AP: The Airfield

We created characters tonight and went through Hx. We've got an Operator, Driver, Savvyhead and Quarantine.

I'm playing the Operator, Proust. She's wearing utilitarian denim pants and work boots, with a beat up Flack Jacket she picked up when she got Cobra to help her get Specialist Jackson MI out of town in his orange Ford Mustang. That chick was strange, but her gear was hard. A bit beat up but, the jacket should still stop a blade. Proust picks up gigs at Food Truck, a sprawl of tables at the end of a cratered runway centered around a kitchen that's been set up in a converted school bus. Proust is working off a debt to Captain, for sheltering her when her deal with Kettles went bad, and a few of his gang got sick and died. She warned him the cans were blown, but Kettles wouldn't listen. Cobra got her out that time, driving up in his Semi with the rocket launcher bolted into the sleeper. Cobra is useful, but keeping him in gas is costing Proust serious jingle.

The other member of Proust's crew, Robinson is the local Savvyhead who's got a junkyard set up in a hangar lot near the airport. He's skilled but a bit weird. He once showed up out of nowhere to save Cobra's ass when he had been shot on a run. Lateley, Robinson's been a bit jumpy because of the new guy in town, Specialist Mannsfield(?), Dwayne MI, or as Proust likes to call him "Specials." Specials came riding into town one day with Cobra, who says he found him out in the old part of the city, out where that submarine sits wedged up between them big old buildings. He was just standing at a crosswalk with his snazzy flack jacket and that assault rifle, just like Jackson had. Anyway, Robinson takes one look at his gear and gets to worrying that the new guy might disrupt his control of Tech in the city. Proust has her own issues with Specials, who refused to kill Millions on her last gig. If he had, Millions wouldn't have butchered Amy and left her staked out on Proust's regular table.

For his part, Specials woke up a few weeks ago from cry-sleep in the bowels of the submarine. He's supposed to meet up with Jackson, but she's nowhere to be found. The world has changed and his memories are still hazy from the suspended animation. The first person he sees is Cobra, in his leather jacket and metallic shades driving his mustang. Cobra brings him out to the airport, where he cant help but notice Proust's jacket with Specialist Jackson's name tag on it. He took the job offer and went along on Proust's mission, but he wasn't going to kill Millions just on her say so.

I love how AW builds so much story into the history moves through MC questions.

Oh and the Quarantine's name should be Specialist Spencer, Dwayne A.

Ooooooh, I wonder what the fronts are going to be.....

Sounds epic and already full of PC tension, can't wait for named NPCs to fill the triangles up. Woo! More, more!

Glad you like it so far. Coning out of Hx we have a few NPCs, Kettles, Captain, Specialist Jackson, Amy (RIP), Millions. I know we'll start to put some flesh on them once we start playing.

Fuck flesh! The only thing this game needs is the cool smooth metal of my Mustang.




Don't just stand there Proust, pass me the fucking wax.

See what I mean about costing me jingle? He has no appreciation for what I go through for him.

I definitely need to update this AP if I don’t want to fall 2 sessions behind. So, here's part 1 of our first session.

Game opened with Cobra in his car driving between the buildings near the landlocked submarine. He sees a bunch of people heading into the atrium of a large building and stops to ask if they need anything. Most of them run into the building while their leader turns to confront Cobra, “Food. Shelter. Safe Place” he says in a thickly accented voice. He’s wrapped in a baby blue blanket with a pair goggles on his head and AK-47 in his hands. Cobra catches sight of a guy with a rifle on the upper floor of the atrium, hiding amongst the debris and wreckage (Read a Sitch – 7-9 “what’s my enemy’s true position?”).

Back at the Airfield, Robinson’s been working on rebuilding his airplane. When it’s done, he’s heading for Hawaii. He’s got all sorts of postcards and other Hawaiian stuff around his workshop, even one of those bobble head hula girls. Robinson hears someone messing around in the back of his hanger. He pulls out a big ol’ sawed off and calls out into the darkness. Someone’s back where he keeps Mr. Coffee, the water purifier that Captain lets him run for his own use. As he peers into the darkness (Read a Sitch – Miss!), a figure rushes towards him holding something bulky. He shoots and the figure falls heavily. He gets a light lit and sees it’s Mimi, a 14 year old girl that he’s seen hanging around. Her dead body is curled around Mr. Coffee.

Outside, a vision comes to Specialist Dwayne Spencer, a vision of the before times. The first sign that things were falling apart. Jackson calls to him to get into the sub. “This is it! The moment we’ve planned for…all the sacrifices have been worth it…” His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a shotgun blast from Robinson’s shop. He heads inside and finds Robinson standing over the body of a young girl, lying in a pool of blood. To his questions about what happened, Robinson shrugs and says “She was stealing. She got shot.” Specials realizes that no one will care that Mimi is dead, no consequences at all, no one will even notice (Read a Person – Miss!).

Proust is out taking the pulse of the market. He heads for Son’s shop and asks if she has that thing he wanted. The sparkplug for a plane engine he’s been trying to find. For Robinson, but he doesn't tell her that. She has it, but it’s gonna cost her (Barter – 7-9!). Proust has a windup flashlight she could trade, but Son laughs at that. It’s gonna cost more—a favor. Son’s tired of giving most of her take to Captain. She wants to be a free agent. She’ll pay Captain rent for the space, but she wants to run her own business. Proust agrees to talk to Captain for her.

Meanwhile, Cobra sizes up the blanket dude, who seems jumpy (Read a Person – Miss!), “Why shouldn’t I just shoot you right now and take car?” Blanket dude’s hand moves toward his AK and Cobra guns his car (Act Under Fire – 10+), flipping it around with a turn of the wheel and hightailing it out of their as the bullets plink off the trunk of his car.

Specials asks Robinson what’s going to happen to Mimi’s body. “Suppose she’ll end up in Captain’s green house up on the roof of Terminal. She ate his food. Only right she should make food now.” Specials is obviously appalled, “you can’t just leave bodies out. That’s how disease spreads.” Robinson says “you’d have to take that up with Captain.” Specials asks if that's what Robinson thinks he should do (move – “Eager to Know” +1 forward) and Robinson responds that yeah, he should go see Captain (move – “Oftener Right” +1 forward). They head off to Terminal.

First session continues...

I love the little details - especially the Hawaiian stuff and the blue blanket - and how you guys contrast it with scarcity and murder.
Keep it going. I'd love to hear more stories. :)

Glad you're enjoying it. Session one continues...

Proust sees a bunch of Captain’s people are trading in the market. Buying food. Only some of them ain’t trading, just watching. Armed. She saunters over to Jacka Backa, who’s selling an old pistol. “Extra gun?” she asks (Read a Person – Hit! 1. Is he telling the truth? What’s he really feeling? What does he wish I’d do?).  Jacka Backa casts a furtive glance at the nearest of the guards, Balls. Jacka Backa’s response is curt “Yeah.” Proust can tell he’s hiding something. “Everything alright?” He’s scared, “Sure. Everything’s fine…’cept food’s a bit scarce is all.” He speaks in hushed tones “Captain says things are going to be tight.” Proust glances around the market watches Balls eyeing Captain’s people. “You need anything? What can I do?” There’s something of hope in Jacka Backa’s eyes. “You took that Jackson outside the city right? Is it better there?”  Proust shrugs, “it’s someplace else. You want me to get you out?” He shakes his head “I need my little girl someplace safe. I need you to get her out.” Proust nods and tells him to come by Food Truck’s tonight for dinner. He agrees, but he won’t sit at her table. She does business at her table. He motions with his head towards the gunmen ringing the market.

Specials and Robinson make there way into Terminal. The waiting area is home to most of Captain’s folk. Time has left its mark on the building and the big panes of glass have long since been removed and carted up to the roof, to enclose Captain’s greenhouses. They ascend to Captain’s office. The door is flanked by two meaty gunmen, who let them in when they see Robinson. Captain calls out from behind a big desk, and Robinson informs him about how he had to shoot Mimi for trying to steal Mr. Coffee. “And who’s this fucker?” Captain eyes the well-equipped soldier, noticing the expensive gear and the too clean looks that scream not from around here. He introduces himself as Dwayne Spencer, which causes Captain to raise his eyebrows. “So Mr. Fancy thinks he deserve two names, eh? I’m the only one who deserves two names here. That’s why I’m...Cap Ten.” Robinson tells Captain that Spencer has knowledge from Before and that he says they shouldn’t leave Mimi’s body outside or it will cause disease. When Robinson explains how they found him out by the submarine a few weeks back, Captain goes ballistic, “He’s been eating my food for three weeks? Drinking my water? In all that time no one thinks an introduction is warranted? It’s inhospitable is what I think.”

In the Market, Proust makes small talk with Jacka Backa and then heads over to Balls. Balls is watching to make sure everything is safe. Proust offers him a drink when’s he’s off duty, which makes Balls laugh. He’ll take that drink now, “watchin’s thirsty work.” Proust fetches some liquor for Balls, putting it on her tab. Food Truck nods, “your tab’s still good, for now.” Drink in hand, Balls lets slip that Captain has started rations and has them watching to make sure there isn’t any trouble. He looks like he hopes there is some (Read a Person, 7-9. What’s he really feeling?).

Captain asks Spencer what he can do to pay for the food he costs. “What you good for?” Spencer replies simply, “I’m a soldier.” Captain motions to his two thugs near the door, “I got me enough guns.” Spender is not put off, “Nah. A soldier. Those guys aren’t soldiers. No discipline. I could make them soldiers though, if you want (Read a Person 7-9. What do you want me to do?). Captain smiles, “I want an army.”

Out in front of Terminal, Cobra pulls up in his pockmarked car, his anger obvious in his driving. He hails Robinson and Spencer as they exit Terminal. Proust heads over from the market to see what’s up. Cobra explains what happened out near the sub and they agree to go with him to even the score, Robinson first extracting a promise that when they’re done, Cobra helps him go kill Millions for what he did to Amy. Robinson was sweet on Amy. Spencer gets Captain to loan him six of his men for a “training mission” and Cobra goes to fetch his other car, an armored big rig cabin mounted with a rocket launcher. It’s big and loud and sloppy.

Cobra pulls up short of the Atrium building and Proust and Spencer jump off with Captain’s men. The truck lumbers up in front of the building, taking ineffectual fire from the upper floor. Robinson unloads with the rocket launcher, tearing through the opposing forces. Proust and Spencer lead the men up the burning stairs and into a firefight. Rice goes down, gut shot. But they take the room. Proust looks around the room. She notices with some consternation that everyone is looking to Spencer for direction. She sees the blanketed leader of the men racing off down a corridor and gives chase (Read a Sitch. 10+ “Who’s really in charge here? What should I be on the lookout for? What does he intend to do?” Spencer hesitates a moment as he sees the men moving into the other room where the women and children are kept, then he heads off after Proust.

So, a lot has happened since my last post. A quick update:

Proust heads off with Specials in pursuit, leaving the frenzied men behind with the woman and children. That’s going to end well. The fleeing figure reaches the roof and turns and fires a burst from his AK at Proust and a failed Act Under Fire leaves her dangling from a steel stairway that pulls away from the wall. Specials moves to aid her by grabbing her wrist and swinging her up so she can grab the railing, but exposes himself to danger and plummets below. Luckily his high-tech armor soaks up most of the harm.

Outside, Robinson jumps from the truck and heads inside. He’s confronted by Balls and the rest of the men raping the captured women. He pulls his sawed off and tries to control the situation (Read a Situation – miss), but gets shot in the process by Balls’ shotgun. Robinson’s still breathing but he’s hurt pretty bad and needs medical attention (3 harm). He lies there, bleeding. Balls gloats “now you can watch.” Robinson opens his mind to the Maelstrom and sees barren icy landscape with the familiar red glow of Hawaii off to the west. However, all the warmth is flowing into Balls and as everything withers around him, Balls is growing stronger. Robinson picks himself up and unloads his sawed-off into Balls.

Meanwhile, Cobra sees six or seven people fleeing from an open manhole cover and gives chase. He slams an open car door into a scrawny dude named Exit who is dressed in a big plastic tarps tied by bungee cord. Cobra learns from Exit that they’re a bunch of refugees from an oil platform who fled when the frozen seas threatened to topple their home and the fish ran out. Their leader, iii, promised to find them a place of safety and food.

Proust is facing iii on the roof and they both have their guns drawn. Proust yells out her name and asks if he’s heard what people say about her (Operator move: Reputation). Yeah, he’s heard of her. Folk say she does what she says. Proust promises to bring his people to a safe place and feed them if he’ll put his gun down and the three of them head down to check on the gunfire below.

They find an injured Robinson standing over Balls' body with Foster standing next him, holding a large knife to his eye. Specials surveys the scene (Read a Situation – 10+) and shoots Foster and Newton dead. That gets everyone’s attention and they fall into line. We gather up Rice and Robinson and take them to see Grip. iii sets his AK down and turns and walks away, saying “they’re your problem now.”

Grip’s set up a hospital inside an old grocery store, maybe a Whole Foods or something. Anyway, Grip agrees to patch Robinson and Rice in return for Robinson’s Savvyhead services. He gets them stabilized and we leave them there to recuperate while we get the refugees settled and Proust goes to round up some food and go-juice. An Operator’s work is never done.

Still more to come...

Love letters -

Dear Prowst,

Remember how you owe Captain? Trust me when I say that he does. How are you doing on those payments and favors to him? It's not like he keeps you fed, warm and safe or anything right?

But I am sure you totally have the jingle to keep him off you back right? It's not like you have a crew you need to keep fed and flush with gas, or a small horde of refugees that are  your responsibility or anything? Oh wait.... That's an awful lot on your plate, let's see things are going, roll+Sharp:

On a 10+ choose 3, on 7-9 choose 1

* Captain is patient with you, for now
* You don't have to call in your markers with
* You keep everyone fed and warm
* You still keep your ear to the ground and know what's going on

Love,
Colin

Dear Specials,

Your first action with Captains army went great didn't it? Sure half your men died, most by "friendly fire" but hey that war and it's not like the fucking hyenas didn't have it coming, right? At least it was a good cause though, someone fucked with your friends car! But that's just a slight set back, and Captain is a reasonable and patient man so let's see how your army building is going shall we? Roll +Hard.

On a 10+ choose 3, on 7-9 choose 1

* Captain doesn't blame you for what happened
* Balls' friends don't retaliate
* You are able to instill some discipline in your men
* The new recruits aren't in the Captains pockets

Love,
Colin

Dear Robinson,

Working with the doc is great, in no way what so ever is there an unspoken ever present threat of death over your head in case you fuck up. No pressure or anything. But I wouldn't fuck up. Roll +weird

On a 10+ choose 3, on 7-9 choose 1
* your repairs are solid and will last
* while working you come across some parts that you need for your plane
* Doc is impressed with your work
*  You make some friends in Doc's gang - Peppering, Chack and Bill

Love,
Colin

Dear Cobra,

Driving anywhere you want in the city is fucking hard right? With all the gangs, warlords, factions and that's before we even get into your gas situation. Just traveling across the city requires a network or friends, relationships and favors owed roll+Sharp:

On a 10+ choose 3, on 7-9 choose 2

* You have picked up some new gossip, ask a question about the city
* You haven't made any new enemies, like one of the cannibal gangs on the outskirts
* the package you agreed to deliver for Wisher made it safely
* You come out ahead in your bargaining with Dremmer, he owes you

Love,
Colin

Prowst? I've been spelling it wrong in my notes for six games!

I chose the last three for Cobra. Dremmer (still!) owes me, and I delivered a suspiciously large "package" from Wisher to the cannibals.

You should spell it Proust. The GM can spell it however he wants ;)

So some time has passed. Proust has been working her gigs, keeping everyone fed and warm. Captain is being patient with her for now and she hasn’t had to call in any markers (Love Letter 10+. She doesn’t have her ear to the ground and doesn’t know what’s going on). She has Robinson off doing some technical work on Wisher’s rig and Cobra running deliveries.

Robinson’s made friends with Peppering, Chack and Bill. He’s also found a part for his plane in one of Grips HVAC units and taken that. Grip is impressed with Robinson’s work (which means that his repairs are likely not solid and will not last.).

Cobra safely delivered a package for Wisher. Dremmer (a minor warlord) owes him a favor for driving him a couple of heavies to a rival’s territory and back. And he didn’t make an enemy of the cannibal gangs on the outskirts of town. (Love Letter 10+. He hasn’t picked up any new gossip or information about the City.)

Specials has spent the time drilling his men and he’s been able to instill some discipline in them. They don’t seem to be in Captain’s pockets and Balls' friends are playing nice (Love Letter, 10+. Captain blames him for what happened).

Specials remembers the time Before. Could they have stopped it? They had thought that they could, but things got out of control. They were part of a military unit and when the fighting started, they activated some kind of Device as part of their protocol. The Device ended up creating the psychic maelstrom. The other nations saw this as an attack and retaliated with nuclear strikes and the things got worse from that point. Tsunami’s. Nuclear winter. The works.

They find Millions. He and his goons have a makeshift fortress under an overpass, cars stacked up as barricades. Time to make him pay for killing Amy. Specials is scouting with Jakka Bakka, Exit and Rum when they are jumped by two of Millions’ men. Specials kills one, wounds the other. But, Jakka Bakka is killed.

Back at the workshop, Robinson is training the platform refugees, showing them how to fix the plane when Parcher breaks something and is looking to run. Robinson scares him into staying (Intimidate, 8). And Parcher realizes that iii would have killed him. Looks like Robinson has an apprentice.

In the market, Proust is setting up a meet between Food Truck and Wisher, brokering a deal. It’s taken quite a while and quite a bit of jingle to get the chemicals Wisher needs. Food Truck needs this deal, because Captain has been withholding food and he’s running out. Wisher doesn’t show and Food Truck blames Proust, “I thought they said you do what you say? Where’s Wisher? What am I going to feed these folks?” They look out at the hungry people in the marketplace who are looking angry and dejected.

Cobra returns from delivering the package for Wisher and finds a crowd waiting for him outside his hangar. They think Cobra has food and try to get into his truck. He throws a half a ration bar into the crowd and as they struggle over the food, he pulls away into the hangar. He finds Proust carrying a box of chemicals and gives her a lift to Wisher’s compound, along with Robinson and Specials, who they find out at the end of the runway staring into the distance, seeing the past.

It’s a tough drive, the road seems to fight him like a sentient thing. Wisher has a wall of buses surrounding his oil pump, topped by a Humvee with a 50 caliber machine gun. Wisher and his “family” live here. We are ushered inside and meet with Wisher, who is wearing a business suit and tie as are the rest of his family, his wives. Proust is upset, but Wisher has decided to change the deal. Food is scarce. Specials offers him a new deal. We’ll help each other take out Millions. Wisher likes the sound of this and offers some of his men, headed by his wife Matilda, a scrawny business-suited warrior with a crossbow and a riot shield.

The attack unfolds with Cobra charging Million’s walls with his truck and getting wedged up against a miniskip full of concrete (Seize with Force, Miss). Then Specials and Matilda lead the men forward through a maze of shipping containers. In end, Millions lies dead and his men routed.  In the fighting, Matilda loses one of her sisters, Wisher’s wife Jeanette.

Specials, what’s the worst thing you saw? A nurse, killing babies so they wouldn’t have to live in the coming post apocalyptic hell. And then killing herself.

Robinson is working on Wisher’s refinery. Doing some technical work for Proust. Prim comes to him. She’s one of Wisher’s wives. Putrid is with her, heavily armed. Making sure Putrid can't hear, she tells him that she wants to leave the Family and she was willing to stay with Robinson if he gets her out. Robinson goes to speak with Wisher in his office, on the top floor of a building in the compound. The floor is full of office cubicles, each with a bed in it. Wisher sits in a smoking jacking, holding court in a big four-poster canopy bed inside a glass conference room in the center of the floor. Wisher obviously wants Robinson. He offers him a spot in the family. Robinson promises to think on it and Wisher offers him Prim to help him think.

Proust and Cobra are in the Mustang making a delivery run to Bakersfield, carrying a letter for Twice, but really getting Jakka Bakka’s daughter Shazza out of the city. Proust promised him. The ground is frozen tundra. The road, black ice. They come upon a roadblock out on the 5, a vegetable truck parked across the road under an overpass, near an old service station. Cobra can’t get past without sheering the top of the car off. Proust spots a couple of cars coming at them over the tundra. Cobra guns the engine and feels the purr of the engine encompassing everything (Open your Brain).

…He’s speeding down a long road at night, just headlights and blacktop. It’s 5 years ago. Cobra pulls up to a roadside diner and trades the last of his barter for a hot meal. As he waits for his food…BAM! His head hits the counter. Everything’s spinning. There’s a metallic taste of blood. Cobra’s vision coalesces on a guy eating his food, a shiny set of keys on the counter beside him. He raises his last possession, a magnum. Blam! Cobra grabs his food, grabs the keys, and runs outside. He jumps into a shiny orange Mustang Giuaro.

Cobra adjusts the rearview. He sees a kid with a gun behind him, and behind that, another kid with another gun. More and more receding in the distance. Ahead of him, the guy he shot in the diner, and further ahead, another older guy also shot. And another, and another out to the horizon.

Cobra adjusts the rearview. A battered old truck bounces off the tundra and onto the ice covered road with a screech of tires and tortured metal. It’s image grows larger as it begins to overtake them. Cobra slams the mustang into reverse and rushes backwards toward the truck in a cloud of smoke.

Prim takes Robinson off to a cubicle bed. (Savvyhead Special. They speak to you as if they were a thing and you rolled a 10+). As they are going at it, he can tell that Prim is broken. She’s grieving for Jeanette and she’s frightened of Putrid. Sometime later, Putrid comes and orders Prim upstairs but Robinson convinces Wisher that Putrid is a problem and Wisher has him hauled off.