John Doe session 18 Apr 2021

Up till now,JD had been happily enjoying his retirement, fishing and chilling. A kid showed up, his mom is dead, JD didn’t pay attention and got knocked out, and the kid “made his bones”.

This session also recorded on the 4th Culture on Twitch.

Session

Kickecd out of his home in Kennel, headed to Mobrick SD, decimated, cars gone, humanoids 100% dead, except Rendak, the half orc kid who lived. ON the 4th floor roof of an abandoned car park. JD waking up after getting knocked out by a Goliath lady. The kid is unloading a pistol on the dead Goliath.

The kid is no longer a child, he’s officially part of SooN. JD says “Good. Now reload”. Investigation 18 - he checks on the Goliath. He finds the Orange Cloak, brass knuckles that are lighter than they should be, abuut 25% lighter than expected, 7gp, she’s 100% dead. He helps Rendak reload and teaches him about looking out, listening, etc while he searches the body. JD also finds keys, but not sure for what car. A girl is running away, about 80 feet. Rendak asks if he should kill her, JD asks if he can hit, Rendak says no, JD says not to shoot and give away his position.

They investigate the 4th floor car park. XXX check, 15 - some of the cars are electric, some are gas. D4 3- JD sees a beautiful Infiniti FX45 SUV, 2242, 8yrs old. Can go 400 miles on a full charge. Thieves tools check w prof - 19 JD picks the lock. Rendak asks “Hey Mr Coyote, is passing gas part of the task, or are you just old?” JD says it’s part of the ritual, Rendak kind of believes him, JD says he’s just messing with the kid. They have a quick lesson on Thieves Tools, but Rendak can’t touch. JD promises him a set when they get someplace they can make one.

They get in and have the car on in about 8 seconds. Rendak asks where they’re going, JD doesn’t know. Investigation Nat 1 - only see the obvious things in the car, a peeling steering wheel, and 3gp in the cup holder. He looks around trying to figure out where to go, who he trusts and who he knows where. He’s trying to keep a straight face for The Kid. JDs business associates are Valvin Investigation 17 - there’s a group of people who decided to “not kill each other” on the South Side of New Chicago. They call themselves the Fountain of Youth because they tend to live forever. He doesn’t want to give the kid over to the Orcs in Omaha, etc. because of this Orange Cloak nonsense.

Driving to New Chi is about 2 days, 1 if he pushes it. Or he can drive to Minneapolis and take the train (with ID check) and be in New Chicago sooner. As far as he knows, John Doe is only being looked for by “Sitting Bull” (Orange Cloaks). As far as he knows.... John knows he’d have to drive through places he’s done things before, like Wisconsin, where he fucked over many Cheeseheads. JD decides the train is a better option.

John and Rendak gather supplies and load up the Infiniti. Minneapolis is 377 miles away from Mobridge. ROLL 14 - a few small towns between the two cities. Investigation Nat 20 - on the way they stop at Wilmer, Groton, and in those two places they find 3 normal health potions, 1 diamond shard, and 11 rations. Diamond shards are between 30-70 gp depending on where they are sold. They listen to the news as they drive, it’s May 30 2250 a Thursday.

John knows that Rendak can get on the train normally, but JD will have to finagle it. Perception Nat 20 - not only does JD see all the guards, he knows all the routes, their blood types, etc. 7 guards, 4 walk a path, 3 appear to be stationary. John knows he can easily smooth his way past the guards. Nobody buys tickets, they get scanned on the train. JD briefs Rendak on how to move through the train and where to meet up. If they don’t see each other before Chicago, he should go look for Dronxas Rovo, a Dragonborn red, a member of the Fountain of Youth. John prepares young Rendak with a code word, should it be needed. The Fountain of Youth, ironically, are all over 50, adventurers who have retired and want a quite place. Stealth 23 - JD expertly avoids the patrolling guards, the standing guards pose no problem. He ends up three 30-feet train cars away from Rendak’s car.

John’s mind is being assaulted by recollections of his former life, moments of murder on a train, using trains to escape. He’s struggling to not reintegrate his old life completely, though he recognizes there are skills he needs to call on. He’s sitting alone, nobody wants to sit near him. He whispers “so I don’t do this and I dont mean to be disrespectful about not knowing how to do this, but Nala if you’re listening, one of yours has come across my path, he’s a good lad and he’s in danger. If you’ve got someone more qualified, send them my way” D100 59 - he doesn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, but he does hear a small scream from the general direction of Rendak’s car.

No gun laws here, but he’s young, so JD took his pistol from Rendak out of caution. John jumps up, but nobody seems to be bothered by the noise. A man jumps up and puts an arm in front of JD, with an orange SD tattoo on his wrist, and a gun in his other hand. He says “ this is not for you Coyote”.

Initative 21

The man looks “healthier than you” (DM)

JD says - so you know me? What’s this shit about? HOLD action.

(Things happen on the train elsewhere)

Man shoots, JD uses his hold action. JD - 11 puts piercing, a bullet through the chest, about 5 inches from the heart. JDs held action - punches him in the nuts, grabbing and twisting, surprising the man. 14pts - the man doesn’t die, but falls to the ground in bloody pain. JD takes his pistol, steps over him, and carries on.

Round 2

History check 12 - are there tunnels on the way to Chicago? No, they just chose to go right through underrepresented people and destroy communities.

John climbs up to the roof, and moves towards the train car with Rendak. The wind is whipping at about 200 MPH, but John manages to get low and stay on. He’s on car 2 and needs to get to car 3.

(other actions elsewhere)

Round 3 JD hardcore parkours the top of the train, and then drops down prone at the end (uses Dash, Step of the Wind). He’s at the edge of the second car, looking into the window of the 3d car. Perception 14 - sees a very small green kid just popping off, shoots someone’s face, splattering skull and brain on the window John Doe is looking through. 4 more Orange Cloaks are in the car. Some normal people are in there cowering, JD sees feet trying to hide. JD wants to hide stealth 16 - he feel hidden, but the wind is buffeting his body. The Orange Cloaks are distracted w Rendak.

(sounds of battle, only hears 2 gunshots)

Round 4

JD is 10 feet away from getting into the carriage. He wants to hand from a train and shoot through a window while traveling 200 mph. Acrobatics 19 - looks through the side window, has a perfect view. Rendak is shooting people, 4 are dead. John notices that Rendak’s form could use some work. Shoots the window out, shooters right through their head, they die. Perception 16 - John hears yelling from the train car roof in a language that he doesn’t understand.

John slips through the window between Rendak and 3 Orange Cloaks. Acrobatics 15 - AC23 one shot hits, 5 points of pricing damage. John drinks a healing potion, the bullet pops out of the wound in his arm, John says “Fuck yeah healing potions”.

Orange CLoaks turn - one shoots, JD grabs his arm, he shoots the ceiling. Another one shoots, JD kicks him, it goes out the window. The last one shoots, JD does old man splits.

Rendak - gets 5 pts punching damage, turns and points at the Orange Cloak that punched him, Nat 20 - 20 pts damage, they’re very very dead.

Round 5

3-5 voices on the roof. John hands Rendak a nose wipe and gauze and says “next time don’t get hit”. 2 Orange Cloaks left inside the train. JD tells Rendak to brace himself.

JD grabs and pulls emergency brake, and then shoots one in the car, Flurry of Blows the second one in the car. 17 to hit, 15 pts dead; Nat 20, 16 pts of damage as John attaches the guy to the emergency chain, the chain goes up and the punches rain down, and the Orange Cloaks teeth start chattering and breaking, and Rendak says “coooooool”.

The Orange Cloaks on the roof go flying as the train goes from 200 mph to zero in about 10 seconds. Rendak looks around at the 5 dead bodies, pulls out earbuds, pops them in his ears, and sits down.

The train is in Black River Falls. The people on the train are looking at the scene in amazement and fear. John tells Rendak to keep an eye on their back, and talks to the train passengers. John asks what that was all about, one man says “How the fuck should I know?!?!” In a tone of fear. John says “so you figured you’d let a group of 5 full grown men harass a child?” In a tone of disgust.

JD decides they should get off the train here, since he pulled the emergency brake and there’s a pile of orange-robed bodies all over the place. John and Rendak search the bodies for gold, pistols, IDs, etc. Investigation 11 - 12 gp, 5 Cloaks, a single ornamented white wand with runes and script. John debates getting out of the train and sneaking back on when it moves, or getting off the train and taking another route overland. The train starts moving, John decides to teach him how to jump a train Dex 17 - they jump on the train and end up 6 cars away from the train car of carnage. They are about 2 hours away from New Chicago. John decides the kid’s gotta learn, they hide on the roof of the train cars for the rest of the trip. They hear people yelling as they pull into the station, advertising fun things to do in Chicago, yelling about pizza, aquarium, comedy shows, etc.

Rendak and JD slide of the top of the roof, and casually make their way to a wall. John looks around, there are 2 Orange Cloaks at the exit of the station. Stealth 28 - they slip out of a third story window, John teaching Rendak how to not hurt himself. Wisdom 15 -as the constant stream of humanity flows by, Rendak starts to freak out. John pats his shoulder occasionally, and makes a pocket of space, but not too often, because the kid’s got to learn.

South side of Orland Grove Forest preserve there’s a lake, with a small alleyway. John knocks, and a drow man about 5’5”, named Elaborate, greets them. They enter, a black woman named Thistle, a halfling, greets them and pours shots for both Rendak and John. John says only one for Rendak, and he needs to drink it slow and with water. Kid’s gotta learn sometime. The Fountain of Youth is a bar as well as an organization. John casually chats with the door guard, and says he’s coming in clean but hot, he needs to know abut the Orange Cloaks, and if he needs to, he’s calling in that favor now. Everyone wants to crowd him, they havn’t see him in 35 years.

John puts a cloak on the bar. Thistle says they’re New York people, evil people. She takes out a pamphlet, Fact #1 They fucking suck. Fact #2 they’ve been fuming round with Orcs. Fact #3 I”m pretty sure they’re from New York City., I’m pretty sure they’re all castrated.

John asks if they’re “our friends from NYC”, Thistle doesn’t really say. John puts Rendak on a stool, asks Thistle to do some cantrips to amuse “don’t give me any shot for this, my apprentice”. Thistle immediately gives him shit. “Oh I’m John Doe, I’ll never take an apprentice”. John starts laughing, this is a place in the world he feels safe.

John mingles, reacquaint himself with his buddies. He gives Thistle an Emerald shard, theyr’e old friends, and he doesn’t use them. Thistle is completely impressed and pleased. She says something VERY inappropriate. John tells Rendak that they’ll talk about that later, because “you’re just barely filing your teeth”. John advises Rendak that if he’s ever in trouble, come find these people. Thistle spends several minutes trying to get Rendak to curse. John is very perceptive, and slips over to Thistle trying to sneak Rendak a shot. He drinks half, gives Rendak half. Rendak grimaces, but tries to hide it, and john says good.

JD is starting to wonder if Valvin from NYC sold him out to the Orange Cloaks. He asks Thistle what she thinks. She thinks either Valvin or some bounty hunter would be the one to fuck him over. He asks which bounty hunter, and she laughs. She flips over a menu and displays the bounties on their heads.

He’s #1 w 30k gp
 * 1) 2 Demoroa he hasn’t seen her in 20-25 years. She’s a great dancer, uses it to fight. 27gold

The next highest bounty in the room after John is Tide Alabaster, earth genasi gunslinger, 15k gold

John walks to Tide and says “hey, you’re slipping”. Tide gives him a big old hug, and they reconnect. Tide is a gunsmith, and John asks to introduce him to Rendak. He says the kid’s had a hard time. Asks if Tide remembers that guy The Crow they hunted down, yeah, that bad. He asks Tide to help with some pointers for his little half-orc apprentice. Tide suggests that Rendak call JD “Mr Asshole” and not Mr Coyote. John says he’s allowed to call him Mr. Asshole in this bar and ONLY in this bar. Tide goes over rifle parts with Rendak, takes it apart and tells Rendak to put it back together again. Tide shows Rendak a bullet and says “this here is the secret elixir to the Fountain of Youth”.

John wanders away, secure in the knowledge that Rendak was in good hands with Tide.