Session 9 summary

After their discussion with Harlan Clint our heroes took to the streets once more, still unsure whether it would be in their interest to help the antipathetic strongman of Landfill strengthen his hold over the settlement by sabotaging his rival, bar proprietor and general shady dealer Shane Donaldson. More inclined towards the latter, they made up their mind to try and coax some more information out of Donaldson. Making their way back towards the town they noticed a tough looking woman, engaged in an argument with one of the waste yard guards, which ended in her angrily walking away. The strange group evidently must have caught her attention as she suddenly veered toward them. The robust middle-aged woman, sporting a heavy suit of leather armor, a submachine gun at her side and a challenging look in her eyes, introduced herself only as a mercenary by the name of Xena. Stuck in Landfill without employment and little cash, she asked if the group knew of any opportunities for a woman of her talents. As they all found themselves in the same situation, Xena decided to tag along with them on the next caravan out of town, perhaps sticking with them some longer if any lucrative opportunity was to present itself. The five of them headed back to The Hill, planning to spend the rest of their time in Landfill in an agreeable alcohol buzz. The bar was almost empty this early in the afternoon. A tall man in a long brown trench coat was standing at the bar, discussing something with an obviously uninterested Donaldson. The party joined them at the bar and ordered some beers. After a while Dexx' curiosity got the better of him and he turned to address the stranger. The man introduced himself as a Desert Ranger, having traveled down from the Mojave in pursuit of an outlaw from Boulder, who killed a few men in a bar fight some weeks earlier. The trail had grown cold around Landfill however. The Ranger gave them a general description of the gunslinger and some words of warning, before hitting the road again.

The group spent the rest of the day in The Hill, having drinks at the bar while Craig worked his shift as imposing doorman. The crowd slowly trickled in and before long the bar was abustle with the usual patrons and their raucous laughter and drunken shouting. Dexx took notice of one of the tables where games of chance were being played; at one of them a couple of men were seated, betting on dice. The rules of this particular game weren't entirely familiar to him, but seemed close enough to a game he picked up during his time in the Boneyard for him to fancy having a go at it, and he pulled up a chair. The gamblers seemed very friendly and only too eager to introduce him to their game. After a few rounds it became clear luck had abandoned Dexx that evening, losing most of his stakes and quitting the game with a net loss. His new acquaintance Xena proved more fortunate, joining the game a bit later and leaving it a fistful of caps richer. Once the lively ambiance began to die down the four of them took up a room for the night and headed upstairs.

The next morning Xena woke well before the others and quickly took to the streets, planning to ask around and see if any of the locals had a job that needed doing. Her companions instead slept in and went down for a leisurely breakfast of rather unappetizing white-yellowish slop, which could possibly have been porridge at one time. The idle days putting a strain on their finances, Dexx was mulling over possibilities of making some extra money, if need be illicitly. Business at the bar the evening before had been too slow to try and flex his thieving muscles comfortably without running the risk of detection, so his mind turned to a potentially much more lucrative endeavor. He remembered the valuable finds from the waste yard tunnels that Harlan Clint kept on display in his office, among them a fine pre-War laser pistol. While the rest of the group finished breakfast he left The Hill, walking over to the compound near the waste yard gate to do some reconnaissance. Acting nonchalantly he staked out the terrain, taking mental notes of the number of guards and patrol routes, when he noticed a group of travelers approaching the outskirts of town. Twelve suntanned, coarse looking men and a dwarf led two scrawny, heavily packed Brahmin toward the compound. The largest of the men and the dwarf proceeded to the company store and Clint's office, while the rest waited outside. Hoping the band of men to be the long awaited caravan, Dexx strolled over to strike up a conversation, meanwhile observing them to be rather well armed. His words of greeting however were met in a language he couldn't make heads or tails of. Fortunately the man and dwarf appeared again shortly after, and the dwarf, Sebasti�n, proved capable of speaking English. He introduced his companions as a group of traders all the way east out of Two Sun, heading for the Boneyard to trade ore and precious stones for weapons, making a stop in Landfill for supplies. As they seemed quite amicable despite their rough appearance, Dexx inquired after the possibility of joining them for part of the way, with Sebasti�n translating for the others. The group's leader, Carlos, gave his approval, stating they could travel with them as far as Palm Springs and head north to The Hub from there, while their group would continue west for the final leg of their journey. In good cheer they agreed to meet later that night at The Hill to meet the others, and would set out together at the break of dawn the next morning.

Dexx rejoined his friends for what looked like a busy night at The Hill. In addition to the locals some of the Two Sun traders came later in the evening. The men were initially unsettled by the sight of the Super Mutant, clearly not familiar to them, but good natured Craig managed to put them at ease quickly enough. After some more drinks the traders took their leave, in preparation for their early departure the next day. The prospect of leaving town before the break of dawn seemed to Dexx the perfect opportunity to make an attempt at liberating some valuables from Harlan Clint's office... to be continued!