Session 30: Misty Waters

The session began with the Liberators debriefing at Vantage after their recent mission. They took a long rest and then attended to the spoils, as a newcomer, Jim Bob the "Wizard," introduced himself. He was Kutter's old friend and wanted to help save Kutter, and the players accepted his offer. They handed over the server racks and data they had stolen to Benjamin and Jason, who discovered they were encrypted. The group also examined the massive heavy gun case they had retrieved, finding it nearly impenetrable. However, Gerrek used his chip to bypass the security and unlock it, revealing a large, partially assembled prototype laser cannon, unlike any energy weapon they had seen before. They entrusted it to Benjamin for further work.   The players then went downstairs to do some shopping. Gerrek bought improved armor, the best he could get without encumbering himself. They met another merchant selling gaming equipment, where they bought a set of six-sided dice. Kenny inquired about a D&D dice set, but the merchant mentioned it was reserved for wealthy clients. Intrigued, the players learned of a secret society of elites who played D&D and became determined to get in. Kenny retrieved his copy of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything from his house, but they had more pressing matters to attend to as Centurion briefed them on their new job.   Pirates had been raiding the shipping lanes between Marino State and the mainland, and Centurion asked them to move north and "consult" with the local militia to deal with the problem. The players agreed and sailed north, bringing along Jeremy and RM, while entrusting Gramps to continue preparations at home. Their trip north was uneventful, aside from catching the ire of the Master Chief assigned to take them there. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Captain Avery, mayor of Far Harbor, who brought them to a meeting with her advisors at The Last Plank. They were given more information on the situation: the pirates were well-trained and lightning-fast, using an old wooden sailing ship that made them harder to detect on radar.   The players began analyzing the pirates' angle of approach and departure to find their base, but despite always leaving eastward, it was in seemingly random directions. They decided to repair a second boat to scout the islands east of them, hoping to find the pirates' base. Avery suggested they also speak to DiMa at Acadia about repairing a high-power radar to track the boat. The players committed to both plans, splitting up to meet DiMa and fix the boat.   Jim Bob, Jason, Jeremy, and Kenny worked on repairing the boat, with Jason fixing the engine, Kenny assisting, and Jim Bob using his spider drones to find suitable metal to repair the ship's hull. By early morning, the ship was repaired. Meanwhile, Reshaun, RM, Quinten, and Gerrek trekked up the mountain to Acadia. Quinten struggled with the journey, nearly dying from breathing through a gas mask and having to be carried the rest of the way. Once they arrived, Quinten could finally remove his gas mask.   Trouble arose when RM was not allowed inside, as her identity as a Courser made her everything the synths of Acadia feared. Quinten agreed to stay outside with her. Reshaun and Gerrek entered Acadia and met DiMa, the heavily modified prototype synth who led the refuge. They were initially off-put by his openness and kindness, but Gerrek took a great interest in him and what he might know about his chip. Meanwhile, three synths came out of Acadia and attempted to attack RM, but she and Quinten quickly subdued them. DiMa quickly apologized, reprimanding the attackers and inviting RM inside to talk.   DiMa introduced their mission: to fix the long-range radar, they needed to acquire some parts from an old military checkpoint. With their objective clear, the players rendezvoused, though Gerrek and RM stayed behind to talk to DiMa. Jeremy stayed with the boat, refusing to enter the fog due to his uncle's madness from exposure to it. The party headed into the fog, eventually reaching the checkpoint but finding no parts. They investigated the area and found a note indicating that the parts had been stolen and hidden by a private as an act of rebellion. They tracked it down to an island.   The gang got into a rowboat, but the eager Jim Bob teleported onto the island and was ambushed, nearly torn to shreds by five Anglers hiding just off the shore. The players quickly reinforced him but were overwhelmed. Many of them faded in and out of consciousness as they were critically wounded and repeatedly healed, with only Sharos able to deal consistent damage from afar. They barely managed to survive as backup arrived, with Chase and Gerrek being teleported in. The party sustained great damage but survived, though Quinten emerged less of a man, having lost his leg to the Anglers.   The players retrieved the supply and then headed back to Acadia, with Chase escorting them in their sorry state.