SLA Industries: Cannibal Heart

[emeraldsub]

Does Kotter think it's worth trying to speak to these humanoids, try to find out what they're looking at?

[Dog Pants]

Usually, not a chance. Cannibals are feral savages who could barely communicate with you even if they did have the inclination. These guys, on the other hand, aren't acting like normal cannibals. They're still savages from what Deject reports, but they don't look angry or scared. So who knows?

[deject]

If someone wants to back me up, I'll approach with my AR set to full-auto and ready to trigger lock into these fools.

[Dog Pants]

I'm sure they do. As you start approaching the two figures emerge from the shadows of the entrance, unarmed, and walk towards you.

[emeraldsub]

Can I use my talky words to find out what they're scared of, why they approached us unarmed? Not sure what check to use.

[Dog Pants]

By all means. Diplomacy's probably the most relevant. They don't look scared, although their features are so far removed from normal humanity that it's hard to say.

[emeraldsub]

Kotter rolls diplomacy 2d10+4=18

[Dog Pants]

It's a good roll, but you're gonna have to talk to them too

[deject]

Well now, looks like we found where the party is gentlemen. We're just looking for one of our boys, load him up on the party bus and get on out of here.

[Dog Pants]

One of them looks at the other, who in turn frowns in confusion and grunts:

SLA man is here. He want you to talk. Come in, come in.

[deject]

deject lowers his AR to a patrol carry and looks at the rest of 5ive Punk.

Well, lets not keep him waiting.

[emeraldsub]

Uh.. what are you guys looking at? You worried about something? Can we help?

[Dog Pants]

One of the cannibals scowls. The second grins stupidly. The first one elbows him in the ribs.

Assuming you pass through the gate, you emerge into the amphitheatre-like foundations of the unbuilt complex. The concrete must still be fairly intact, because despite being below the level of the river there is only a gurgling stream of dirty rainwater which passes through the site and disappears down a ruined service tunnel. Within the boundary, built into the partially collapsed rooms which make up the sides, are twenty or so crude huts made from junk surrounding a large fire with a rudimentary corrugated metal cover over it. Most of the huts are ten to fifteen feet square and show obvious signs of inhabitation - piles of bones and junk outside the door, and many children darting in and out. There are three larger ones which the ubiquitous children don't enter. As you enter a few of the closer children stop and stare with filthy, grotesque faces. The equally gruesome women glance at you and hastily go about their business, slapping and chastising any staring children within reach. The few men you see ignore you.

[deject]

I'm guessing one of the cannibals that welcomed us is going to lead us along?

If not then I'll see what I can see on IR in the huts being avoided by the children.

[Dog Pants]

Nope, they didn't even follow you in. In fact you're being pointedly left alone. Fortunately checking out the huts isn't hard because they're pretty shoddily built and there are plenty of dark gaps which show up well in IR. The largest hut looks to have maybe three or four people in it, in the next largest you can't see any evidence of life, and in the last you aren't sure - there's something warm in there but it's muted and not a normal human heat pattern. In fact it looks like a suit of power armour, at a guess, slumped in a lounging seated position.

[emeraldsub]

Kotter goes to check out the seemingly empty hut out of curiosity

[Dog Pants]

Nobody makes any effort to stop you. You push aside the piece of rusting corrugated steel that forms a rickety door to reveal a dark, stinking room full of what appears to be junk. Jagged pieces of metal, lengths of wire, baskets of rags. On one wall is a crude rack with wire hooks on, from which hangs lumps of fresh looking meat.

Outside there's a bit of a commotion from one of the darker alcoves. Some savage screams and the odd deep, gutteral grunt. A couple of the tribe's men emerge from a narrow passage dragging two more male cannibals. After them comes a huge, lumbering creature. He's human, but just barely. Almost as big as a Stormer, badly deformed with a remarkably small head compared to the rest of his body, almost naked, and covered in scars. They lead the two bedraggled captives towards the centre of the camp, the hulking mutant giving them a hefty thump then dragging them to their feet if they struggle or protest too much.

[deject]

Nobody makes any effort to stop you. You push aside the piece of rusting corrugated steel that forms a rickety door to reveal a dark, stinking room full of what appears to be junk. Jagged pieces of metal, lengths of wire, baskets of rags. On one wall is a crude rack with wire hooks on, from which hangs lumps of fresh looking meat.

Outside there's a bit of a commotion from one of the darker alcoves. Some savage screams and the odd deep, gutteral grunt. A couple of the tribe's men emerge from a narrow passage dragging two more male cannibals. After them comes a huge, lumbering creature. He's human, but just barely. Almost as big as a Stormer, badly deformed with a remarkably small head compared to the rest of his body, almost naked, and covered in scars. They lead the two bedraggled captives towards the centre of the camp, the hulking mutant giving them a hefty thump then dragging them to their feet if they struggle or protest too much.

Ah, some big game on this planet. Unless you guys want to sight see, I suggerst we try that hut.

deej points to the last one that looks like it holds power armor.

[Dog Pants]

The hut is almost as full of junk as the last one, but it’s oddly clean and tidy, relatively speaking. The contents are more the things one would expect a more civilised being to hold onto – fewer bones and scary looking melee weapons, more SLA and DarkNight rations, handfuls of ammo for which there are no guns, an old but intact television with no means of power. Surrounded by junk, slouching in a seat that looks like it came from a Battle Taxi APC, is a suit of dirty grey Exo. The helmet raises slightly to regard you as you enter, but otherwise the occupant doesn't react.

[deject]

Hey. Are you Conrad?