A Letter Home (February Game Summary)

Hi Ma,

I made it north safe. I wanted to make sure you heard everything from me before there were a bunch of letters getting to Batsto talking about zed and bandits and mercenaries attacking the train and the caravan. We all made it fine. Most of it was thanks to the Barrens’ Reach folks and their friends who came up with us. We wouldn’t have made it through any of the trouble we ran into without their help.

Speaking of, there were also some high-status Society people showing up and helping out. I’m sure it’s just for their benefit, of course, but they were pretty useful. There was a Black Tide Hunter called Jerek Viridian who helped us kill a Mass Cadaver. That was a shitshow, but we pulled it out in the end, and he was pretty impressive. I might look into that group, if they have an outpost nearby. Then a Wells Society person showed up on the train and started talking about soil acidity and radiation remediation and I passed right through the dining car to get away from that science crap. I’m going to Claimer’s Quarry to hit rocks, not farm. Though I’m sure a lot of the folks who are settling are going to be happy for the help figuring out where to actually grow their food in a place that isn’t covered in sand all the time. I think that Wells person’s name was Lucky Gerber. And Tim O’Grady had a whole bunch of Ossuary people helping him out, trying to find morgues along the way in case anyone died. I think they tried to open up a morgue on the actual train, but I’ll bet you anything that was never going to work in the first place.

We didn’t lose much on the caravan side, either. Only one wagon. It was the one I packed that dishset you gave me into, so I’m sorry about leaving it behind. Maybe it’ll get picked up by someone who will care about it a little more than I did. (Sorry, Ma, but a set of old dishes? That’s what you send your son north with?) There were a few things that slowed the caravans down — we almost lost three wagons in a frozen bog, and there was this toll crossing thing set up by that Brunswick Coalition group. I think they were looking to extort us. Unluckily for them, we have some sneaky bastards on our side, and they managed to shut that place down before we even reached it.

Please don’t listen to whatever everyone else writes about the mercenaries that attacked us the second night. We had it totally under control. Rudi’s workshop traincar got a little mangled and some people took some bad hits, but for a bunch of Barrensfolk and travelers fighting against a bunch of mercs in souped-up rides, we did pretty great. The air was taken out of that a little bit later when I heard that a gang of bandits from a place called Quiet Hills had managed to unhitch two of the traincars and start ransacking them, but some folks went out and stopped them, at least. That town’s pretty close to Claimer’s Quarry, so it’s something we’ll keep an eye on.

We’re staying near The Eve for now. This place isn’t bad. Lots of Gorgers and Mutants, but they’re nice enough. We’re heading out to Claimer’s Quarry soon. Weaver’s been out there now, and she said that there’s a place nearby that’s full of old dug-out canals that haven’t been touched because of the radiation storms. She figures we’ll set up a town there for the families to live in, and the workers can either stay there or in the quarrytown. It’ll probably be great for trade, having a canal town. Some folks want to call it Port Barren, and I guess I like that. You can’t shake where you come from.

I love you, Ma. Give my best to the dogs and Gracie. I’ll try to come back for Pine Rise this year like I said. Take care of yourself.

Sal Tuller