[tshiggins]

The events of this session took place immediately after the combat-heavy previous one. We join our characters, several of whom are damaged and bloody, in media res, as they race up the portal canyon toward the waiting blood-slaves in the alternate-1918 world of La Colonia de Nova España.

Characters Present:

Trooper Frank Moses -- A former Marine currently working as a trooper with the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP), based out of the Section 13 office in Moab, under Lt. Lee Exeter. Moses works with 4CSAR as needed, and has an interest in Doc Bascher. -- Played by Mike H.

Dr. Henrietta "Indiana" Johnson -- A personable, age 29-and-holding Anthropologist who specializes in the pre-Columbian indigenous people of the American Desert Southwest. A Native of Apache Junction, AZ, "Indiana" is good with people and has been fascinated by American Indian religion and folklore since she was a child. Henrietta speaks Apache fluently, and not-so-secretly wishes archaeology could be more like Raiders of the Lost Ark and less like digging in a trench with a trowel and a toothbrush -- Played by Debbie S.

Randy "Random" Shoop -- a twenty-something, semi-pro mountain-bike competitor who has trouble staying focused, but is basically a good and reliable member of the team, with an unexpectedly strong moral character -- Played by Gold & Appel, Inc.

Dr. Belody "Doc" Bascher -- a local veterinarian for both large and small animals, who frequently fixates on her job and uses 4CSAR as her primary social outlet. -- played by Samantha H.

Dr. Arthur "A.J." Jamison -- a retired NASA scientist with a home in one of Moab's nicer canyon sub-developments, who volunteers for 4CSAR because he needs to do something to get out of the house. Considers himself responsible for Sunmi Jones, who is enough of a science-geek that the two of them can actually hold a conversation. -- Played by Anten S.

Sunmi Jones -- A Korean-American prodigy and student of chemistry at Utah Valley University, who spent most of her childhood with her deceased mother's family in Korea, but has come to Utah to attend college and work with her father's petroleum exploration firm. Somewhat moe, awkward-but-cute, glasses-wearing nerd girl, who only volunteers with 4CSAR because volunteer work is required for her degree. -- Played by Rebecca W.

Beatrice "B" Lawrence -- U.S. Army veteran who works for a local air charter service as a helicopter mechanic. A cynic about men, and accompanied by "Grunt," the biggest, best-trained pit-bull anybody has ever seen (purchased as an ally, and a totally badass dog, even before it was possessed by what appears to be a benign “foo” spirit) -- played by Bernetta W.

Aurelia R. Lockrin -- A young woman with a shady past who teaches History at Grand County High School (Home of the Red Devils!), and volunteers for 4CSAR because she's a bit of an adrenalin junkie, and likes the companionship. -- played by Bennie Rae P. (present, this time, which means a substantial increase in the funny quotes quotient…).

Guests Present

Claudia Abigail Tavulari, member of the NASA Quantum Physics Research Team, and an old friend of Arthur Jamison’s. The team has been helping Arthur research the portal physics, on the sly. -- Played by Tisa T (Couldn't make it, this time.)

Stephen Mack, another member of the NASA Quantum Physics Research Team, and outdoors enthusiast. -- Played by Jeff T. (Couldn't make it, this time.)

NPCs Present

Jimmy Ehrland – A fugitive from the 1918 Colonia de Nova España, on the other side of the portal, he had fled from his vampire mistress, only to find himself in a strange, alien world to which he must struggle to adapt. (I’ve shifted this character to NPC mode, until Kyle can find time to attend, regularly.)

Grunt: Beatrice's ally, a large pit-bull possessed by a protective "foo" spirit.

##

The buggies sped up the slope away from the portal, and then slid to a halt in the box canyon, where a merry bonfire blazed. The two Apache blood-slaves, Izzy and Heck, walked toward the group, smelled the blood spattered everywhere, and stopped short.

Doc Bascher walked up to them quickly and held out the cooler of fresh blood, and the two Apaches quickly bit into a package, each. The cauliflower-nosed Izzy, whom Jimmy said had a history of alcoholism, still had to make a visible effort to keep himself under control, and Heck told the group they needed to leave, pronto.

The veterinarian dashed back to her buggy, and the group sped away toward the base-camp they’d started to construct the previous month. Once there, Doc Bascher continued her work to stabilize the wounded. Once completed, the group realized they had to make a change in plans.

Doc Bascher said she needed to take Beatrice and Randy back through the portal, and get them to a hospital, while she attended to Grunt. Also, Sunmi said the spirit had managed to invade her mind, at least in part, and she wanted to talk to JoCat about what that might mean.

Arthur noted that, with the presence of two new members of the group, he’d needed to leave one of the trailers of components and trade-goods on the other side. So, that meant both buggies had to return through the portal, and only one would return, because the other would carry the wounded. In addition, now that Claudia and Stephen had gone through the portal, they required help from JoCat to keep from going insane.

That meant only one buggy would be available for the month-long stay on the Nova Colonia side, including the trip to Santa Fe. It also meant the party would split, and leave them understaffed on the 1918 side, and terribly vulnerable to the activities of enemies, on their home world.

Still, there was nothing else for it, and the group readied itself for the dash back across, in the early light of dawn. Unwilling to tempt the appetites of Izzy and Heck, Doc Bascher drew additional blood from the healthy members of the group, leaving them light-headed, and the two buggies (swabbed down with disinfectant cleaners) headed back toward the box canyon. Frank and Henrietta rode along, and took Jimmy with them, as well, and Aurelia agreed to ride with Arthur.

Once they reached the camp of the blood-slaves, Frank took them the blood and asked about the horses Izzy and Heck and agreed to find and break for them. Visibly calmer, the Apaches said they had three horses in the next canyon, and agreed to take Frank, Henrietta and Jimmy to see them. As they did so, Arthur and Doc Bascher took the buggies back through the portal, ready for anything that might happen.

Sure enough, as they reached the mid-point, the green-haired rape-spirit manifested again, and attacked. However, the group was ready, this time, and between the rock-salt, crossbow bolts, arrows, and shotgun blasts, managed to drive it away long enough to get through. Once on the other side, Doc Bascher drove away as carefully as she could, to spare the wounded the bumps and jolts of the rough trail, while A.J. and Aurelia hooked up the other trailer.

As the one buggy started back into the portal canyon, Arthur and Aurelia realized they would have to run the gauntlet of the rape-spirit, by themselves. They put open bags of rock-salt between the seats and filled their pockets with it, readied bow and crossbow, and made sure their blades were loose in their sheaths.

Sure enough, the green-locked nightmare attacked, again, as the fog began to rise, and the two academics found themselves in a desperate defense as the spirit attacked from above. Aurelia got wrapped up by a tentacle and barely resisted falling under the sway of the ecstatic sensations long enough to deal some damage.

For his part, Arthur successfully discharged his crossbow, and then both of them hit the spirit with salt. That forced the spirit to dissipate, and the steam-buggy roared out into the box canyon.

On the other side, Doc Bascher successfully steered her steam-buggy up to where the group had parked their cars, pulled it onto the trailer, and then set out for the emergency clinic in Monticello – which had seen rather more excitement in a couple of months than in the previous several years.

Well-known as members of the Four Corners SAR team, the staff didn’t put up much fuss as Doc Bascher said Randy and Beatrice had been wounded while out on a “training exercise.” It helped that the wounds clearly hadn’t come from gunshots, and that Doc Bascher told the clinic staff she’d already cleaned and treated the injuries.

Once Beatrice and Randy rested safely in hospital beds, Doc Bascher, Sunmi, Claudia and Stephen drove back to Moab. Worn out, the quartet spoke to JoCat (now staying at Bascher’s home) for awhile, and Claudia and Stephen learned about the meditation techniques and the need to remain in a placed enchanted to allow restful sleep.

For her part, Sunmi returned to her small apartment and took a nap – only to experience troubling dreams. In her dreams, she found herself causing pain to others, and feeling pleasure in doing so. When she awoke, Sunmi realized that the sight of the injuries suffered by Randy, Beatrice and Grunt had delighted her and, deeply dismayed, she returned to Doc Bascher’s home to speak with JoCat.

Equally disturbed, the group’s mentor said they needed to sort through the library and find as many references as possible to the effects of spirits on human minds.

(continued...)