed. May Nowhere smile upon us.”

Reading this reignites the salty burning in your nostrils and throat. Something is not right with this village.
>Gained: one story


>Go back to the medical tent and inspect the veiled body.
>Inspect the machinery. It doesn’t look salt-crusted, maybe it’s still working.
>Head down the shafts, looking for the miners. Let’s hope nothing else has found them first.
>Actually you wanted to…(Write in)
>Better leave this camp alone, return to the village.

>>2508686
>Head down the shafts, looking for the miners. Let’s hope nothing else has found them first.

>>2508686
>>Head down the shafts, looking for the miners. Let’s hope nothing else has found them first.

In hopes of finding the miners, you light your lantern and start venturing down the shaft. The mechanist follows you closely, the shotgun cocked and ready, she doesn’t look very comfortable in this tight, damp and dark space. Following a slew of cables, hanging from the ceiling, you come across a few even smaller side-shafts. While you feel pretty confident that the miners would hide out somewhere with power, like a break room, the mechanists pitches the idea that, if they wanted to be safe from critters, they’ have to hold out in one of the side-shafts.

>Continue follow the cables, till you find the break room.
>Venture down the side-shafts, in hopes for running into the miners - tho, picking the right shaft would be a matter of luck right now. (Weird-Roll)
>Shout. Someone would hear you, surely.
>There's Something else you wanted to give a go… (Write-in)
>This is pointless, if the miner are hiding, you won’t find them. Head back out.

>>2508799
>>Venture down the side-shafts, in hopes for running into the miners - tho, picking the right shaft would be a matter of luck right now. (Weird-Roll)
Need my mystery option

>>2508804
Supporting

>>2508804
Supporting

Rolled 5, 2 = 7 (2d6)

Let's roll then!

Looking at the shafts, you quickly pick one out and get a move on. While the main shaft was rather wide and tall in comparison, this one is small and cramped, water dripping along the walls, nothing but your own lantern illuminating the passage - Until you hear it. An echo, far away, down the shaft. Bone-chilling. Then, more voices, frantic shouting and an unfamiliar sound - A short, but powerful ‘Zapp!’. Your companion urges you to hurry, you agree. The two of you make haste down the uneven path which ends in a small cave, lit by multiple small lights, lamps and lanterns. The roof has partially caved in, a tunnel to some kind of burrow can be seen. Further back, you see the first bodies: Huge mole-rats-on-steroids are attacking a small group of miners! The first on both sides have fallen, miners torn in half lie around, the corpses of cooked mole-rats have buried parts of the makeshift encampment under themselves.
The last two miners stand upon a boulder, slightly out of reach of the rats, using their mining lasers as makeshift weapons, while a group of three rats are attacking them. You hear the Mechanist ready her shotgun, and the rats finally take note of you.
>Time for combat!

>You are currently in the close range, but have a small advantage against the rats, giving you the option: Stay at range and use your revolver, or draw one of your melee weapons and charge!

>Stay at range, no need to get torn to shreds - After all, you outnumber the creatures!
>No time to waste! Charge in - after all, you can handle yourself better mano-a-mano!

>>2508977
>>Stay at range, no need to get torn to shreds - After all, you outnumber the creatures!

Rolled 5, 4 = 9 (2d6)

Seeing how you have the upper hand in the fight, you pull out the pipe revolver from your belt and aim at one of the charging mole-rats.
>Let's roll!

>You rolled a 7 to 9! this means, you get to perform an action, while taking one disadvantage of your choice. Choose one Disadvantage:

>you have to move in order to get a shot, receiving damage from a ranged enemy,
>you have to take what you get, deal -1 wounds,
>you have to take multiple shots, put strain on your ammo supply,
>you put yourself in a disadvantageous position, receiving a -1 modifier to all rolls,
>you break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback


And now your Action:
>inflict wounds
>put yourself in a better position, giving a +1 modifier,
>charge into melee from a close range
>put yourself into another range, but taking the first disadvantage,
>give coverfire, granting cover from an ranged attack.

>>2509104
>>inflict wounds
>you have to take what you get, deal -1 wounds,

Rolled 1, 2 = 3 (2d6)

Surprisingly, the pipe revolver doesn't blow up in your face! Still, the weapons handling is far from optimal, you can only score a grazing shot - But your companion seems to have better aim. A full shotgun blast rocks the second mole, throwing it back onto the ground. But, even though the hit was more than solid, the beast gets up again and follows his friend. In the background, the miner have problems getting the lasers to fire again: “Fucking cheap tech! Overheating so damn quick...”

>That's one fail - Choose a disadvantage:

Disadvantages:
>you have to move in order to get a shot, receiving damage from a ranged enemy,
>you have to take multiple shots, put strain on your ammo supply,
>you put yourself in a disadvantageous position, receiving a -1 modifier to all rolls,
>you break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback

>>2509170
>>you have to take multiple shots, put strain on your ammo supply,

Rolled 4, 3 = 7 (2d6)

Rolling for the strain!

Rolled 6, 1 = 7 (2d6)

After squeezing the trigger multiple times, you are out - Your bullets ricochet around in the back of the cave. You curse once, fumbling around with the ammo pouch you have and reload your weapon. Unsurprisingly, the Ticking Mechanists aim stays true, this time catching the mole you nicked earlier. With a new load of buckshot inside, the beast falls and slides a few paces, only to have his follower trample him. Luckily, the miners have been able to handle themselves again - A ‘Zap’, followed by a distinct ‘Thud’ of hot air expanding. Their mole squeals, but manages to swipe the other off the bolder. He’s scrambling for the Cave wall now.

>You know the drill!

Disadvantage:
>you have to move in order to get a shot, receiving damage from a ranged enemy,
>you have to take what you get, deal -1 wounds,
>you have to take multiple shots, put strain on your ammo supply,
>you put yourself in a disadvantageous position, receiving a -1 modifier to all rolls,
>you break or lose an item or piece of equipment, or the GM invokes an items drawback


Action:
>inflict wounds
>put yourself in a better position, giving a +1 modifier,
>charge into melee from a close range
>put yourself into another range, but taking the first disadvantage,
>give coverfire, granting cover from an ranged attack.

>>2509232
>you have to take multiple shots, put strain on your ammo supply,

>>2509232
Oh and
>Inflict wounds

Once again, you opt for a spray-and-pray tactic - with the only difference, that your aim is more true now. The bullets sink into the charging beast, letting it slow down until is fall onto its side, bleeding. Triumphant, you and your mate advance on the last remaining mole, distracting it by giving it a few more pellets of lead, before both miners grill the monstrosity. Squealing one last time, it’s life gives out.
A little out of breath, both miner thank you. They had been stuck down here for sme days now, ever since the mole broke into the mine. “We would have been toast without you two.”, the first one tell you, while tending to the wound of his colleague. “If you are here, that means the fog is gone, right? We should get out of here then, before more mole come for us!”
>Gained: one story.

>You agree, better get back into the open.
>Send them out, you two still have business down here
>There’s something you wanted to ask the two… (Write in)

>>2509352
>>You agree, better get back into the open.

Giving the wounded one a hand, the lot of you make haste to get out of the mine as quickly as possible. The sun is now beyond her zenith, slowly declining on the light-blue sky. “Finally - Fresh fucking air...”, the wounded one groans, as you descend back to the tents. There, the wound is cleaned and bandaged with whatever is available. “You haven't seen the others, by any chance… Well, those who haven't been ripped to shreds? Damn. Well, i guess there is only one more thing to ask of you - Can you give us a ride back to the Middle? Last convoy got blasted, lost an entire tank to these Ant-Taurs, and seeing how we didn’t and up as mole-food, we aren’t keen on becoming ant-feed either.”

>Agree to bring them back home. The flatbed still as space.
>Decline. You’ve got enough to carry already.
>Ask about something else first… (Write in)

Well then, OP here, ready to sign off for today's run! I might run on Sunday again, more on that in the upcoming day!

>>2509445
>>Agree to bring them back home. The flatbed still as space.

Once more, the two miners express their gratitude, asking if you’d be going back soon. Your companion explains to them how you’d have to collect your things from the village first - which leads to your new friends loosing alot of their natural color in their faces. “Yeah - We ain’t taking a single step into that cursed place. No offense. We’ll rather stay here, gather the rest of our things, plus, someone’s gotta stay here - In case, one of our colleagues resurfaces.” You nod, leaving them to tend to their things.

>Go to the camp, you’ve got a question for the miners. (Write-in)
>Inspect the machinery. It doesn’t look salt-crusted, maybe it’s still working.
>Head back down the shafts. You know what’s expecting you, but you’ll be ready.
>Actually you wanted to…(Write in)
>Better head back to the village - If for nothing else than gathering your stuff and getting the hell out of here.

>>2510910
>>Inspect the machinery. It doesn’t look salt-crusted, maybe it’s still working.
Maybe this time

>>2511016
>Supporting

“This some real high-tech stuff.”, the Mechanist explains as you have a gander at the three machines. With her help, you figure out what is what, and how to use it: The most important of the three is a powercell charger, basically a small nuclear generator supplying the mines and machines with energy. “These things are hard to get, but once running, they last an eternity.”
The other machine is, a lengthy and technical explanation cut short, an ore refinery. Rocks go in one end, hot slag and pure metal ingots come out another. “Pure metals are highly sought after - Scrap is one thing, but ingots are the shit in metalworks.” Last, but not least, the mechanist presents you a recycler for the slag the former machine spit out. “It makes building cells. Like mud bricks, but lighter, sturdier, and easy to make, once you have a source of slag.”
You two muse about potential uses of the machines to you. Of course, if you were to find a node of ore, you could make ingots out of it, bring them back to the Middle. Another option would be unplugging the powercell charger - it would fit onto the rover, if you didn’t have any other cargo already. And lastly, you could strip it. “Not sure why we would do that, i have no current use for such high-tech components. Plus, putting them back together would be a hassle. Could be a one-time thing.”

>Go to the camp, you’ve got a question for the miners. (Write-in)
>Unplug the powercell charger, you’ll take it with you, but leave any other cargo behind.
>Dismantle the machines. You’ll find a use for the components eventually.
>Head back down the shafts. You know what’s expecting you, but you’ll be ready.
>Actually you wanted to…(Write in)
>Better head back to the village - If for nothing else than gathering your stuff and getting the hell out of here.

>>2511153
>Go to the camp, you’ve got a question for the miners. (Write-in)
Just ask them for their side of the story. Just what wen't down here.

You get back to the miners, asking them for their verbal accounts of what went down. “It all started with the Village appearing a few weeks back - Like, it wasnt there when we got here. But one night, hell must have opened up and spat it out. There was nothing to scavenge, and we had work to do, so we left it and that creepy ass lake alone.
Then, the fog appeared. At first, it was just rolling through the village, so we thought we’d be okay. But Harris had to go into it. Babbled about some memory he’d go and get. Crazy talk, y’know the kind. Poor dude came back with salt growing out of every pore of his body. After that, the fog started to creep closer to the camp.
A few days ago, it had nearly reached us, so we packed our shit and went into the mines… And, well, you can guess what happened there: The mole-rats found our breakroom, the few that they didn't eat for lunch scattered into the side-shafts. Hold out there for another day or so, and then - well, you were kind of around for that, so, yeah.”
“Don’t stay in the fog for too long!”, the wounded one added, “You people are our ticket outta here, can’t lose that now!”

>Ask another question. (Write-in)
>Unplug the powercell charger, you’ll take it with you, but leave any other cargo behind.
>Dismantle the machines. You’ll find a use for the components eventually.
>Head back down the shafts. You know what’s expecting you, but you’ll be ready.
>Actually you wanted to…(Write in)
>Better head back to the village - If for nothing else than gathering your stuff and getting the hell out of here.

>>2511396
>Dismantle the machines. You’ll find a use for the components eventually.

The Mechanist goes to work, you lending her a hand. Piece by piece, you reduce the machines to husks of their former selves, with a container now filled with assorted high-tech parts. “That’s a nice haul - hope you’ve got something planned for these delicate parts.”, she muses while packing up the salvage onto the rover. The only thing left behind is the powercore of the charger. “Yeah, I’m not touching that. Old tech like that might last an eternity or two, but that doesn't include getting ripped out of its chasie and being transported on a rusty rover.”
>Gained: An assortment of high-tech parts.
>The mine is now without power, the machines are unusable


>Ask the miners another question. (Write-in)
>Head back down the shafts. You know what’s expecting you, but you’ll be ready.
>Actually you wanted to…(Write in)
>Better head back to the village - If for nothing else than gathering your stuff and getting the hell out of here.

>>2511613
>>Head back down the shafts. You know what’s expecting you, but you’ll be ready.

>>2512232
Supporting

Once more unto the breach! Once more, you climb down the rocky slope into the descending darkness, lantern by your side, casting dancing shadows on the shafts walls. Just like before, the mine is near silent, only the dripping of water can be heard in the distance, maybe a pebble or stone coming loose and falling. After passing the side-shaft where you found your new friends, you find yourself with the same options: Wandering down the main shaft, following the now dead cables, or picking out another side-shaft at random, seeing what you will find.

>Head down the main, see where the cables lead.
>Pick out another side-shaft! (Weird-Roll)
>Actually, you really need to do something else… (Write-in)
>The mines are even more eery now than before, head back out. You yearn for sunlight.

>>2512453
>>Pick out another side-shaft! (Weird-Roll)

Rolled 4, 2 = 6 (2d6)

One Weird Roll, commin' right up!

You pick out another side-shaft and venture into the cramped darkness. After several minutes of squeezing through collapsed sections and climbing through small tunnels, you come across the end of this side-shaft, reuniting you with what looks like the main shaft, only on the other side of deep chasm. The main shaft runs along the casms wall, over several metal platforms, suspended by metal cables dirven into the rock. A zip-line connects your side with the platforms opposite to you, a one way connection. Still, your trip was not for naught - In the distance, you spot an alcove drilled into the casms wall, lights shimmer and flicker before going out. “Maybe that break room the miners talked about?”, the tick-tocking companion of yours pitches in, before freezing, falling silent. You hear rumbling, cracking of stone: Somewhere behind you, something breaks through the rock, sniffing the air. The mole-rats must have started to follow you.

>Take the zip-line and make for the breakroom. Maybe you can score some supplies before the rats catch up.
>Take the zip-line, but b-line it to the exit. Enough rats for today.
>Stand your ground! A measly mole-rat has never scared someone of your birth!
>You got a better plan… (Write in)

>>2515177
>Take the zip-line and make for the breakroom. Maybe you can score some supplies before the rats catch up.

Taking the zip-line, both of you escape the side-shaft just in time: the mole-rat bursts out of the rock behind you, watching you arrive on the opposite wall with it’s near-blind, black eyes, letting out a shriek. Realizing that you have no time to waste, you bolt for the breakroom.
A scene of tragedy opens up before you. The door to the room was broken outwards, inside are multiple mounds, connected to the burrows of the rats, and the slain mainers lie around, slowly decomposing - or, at least, what the rats had left behind. After fighting down the urge to regurgitate your breakfast, you quickly go over the supplies of the miners, taking anything of worth. Sadly, their mining gear is mostly depleted or broken, but you can make off with a jerry can of fuel, water and food, as well as medical supplies. As you are about to grab anything else, you feel the floor under you vibrate, something is digging through - And nearly there.
>Gained: Tale of Sorrows
>Gained: one ration food, water and fuel
>Gained: Medical supplies

>Don’t risk it, better get out now.
>Grab some usable gear off the miners, but risk that mole-rat catching up.
>Actually, you got a better idea… (Write-In)

>>2515502
>>Don’t risk it, better get out now.

You do the only sensible thing left to do, take what you have gotten, and make a grand exit. As you run over the platforms, you hear a cable snap behind you, as one of the platforms clossapses, the wall now sporting a mole-sized hole. Squeaking and screeching like all hell broke loose, rats start pouring from every conceivable angle, chasing the two of you down the shaft. As the rampaging cluster of steroid-moles follows you, you can hear supports being broken, the mountain overhead grumbles in disapproval - But you have only one thing on your mind: the light at the end of the shaft, the promise of safety, the arm embrace of Nowhere.

You collapse into the warm sand and dirt beneath your feet, the dust settling around you, while the few last pebbles roll jump around. Large boulder, dirt and stone have sealed off the collapsed mine, the faint squealing of the moles subsides quickly, as they withdraw back into the canyonside. The miner come rushing over, help you get up. You explain what had happened to them, before securing your new gains. “Well, looks like this operation’s done and dusted.”, one of them thought out loud, “No getting back in there without a drill.”

You overlook the mining site, a rather sorry sight, with the mine collapsed and the husks of high-tech machinery around. The sun has begun to set, the evening has settled in.

>Ask the miners something, before you go.
>There’s something else you wanted to do… (Write in)
>Nothing’s left to do now, better get back to the village.

>>2518022
>>Nothing’s left to do now, better get back to the village.

“We will be ready for pick-up, whenever you are. We’ll stay put.” The miners tell you as you start the engine of the Rusty Rover. Leaving the mining site behind, you make your way back to the village. Once passing the sign out front, you feel something has changed. The vapors of the lake have consolidated into a fog, rolling over the banks of the lake, yet not reaching either houses nor jetty. Instead, the small camp on the stone jetty has come alife: A raft has docked, an open flame dances in the distance, the shadow of a person is being projected onto the tents thin tarp. You do your best to keep the rover quiet as you pull into the street with your house. “I wonder where they came from - I don't think the lake has anything opposite to it. Besides, I still want to have a gander at the legendary lake that holds the memories of the dead.”, you companion tells you while making - you guessed it - more sandflyer for dinner. The exotic taste has been slowly growing on you, the heat, the zing, the hard texture. Plus, the mechanist makes one killer sauce from the blue-green blood. “Family recipe.”, she winks.

>Go to the jetty, you are curious who that stranger is.
>Sift through the written accounts of the village. This will take some time…
>There’s something else you wanted to do… (Write-In)
>Get some rest and pack up, you’ll be going tonight.

>>2518113
>>Go to the jetty, you are curious who that stranger is.

You devise a plan of approach over dinner, how you would be using different streets and alleyways to conceal your arrival. Once the last bits of sandflyer have been devoured, the quietly tick-tocking Mechanist and you set out, following the route you had planned out. Soon enough you approach the stone jetty.
A campfire burns in the encroaching darkness, flames dancing under a kettle help up by a wonky-looking contraption of iron rods. In the flickering light sits a man, staring into the fire, shade and light seemingly warping on his face. It makes it nigh impossible to pinpoint his age - one moment, he looks like a young and energetic adult, in the next, like wrinkly and old senior out on his last adventure.
Although you make your best efforts to keep a low profile while approaching the campsite, the man looks up from the flames, his face lights up with a weary yet welcoming smile. “Ah, I have been wondering when you’d be paying me a visit. Care for some coffee? Freshly brewed.” He produces three sheet metal cups, all three having dents and one or another weld, and sets them next to him.In that exact moment, the kettle begins to boil, the man gets it off the heat and fills the cups with a sluggish-black liquid. It smells a little like unrefined fuel. “Come, sit! I haven’t had a mortal to visit is some time now - And, well, beings like your undying friend here.”
The Mechanist shoots you a confused look, still clutching her shotgun, awaiting your reaction.

>Sit down and ask a few questions, this strange man might have answers. (Write-in any number of questions.)
>Sit down, but say nothing. Something is off.
>Refuse, but stay to have a look at the salt-crusted lake.
>Refuse, with an appropriate amount of lead. Shit happens out here, and you’ll be taking all the coffee.
>There is something else you really want to do… (Write-in)
>Refuse and leave. After all, your mother taught you not to take coffee from strangers.

>>2520833
>Sit down and ask a few questions, this strange man might have answers. (You're an immortal?)
>Don't drink the coffee.

“How come that’s always one of the first things you humans ask?”, the stranger chuckles, visibly amused, “See, saying I am immortal would be like saying that mountains never move, that stone is forever. But then you have canyons like these, where rivers have eroded away the rock over centuries. It’s more like that: Not immortal, but pretty hard to actually kill. Not impossible, but really hard. After all-” He pauses and takes a sip from the ‘coffee’. You had accepted your cup, but placed it as far away from you as possible. It reeks of death. “After all, this very place wouldn't exist, hadn’t a god died.”
The stranger falls silent for a moment, letting the words sink in, while the campfire crackles away, flames twirling around the firewood - before a question bursts out of the man: “Say, Mechanist, how come we meet yet again? I was of the impression that our business had been concluded”. The ticking companion throws around confused looks. “I - uh, we have never met.”, she stammers, the tick-tocking originating from her head growing louder. “Huh. Is that so. Must have you confused then. Time becomes weird in places like these. Maybe that business is yet to come for you.” His gaze stares off into the vapors of the lake, the stare rather blank, as if the person behind the glass-like grey eyes had retreated to ponder some problem, before he springs back to life: “Now, rarely i have visitors without purpose - The last ones were here to fish for memories.”, he laughs,as if the ridiculousness of that was all too obvious, “So, what has brought you here? The promise of riches untold? Or did you just stumble over this little oddity of mine by accident?”

>Tell him about the Archivist’s Wall of Rumors and ask a question in return (Write-In)
>Lie about it, stating you were to visit the mines - and ask another question (Write-in)
>Excuse yourself to do something else… (You guessed it. Write-In.)
>Time to get going, this guy gives you the creeps.

>>2522491
>Tell him about the Archivist’s Wall of Rumors and ask a question in return (ask him if he can point us in the right direction of our quest's destination)

“The old Archivist, still alive and kicking, i see.”, he chuckles, “I should have known - he has always had this knack for the things that have been forgotten, ever since the Weaver stopped being.” The stranger scratches his chin, as if he was remembering a time long past. “Extend my best regards to one of him, will you?”
You then move on to the more uncomfortable topic of your current quest. It takes a little help from the Mechanist to explain, but the stranger nods knowingly. “My condolences. It saddens me, that I cannot ease your journey in the way I would otherwise. But, if memories are what you are looking for, I might be able to help you out.” He extends a hand, a sweeping motion over the lake. “The Dead lose their memories here, things they do not need in a place beyond. I’m willing to let you dive for one, ensuring you will stay unharmed - But, nothing is free.” The dancing shadows on his face turn fuzzy, menacing, weird. “Bring me Tales of Sorrow, and I will trade them for memories from the lake. After all, all this salt has to come from somewhere, and I am always in demand for heartbreak, tears and regrets.”
The Mechanist’s ticking has ceased, she looks at you, a mixture of sadness and hope in her gaze. “Maybe you will find something worthy of a last memory - I would be ever thankful, in this life and beyond.”

>Trade him your Tales of Sorrow for memories at the bottom of the lake.
>You’d rather keep these sad tales, maybe you find a better use.
>Ask him if he’d know of another place where you’d find a memory worthy of being a last.
>Ask him something else first. (Write-In)

Going to be doing an impromptu session in about an hour, for about 4 hours! Lets get some stuff done (and help me procrastinate in the process)

>>2522847
>Trade him your Tales of Sorrow for memories at the bottom of the lake.

You agree to the strangers proposal and begin to tell the tear-jerking tales you have collected over the past days. When you finish up the last one, the stranger nods, a singular tear slowly creeping its way down the ever-shifting face, turning into a milky crystal as it hangs from his chin.. “What a beautiful batch of tales. I can feel the salt grow already. Please, the lake awaits.” He motions to the raft and gets up himself.

Together, you leave the jetty behind in the misty vapors of the lake. The stranger, pushing the raft with a long pole, has fallen silent. As you sit there, you can hear it. The whispering of memories, whose owners have long passed on, bubbling up from the lakes bottom. After a few minutes of rhythmic pushing, the raft slows down and comes to a stop. “Here. This is where you will be diving. Don't be shy. The lake will get to know you sooner or later. I will be waiting here for you to return.” The stranger sits down on the raft, watching you get up to the edge, staring at the black water. Your dim reflection dances on the shallow waves. You take one deep breath, before jumping into the depths. The light fades, you feel yourself growing colder and colder, water presses against your innards, searching a way into your lungs. The whispers, the grow louder and louder, from quiet voices, to normal chatter, to screaming. When you reach the bottom, you grab two stones out of a large bickering mountain of pebbles and make your way back up - the stones whine as you do.

You come back to your senses, the jetty approaches in the distance. “Two fine catches, you’ll be impressed, I assure you.”
You are not cold, nor wet. No whispers can be heard either - your only evidence that you have been down there lies in your arms: Two small stones, each with a glowing rune imprinted on them, pulsating in a relaxed rhythm - like a heartbeat. The Mechanist has been awaiting your return, and expresses her past concern as you hand her one of the two stones - as if you knew which was meant for her. She holds the stone close to her heart and smiles.
If she had tear-ducts, she’d be crying right now, you can not only feel it - Her rubby face is contorted into a grimace of heartfelt sadness, pain, joy and thankfulness. The strange, his raft tied to the jetty once more, sits back down, drinking more of his ‘coffee’. “Well, that’s something new… If you ever want more of these, i have a rather endless supply. I’ll be awaiting you.”
>Gained: Oddity - A Memory of the Dead
>This can be used to gain a Secret or two Stories, unless you find a better way to use it.
>Lost: two Tales of Sorrow.
>Changed: Companion - Mechanist: She has found something worthy of a last memory. Time for her to come home.

>Ask the stranger something else, before departing.
>There is something else you wanted to do, before going back. (Write in)
>Thank the stranger, and go back to the house. Time to pack.

>>2524870
>Thank the stranger, and go back to the house. Time to pack.

File: sun_over_nowhere.jpg (119 KB, 1360x768)

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Thanking the stranger, he just waves it off: “Thank me when I ferry you to the beyond. Until then - ”, and raises his cup, “And best of luck to you in the next life, Mechanist.” Together, you and your companion leave him behind, fire still lit and dancing in the dark, with the vapors slowly rolling over the jetty, engulfing the campsite.
Back at the house, you start packing your things and loading them onto the rover. Before you lay down to rest a little more, the stack of written accounts you had gathered the day before catches your attention. Careful not to damage any, you package them into a few bundles unad lay them to your belongings - even if you won’t read them through, the old Archivist might want to add them to his collection.
The sun chasing away the blue night sky, you awake to the Mechanist sitting outside on top of the rover, meditating. “It’s a strange feeling, to know that this will be the last time I ride through the desert as, well, me. Thank you for gifting me this opportunity.”
Acknowledging her thanks, you make sure everything is loaded up, before you start the rovers engine and make your way out of the salt-crusted village. Of course, you do stop by the former mine first, to pick up your other, more human cargo. The miners seem a little overjoyed and energetic as they take seat on the flatbed, talking about how they have missed whatever dear ones they have back home. Unperturbed, you kick in high gear and make your way out of the canyons, into the desert - south-southwestwards, headed for the Middle.

>From experience, you know the journey takes two full days of travel, although you made it in a comfortable three with a little sidetracking.
>Once again, you may plot your day’s activities, from Morning, Midday, Evening to Night, each occupied with one of the following actions:

>Move towards your destination. Pretty self-explanatory.
>Scout. Get your ass out of the vehicle and get a good vantage point. Useful when you are expecting trouble or have no idea where you are going.
>Scavenge. Comb over the near surroundings, provoking some sort of random encounter. If you feel lucky, or the call for lootz.
>Set Camp. Get that tarp up, make a campfire and rest. Normally, you do that every night, but if the need for speed arises, you can skip shut-eye and make camp sometime else.


>Lay out your day’s plan, and I will play it out phase by phase.

>>2525640
Move, scavenge, move, camp

File: leaving the canyon.jpg (122 KB, 1024x512)

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Rolled 1, 4 + 1 = 6 (2d6 + 1)

>Morning
The rover labors away at both the sandy ground and the weight of your, now rather chatty, cargo. The miner have been talking to the Mechanist about the rainbow-colored fins and fresh bones of the trophy you have secured back there. They express their awe, telling childhood memories of watching these things while roaming the southern desert. “It has been too long since we have been down there. The nomad tribes have been shrinking in numbers for years. Maybe they have gone extinct altogether now.” The latter comment dampens their enthusiasm a little, leaving a somber feeling in the air.
>Rolling for Midday

File: dead_desert_tree.jpg (235 KB, 1191x670)

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>Midday
As the sand melts into pools of glass under the searing sun, you decide to circle around the dunes of your vicinity, looking for anything of interest. After a while, you stumble across an odd sight: A dead tree, burnt to a light-absorbing black, stands inside a pool of bubbling sand. It’s black roots meander through the the molten ground like many menacing serpents, it’s branches reach for the sky like the bony fingers of an old witch.
In the middle of it all, a few supporting branches coil around it: A bright red fruit, like an apple, but at least twice the size. You company is marveled by the the fruit, and you too have to admit, there is something unbelievably enticing about that fruit, mouthwatering even. “I recon neither of you are heat-resistant, so they can just walk over there?”, one of the miners jokes.

>Go back to the rover, there’s got to be something back there to get you across.
>Use one of your vehicles to drive across (Write-In which to use)
>Ask one of your compadres for an idea.
>You got a better idea… (Write-in)
>It’s just a fruit. Okay, a really captivating, large, red, probably sweet-tasting one… but you need to get going!

>>2527316
>Ask the Mechanist for an idea.

The Mechanist tick-tocks a few times, looking back and forth between the rover and the boiling pool of glass. “Actually… We do have something heat-resistant!”, she exclaims, waving you over to the rovers flatbed. In her hands, she holds the large fins of the sandflyer. “After all, these things swim in molten sand all day long. I could make some heat-resistant boots out of these, I think.” She catches herself getting lost in thought while staring at the rainbows dancing on the dead skin. “Well, I could, but that would mean wasting away these beautiful pair of fins… Your call.”

>Let the Mechanist do her worst, you want that fruit.
>Reject her idea, and see if you can find anything else that could help you. (Weird-Roll)
>Use the rover to drive close to the tree. The Mechanist wont be happy about damaging her handiwork tho.
>Leave the tree be. That fruit’s gonna be someone else's treasure.

>>2528443
>Reject her idea, and see if you can find anything else that could help you. (Weird-Roll)

Rolled 3, 4 = 7 (2d6)

She nods understandingly as you explain to her that you’d rather find a different solution to your hot, liquid problem, and dive into the various other crates, bags and containers secured on the flatbed.
>Rolling for Weird

After sifting through your cargo, you come up with another approach: Using some wiring and scrap metal from your assortment of high-tech scrap, you think you could make a strong enough cable that could carry your weight across the pool of bubbling glass. The only problem would be getting the “anchor”, attached on one end of the cable, over the pool and secured in the branches…

>Ask either the miners, or the Mechanist, to sling the contraption for you
>Throw it yourself. (Vigor-Roll)
>Better not risk the wiring used in the cable, leaving only the rover to be used to drive up to the tree.
>Looks like this treasure won’t be yours today. Maybe another time, another trip.

>>2529074
>Throw it yourself. (Vigor-Roll)

Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)

After wrapping various wires around themselfs, you find yourself with a strong cable, to which you attach a chunk of scrap metal on on end. With that in your hands, you step right up to the pool and start swinging the cable in one large circle overhead.
>Rolling for Vigor

But, even tho you gave it your bets throw, it lands just that bit short in the pool of molten glass. Quickly, you reel back in the cable, and while the fruit calling out to you will not be yours for today, you now find yourself blessed with another oddity: The glass has hardened in an instant, creating some sort of natural glass monolith, which can be carefully peeled away from the cables. The glass is milky, greenish, but the light breaks inside, causing it to light up in a myriad of colors.
>Gained: Oddity - Glass Monolith

>You could still use the rover to drive near the tree, but the damage might be severe.
>Leave the tree be. That fruit’s gonna be someone else's treasure.

>>2533234
>Leave the tree be. That fruit’s gonna be someone else's treasure.

File: campfire.gif (205 KB, 540x540)

205 KB GIF

>Evening
With the sun setting, beckoning her lover to illuminate the dark skies, you keep plowing through the cooling dunes, moving inch by inch, creeping along as constant companions of your rover. After some time, something comes to your attention. Making your passengers aware if this, you note how you should have passed the shrine by now. The mechanist seems a little more disturbed than the miners are. “It’s the dunes.”, they tell, “They swallow up and spit out all that isn’t either built on a large boulder, or anchor by having a tale written down. But, they do spit these location out every once in a while. This shrine, it surely will reveal itself to those of faith.”

>Night
Now that the temperatures have gone down to near freezing, the group decides to make camp for the night. After indulging in the last bits of sandflyer and telling of the life that awaited the surviving miners back home, the lot of you get some rest, while the mechanist takes watch.
Your sleep is everything but relaxing. You feel yourself swimming - no, diving. In the darkness below, you see them glowing, like eyes: The runes, imprinted on countless stones. They call for you. Their horrible secrets, ready to spill into your mind. Just as you were about to reach the bank of stones, a wooden pole pierces the water, puncturing your hand. Struggling in pain, you look overhead, seeing a raft drifting along - you can hear someone whistling a happy tune.
Awoken by your companions, the day begins to break. You hand remains a little sore, a red circle on it’s back, where the pole would have been.

>Once again, you may plot your day’s activities, from Morning, Midday, Evening to Night, each occupied with one of the following actions:

>Move towards your destination. Pretty self-explanatory.
>Scout. Get your ass out of the vehicle and get a good vantage point. Useful when you are expecting trouble or have no idea where you are going.
>Scavenge. Comb over the near surroundings, provoking some sort of random encounter. If you feel lucky, or the call for lootz.
>Set Camp. Get that tarp up, make a campfire and rest. Normally, you do that every night, but if the need for speed arises, you can skip shut-eye and make camp sometime else.

>>2537148
>Scavenge
>Move
>Move
>Camp

Rolled 6, 5 + 1 = 12 (2d6 + 1)

>Morning
The words of the nomad miners have been stuck in your mind while eating breakfast, if the dunes swallow things and spit them out again, maybe you’ll find something of interest. After all, you had some time until the sun would start scorching the loose assembly of various fine rocks and silicas. When camp has been dismantled, you start searching the dunes around you.
>Rolling for scavenge

It doesn’t take your group long to stumble upon something. You spotted a flame in the distance, on top of some stone structure, leading you to believe you had refound the cultists shrine to their prophet - Yet, your assumption should be proven wrong, when you approach. Instead, you found a grand statue of a women, the fire symbolizing her hair, a slim face with onyx as her eyes, her body shrouded in a marble robe, so detailed, you swear it is moving with the breeze. Her arms are extended down, hands together, holding something shiny. Looking at your companions, the Mechinist seems rather impressed with the architecture itself, while the miners bow deep towards the statue, before throwing their arms into the air and shout: “Praised be Helios! Enduring Highness of the sky!”

>Mimik their ritual. Maybe it’s proper conduct.
>Sit down and meditate. Who knows, maybe she will answer your prayers.
>Step closer and inspect what she is holding. It is very shiny.
>Leave some gift of your own. Can't hurt, right?
>Leave. Better not mess with this goddess.

>>2537876
>Sit down and meditate. Who knows, maybe she will answer your prayers.

You sit down, in front of the monument, as the others wrap up their prayers. While they return to the rover, discussing in the distance, you sink deeper and deeper into a state of calmness. The longer you sit there, you feel this tug, a desire to get up. Something was calling out to you.

Cautious, you open up your eyes again, only to realize that you have moved: The statue stands very close to you, the wind has picked up, dust thick like fog around you. The statue itself seems a lot more lively than before, the marble waves in the breeze, the hair of flame dances - and her face has curled into a smile. There were no words, but yet, she speaks to you. She has a gift, for your journey. A long, hard and dangerous one. One, that would not only shape your life. And she would be watching, a play unfolding down below, amusement for the gods.

You snap out of your meditation, as a stiff breeze blew some dust into your face - having returned to your original position, the statue unmoving again, yet still holding her offering, her gift.

>Step closer and inspect what she is holding. It is very shiny.
>Leave some gift of your own. Can't hurt, right?
>There’s something else you wanted to do… (Write-in)
>Leave. Better not mess with this goddess.

>>2540451
>Step closer and inspect what she is holding. It is very shiny.

>>2540451
>>Step closer and inspect what she is holding. It is very shiny.

File: a godess' gift.jpg (69 KB, 560x610)

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With every step, the light gets brighter and brighter, to the point where you have to shield your eyes from the sun, the fire on top the statue, from the gift itself. Still, you press on, eyes watering, until you are in arm’s reach of her hands. Suddenly, everything becomes white, yet no longer blinding. In the endless white, only you and the statue remain.

In her hands lies a piece of... metal? Crystal? It is of the most peculiar from, still attached to a rock base. Yet, this close, it does no longer shine, but is devoid of any light. You can feel it calling out to you, and you knew what it was: A piece of heaven, the skies above, plucked from it, in its rawest form. While it is already a sight to behold, you think some skilled smith could make something most impressive out of it.

>Accept the gift. It is clearly meant for you, and you shall have it.
>Reject the gift. You will rely on no god’s good will.
>Do something else before making your decision.

>>2541807
>>Accept the gift. It is clearly meant for you, and you shall have it.

>>2541807
>>Accept the gift. It is clearly meant for you, and you shall have it.

With caution, you accept the gift, gently picking it out of her hands. The wind picks up, it carries a whisper to your ear: “Use it wisely, this piece of me.” Stone grinding on stone, the statue straightens up, arms hanging at her side, a slight smile playing with her otherwise set-in-stone lips.

Your surroundings flash brightly white once more, and you find yourself back in Nowhere, sand under your feet, your companions approaching in awe. The miners continue to praise their goddess, while the Mechanist observes your gift with great interest. In your hands, you hold the Piece of Heaven, emanating a black glow - or rather, dimming the light around it. You make sure to wrap it in some spare cloth, before storing it away.

>Leave some gift of your own. Can't hurt, right?
>There’s something else you wanted to do… (Write-in)
>You received your gift, time to leave.

>>2541914
>>You received your gift, time to leave.

>>2541914
>>You received your gift, time to leave.
Yeah better to just bounce.

A short bow towards the statue, but you are sure, a goddess didn't need your gratitude. Instead, you would make good use of that gift of hers. At any rate, you collect your followers and get the rover rolling again.
>Gained: Oddity - Piece of Heaven

>Midday & Evening
The miners haven't stopped bubbling about their goddess’ statue and her gift to you. “Just imagine the value of such a mineral! Or- Or! Imagine the weapon forged out of it! Who knows what properties it would have!”

Other than that, the desert is rather quiet, the rover labors away, mile after mile, the cargo, both living and dead, rattles in the back as you climb dunes like a boat breaks waves. Soon, you would be back. A weird feeling spreads in your chest - were you homesick for a place you had only visited for the first time a few days ago?

>Night
After dinner, you find yourself hard-pressed for sleep. Done with the constant tossing and turning, you sit with your ticking companion. You never really gave it a thought, but she never slept - ever. “Why would I? I’m a machine, after all. Plus, I wouldn’t want to miss the stars.”
In that, she was right, the sky filled with stars was beautiful - But, today, the full moon felt like it was glaring at you. The mechanist chuckles. “Maybe he’s jealous. You did get a gift from his girlfriend, after all.” An amusing thought, if it wasn’t staring at you. Still, sleep came, although rather late.

>Once more, plan your day! Morning, Midday, Evening and Night - The Middle is still two Move actions out.

>Move towards your destination. Pretty self-explanatory.
>Scout. Get your ass out of the vehicle and get a good vantage point. Useful when you are expecting trouble or have no idea where you are going.
>Scavenge. Comb over the near surroundings, provoking some sort of random encounter. If you feel lucky, or the call for lootz.
>Set Camp. Get that tarp up, make a campfire and rest. Normally, you do that every night, but if the need for speed arises, you can skip shut-eye and make camp sometime else.

Alright, this is OP, signing off - I shall return in 6 hours at the earliest, and 18 hours at the latest. Also, we will be migrating to thread #3 once we reach the Middle! Just as a head up.

>>2542040
>>Scout. Get your ass out of the vehicle and get a good vantage point. Useful when you are expecting trouble or have no idea where you are going.

>>2542040
>>Scavenge. Comb over the near surroundings, provoking some sort of random encounter. If you feel lucky, or the call for lootz.

NN

OP/QM, you write well, but I'd learn how to conduct myself off-site if I were you. Just some advice.

>>2542073
this

Rolled 3, 1 + 1 = 5 (2d6 + 1)

>Morning

The sun kisses you awake, out of the restfulness slumber you have found yourself in. In order to wake up a little before setting of the day, you pitch to the group another scavenging run for this morning.

Seeing how the Middle was already on the horizon, reachable by the end of this evening, they agree. Together, you set out, keeping eyes peeled for any oddities.
>Rolling

Plowing through the dunes, a miner spots something in the distance. “Waymarkers?” - “No, that’s too odd of a shape. Besides, the dunes move. Why mark this place?” Both of them keep on discussing the possible cause and benefits for such markings in the desert, before the Mechanist shushes both. “The markers moan.”, she keenly observes, and so do you. Faint, their calls of agony are carried by the wind.

>Better keep going. This must be some kind of warning.
>Get closer, maybe someone needs our help.
>Stop and scout - Maybe, it’s bait. Maybe, it’s a trap.

>>2544477
>Get closer, maybe someone needs our help.

>>2544477
>Get closer, maybe someone needs our help.

>>2544477
>>Get closer, maybe someone needs our help.

As you approach the summit of the dune, the horrors unfold before your eye. Three metal beams have been rammed into the dune, on them, three people hang, heads nearly buried in the sand, feet high up into the sky. All of them are covered in a crust of dust, one of them looks like a raisin in the sun, the others don’t seem to be fully conscious. The all bare metal plates with faded paint on them: Technophile, False Prophet, Heathen

“That doesn’t look like the handiwork of any raider clan I know.”, one miner muses, his face a little more pale than normal, “Neither the cultists to the north, really. They haven’t been this violent for a long time.” - “Still, it does have their name practically written all over. Maybe they have embraced their violent side.”, the Mechanist responds.

>Cut these poor people down, and give them a proper burial. They didn’t deserve this.
>Cut them down, but do your best to keep them alive and take them with you - The Middle isn’t too far away.
>This doesn’t concern you, better keep going. After all, they are practically dead.

>>2546523
>>Cut these poor people down, and give them a proper burial. They didn’t deserve this.

>>2546523

>Cut these poor people down, and give them a proper burial. They didn’t deserve this.

Just because they are strangers to you doesn’t mean they are human beings after all. With the help of your group, you manage to cut all three down. The strangers are too weak to properly articulate themselves, or even make any motions beyond slightly moving their eyes. It doesn’t take long before they fall silent, letting out one last breath.

Together, you bring the corpses down to the foot of the moving dune, dig three graves into the sandy ground and cover these poor strangers up. “Well, nothing more to do. Let’s hope the dunes swallow them soon and spit them out somewhere nicer.”, one miner says and accompanies his friend back to the rover. The Mechanist and you stay behind a little longer. “I can’t believe someone would do such a barbaric thing. I hope whoever did this finds a long and painful death, no less than these souls.” The wind picks up, it is time to leave.
>Gained: Tale of Sorrow.

>You still need to plan the rest of the day, remaining are Midday, Evening and Night. You know you will reach the Middle after two Move-actions.
>Pick up to three action for the corresponding time of day:

>Move towards your destination. Pretty self-explanatory.
>Scout. Get your ass out of the vehicle and get a good vantage point. Useful when you are expecting trouble or have no idea where you are going.
>Scavenge. Comb over the near surroundings, provoking some sort of random encounter. If you feel lucky, or the call for lootz.
>Set Camp. Get that tarp up, make a campfire and rest. Normally, you do that every night, but if the need for speed arises, you can skip shut-eye and make camp sometime else.

>>2547281
>Move
>Scavenge
>Move

Rolled 2, 3 + 1 = 6 (2d6 + 1)

>Midday

You draw nearer and nearer the city limits. Not long, and you all shall be home once more. The miner spend a good amount of time singing shanties of both nomads, riding their strange beasts through the sands, as well as deckhands crewing an airship, sailing a route from the northern Somewhere down to the south, crossing Nowhere on its way.
>Rolling for Evening