Crimson Dawn Adventure Synopsis #19
by Silveressa
“Thomas Baker? An interesting name for a Bakery store owner.” –Heather, musing over their new acquaintances name.
“Back in the day it was common for people to have last names based on their profession. Smith would be a blacksmith, Carpenter a woodworker, and so forth. –Renee, showing off her intellect.
“If that’s true, then what about John Hancock?” Jessy, being a dirty old man, like usual.
Adventure #19
Riley takes little time in yelling up to Heather and the rest how the sniper assisted him against the zombies, after which they quickly regroup outside next to war wag two (seeming to forget the earlier moans of the third remaining zombie in the clothing store) Initially the group is unsure whether to trust the snipers aid, Jessy voicing his concern the man may be baiting them into the open for a clearer shot so as to conserve ammo. After several minutes of debate the group hears the sound of a car engine, and peering around the corner of the clothing store spot a light blue sedan driving up the main street from the bakery towards them, a white flag attached to the antenna.
Reading their weapons the groups nervously awaits the newcomers’ arrival, the moans of a zombie seeming to mix in with the approaching vehicle, although no one was able to detect the source. Upon its arrival the drivers’ door opens and an older man in his mid forties steps out, several days’ growth of beard covering his face that breaks into a toothless grin upon seeing the group.
He quickly introduces himself as Thomas Baker, and apologies profusely for the unintended bullet into the trucks windshield upon their arrival, gesturing to the dead child zombie and mentioning that it was perched on top their roof and he was trying to pick it off before it could ambush them when they stopped.
While slightly doubtful of the truth behind his claim, the group decides to take him at his word, and begins an inquiry as to what happened within the town, and why he was here by himself, Heathers two dogs growling and pacing uncertainly. (This put the group even more on edge about this new comer, and focused all their attention on him.)
While Renee patched Riley’s new injuries with the trucks medical kit, Thomas quickly recounted his tale of “The Wave” and how the town tore itself apart in the aftermath, when even his own wife who had died of the pandemic arose and a walking dead and he was “forced to put her down like a rabid dog.” As he finishes his tale with recounting his survival within the brick bakery living off the supplies he had in the cellar, the sounds of shattering glass echo across the town followed a fraction later by a body plummeting from the second story window of the clothing store to land nearly on top of poor Thomas. (Queuing up an .mp3 of breaking glass made everyone at the table jump as well, which worked nicely, throwing everyone off balance and refocusing their attention which had been drifting during Thomas’s tale.)
The groups panic at finding an enraged zombie in their midst after being lulled into a sense of relaxation by the mans story proved disastrous, with none of them prepared for the assault, every scrambling for their guns and rolling out of the way, leaving Thomas to face the zombie in unarmed combat for several dangerous seconds. Jessy was the first to recover, raising his MP5 to unleash a full auto fusillade at the zombie, only to have Riley kick the gun from his hands, yelling that he would hit Thomas as well. (This upset Jessy’s player to no end, spoiling what would have been a critical strike on the zombie.)
As Thomas fell to the ground screaming, Heathers two dogs leaped upon the zombie, tearing into its rotted form and giving Renee an opening to drag their new found companion to safety as heather carefully dispatched the walking corpse with a single bullet to the head. As Renee checked over Thomas for injuries Riley and Jessy got into a heated argument about friendly fire, Jessy claiming he was preparing to shoot but was going to hold fire for a clear shot, and Riley recounting his numerous full auto experiences before this as evidence of his lack of trigger discipline.
The inter group argument was ended abruptly by the declaration from Heather that “Either you both knock it off or I’ll find the ugliest pair of granny panties in that store and wear’em till doomsday!” (This made Renee’s player laugh hard enough to shoot Pepsi out her nose, allover her character sheet, and completely diffused the mounting tension outside of game.) Blinking in shock at Heathers statement both Riley and Jessy blushed several shades of crimson, and dropped the argument entirely as Thomas looked on in bewilderment and Renee choked, Riley quickly changing the subject to that of auto repair, and citing how important it was to be back on the road before darkness overtook the town.
After a quick inquiry to Thomas as to the towns’ layout, the groups piled into war wag two and headed to the hardware store, spending little time in ransacking the place to essentials, Jessy in a flash of brilliance suggesting they use soldering tool to patch the holes in the radiator, which the rest of the group happily agreed with. After gathering some other supplies, mostly flashlights, batteries, and several sets of hand held two way radios.
After some more discussion of the fate of the world with Thomas, and how he would be better off with them, the group drove back to war wag one with their new team mate and his bolt action Enfield rifle, hopeful the truck repair and next leg of their journey would be less eventful.
* * * * *
Will Thomas prove to be a useful ally to the group? Will Jessy finally learn trigger discipline? Will Heathers ongoing commando style of dress continue? Find out in the next adventure synopsis #20, coming October 23rd!
