Friday, October 7, 2016

Wordslingin'

This week, Our Heroes (tm) arrive in Prince Gable and make the unlikeliest play for allies in the history of the campaign as they attempt to turn Gabrielle Summers over to their side. Of course, this first involves getting Summers into custody. And even before that, actually agreeing to do the mission, despite our absentee employer…


[The session starts off on an unusual note.]
Georges the GM: “It is 32 Autumn. Roll initiative.”

[As the session begins, Lyta and Fennec’s SUV has been hit with a LAW rocket.]
Georges the GM: “The mission is to not cause casualties, but clearly things have just escalated.”

[The situation: Lyta and Fennec in the front car, which is barely holding together, two cars of hostiles, and Lukas and Torgath bringing up the rear.]
Brock: “I want to ram the car in front of us into Lyta and Fennec’s.”
Julie: (deadpan) “Thanks.”

[Given that we’ve picked up in media res, the players have no idea who just shot a rocket at us.]
Zac: “Who are these people again?”
Julie: “Who knows!”

[Lyta and Fennec get out of their car and start moving backwards, running atop the van that Lukas and Torgath have managed to flip onto its side.]
Georges the GM: “The side of the car that’s up is the driver’s side.”
Brock: “If he was wearing his seatbelt, that’s the side the driver’s on. If he wasn’t he may not be a problem.”

[Lyta and Fennec are atop the hostile car…]
Zac: “They’re inside with three people? I wonder what a flash-bang feels like in an enclosed space like that. Maybe they’ll send me a memo after.”

[Again given the unusual start of the session, we have to determine certain things on the fly that otherwise would have been well established.]
Brock: “How much do I care about the instructions we’ve been given?”

[The instructions, once again, were for no casualties. Not that that’s ever stopped us before.]
Brock: “They’re outside of their car? How many can I run over?”

[More of the same.]
Brock: “We’re not supposed to kill any of them? [beat] It would be really unfortunate if I ran any of them over. [beat] I try to run them over.”

[It turns out the hostiles are Gabrielle Summers, aka Dawn, and her NGIS cronies. Brock tries and fails to comfort Ariel over what he’s about to do.]
Brock: “Don’t worry – I won’t kill Dawn accidentally.”

[Finally a little clarity.]
Julie: “What are our mission objectives?”
Georges the GM: “To kidnap Gabrielle.”
Julie: “Oh. Let’s go do that, then.”

[We think about why our mission would be to kidnap Gabrielle.]
Brock: “We decided to expedite the wooing process.”

[Julie had to go to the washroom during the combat.]
Julie: “What excitement did I miss?”
Zac: “Lukas rolled over an unconscious guy.”
Julie: “Anyone we care about?”

[Flashback! We return to three days prior, 29 Summer, and our arrival in Prince Gable, knowing nothing about anything that just happened in the session.]
Georges the GM: “Anyone doing anything tonight?”
Ariel: “I’ll send Minnie a letter.”
Julie: “On the Hermes – which still exists.”
Brock: “Because of us.”

[Keep in mind that one of the reasons we’re in Prince Gable is to read Doc Chambers’ file on Gustafson, who is now dead.]
Georges the GM: “If you want to read the file tonight…”
Zac: “It seems like it’s not as urgent now.”
Georges the GM: “Good point.”

[Georges the GM lets us know of the recent developments in Prince Gable.]
Georges the GM: “The SNS tower is large and gleaming.”
Julie: “Convenient that their reasons for existing has not just been taken out.”

[We are debriefed by a recording from Ti, letting us know that his / our next priority is to turn Gabrielle Summers over to our side, in order to see how deeply the Bear has infiltrated the NGIS.]
Georges the GM: “You know Summers is coming. You could lay a trap… that will go horribly awry.”
Zac: “I have a premonition.”

[Ti has given us access to all the databases at his disposal to try to convince Gabrielle to join our side.]
Georges the GM: “This is taking a page out of Torgath’s book: share everything and use reason.”
Ariel: “Finally!”

[Of course, not everyone agrees this will work.]
Fennec: “Is Summers susceptible to reason?”
Lukas: “No. She’s a raving lunatic.”

[Georges the GM spells out the mission parameters, as we’ve heard from Ti.]
Georges the GM: “Either win over Gabrielle with the data, or…”
Zac: “Was that ‘or-ellipsis’?”
Georges the GM: “Yes. The ellipsis is left for you to deduce.”

[Ti has also provided us with some new equipment, including custom light flak suits with DNA self-sealing and bonuses to first aid checks and stealth against electronic surveillance.]
Ariel: “We got magic armor!”

[We reconvene with Doc Chambers’ local representative, Ellen Cranby, who will be assisting us.]
Ellen Cranby: “I hear you’re gonna be expecting some NGIS friendlies.”
Lyta: “Well… ‘friendlies’.”

[Lukas is having a bit of a crisis of conscience, especially since Ti is not here in person to explain why he seemingly sent us to die in Port Arthur.]
Lukas: “I don’t wanna do this until I die.”
Zac: “That’s easy – just don’t die.”

[More of the same.]
Georges the GM: “There is the matter of whether you still feel like a cohesive team at this point.”
Zac: “As we all sit in separate rooms having separate conversations.”

[As Lukas and Lyta discuss the relative merits of continuing to work for Ti, Fennec is reading the Doc’s file on Gustafson, and discovers that Lukas is listed under known associates.]
Zac: “It’s kind of disconcerting to read an intelligence report on yourself.”

[Fennec reports back to the group about what she learned… with a little help from the GM.]
Georges the GM: [circles something in the report] “Maybe that’s the salient point you want to take away.”
Zac: “Yeah, yeah…”
Ariel: “So you’re not gonna tell us?”

[Beating around the bush a little…]
Fennec: “How’s your relationship with the Doc?”
Lukas: “I think the better question is, how’s our relationship with the Doc?”

[Keep in mind that it’s the Doc’s file that lists us as known associates of an international terrorist.]
Fennec: “The Doc doesn’t trust you.”
Lukas: “It’s okay – I don’t trust him.”
Fennec: “Who do you think should be more worried about that lack of trust?”
Lukas: “Him.”

[We get a little meta for a moment.]
Brock: “Why haven’t we killed the Doc for all this shit?”
Ariel: “Plot immunity.”
Georges the GM: “It cuts both ways.”

[More of the same.]
Georges the GM: “Seeing as how there’s a lot of conversation on murdering the Doc…”
Brock: “He tried to kill us first. In every case.”

[Another time jump! Back to the action! With only moderate ambivalence!]
Georges the GM: “Back to 32 Autumn.”
Brock: “I guess we did decide to go with this part of the plan, despite everything.”

[Lyta has managed to knock out Summers and get her into our getaway car.]
Georges the GM: “There will be a hail of bullets.”
Brock: “Except Dawn is in the car with us.”
Georges the GM: “…That’s true. Good point.”

[Keep in mind that because of the whole ‘in media res’ thing, we haven’t actually done any of the mission planning yet.]
Brock: “We execute our exfil plan.”
Julie: “Whatever that was.”

[Time jump backwards again! After our initial debrief, we all go our separate ways to plan. Ellen Cranby visits Fennec.]
Ellen Cranby: “It’s funny about your Aunt Fatty – she’s real friendly, but she doesn’t say much… unless you get some whiskey in her.”

[Ellen asks about Lukas.]
Ellen Cranby: “I got one question for you: what kind of a son of a bitch is he?”

[Ellen isn’t great at prevaricating.]
Fennec: “Is this about me or about Lukas?”
Ellen Cranby: “It’s about Lyta.”

[More of the same.]
Fennec: “If we’re talkin’ about Lyta, that girl clears her head by…”
Ellen Cranby: “Jumping off bulidings. Don’t remind me.” [drinks]

[Ellen continues to press Fennec on her relationship with the group.]
Ellen Cranby: “You’ve been workin’ with these folk for a couple cycles, you been through thick and thin, and I figure you mighta formed some close bonds.”
Brock: [laughs]
Fennec: “…Some.”

[Meanwhile, Torgath is getting some truly awful wooing advice from Billy Croyden.]
Billy Croyden: “The way to her heart is straight through – solitary confinement, with nothing but bread, water, and the book. It’ll focus her mind.”

[More of the same.]
Billy Croyden: “I really think it would be best for her to have absolutely no distraction while she’s reading it. No source of…”
Brock: “Hope.”

[Lukas sets up his own meeting.]
Julie: “Who are you meeting with?”
Brock: “Contacts. People.”

[Also meanwhile, Fennec is working on some cool new toys for us.]
Georges the GM: “You have one taser glove, Fennec.”
Julie: “Ooh! Are you giving it to me? Is it my birthday?”

[Lukas returns to speak to Fennec and resume their earlier conversation about Doc Chambers’ file which implicates us with Gustafson.]
Lukas: “I’m not satisfied with how our earlier conversation went. What’s your deal?”
Fennec: “What do you mean? And keep in mind I’m perfecting a shock glove.”

[More on Gustafson and our relationship with him.]
Fennec: “You were worried that Gustafson would call in a marker, but thankfully he did the honorable thing and not recognize you.”

[The burns are coming thick and fast tonight.]
Lukas: “You think I feel bad about what Chambers thinks? Or anybody?”
Fennec: “No, I don’t think much makes you feel bad.”

[Lukas spends a moment in self-reflection.]
Lukas: “You know what my mistake was? Being honest.”
Fennec: “Then I guess you’re not gonna stick with it, this ‘being honest’ thing?”

[Georges the GM sums up.]
Georges the GM: “The conversation seems to be ‘I’m okay, you’re okay,’ but it’s not.”

[Lyta has her own plans for the evening.]
Lyta: “I’m staying with the Koreshi tonight. Call me if anyone’s shot, otherwise I’ll see you in the morning.”




Heavy Gear Roleplaying Game

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