Ashes to Ashes (Apocalypse World)

[Napalm on Toast]

My Turn:


Cep Tee has fought shoulder to shoulder with me. She teaches the kids all sorts of things, but the real instruction comes when she takes the field. Hx+2


Odessa once left me bleeding and did nothing for me. Damn her... too worried about her damned cars to notice me there, oozing. I patched myself up and limped back to town... but I don't forget. Hx-2


Everyone else gets Hx=0.


Other's Turn:


Malik looks like the smartest one around... After all, he put together this place, chopped out a chunk of the world and called it his own. Takes balls to do that, but brains too. Hx+1

 

[SephirothSage]

Odessa -- Yeah, I remember that time I was out on the Road with Odessa. Good times, guarding a good woman's truck. I took up nest on her roof with my Lance, and kept watch while making conversation. Good times.


On My Turn: Sadly, I don't have much time to get to know most folks- Hx 0 Base, Everybody...


On Cassia's Turn: Your a good woman, an innocent woman in my eyes- a noble, honorable soul- and I don't have time to spend with people I actually like, so I keep out of your way and let you do as you will, God Bless your soul. Hx -1.


On Moon's Turn: I do not follow your teachings- but you worry me, sometimes. You seem harmless enough at times, and at others you do god awful things. But worst of all, is that you are a cult leader- not a proper priestess, but a cultist of some strange sect. I find altogether too often that the worst of crimes are commited for religion, and I'm just waiting for the day you force my hand, woman... man.. I don't know. Hx +1.

 

[solyrflair]

My turn:


You don’t make a thing about being friendly, everyone gets Hx=0.


Others turns:


Moon once found you vulnerable and away from your suit when things had gone south.


Cep Tee once fought beside you.


Odessa helped you out when your suit was broken down.

 

[Arlet]

I am generous by nature, so everyone adds Hx+1

 

[DeusExAlice]

Moon, there is a resonance between us. What we are, what we want to be, we think there is a level of shared commonality with you. It might not be a true kinship, but it is close to a manner of kindness. We get Hx+3 with Moon.


Mouse has one of the prettiest smiles we have seen. That smile, the real smile, that flare of life only comes in the moment of the kill. Being in at the death. Few things have left us wanting in such a way. We get Hx+1 with Mouse.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Session 1


For this first session at least, I'm going to pick a stat to highlight for each of you and then you may choose your second stat to highlight. I want to get this moving.


Highlighted stats (MC choice in RED):

• Longinus — SHARP / COOL
  
• CAL — SHARP / WEIRD
  
• Zarani Malik — HARD / SHARP
  
• Mouse — HARD / SHARP
  
• Odessa — SHARP / COOL
  
• Cep Tee — HARD / WEIRD
  
• Moon — WEIRD / HARD
  
• Morrell — WEIRD /
  
• Cassia — HARD / COOL
  

Begin...


Dawn has broken, though you'd never know through the shitty Evergrey. But, people still have their internal clocks or whatever. Rise and shine, buttercup.


Tell me where you are and what you're doing.


Also, are there walls around the holding? If so, what kind?

 

[Arlet]

Let's go with Sharp


That sounds like it'll be entertaining. Don't wanna get too weird yet, do we?


And why yes, it does have walls. And that's where I've found myself in the morning. Patchwork salvage, driftwood, and whatever metal they could find made up the best walls they could muster. They weren't much, but it kept the ignorant off the lawn. They averaged about ten feet tall, a few places were a bit taller and others were shorter. The best “architect” they could find had a good hand but it wasn't quite steady, and they'd paid him in “alcohol”.


I didn't really ask what it was made from, Ansim handled it.


There wasn't anything approaching a breeze anymore, honestly, but I had long ago gotten used to it. Something about walking the walls when I could at least pretend it was still about was a comfort. And the scouts seeing shadows and freaking out like children gave me a decent excuse to walk the walls. Grace walked with me, and kept track of the guards that we passed on our way by.


It gave me a decent excuse to avoid the pile of papers on my desk as well. Half a dozen different groups in a hand full of weeks and all it brought was trouble. What few people I had that could read or write trickling in reports of trouble left and right and all it was doing was becoming a headache.


And every now and again a good “sunrise” helped clear up a headache.

 

[Napalm on Toast]

(I'm feeling pretty SHARP today. Might accidentally cut myself.)


Sometimes I can't sleep too well. I get this itch that needs scratching, but hell if know what will do it. I'm too riled up to sleep, plain and simple. Gotta figure out what's gotten under my skin before it gets too bad to handle, makes me do something I regret... but that won't happen today.


So I get my gear cleaned and ready before the night's over and make my way up to the main hold. By the time morning arrives I'm set up near the gates, running a whetstone along my blade and waiting. Way I figure it, one of two things will happen. Either I'll figure out what's got me on edge and take care of it or someone will come to me for a job. There's always someone that needs a gun in this place

 

[DeusExAlice]

Time to get Weird, at some point!


I'm cleaning the classroom. The broom isn't much, some scraggly and dead plants I strapped to a rusted pipe. It does the job, much like the rag from an old and worn shirt I found. It's quiet yet, the motley assemblage of slapped together stools, chairs and floor rugs unoccupied for the time being.


These rare, quiet moments we almost feel content. Almost.

 

[Teh Frixz]

Nothing is COOLer than a driver


Odessa


I slept last night with a wrench in my hand and grease on my face. If anyone actually bothered to check, I was bent over the hood with my cheek resting on the intake of Prowlah. I don't think anybody did bother me though, everything is right where I left it. I really need to stop staying awake till I pass out. But it's good practice for the road so I probably won't.


Fighting back the storm of rage inside the broken parts of my head, I grin and throw my tools into the cabinet before slamming the hood down. Anyone nearby undoubtedly knows I'm up and at 'em but I know what I'll do next will confirm it. Prowlah doesn't have a key like Giton and the scrap cars I find but he's got a key pad. I punch in the code and pull the handle, letting him cough and turnover before revving hard. Like the roostah at dawn in the evergrey.


Slamming the door shut, I get out and put the wheel strap on, letting him power my Jenny. The workshop lights up and I go to the back to take a piss and find something to stop the pounding in my skull. A mirror greets me in what could be called an outhouse, showing me the dark black grease around my eyes. The bright little slits of color barely show and my hair is starting to coil again. I'll have to see someone about a bath.


I finish up, coming back outside while a fit hits me. I swear and shout and scream at nothing for a good minute or so before it ends and I sit down on Prowlah to cool off.

 

[DreamingofRoses]

I'm feeling Cool this morning, like nothing can shake me.


Wait, morning? Morning? Fuck.


Do I have to get up? No! Back t' sleep.


Ugh, I did promise Dust I'd help him with a thing today. What thing? Not exactly sure, gotta get the details from him. So I guess this morning will involve me dragging my sorry carcass off my mat and cleaning up enough to look not-scary before meeting with Dust.

 

[solyrflair]

I am always sharp, but today seems to be about to get very WEIRD.


60 hours on the walk before my machine decided I couldn't go on much longer. We pulled into the shelter at the height of the day. I crawled out and into the nest until the pain woke me during the dead of night. It was like the bones were being pulled through my skin and with a whimper I hooked myself back to the machine.


But I couldn't climb in. There was work to be done. I flushed the pneumatics, cleaned the optics, and picked the dust from the joints. The wires connecting us were slowly filtering the pain, heightening my awareness, energizing me for another circuit. Our record was 86 hours, but we haven't been close to that for months. I haven't been able to focus as deeply these last five circuits. There has been something that has poking at the fringes of my mind, but I can't see deep enough.


I pulled myself inside after three hours of maintenance. The armor came to full power quickly once sealed inside. I wasn't due to return to my circuit for nearly an hour, so I decided to walk the halls. I prefer to observe people from inside my machine. I read more from them - heart rate, body temperature, oxygen levels. I know more about them than they probably know of themselves.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Zarani (@Arlet),


You're on the walls, enjoying your "sunrise". Figuratively, I know. There hasn't been a literal sunrise in...well, some time ago.


Anyway, you're walking the walls with Grace. She's giving you her morning report; telling you everything you need to know from the day/night before.


First, she tells you about the fires in the ash forests to the west. Apparently, Boxer and Duke were on the west wall last night. They saw four or so massive bonfires burning for a few hours in the dark. They were a miles away, but might be worth checking out. She asks if you want to send anyone out there today.


What do you say? Feel free to read a person during this conversation.


 
Mouse (@Napalm on Toast),


You're near the gates. You can see Grace running down her morning report with Zarani up on the wall. You're minding your own business, whetstone and all, when Foster comes walking through the now open gates. Looks like you were right to think somebody'd seek you out.


Anyway, Foster finds you. She looks strung out. Serious bags under her eyes. Like she's been up all night and beaten with a "tired" stick. Turns out she got some news yesterday that those savages she hired you to take care of were only the beginning.


Turns out they weren't just any old shit-show savages. They were Camp Dog Head fuckers.


She knows Dog Head better than anyone else on the outside. She knows as soon as they hear about their guys, they're gonna make a move.


So, she asks to hire you again. And anyone else who'll help. She needs all the help and hardware she can get.


What do you say? And, are you going to read a person here?


 
Cep (@DeusExAlice),


You're cleaning, like always. It's almost time for class to start. But now it's quiet.


You notice Lenora standing in the doorway to the classroom. She looks...scared? You're not sure, it's hard to tell.


She asks to talk.


What do you say? And, are you going to read a person?


 
Odessa (@Teh Frixz),


You hanging out on your beloved machine when you hear someone ask if the spot next to you on the hood is taken. It's Prim, you know, the somehow-mousy-girl-with-a-machine-gun in Zarani's gang?


Without her armor on, she's actually a petite little thing.


Anyway, sorry. Enough of that. So, she asks to sit on the hood next to you.


What do you say? And are you reading a person?


 
Cassia (@DreamingofRoses),


You meet up with Dust.


By the way, real quick, how far back do you and Dust go?


Anyway, you meet up with Dust. He tells you he found something crazy just outside the walls and wants to show it to you.


Do you want to go with him? What do you do/say?


 
CAL (@solyrflair),


You're walking the halls, as you said. The people who live here take little notice.


The Machine is responding well this morning. Then, in the display, a warning light. There's some signal it's receiving. It points out the signal direction.


It's coming from the direction of Market Town, northeast.


What do you do?

 

[Teh Frixz]

Odessa


"It's a free hold." I mutter, wrenching at my hair just so the pain keeps me concentrated and not drifting off to dreams of being on the road again.


Prim. I know her but I don't know know her. I don't know know anyone really. I know she's in the gang and know know that pissing gang members off pisses hard holders and I know know that I'll lose work.


So I just gently rock while pulling at my scalp. I find the sweet spot up above my eyebrow and pull up before letting it down. I repeat that motion, letting my eyelid suck back down to the eye. The little sound it makes like music to cover up the distortion in my ears.


I do tilt a bit, bugging an eye out at Prim and ask "My sign out there says no favors and no freebs."


I don't bother to read her, she'll say all she needs to soon enough

 

[Grey]

The Moon's Spawn suspects today will be hard.


I have not slept the whole night. My followers and I rise before the pitiful dawn to give proper thanks to the Mother. Now we break our fast on rice and rats, and tasks for the day are assigned. Lex and Rust are on the walls - technically guarding, more accurately assisting in repairs. The rest of the flock have factory labours ahead of them.


Much as I would like to spend this time in sacred contemplation, there are arrangements to make. Repairs to wheedle out of the savvyhead and transit to secure from Odessa. My people hunger for the hunt.

 

[Napalm on Toast]

Mouse


I see Grace scurrying about and know that means Zarani is up on the walls, doing his morning rounds. I consider going up there for half a second before something more interesting comes wandering in the gates. Foster's never quite a looker, but today she's rougher than normal. My stomach flutters. I know down deep in my bones what she wants. No one ever comes to me just to chat.


I give the machete one last lick with the stone before I slip it back in the sheathe. Camp Dog Head. Slaver fucks. "This is big," I say. "Gonna have to let the big man know. Gonna have to recruit, too." I don't like the thought of that. The Camp is far enough away I'll need transit, and that means I'll need that Odessa bitch. "What you payin'?"


Now, I know Foster, probably well as anyone in this hold. I've worked for her, killed for her, and that makes her damn near the closest thing I have to a friend. That means that I can read her pretty good, when I gotta, and I figure now's a good a time as any. I don't think she's holding out on me... but I don't take chances if I don't gotta. (read a person - MISS)


[dice]9258[/dice]

 

[WlfSamurai]

Odessa (@Teh Frixz),


Prim chuckles.


She tells you she isn't looking for handouts.


Instead, she spins a long story about this wacknut she knows from way back in her raiding days.


Turns out, according to her, he's now trading out of Rice City.


She tells you he's looking to hire somebody with a big ride to haul a large shipment for him to Market Town.


He wants to pay [3-barter] to someone who can do it.


She asks if you're interested.


What do you say?


(I dropped that 3-barter in there because I don't know the currency yet.)


 
Mouse (@Napalm on Toast),


Yeah, you know her well.


But you missed something or something.


Whether it was a cue or a tone or something,


you weren't paying close enough attention, apparently.


Your question sets her off.


She starts screaming about how she can't believe your asking for pay


and


you're supposed to be friends


and


don't you know this is her home and people she's talking about?


While she's yelling at you, I get to ask you one of the questions instead.


You have to answer it.


How could I get your character to protect Foster's Narrows for free?


And also, what do you say to Foster?


 
Moon (@Grey),


As the morning begins rolling, Cruithne comes and finds you.


She looks busy and distracted as always.


But, that's what she does.


She's why you can focus on the greater part of your ministry.


Anyway, she finds you.


She reminds you that tonight is Hatchfield's trial (baptism?).


Old Hatchfield being Zarani's guy that helps run the factory.


She points out there're still preparations to be made.


The padded room is still ripped from the last trial.


She asks if you want her to talk to Morrell to get it fixed.


Moon, what else is needed for Hatchfield's trial other than the room?


And what do you say to Cruithne?

 

[Napalm on Toast]

Mouse


And here I thought Foster was a businesswoman. Clearly she's even worse off than I thought, raving and hollering. I hold one hand up to stop the tirade and respond, place the other on the little chatterbox on my belt, stroke the casing. Just a friendly reminder. Not a threat, not yet.


"Foss, you know me. You know I'll do this for free. Just point the way." I can't keep a smile from creeping 'cross my face at the thought. I dunno if this will scratch that itch, but it's a helluva good place to start. "But in this shithole, people want barter to risk their necks. So I guess I'm asking what you want."


I put up one finger on my free hand. "You want someone to take care of a scouting party or two, keep an eye on your place? I'm your girl."


I add a second digit to the first. "You're telling me they're gonna mount a full raid, try to collar some of your people? We'll need a second gun at least. More would be better."


I throw up a third finger. "You want me to stroll into Dog Head and teach those fucks who not to mess with? Gonna need guns and a ride besides, and our Driver don't come cheap."


I waggle the fingers. "I don't got the pull or the dosh to hire people myself. So whatcha need, Foss? You need me, or you need an army?"

 

[DreamingofRoses]

Cassia


Dust? I've known him for a fairly long time. Ever since I got back to the hold, in fact.


Of course I'm willing to go. I had already promised him I'd help out as I could, I just need a few more details.


I smile at Dust and shoulder my rifle, making sure my taser and ammo are at my waist where they're supposed to be and the wrappings with the metal plates are firmly over my squishiest parts. "Is this 'shoot to kill' crazy or 'mostly harmless' crazy?"

 

[Teh Frixz]

Odessa


I don't bother asking what it is that he wants shipped. I don't like knowing and I don't like others knowing what I'm shipping either.


Not much comes out of Rice City except well...rice. Rice and false hope. I don't like going there but I wouldn't even have to get out of Giton. They load me up, and it's only about a day and a half out to Market Town. Longer if I stop by and visit the Gulch.


But... Why me? So I have to ask.


"Why me? Use the Rice City Shippers or something. It's not a hard route. And why paying so much?"


I stop yanking my hair and look up at her. Suspicion evident on my face. I don't trust and I really don't trust gang members.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Cassia (@DreamingofRoses),


Dust smiles back at you and tells you he doesn't know.


He punctuates that with pulling the slide back on his 9mm and holstering it.


Before you know it, you're outside the walls of the hold.


Dust leads you through a field and stops at a large boulder.


He nods, then rolls the boulder aside.


Underneath is a rusted hatch.


He points to the hatch and explains he just happened to see the corner of it the other day.


He had gone out to do some target practice.


Coming back, he rested against the Boulder and just looked down long enough.


Before you can say anything, he turns the handle on the hatch.


It pops open with a slow screech.


Inside is a human-sized hole and a ladder.


Dust mounts the ladder and descends into the hole.

Spoiler

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Now, like we said before, you know him well.


You know he wouldn't just go down there not saying a word if it was dangerous.


So, you get to the bottom of the ladder and find him lighting a torch.


Once lit, Dust leads you down a cement corridor to a steel door.


Here, though, he does speak up.


He tells you this is as far as he went when he found it yesterday.


He hasn't tried to open the door.


Finally, he asks if you want to open it with him.


What do you say?


 
Mouse (@Napalm on Toast),


Foster sighs big.


She pulls the bangs out of her face and tucks them behind her ear.


She hugs herself and nods.


A moment of silence hangs as she bites her lip.


Then, she apologizes and says she's worried sick about this.


In fact, she's been up all night worried sick.


She explains that she knows they're coming.


She found a head on her doorstep.


It was the head of one of the savages that you killed.


She points out that she thinks it's a message:


They're coming.


Hard.


Then, she says you're right.


They need an army.


She asks if you can pull one together and says she'll talk to her people.


They'll pool what they have left to pay.


As much as they can scrounge to pay.


Because, they'll need as many bodies and as much hardware as you can muster.


What do you say?


 
Odessa (@Teh Frixz),


Prim waves a hand dismissively, as if to say that had been thought of.


She tells you that the Rice City shippers won't do it.


They'll only take rice.


And this ain't rice.


Then she addresses the "why you" part.


She says that she's known you for a bit and you're the only one that came to mind.


You can tell, though, by the way she says it that's not the whole story.


It's clear in her face and eyes and whatever that you were the one she sought out.


What do you say?

 

[Grey]

The Moon's Spawn





I greet her with open arms, but she keeps her distance. This is customary. There is not time for other talk.


"Yes, have Morrell repair it. Quickly."


The other items we require for the ritual are a small animal - although a captured criminal will suffice - and an elixir derived from the eerie blooms of fungus beyond the walls.


I personally harvest that. With an escort, of course.


"Summon Juuka and Mu. They will make pilgrimage with me today; it is their turn."

 

[DreamingofRoses]

Cassia


Holy shit. This is pre-fuckedness old. Old era old. Who could resist something like that? Maybe there's something in here about how the world used to be, or why it is the way it is now. Maybe there's old tech that's still working. Or maybe just the rotted out corpses of the past.


Or maybe there is far worse. And if there's anything in here like that, like the other deep places of the earth it's so close to the hold it needs to be taken care of, if possible.


I nod to Dust to stand further back away from the door, telling him to pull his gun. "If shit goes sideways, get your ass out of here and seal this place up again, y'hear? Now make sure you have that thing pointed at the door, not me." I pull the stun gun from its holster and make ready to open the door, waiting for Dust to get in position and give me the ready.

 

[Arlet]

There's no need to read anyone. I trust Grace with my life, trusting her with business is just standard at this point. I frown, unsure of how to feel about bonfires in the woods. It's either idiots or things I'd rather not have to deal with. If it gets out of hand, however...


I rub my temples for a moment, taking a few seconds to think on it.


“Pick four of your favorites, the quiet types not the loud types. Scout out the area and find some sort of information on what's going on. Don't go picking fights, don't go being heroes. If I have to train more civilians to use guns I'm going to have another group of them banging on my door with complaints.”


I didn't feel like another riot, at least not now. Last time things got nasty I had to recruit from the defenseless folks about the hard hold. They got a bit peevish about the whole thing. I thought the entire argument was petty, but I suppose that's a matter of perspective, eh?


I stopped for a moment, raising a finger to punctuate the thought, “But bring them by my office first, I want to make sure they hear that order from you and I both.”


I left out the unspoken point that I'd rather check 'em out. I don't wanna send one of the drug addicts out into the woods to get killed again.

 

[solyrflair]

CAL


The halls of the free hold are where people dwell. You can observe those people and find a pulse of the free hold in the microcosm. It's these people that he works for, not the slabs of coin nor the enjoyment of the combats. If it weren't for these people, he would have let himself succumb to his pain long ago.


The people don't know that. They don't understand anything about the person in the suit. They keep clear so they don't get stepped on. He doesn't nod or wave or shake hands. He observes. Interaction is negligible.


When the signal comes in, it takes several seconds for the system to link with the "orbital" and provide him a direction. While the topo never materializes, it's easy enough to determine the most likely location. The nightmare location of his death and reemergence.


It was time to leave the halls and move up to the walls. The walls provide a line of sight towards Market Town though no direct visibility. But from the walls, there might be a chance to find out more information. Not to mention that an excursion to Market Town would require him to alert the Wall Captain to his new target.