The De Facto Explorers have decided to forge the wilderness across the Big River to investigate a new region full with the possibility of Treasures of the Ancients
=================
Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend. He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters. Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does. Looking for trouble in all the right places. The two-time champion of the Fair-Town Queen's Joust. Recently married Thunnelda Haycock.
Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout. Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers. Apparently addicted to his newly uncovered yellow powder found at "The Pool House"
Sonny Helianthus: a nearly 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with four arms, and trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable, but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades.
Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble in all the wrong places, and finding it often. He has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair. Recently gave birth to a pile of baby worms.
Luna of the Restorationists: Recent recruit of the Restorationists, who had uncovered artifacts across the River.
================================================================
There were already some grumblings as Clover Haycock, now Lathar's brother-in-law, needed three trips to ferry the Explorers, No-Name, and the wagon across the river to the other side. It was Squiggles who expressed his displeasure verbally, "That cart is going to slow us down." We've only ever used it on the civilized side of the river, and until you guys went out to the Pool House, it's always stayed on road."
The group acknowledged his concerns and promptly ignored them. Two or three foot footpaths in rocky forest proved the worm's point, as they struggled with the cart overly largely unblazed trails.
Luna led the way, scavengers, underpowered bands of bandits, and a handful of subsistence. "The whole lake a few clicks to the left of us is heavily affected by the glow..."
"I don't know how that could happen," Pete said with a sheepish grin.
The forest opened into a plain, with a few ruins, and just a few hardy pure-strain human farmers. The humans were not trusting of mutant animals and plants, but most worked with mutant humans in the area.
They finally made it to a campsite area for the caravans. Luna explained that the caravans were nothing more than a collection of scavengers, selling their combined finds, using each other for protection.
"The real finds were across the trail into the woods..."
The group stared across to the edge of a larger wooded area.... seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
Luna continued, "We investigated the woods, but not until we realized we were injuring ourselves..."
"Because the entire forest is made of stone..." Sonny completed her sentence, the only one to realized the significance.
The trunks of the trees were a similar shade of brown associated with real trees, but as they moved closer, everyone realized the leaves of the trees were stone as well.
"We never went down the obvious path, we were amazed by the forest, found some artifacts dumped by the trees. We didn't have a wagon to carry more and got the heck out of here. The artifacts weren't part of the forest proper so something from somewhere dumped them, probably close. "
Amazed by the forest, the group decided to set camp across the trail and venture into it during the morning.
Waking up with a fresh layer of curry on the weasel, the group ventured down the path, Pete taking lead, the others a few feet back. The tracks were overwhelming, large humanoid animal, very rabbit-like.
While Pete was pre-occupied, Sonny noticed something largely buried on the side of the trail, digging with his fronds, he discovered a graying stone like surface from the original trail. He let out an "Oh my, guys, look what I found!"
The whole group turned to see the 9 1/2 foot tall sunflower holding an old sign of the Ancients.
"We can use this as a shield!"
Pete: "Dead.... End? Is this like a cult thing?"
GM: For a sunflower with a Sense of 5, Sonny aced a number of perception checks where everyone else failed.
Next: #103 - Into the (Petrified) Woods
.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
