Night in Rongon's Den

Characters: Joe, Arthur, Darrurz
NPC: Mazun, Thaedznou, Aerrak, Rongon
Location: The ruined city of Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa
System: Akofitsidano

1202.23.4 - 20:01 IST, 18:30 Local Time (21 hour, 16 minute day)

There's some rejoicing as the group returns from the outing. Rongon is hugged by two pups, one on each leg. Over a dinner of lightly seasoned smoked fish and roasted tubers, Rongon relates to his pack the events of the day. Afterwards, the group looks through the belongings scavenged from the raiders.

There are boots, pocket knives, daggers, a few cans and a can opener in a backpack, the leader's pistol, and a low tech communicator. The sudden appearance of the uerroksafuekhskhuez prevented the acquisition of anything more.

Thaedznou looks over the communicator. It's about the size of a brick and almost as heavy as one. Thaedznou finds the antenna and extends it.

He asks, "Now why would a pack of raiders have a communicator?" He answers his own question, "Because they're working with other raiders." He turns to Rongon and asks, "Do you happen to know if there's an alpha raider or if packs work together?"

"I've never known them to do that. They always seemed to be working for themselves."

Thaedznou turns it over in his hands, noting the location of a dial that turns on the communicator and controls the volume, the microphone, the speaker, and a button marked "bark."

"Shall we turn it on and listed to who's on the other end?" he asks.

Mazun says, "I'd like to make sure that there's no tracking equipment before we do that."

"A reasonable precaution."

Mazun takes out his tools and carefully opens up the communicator's housing. He gets Arthur to shine a torch overhead to make it easier to examine it. After a few minutes, Mazun announces that it should be safe to use.

Arthur says, "Let's do it."

Darrurz holds up a paw. "Can we just not listen to the frequency it's set to on our own comms?"

Mazun replies, "Sure," and announces the frequency. Then, he adds, "That comm is too primitive to host anything vakh, and our comms are too small to hold even an egg, but I'm making sure my PDA is turned off just in case there's something buried in the signal that modern comms might pick up."

Thaedznou turns on the raider comm while Darrurz listens in on his. Thaedznou gets static; Darrurz "no signal." They decide to leave them on in the background while the group speculates about the raiders.

Thaedznou asks Rongon, "Have the raiders ever been known to be with vakh or machines without wolves? Maybe spaceships?"

"Not that I've seen or heard told."

"Mazun, what's the likelihood that the battery powering this relic is locally made or leftover from before the Fall?"

"They're not leftovers. There's no way they'd last that long even under ideal conditions. It's possible that they're locally made, but it would require at least some limited form of manufacturing. Making a battery isn't that difficult. Making one that fits neatly in a confined space as a finished product we're used to seeing is more complex."

"That's what I thought. So these raiders have to be getting assistance from someone, probably offworld."

Mazun says, "Maybe selling salvage, but if the knowledge to make batteries was preserved, they could make them."

"Even at tech level five?"

"Absolutely."

"Ok. What's the likelihood of that?"

Mazun tilts his head side-to-side, mulling it over. "I think pretty good. There's still a lot of people on this planet. Yeah, I'd say the odds are pretty good."

"Ok then. Maybe there's a pack looking to consolidate power on a global level."

And then the conversation is interrupted by a voice over the comm.

"Den to Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa Four. Over." The voice is male, seems a bit young. Maybe a teen pup. The message repeats.

Joe says, "Interesting. Let's see what happens when no one answers immediately."

Joe asks Ed, "Can you scan similar frequencies and identify other Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa call signs? They're asking for Four which implies one, two, three, and possibly five, six, seven...Let me know if you find anything!"

"Sure." And then Ed adds a smiley emoji.

Joe follows up with "Can you record that voice print? I'd like to know if I bump into him elsewhere."

"Not a problem." The smiley emoji repeats, although it's a little different.

The message repeats.

Darrurz links his hand computer back into his comms unit and sets it up to detect the direction of the comms signal. "Say something garbled."

Joe nods his head in agreement. "That will work too."

Thaedznou mumbles something incomprehensible.

After a long pause, the voice on the other end says, "Bark again, Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa Four. We couldn't make out your last transmission. Over."

Darrurz's hand computer indicates that the comms signal appears to be coming from the southeast. He disconnects his hand computer from his comm and disables the comms on it again. "I suggest we turn it off."

Thaedznou turns off the raider's radio.

Darrurz notes the time and the bearing of the transmission from his current location and then, turning to Rongon, he asks, "Will the uerroksafuekhskhuez have eaten the corpses?"

"By now? Yes, definitely. They do not waste time as they will fight over scraps. And they don't waste anything. If it even remotely smells like food, they will eat it. Bones, even clothes and shoes. Very little is recognizable when it comes out the other end."

Darrurz nods, mulling this bit of information over. He asks, "So what's to the southeast?"

"It depends on how far you go. Two blocks from here is the crash wake of the big ship. Past that, more buildings, then the big bowl—"

"Big bowl?" Thaedznou interrupts.

"Yes, it is a building shaped like a bowl. My grandfather said that packs used to play games there on the field inside the bowl and people would watch them from the seats around the field."

"After that?" Darrurz asks.

"More buildings and rubble. We don't get over there much as those are the hunting grounds of another pack."

"Are you at war with them?" Thaedznou asks.

"No, but it is best to only go there if we wish to trade. If they think we're hunting in their territory, they will be mad."

Darrurz looks up suddenly. "Trade? What do you trade?"

Rongon answers, "Mostly fish."

Mazun scoffs, "What is it with fish? Everywhere we go, it's fish."

Thaedznou chuckles. "Good source of protein. Little upkeep. No visible herd to protect or feed."

Mazun throws his hands in the air.

Rongon continues, "But sometimes when we find salvageable materials, we can trade them to those who make stuff, like spears."

Darrurz asks, "So what is your territory? And who/what is around it?"

Rongon starts to rattle off the names of several packs, but Darrurz interrupts him.

"Show me." He pulls up a map of the surrounding area on his handcomputer, then has it project on a smooth wall. "Ok this," he indicates the whole area they are in, "is Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa, the starport is over there, the Foghoks class cruiser that crashed is here, with the park half a kilometer south of it." He goes on to indicates the sea, the seaport docks, and the direction of the wreckage of the Orruengoerr. "I see the sports stadium is here, and this line is the city wall."

Looking at Rongon he asks, "So who and what are around?"

Rongon cocks his head to the side. "It is strange seeing Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa this way." He takes a moment to familiarize himself with the new perspective. He points out the buildings where they looked west to the Orruengoerr wreckage and later crossed over the wall. He names several packs and draws general outlines of their territories. All of them lie within the city walls. "Any time someone tries to establish territory outside the wall, raiders or uerroksafuekhskhuez eventually attack and overpower them." It becomes evident that the route the group took earlier avoided crossing through anyone's turf.

Darrurz picks up some charcoal from the fire and sketches the outline of the city and its major features along with the territories of the packs from the projection before he turns his hand computer off, leaving the sketched map on the wall, following which he marks the trade that takes place, who makes stuff and asks about the type of relationships they have with other packs.

Sitting down he starts to do field maintenance on his rifle, nodding to Arthur. "That pistol that we took off the raiders probably needs a good clean," and then, indicating the Foghoks class cruiser, he says to Rongon, "When we looked in there, it seemed that no one had been in there for a long time. Enough time for a colony of bats to establish itself well. Why don't you go there, Rongon? It's likely that there is salvageable material in there."

"It is not safe. In the days when it first crashed, once it had cooled down, many explored it. Some did not return, having been killed by traps by the ship. Some were successful, but it was not long before the vakh came. At first, they killed those who ventured too close. Later, they took them away. Floating vakh watch it now. No one goes there for fear of the vakh and Sky People. Some say the ship still lives, waiting to eat the unwary."

Darrurz laughs, "That will be us then!"

Thaedznou chuckles.

Darrurz then says, "Mazun, what's the likelihood that the Foghoks still has power enough for it to be 'alive'?"

Mazun frowns in thought. He tilts his head back and forth as he ponders the question. "Not good, that's for sure. If the emergency batteries were still intact and her major systems shut down and her computers were in sleep mode for most of the time...there's a very small chance that it could still be alive. Ordinarily, I wouldn't think there was a chance, but after encountering that boat on Dueks, I'd have to say it's possible. But it would be essential that no actual physical systems were engaged; they require too much energy."

Darrurz then asks Rongon, "Where else are there floating vakh or robot vakh like the one outside our ship?"

Rongon goes over to the sketch of the city on the wall and marks their locations. "These are all floating vakh. We almost never see vakh on the ground, and they never stay in place."

Darrurz nods to Rongon. "Thanks." He quickly counts the number of floating vakh locations and mutters, "Twenty-four." Returning his attention to Rongon, he asks, "Rongon, what do you want for your pack?"

"Food in our bellies every night. A safe den to sleep in. A future for our pups."

Thaedznou cracks a grin. "Friend, I think Darrurz was referring to something a bit more materialistic."

"Oh. Weapons, tools, knowledge. We would be grateful for whatever you'd be willing to share. The raiders' gear goes a long way to helping my pack.

Darrurz nods to acknowledge Rongon.

Thaedznou says, "Well, we should probably get some sleep. Whatever we decide, I'm sure tomorrow will be a long day."

Arthur relies on his language translator to ask Rongon if he needs any help keeping watch.

"No need. You are our guests tonight. But thank you."

Day 2 Marooned

Characters: Joe, Arthur, Darrurz
NPC: Thaedznou, Mazun, Aerrak, Rongon
Location: The ruined city of Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa
System: Akofitsidano

1202.23.5 - 5:17 IST, 6:30 Local Time (21 hour, 16 minute day)

The group is awakened by the smell of cooked food. Breakfast is a smoked fish served up with some bread made from a local grain.

Mazun says, "I thought vargr preferred their food raw."

Thaedznou replies, "It depends. Some food is better smoked or lightly cooked. And warm food is always better. Anyway, I prefer my seafood cooked."

"Me too," barks Aerrak.

Darrurz adds, "Seafood feeds by filtering, so it can pick up parasites quite easily. Cooking cleans the kill." Tearing the fish with his teeth and gulping the pieces, Darrurz thinks for a while.

Afterwards, Thaedznou says, "What is the plan for today? Darrurz, last night you sounded interested in the stadium. Do you want to explore it? Do we want to track down the raiders? Are we exploring the wreck of the cruiser?"

Aerrak says, "Maybe we can find a vehicle to take us to the starport so we can recon the situation there. This way we don't risk the boat."

Darrurz doesn't answer Thaedznou, but instead asks a question, "How often do the Star People and Vakh come visiting, Rongon?"

Rongon gives the question some thought. "While they don't visit our city every visit, we see their ships in night sky every hundred days or so."

And after his answer, Darrurz asks, "Which packs do you like the least, or cause you the most trouble?"

Rongon grunts. "There are a couple that do not trade fair, but they are far to the southeast. We get along with other packs about the same. It is an unbarked agreement that we need to get along with one another because the raiders are the enemy of us all."

After his answer, Darrurz speaks to the group, "Ok so our immediate priorities were satisfied, and now we need to look for the medium term. Find, salvage, or steal a ship. Our best bet for salvage might be to check out all the bits and pieces that the Vakh drones are guarding. Rongon how would you normally take down a drone?"

Rongon's ears shoot up. "We wouldn't. We avoid them. Attacking them might incur the wrath of the Star People." He pauses. "But if we had to do it, I suppose we might try using a net to hold one still while others stabbed it with our strongest spears."

Joe says, "That Vakh fleet is still close enough to intervene if we create any action down here. I'd advise against 'taking down a drone.' We want them to forget about this area of the globe and focus elsewhere, preferably several light-years elsewhere."

He continues, "I'd like to get another look inside that wreck before we move on. Now that we know about the Vakh monitors, we should be able to avoid them if we are careful. But it would be better to wait until the fleet moves away. At least let's wait until tomorrow.

"I think it would be better to get a greater understanding of our ground here, starting with the stadium and these local raiders who seem to have contact with the Vakh. We can keep a lookout for a suitable vehicle as we go. Still, we will need to be careful. While I have no doubt we can easily take them out with this much firepower, if they are in league with the Vakh, too much violence will undoubtedly bring much interest on this city.

"Still knowing more about them, their relationship with the Vakh, and their lair would all be good things to learn. So my suggestion is to investigate today."

Thaedznou nods. "That would seem prudent. Rongon, do you think we can visit that pack near the bowl?"

"Dhoknan's pack. Yes. If we make it look like we're not hunting on their turf, they will see us. Once they catch sight of you, they will be very curious to learn about you. I'm sure Dhoknan will be able to provide more information about the packs that border him."

Meeting the Neighbors

Characters: Joe, Arthur, Darrurz
NPC: Thaedznou, Mazun, Aerrak, Rongon
Location: The ruined city of Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa
System: Akofitsidano

1202.23.5 - 5:57 IST, 7:10 Local Time (21 hour, 16 minute day)

Rongon and his two guards from yesterday guide the group out of the den and back up into the city. The sun is shining; the temperature comfortable. Rongon leads the group southeast through the city. They leave the intact neighborhood by the coast, through a block of damaged buildings from the cruiser's crash, and through blocks of rubble that lay in its wake. On the far side, they pass through another ruined block and soon spot the stadium. Other than some weathering, it appears intact.

As soon as they cross the street, a voice calls out from the stadium, "Stop."

Rongon does as ordered.

"State your name and purpose."

"I am Rongon of the waterfront. I seek audience with Dhoknan."

"And who is with you?"

"Friends from afar; enemies of the raiders. You have my word that they will do you no harm."

Several seconds go by in silence. Apparently, they are weighing Rongon's words.

"Very well. Proceed."

A pair of doors are opened by a lone vargr male and propped into place. The group walks through the doors and immediately notices barricades that have been moved off to the side to permit entrance. A vargr male, outfitted slightly better than Rongon, leads the group across the stadium perimeter concourse—long abandoned concession stands still recognizable—and up a flight of concrete steps which lead outdoors.

The stadium looks to be in the process of getting modified for housing. Sections of the field have been converted over to agricultural use.

Rongon's ears go up in surprise, and he stops to take in the view. "This wasn't like this the last time I was here."

The escort overhears him. "Our situation has changed. We were forced to relocate here. Dhoknan will explain further."

He leads them along the circumference of the field and up many concrete steps to a series of what would've been luxury suites back in the day. The guards let them pass.

Inside is a modestly furnished chamber. The floors are carpeted, a bed has been constructed over two rows of seats, shutters have been propped open to offer a view of the field.

A tall male vargr with a decently maintained cloak is talking with three others, giving instructions. He catches sight of the group. "Rongon!" He crosses the room to lock arms with Rongon. "It is good to see you. Are you well?"

"Yes, and you, Dhoknan?"

"Ugh. Not well. Our unsavory neighbors have forced us to relocate to a more secure position."

"I was unaware that you were at war with them."

"So was I! Apparently, they've been itching to take our turf. And here all along I thought it was just fleas that make them itch." He smiles at his own joke.

Rongon chuckles. "It is good to hear you have not lost your sense of humor."

"It is one of the the few things I still have. Tell me, what brings you this way?" Dhoknan looks over Rongon's shoulder. "And who are these guests of yours? Pinkies? Are they Star People?"

"They are from the stars, but not Star People."

Dhoknan cocks his head to the side. "Please explain."

Rongon explains what the group has shared with him and relates his own experiences.

Dhoknan nods. "Interesting. Perhaps you can help us defeat my mangy neighbors. It seems that they're getting support from the raiders. We captured one of them and found a radio on him. We threatened to shave him unless he talked. He confessed that his pack—the Uegvozodh—and the Aeksakughu were working with the raiders, getting weapons and equipment from them."

"Like what?" Thaedznou asks.

"Radios, rifles and bullets, gasoline for vehicles. These are things neither pack had as recently as 100 days ago. It's given their leaders the charisma needed to inspire their packs to go to war."

"And they didn't attack before because..."

"A war would've been a stalemate at best." He gestures to the assembled troops in the room. "But more likely a whipping defeat." Grunts and nods of approval from the wolves assembled. "In all seriousness, who wants to risk the lives of their pack unless victory is certain. There's more to be gained through trade than fighting over scraps and destroying what few intact resources we have."

"Have the raiders ever taken sides before?"

"No. No, this is something new."

Darrurz asks, "Do you have one of their radios? Can we have a look at it?"

"Certainly," Dhoknan replies.

He gestures to one of the guards in the room, who promptly brings it over to Darrurz. Upon examination, Darrurz is able to determine that it's the same make and model as the one they found on the raiders yesterday.

He says, "Same as the one we picked up off the raiders. Have you heard anything on it?"

Dhoknan nods. "For about a day after we captured that dog. They must've figured out that we captured him because they changed the frequency."

"What did you hear?"

"Just status reports and positions."

Thaedznou asks, "Have you played with the frequency?"

"We do, from time to time. So far, we haven't had any luck. We think they only use them to coordinate their attacks and leave them off until then."

"I need a map of the city," Darrurz says.

"We have one over here," Dhoknan replies. He leads the group over to a table where an antique street map from before the collapse lies. Darrurz notes that there are markers indicating the various city packs. "This is different from what Rongon knew of the current territory status."

"Yes," Dhoknan replies. "Our territory used to extend over here." He indicates a section in the southeastern quadrant of the city. "But as you can see, the Uegvozodh and Aeksakughu occupy that space now, when they used to be in just these smaller sections near the wall.

"These parks were ours," he gestures to the map. "We used them as grazing land for our cattle. We were able to withdraw three-quarters of our livestock to safety, but the rest were lost to the invaders. We're going to try to use the stadium for grazing, but it's too small. Grazing land within the city walls is at a premium."

"Have the invaders made any demands?" Thaedznou asks.

"Yes! They want the rest of our cattle, in return, they promise to spare our lives!"

Joe has been listening to the conversation and growing agitated. His eyes flicker as a flashback begins.

===Start Joe Flashback===

Joe is standing inside a tent. It's dark outside, but the sounds of an army camp are all around. Two troopers frog march a third trooper into the tent and throw him to the ground at Joe's feet.

"Herr Kaptan," one of the troopers addresses Joe, "We found a spy, he was telling our enemy all about our plans"

Joe hears his own voice reply, "How?"

The same trooper replies, "We found a magic talk box on him. He has used it to tell them where we will attack tomorrow."

Joe looks down at the trooper on the ground. "IS this true?"

The trooper splutters and replies with excuses, "Ak, err, bah, I've never seen that thing before. It's not mine; I've been set up."

The other trooper interrupts him. "All lies, Kaptan. We found him hiding outside the palisade talking into on the box to one of the demons we fight."

Joe asks, "Is this true?"

The traitor replies, "I, I, I..." and falls silent.

"Very well. Take him away; I've heard enough. He'll hang at first light."

Joe's mind flips back to the present.

====End Joe Flashback====

"False economy. They spare your lives with nothing to feed you it turns you into enemies with nothing to lose. How did they survive in their original areas? And what did they have to trade with you?"

"They made do with foraging and traded their surplus with us for food. There's an olve orchard outside the wall southeast of the city."

"What's that? "Mazun asks.

"An oily fruit. You can eat the pulp, but the oil is flammable. You can cook with it or use it for lamps."

Thaedznou nods. "I don't know where it originated from, but vargr grow it on many worlds if the climate is right."

Dhoknan continues, "The Uegvozodh timed their harvesting when the uerroksafuekhskuez weren't around. A risky venture.

"The Aeksakughu are centered around the ruins of an old textile mill. They make clothes, blankets, bags and sacks. That sort of thing."

Joe's face gets redder and redder as Dhoknan describes the actions of the Uegvozodh and Aeksakughu. Eventually he can't contain his anger. "Bastards!"

The group turns to face him.

He calms down a little and continues, still clearly mad but now with a modicum of control, "This week your cattle, next week your loot, after that your pups!"

He looks at Dhoknan. "You know they will never be satisfied once you give in, right?"

Dhoknan's ears perk up. "Yes."

"These dogs are sacrificing you, but eventually the Vakh, who you call 'Star People,' will turn round and consume them too. By then it will be too late for them to resist."

Joe turns to Arthur and the others. "You know we're going to have to help these folks fight the Vakh now! We came here openly. Soon word will reach one of these packs of our presence here, and they'll pressure Dhoknan here to turn us over, and he's got no loyalty to us, so he'll tell them that we're with Rongon's pack, and boom, in swoops a Vakh assault team and it's over."

Rongon's head tilts to the side, an ear flops. "I can not believe Dhoknan would do this." He turns to face Dhoknan, looking for assurance.

Dhoknan says, "We may be from separate packs, but stabbing Rongon in the back...I couldn't. He's always done right by us."

Joe turns back to Dhoknan. "So what do you want to do about it?"

A very vargr smile, full of menacing teeth, crosses his face. "We fight back!"

Joe smiles back his human face looking wolfish in reply. "And so do we!"

Darrurz says, "Ok. So now that's sorted. Are we looking for a removal of the leadership and then a takeover of the packs, or are we looking to remove the packs completely? One by one or both together? And that's before we take on the raiders. The problem then will be by the time we get to the raiders they will know we are coming."

"I'm not a soldier; I've a nose for business. The olve grove will look after itself. We want to make sure we take the factory intact."

Joe looks at the group gathered. "Before we talk strategy, let's discuss means. So what have we in the way of weapons? And how many able warriors do we have between your packs?"

Rongon says, "I have twenty warriors that my pack can spare. The rest will need to watch over the pups."

"I have fifty-five," Dhoknan says. "The rest will need to see to the safety of this place, should we fail. And I will be going with you. I can't ask that my wolves lay down their lives if I'm unwilling to do the same."

Thaedznou asks, "Are you any better equipped than Rongon's pack?"

"Our armor is better. We have only a few rifles. Bullets are hard to come by." He gestures to Darrurz. "To answer your question, we got along with both packs for several years. I understand that they have new alphas, and they're tired of the way things are. Their alliance with the raiders is giving them the courage to puff out their chests. I'd rather not wipe out the entire packs. There are good people among them. If we can kill or humiliate the new leaders, they might lose the support of their packs."

Aerrak says, "If we take out the raiders, those new alphas might not have the belly for the fight. It's easy for a runt to act tough if a mastiff's got his back."

Darrurz looks at the map orientates himself finds a suitable object that is small and straight and lays it on the map as the bearing he took from the transmission they received. “That’s the bearing of the transmission we received from the raider's radio. They announced themselves as 'Den' and were calling 'Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa Four' which must have been the band we helped Rongon and his warriors take out. Mazun, what do you think is the range of these radios? And as a complete aside can you make one of the floating tug boats in the harbour work?"

Mazun is momentarily caught off guard by the tug boat question. "Uhhhh, maybe. Depends on what's wrong with them, finding parts, and if there's fuel to be had.

"But as to you question about the radios, they should be good up to 15 kilometers, unobstructed."

Darrurz nods. "They called at 18:30 (ish) local. What's along that bearing that might be their Den if they are calling their fourth pack in Oegzuzerrghgurrgoksa? Perhaps further out of the city?"

The group looks over the model of the city as Darrurz designates with his arm the general path of the signal.

Dhoknan says, "Your signal path lies between the Uegvozodh and Aeksakughu. I don't believe that the raiders would have an encampment within the city walls. Not enough room. More likely it's somewhere outside the old city and in the expanded city limits. These buildings here," he points on the map, "lie in the path of the signal and are tall enough that someone could get an unobstructed signal out and cover the entire city. There's a warehouse across the street and just beyond that is a major road that leads out to the intercity express road."

Thaedznou says, "I believe Aerrak is correct. Our objective," he gestures to his pack, "should be to cut out that support from the raiders and leave dealing with the local packs to Dhoknan. The real enemy is the vakh, not each other. Hopefully, they're not clued in to our presence here, and we'll be able to move with impunity through this region of the city."

Rongon says, "I will be unable to guide you there. I do not know that part of the city."

Dhoknan replies, "That's ok. I have scouts that can guide them."

Thaedznou says to his pack, "So, are we in agreement?"

"Yes!"

Next: Searching for the Raiders' Camp