EI1: Awakening
Recap
The characters woke up staggered by hibernation sickness to discover the upper level of their bolthole in ruins and half of their team dead. Still lying in shattered cryotanks, team leader Steve Wilson, medic Dave Monroe and mechanic/weapons specialist Amir Rosenblatt were reduced to mere bones. Somehow during the sleep period the emergency exit hatch became compromised, and evidence suggested a group of individuals gained entrance. Equipment was missing, but everyone managed to get weapons and food.
The first order of business was securing the base and determining which supplies were usable. Pi investigated the V-150, and found that it was at least mostly workable, though partially covered in a cave-in. Marcus retrieved the food stores and Charlotte helped dig the V-150 out.
While the final digging was being completed Marcus determined that the trees planted above the bolthole had been alive 140-175 years. He also scouted the surrounding area via binoculars and found evidence of farm houses in the distance.
Once the vehicle was restarted and dug out, it was a short trip to the nearest farm. The farmstead showed evidence of vandalism, or at the very least severe neglect. The team approached cautiously. Charlotte was able to make contact with a man who spoke from inside the house antagonistically. Eventually he came to trust her, partially because no females are ever in the attacking parties. The family had just suffered an attack by Imps and were seen to physically by Marcus Meyerbos, while Charlotte St. Claire worked to help them emotionally and Pi Heinzen saw to salvaging some dinner.
Conversations with the Burkhardts
Pi Heinzen asks them about the IMPS: "We're just passing through, and I haven't heard of these 'Imps' before? What are they?"
Leo: Well, they kind of run the place. They take what they want.
Marcus Meyerbos: "What's safe to eat around here? I'm noticing some plants I haven't seen before. What's good and what's bad? "Any good places to trade?" , "What's out to the east?" , "How far out to the ocean?" , "What's the weather like this time of year?" , "How do these IMPS get around? How are they armed? Know where they keep themselves when they're not riding around?" , "You ever heard any other stories about odd folk in black coveralls (our uniforms)?" , "Are you and your wife originally from here? What about your parents? What's it like where they/you were originally from? Any interesting places you passed through?"
Leo: As far as I know there are a lot of good things to eat. We got corn and the wife brings back berries and such now and again. In town there are two trading posts, but the imps might take some tax if ya run into em. I dont know much of whats east or how far it is to the ocean, hell, we aint never been out of the area. Them imps dont like us being too mobile. Speakin of imps, they is the only people in uniforms I ever seed around. And the only ones with any guns.
Marcus Meyerbos: "How many of these Imps do you think there are?" , "What do their uniforms and badges look like?" , "What kind of guns do they usually have? Like hers (Pi's shotgun)? Or maybe more the size of mine?" , "How many usually travel around together?" , "To the wife: What kind of berries are the safe kind?"
Leo: Imps? There is probably 50 or 60 of them at any one time. They got green pants and shirts, and some wear helmets and others have those silly hats like you guys got. They have armbands with symbols and patches on their shirts. They got all kinds of guns, mostly like yours (Marcus). They stick to small groups, two or three, maybe as many as six.
<wife> shows you some jars with berries in them, you recognize mostly blackberries and huckleberries.
Marcus Meyerbos: "How many came to your place this last time?" , "How do they get around?" , I ask the wife to name the berries I can't identify and describe the plants they grow on. I also ask if there are any similar looking plants that aren't good to eat, and how to tell them apart.
Leo: There was 4 of them, and they gots a Jeep and some horses.
<wife> Those are salal berries.
She can also describe a host of plants you remember which reinforces your knowledge that the same plants are edible now as before.
Marcus Meyerbos: "Have you ever seen the Imps carrying any bigger guns or have things mounted on their Jeeps?" , "If we decided we wanted to do something about the Imps, do you know of other people in the area who wouldn't appreciate that?" (What was the rest of the family's names again? And what silly hat was Leo referring to a couple answers ago?)
Leo: Them Imps dont carry nothing big, or at least they never did round here. I dont know. Them Imps is a thorn in my side, but I gots me a family to protect. Maybe you should talk to people in town, maybe doc. Nobody likes them Imps. Nobody. (the hats were your berets)
Charlotte St. Claire: "If nobody likes them, how do they get away with such atrocities? Are they just ones who are armed? Do they come in large numbers? You say they run the place; do they do anything to help anyone or are they just pirates and marauders in uniforms with guns?"
Leo: Well, they has always been in charge. And they gots the guns, so its their world. They dont normally come in big groups, but they could, I reckon.
He laughs when you mention helping.
The rest of the family names: Suzanne, Jerry, Lorna, Robert (a small child you didnt meet during actual play).
Charlotte St. Claire: "Is there anyone that seems to be in charge of them or are they just an uncivilized bunch of savages?"
Leo: They have a pecking order, but I have no idea what it is.
Conversation Within the Team
Marcus: So, if there are 60 Imps out there with regular motorized transport and high-powered rifles, we need to think through any actions we're going to take. We can't just take out the few of them that pillaged the Burkhardts without prompting a more extreme response. I think we should do some scouting to see if they have anything bigger than rifles. If they do, we'll have to find a way to neutralize them first. If they don't, I think we can just ride the V-150 into town and start raising Cain by simply rolling over anything we want and using the 20mm cannon when we catch bunches of them together. Motorized vehicles being used means some form of fuel is being processed, which suggests some form of industry exists.
Charlotte: I think we need to get a better idea of what's going on here. What the alleged "Imps" have done is absolutely atrocious, but if we go in with guns blazing just to eradicate who we deem is in the wrong, are we any better than them? From Leo's description, it sounds like they could be the military... which means we would be up against a VERY extreme retaliation response. But scouting sounds like a good idea. We're a bit out of our element and kind of stand out so if we get a better feel of how things are around here, we'd stand a better chance at blending in.
