The team makes it back to base without issue and starts in on their standard poking around, recruiting team members, and getting more equipment.
Straight away we come across a brother and sister tribal duo.
The brother doesn’t want her to fight, but she wants to fight. I am pretty sure Celt could make a convincing argument for women combatants but we don’t bother.
Once nice thing about random people on base is that they give us a chance to trade away the primitive currency of the game, RP.
In this case we get a Guns and Ammo (book to increase firearms skills) for nothing. Fikes reads it.
Next we go off to see what mission the general has to offer.
Charge into a heavily fortified raider base? Why not?
He also lets us know that our newest team member Yakpaw will be meeting us at the site. Yakpaw isn’t exactly dumb, just… single minded to the point of missing important details such as eating or breathing. When he found out about the mission he took off in that direction… didn’t even bring any supplies.
Oh well, we’ll take care of him.
We trade off our extra junk for a huge supply of shot gun shells and every stimpack in the building. We are sitting on 1700 bucks extra. Our 7.62 ammo (used in hunting rifles and AKs) is a little low but it is commonly used by the raiders and we expect to find plenty of it.
All that out of the way we gear up and head for the exit.
Fikes checks his map on the way. January 16th, 2197. We should be there tomorrow evening.
Sure enough, the next day we arrive and get to meet our newest team member, Yakpaw.
Yakpaw has been here 3 days, just waiting. The general lied. Yakpaw is dumb, simply, simply dumb. He is also ugly. But what he lacks in those qualities he makes up for as a hell of a close range fighter.
We ask him what he has learned since he got here but he tells us nothing. Apparently he has littereally sat here for 2 days and learned nothing. Awesome.
We decide to take a look around.
This is the front gate, predictably right in the center of the encampment. We assume it is heavily guarded.
North of that we have some sort of trench and bunker system.
And past that we have a fuel depot.
On the south side of the base we have some more fortifications but what appears to be a fairly straight path through.
Eventually leading to a damaged section of wall.
We decide to get a closer look and put Yakpaw to work sneaking around. For a big guy he can move surprising quietly.
He gets a look at the gate first.
Exactly what we expected. Let’s go a different way.
But the path leading to the fuel depot is also heavily guarded
That leaves the southernmost path. Yakpaw spots three guards on this side, making it the path of least resistance so we move in to clear the area.
Remember when Fikes, one of our two snipers, couldn’t hit someone at point blank range with a shotgun?
Thank god for levels.
While Fikes makes short work out of the first guard, Yakpaw sneaks in close to begin batting down the second. Shortsight provides fire support on the third while Celt sneaks around to flank him.
The attack works masterfully and in no time the enemies are dead and Yakpaw begins scouting ahead again.
The team moves slowly as a group but we are quickly spotted. The enemy guard runs over and sounds an alarm.
Fikes opens fire but it is too late, the alarm sounds and the team scrambles to covering postions.
Fikes, Shortsight and Euchre watch the east while Celt, Cryssalid, and Yakpaw keep an eye to the north; the direction of the gate and a handful of guards.
The gate guards decide not to abandon their post, but the alarm does wake two other sleeping guards further to the east. Fikes and Shortsight work on sniping duties and Fikes ability to identify the enemy weapons (the awareness perk) gives the assault team confidence that the enemies weak weapons won’t pose much of a threat. The assault team abandons the cover position and moves in for some close range combat.
The firefight is brief but brutal. Two guards fall to a hail of gunfire while Yakpaw beats the third to death.
When the dust settles Euchre magically gets better at firing weapons (aka, he gains a level, finally)
The team keeps moving, finally getting close to what appears to be a breach in the wall. Yakpaw continues to scout, but for the first time the enemies get the jump on him.
Two enemies, both armed with AKs open fire and almost end our dumb but useful scout.
Beyond the two that opened fire on Yak, there is a third in the ruined building and a fourth in the fortifications just to the north.
Another bitter fire fight lights off. Yak is forced to pull back but everyone else joins in the combat.
Within a few minutes another group of 4 enemies are taken down and the team moves on, finally finding a section of wall they can crawl through.
Too bad the enemy saw this coming.
They set traps.
Lots of them.
Fikes and Shortsight use their superior perception to find a clear path through the mines for the rest of the team, and none too soon either. A patrol happens on to our position.
Shortsight opens fire and manages to drop one of the enemy guards while the assault element is still moving into position.
But it doesn’t take the assault crew long. They move in, hoping Fikes and Shortsight didn’t miss anything.
Celt makes her presence (and the power of the shotgun) known.
And follows up with a shot from her AK-47.
The team moves back into the minefield, taking it slowly.
To the north we see what appears to be an inner keep with a big gate like the one at the entrance. There is at least one guard on the wall but no way to get a shot at him.
It takes some effort but Shortsight manages to pick the lock on the guard shack giving us acces to what we think is the system to open the gate. The team stacks up, ready for a fight in case there are enemies on the other side. Shortsight flips the switch and the gate opens but to everyone’s relief it is clear.
The shack on the inside of the gate is two stories tall and surrounded on all sides by the huge wall. Fikes decides it is best to clear the outside of the building before trying to move in and check the inside so he directs everyone around the back to the ladder.
As we move our magic spidey sense gives us an idea of the layout inside the building.
A lot of low cover in the middle and a lot of open space where we would be entering. Not ideal at all. But we will worry about that later.
The team keeps moving and makes a break of the wall, sending Celt up the ladder first.
As expected there are several guards.
Fikes follows directly behind and begins opening fire but raiders attack from every angle.
The team responds in turn.
Just when we think we have a handle on the situation, the guards at the fuel depot we avoided join the fight.
They manage to get a shot in on Fikes before we can respond.
Celt is the first to return fire and quickly there after Shortsight joins in. (LP note: Pay close attention to the text in that screen shot for some foreshadowing)
The raiders move around and continue to take shots but Celt is on top of things, unleashing another burst into the enemies.
This burst has the unintended side effect of hitting the fuel tanks.
Which explode. Splattering the raider into chunks of meat.
Back on the wall the gun fight continues.
Fikes scores another couple of kills.
The raiders put up a fight but in the end, the Brotherhood wins, securing the perimeter.
Everyone comes off the wall and Euchre sets to work patching them up. The fight inside the building is going to be very close range and very dangerous. Because of this Euchre does something new.
He hands out drugs. The buffout will give Yakpaw even more melee power. The mentants will give Shortsight increased perception for better long shots, and the afterburn gum will give Celt and Cryssalid more action points for more shotting.
Everyone takes their prescribed dosage. Yakpaw and Cryssalid head up to the second floor, planning to sneak down the stairs while the rest of the team waits at the front entrance to kick the door down and start some combat.
Right off the bat Yakpaw and Cryssalid find themselves in combat with three guards.
Yakpaw manages to get hit a couple of times but they clear the room.
Cryssalid applies first aid and they move down the stairs. Everyone is in position. Shortsight opens the door…
Which turns out to be locked. She tries to pick it but it is beyond her skill level, completely ruining our assault plan.
This forces the door team to move around and join the Cryssalid and Yakpaw, putting all our forces in a tiny clumped position.
Making the most of what we have, Yakpaw sneaks around to try and get into a better position.
He is detected, and takes a couple shots for his trouble.
He does find out, however, that one of the raider leaders is indeed hiding in this building. There are apparently 4. We find this one and get a little speech.
Save one buck for his sweet little Daisy… that sounds… ominous?
With Yakpaw dectected and under fire, the only thing left to do is start the fight.
The assault crew moves in.
Again the entire team gets in on the action but this time Cryssalid, Yakpaw, and Celt end up doing most of the damage.
A single bookshelf nets us stimpacks and one of my favorite drugs, Physco. Physco only has one job; it increases your damage resists. It is perfect for Yakpaw and we may need it later.
With the “keep” clear we move back into the camp proper and come to a little shack full of bloody equipment with a single enemy inside named Bo who spouts off some gibberish.
Turns out Bo has grenades but doesn’t get a chance to use them. We gun him down and move further west, getting very close to the gate.
We set up position between two buildings, ready to send Yakpaw in for some face smashing.
But before we have a chance the enemy rushes us from the northern building.
Fikes and Shortsight open fire while Yakpaw charges in.
The two raiders and lone dog that charged us fall before causing any damage, but as the assault crew stacks up near the entrance it becomes clear that a frontal assault isn’t wise.
“There are at least 4 in there, I can hear them moving around,” Cryssalid warns us.
“I’ve got an idea,” Celt responds.
Without exposing herself to fire, Celt beings tossing grenades in. Her attacks score and she manages to down a couple of raiders.
Just as the team is getting ready to move in a new enemy appears out of nowhere. Fikes makes a note to explain to Yakpaw that this is how stealth is SUPPOSED to work.
Luke manages to blast Celt but doesn’t land a killing blow.
Celt returns fire…
But it is Yakpaw that lands the killing blow. Raider leader 3 of 4, dead.
Back on task the assault team moves in, finding 3 raiders to contend with.
Cryssalid guts the first one. Celt uses a stimpack and moves to rejoin the fight while Yakpaw charges in, taking fire the whole way.
Even with his wounds he manages to finish off one of the raiders. Celt brings down the other.
Euchre is pressed back into serive caring for the wounded. We run out of first aid kits and end up using the more expensive and useful doctor’s bag. The effort is well worth it, however, and the team again prepares to assault the southern building.
Yakpaw moves in and assaults the enemy guard. He gets a good strike in but the raider’s AK does a number on him and he is forced to retreat.
Once again our cover is blown so Cryssalid moves in to finish of the raider but misses the shot and ends up getting hit instead. She fires again but it isn’t enough to take out the raider.
Finally Fikes moves in to eliminate the issue.
We search the room and get some welcome news.
Much needed medical supplies. Euchre will put the first aid kit to use healing Cryssalid. Since I haven’t done a good job explain its function I’ll do so now. The first aid kit can heal all health damage but takes a long time. It is good to do outside of combat. If you use it too many times on one unit, that unit will become “bandaged.” A bandaged unit can’t be healed by a first aid kit any more.
A doctor’s bag can remove the bandaged status and many other negative statuses, such as crippled or blinded.
In combat it is better to use the other item in this bookshelf, the stimpack. The stimpack can heal for about 17 health, roughly 1/3 of the life of our troops.
We have been really low on both supplies; this will give us a much needed boost.
The team sets off; deeper into the building and eventually coming to a tight space. Realizing there are enemies nearby Celt decides to lay the opening shots by tossing grenades into their midst again.
All too soon, however, she runs out, and there is nothing left to do but battle.
Realizing this, Yakpaw takes the Physco and moves in, straight into Daisy’s line of fire.
She has a little something to say.
Well, I guess this is the “sweet little Daisy” the other raider was going to save us for. At least she is somewhat attractive.
We don’t really have a lot of options. The assault team rushes in.
With Daisy dead we have eliminated all 4 raider leaders.
Now we have to find the artifact.
Apparently we were not the first Daisy has tried to capture as a salve.
Poor Nanuk. He is so happy to be out of his cage he takes off running.
It is so nice to do good things for people. Nanuk will probably make it back to his village, raise a family… probably… oh wait.
Ahh fuck.
“WE HAVEN’T CLEARED THE GATE YET!”
Too late. Sonofabitch.
The gate is heavily defended and we have no desire to walk out straight into two or more firing zones. Instead we sit back and eliminate the raiders we can.
We will be back to avenge you Nanuk, you crazy stupid diamond.
We turn and head east again, back into the heart of the raider camp. Yakpaw spots a couple of guards but decides it is best not to engage and waits for backup.
Shortsight snipes the first gauard, clearing the assault team to charge.
They make quick work of the second guard and clear the way for Fikes to talk to a prisoner.
Diesoon, pronounced di-sun, is a scientist that has been studying a device the raiders came across. He doesn’t really get it but wants to give it to us. Seems he was captured on his way to our bunker anyways.
HE is smart enough to say “Tell me when it is all clear,” so we leave him be while we go finish clearing the camp.
With the strange device in our possession our mission is complete. We could leave at any time or we could…….
You know. Kill everything?
And escort Diesoon?
Here he is stepping over the dead Nanuk.
And here he is safe and sound. See the difference Nanuk? No you don’t? Maybe you don’t because you’re dead!
With the scientist safe, the raider leaders dead, and the artifact in our possession our mission is complete.
We head for home.