HolmCon - Apocalypse World – the Martlands Saga
Part 1:
So, at the Convention I finally got to play (MC) Apocalypse World . After our car broke down, (how we scrounged, who we met, how we survived the cold and snow and got on with an improvised machete is another story, one best told with a glass of whiskey to warm us), we missed every game so I suggested we could try Apocalypse World (I’d prepared Blue-Blind and Hatchet City for the next day) – the Host’s wife joined us so we talked a bit around Apocalyptica and Imagry, presented a few playbooks and decided to draw at random.
We got:
Gunlugger – Rex – Man, older, meticulous, kept adding apocalyptica - the player is a builder and probably wasn’t thrilled with the simple character, but everything he did built setting and added order and in session II some real deep stuff!
Brainer – Sundown Smith, “because the sun sets (for someone) when I enter the room”, clinical wear, scalpel and a violation glove (which really just was icky substance). Obsessed with hygiene and a New (clean) Order.
The Chopper - Doom, no! Domino!, who insisted he could read and who’s Doom Riders Dominoes wore matching adidas leather jackets and their T-shirts bore their motto “Just do it”. We never learned how he could read, but it was he who read the name of the ruin were he’d founded their Hardhold: Wall-Mart. To the north were BIG K-mart and their only hope of survival (or avoiding assimilation) were to bond with the other Marts, that made up: The Martlands.
Just as were were to play, we got another player: A Hocus named Spider, who quickly made himself the renowned “Spyder of the Wall”. A fat, bloated and sweaty dude.
As we played a Driver joined, after watching a little bit. He was Frankie, and he knew the terrors of the sun and the Wasteland. He also told'em: "My other car is a tank."
Hx was a blast!!
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First scene I set up a showdown on the street (really just a strip of pavement) between the brothers: The Hocus and the Boss-man Chopper. The Chopper seized and scared/impressed his brother and took definitive hold of the street. The Gunlugger walked right between them at one time, to protect the pretty Sundown and set himself up for a touch from the violation glove. I made a sticky-suckin’ sound as it stole his deepest secrets. One of them was his utter inability to save his daughter, one time – long ago!
The gunlugger built setting by loading his weapon, sitting in his shed and being on post. Sundown’s player revel in her wickedness, until the Hocus initiated a nighly visit to his brothers tent.
“Are you ready?”
“I think it’s your turn.”
Everyone heard the howls, every week, as the two brother consumate the non-competative part of their relationship.
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The Chopper – not-that-complicated – kept referring to everyone but his brother with the wrong name, even when corrected by others. It was a brilliant move by the player.
Frankie eased into it, and Sundown kept weirding out the gangbangers – basically me adding gulps and fearful glances and she revelling in it.
Frankie talked about life on the road we made another Front: “She-who-lives-in-the-mouintans-with-the-tribes” and as Frankie failed his retrospective roll+weird, we added the move:
When you interact with HER ANTENNA, roll+weird!
Everyone wanted to continue playing next night!!
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I did a little preparation, refined the “when you interact…” and prepared a few scenes. I tried to start with a verbal love letter with the gang fighting against K-marts Doberman’s gangs, and the Chopper’s well-disciplined gang handled it, though the letter should have been written!
Frankie’s player hadn’t played anything but D&D several years ago and a short indie-game just before, so I decided I’d be careful to add scenes for him – as the others aren’t really shy.
I started up with a blond Domino who’s tits pressed against the window while asking quite suggestively if he wasn’t going to ‘drive’ her anytime soon. “Nah, I only drive when paid…” and other phrases didn’t exactly endear her, and she got quite pissed when she suddenly saw Sundown in the back seat.
Shedevil then said she wanted time off, and Domino got her to back away calmly, but she skipped on her duties (to seek out Frankie, who drove Sundown to Low-Mart were she set up a trade, but the dealer Outlet (yes, I made that her name) wanted a piece of our handsome driver, who still played hard-to-get.
The Gunlugger got a visit from the Chopper, who tossed a rock at his door. Everyone knew that the gunlugger got so old by being careful and meticulous. The Hocus interacted with the Gunlugger as well, he and Frankie was actually part of the dedicated fucking-cult of Spider, though they really didn’t attend or care for the rituals. (The Gunlugger thought Spider was the smartest).
When Frankie got back, I let Shedevil make her move – and before Frankie talked to Spider (or anyone) she simply asked: “Wanna fuck?”
“Ok.”
I made the player tell one detail and added on of bouncing blonde hair in the night myself. After a couple of scenes with others, I made a post-coital picture of her head on his chest and her blond hair really bothering him, making his nose itch. Then I made him roll+cool!
He aced it*!, brushed away her hair and thought: “It’s cool. No biggie.” ?
* The Gunlugger laughed at the mechanic and how much it said about the character!
Sundown rambled about having thoughts and plans (she wanted to connect the Martlands to stand up to the K-Marts), and while the Hocus condescendingly (feeling threathened?) patted her head earning her ire, it nearly could have come to blows, when the Chopper came to her and said: “I’ve heard you’re thinking thoughs!??!”?!”
Sundown’s answer was: “Oh, why bother!??!”
The Chopper, not-so-complicated, was pleased – as he wouldn’t have tolerated any thinking in Wall-Mart – and so was ready to deck her! ... as the player volunteered after the game, the next morning. :)
A spectator asked what was going on, since we mostly just talked and barely did that. I told him, and consequently the table, of K-mart and how everyone was doomed unless they could band together and that a godess was being born in the mountains and had two new favorites: The Hocus and the Brainer – who aced their “acting with the antenna”-rolls.
When the rain came down, it brought the dark protective (saving-us-from-the-burning-sun) heaven with it and everyone sought shelter. It birthed a two-headed plan to make love to the neighbours in Low-Mart and band together AND kill, rape and plunder the scum of Low-Mart! The Brainer got blind (with love to the godess) and there was a great fucking frenzy, with freaky details and ick that included everyone, even Frankie’s car. We ended it after answering some sex moves.
The greatest shame of Domino was that he instigated the ‘biblical’ relationship with his brother and he remembered his first kill, a kind of low-moment: the nine-year old girl, trampled and shot – which made him boss of his gang. The Gunlugger expanded on how he couldn’t even find the bastard and get revenge on him, who thread on his girl before he shot her!