Dramatis Personae

It's time to return to scorched earth. After some real-life developments, and a short campaign not featured here, we're back in the beautiful, if somewhat wild, Wastes. The old characters are still alive, and Mal Porter returns as an active character, who, after selling the secrets of Wellspring Airbase to the judges, sits in Memphis, itching for some action. Rod and Dan are characters from the short campaign we played in-between, and which is sketched out in Rod's description. Zed is a completely new character.

Benefactor Rod
Rod is a man on a mission. A few weeks ago, people were murdered in the villages belonging to the Institute, the HQ of the benefactors. A very dangerous man was masquerading as one of the healers, and when the villagers saw through his scam, he killed two men with his bare hands and vanished south. Rod and a group of close friends were sent out to capture this man and bring him back to the Institute for questioning and justice. And capture him they did, although it was the fight of a lifetime. A lot of strange and highly advanced gear fell into their hands that day, among it a GPS-box that told them that the false benefactors had planned to visit Saint Benedict and an old correctional facility on the northern edge of the Appalachians. They brought the false benefactor back, being welcomed as heroes. The celebrations were not to last, and the next morning saw Levamen and the Institute in uproar and panic. The captive had somehow poisoned most of the Elders, and although he died in the act, the killer left the benefactors leaderless. Never one to sit out a crisis, Rod instantly gathered his band of misfits to go to Saint Benedict, and, if needs be, down south to the old jail. If the benefactors were to survive this, someone had to find out the goals of this man and the men behind him. So he and his friend set out again, before someone could accuse them for bringing death into the hallowed halls of the Institute. In Saint Benedict, their inquiries confirmed their assumption: This false healer was not alone; others of his kind had come through the small community. Rod had to make a very shady deal indeed to find out more: But needs must, and now he knows that one false healer went to Memphis, a second went towards the Appalachians while the third traveled to the empty, howling waste south of Point Transit. Memphis, crown on the Mississippi, home to tens of thousand of people, headquarters of LAW: the harm a man like this false benefactor could do in this place is unimaginable. Rod sent two of his friend back home to warn the benefactors of these new developments, while he and his trusted friend Dan Hawking traveled to Memphis.
Benefactor Rod is still a young man, although very learned for his age. He was a ginger kid, and still his red hair is the first thing you would notice from twenty paces. He has bright, quick blue eyes, light skin with some freckles and has rather short hair. He proudly wears the traveling coat of the benefactors, beige with two red crosses on the shoulders, and a large traveling bag. He seems to be unarmed, apart from a long aluminum walking pole. He wears a silver cross around his neck.

In the unavoidable Hollywood tie-in, Benefactor Rod will be played by a very young Guy Pearce with red hair.

Dan Hawking
Dan has been with Rod and his clique of misfits and outsiders since he can remember. He was what some would call a “disturbed” kid, distrustful, silent, subject to mood swings and sudden fears. But he was also very quick, and showed a knack for technical equipment. While not of the right mindset to become a benefactor, the Elders kept him around, partly because he was good at repairs, partly because they wanted to keep an eye on him. During Rod’s education, it was Dan who kept the contact between him and his other friends in the villages. This all changed when someone put a rifle in Dan’s hands, just for fun. The quirky, silent kid is a natural, a scarily good shot. Without any training, he put some of Levamen’s best shooters to shame. The elders where alarmed: This was not someone they wanted running around with a gun instead of a soldering iron. Before a decision could be made, the false benefactor turned up and Dan found himself in an unlikely posse and was confronted with some things that strained his fragile hold on sanity. But he grew from the experience, and, secretly, he is very proud that Rod chose him over Trev Talker and Drinkin’ Ashby. He also got to keep most of the gadgets the false benefactor had on him…
Dan is small and slight, but very wiry. Like Rod, he appears to be rather young, maybe just twenty. His unruly brown hair falls close to his shoulders. He seems nice enough, but many people are put off by his restlessness: Every glance is loaded with distrust and suspicion, his back is always to a wall and being in his presence just makes your skin itch. He wears sturdy traveling clothes made by the women in Levamen: They know how to turn dogleathers into clothing that will outlast its wearer. Dan is festooned with small leather bags and ammo pouches: Tools, ammo, useful knickknacks, everything finds a place. A common, but well-oiled hunting rifle hangs over his shoulder when he steps into Memphis Terminus, if he carries other weapons they are hidden amongst all those pockets, pouches and belt bags. He could probably also use his big iron belt buckle to severely beat you. Like Rod, he wears a crucifix on his neck.

In the unavoidable Hollywood tie-in, Dan Hawking will be played by Nick Stahl.

Mal Porter
When we last met with this intrepid scavenger, he was sweating in his Nissan Conquistador. Spent shells rattled around under the seats, and while he was in the safety of Point Transit’s walls, he was not at peace. He was with a group of explorers and sand pirates, just come home from a fruitful expedition into the Great White, and more recent, an attack on the Black Flag Mercenary Company. He was not the target, but one of his partners was, and so they ambushed the Black Flag. But the mercenaries were not alone, shepherding some timber merchants down the Corridor: A clean hit on the Black Flag degenerated into what unkind minds could think to be a low raid on traders. And now, a new judge seems to be in Point Transit. Judge Xeno, comfortably corrupt, a man who would listen to any of your arguments with open ears, is gone, replaced by a woman who wants to prove that LAW is to be reckoned with in the West. And soon, the survivors of the Black Flag will roll into town, bent on the righteous infliction of retribution and still on their original job of hunting down that uppity trader leading the group.
Better to be invisible just now. Better to split and to meld into the desert. The group drew straws. The lucky winner would go to Memphis, make a deal with the judges over the find under the Wellspring Airbase and leave three quarters of the proceeds at Grim Hejduk’s Collaterals and Securities, the Desert Heart’s most reputable bondsman, to be paid out to the others in the future. Mal left Point Transit just as the Black Flag moved in. He does not know if the others were able to get out in time, but he dodged the Black Flag and went to Memphis to broker a deal on behalf of his partners. Even if the others are dead, it is the right thing to do. And if they live, they would find him if he ran with the winnings – the desert is just not big enough to keep out of sight for ever.
The judges in Memphis where very interested in what Mal had to offer, and they were quite happy to part with a large lump of merits for the group’s efforts and sacrifices. Although this was possibly the most in-depth debriefing Mal ever experienced, luckily, the little episode with the Black Flag did not turn up. After the pay-out, Mal went shopping, and he has been shopping ever since, guarded by a facilitator and guide named Zed.
By now, along with his RHINO vest, Mal wears a hand-tailored protective suit. Once, this was an environmental protection suit, possibly employed by FEMA or some large corporation in chemical spills and hot zones. A gasmask dangles from the neck, and a hood can be pulled over the head at moment’s notice. Mal had the thing upgraded with Kevlar and titanium plates, creating a unique set of personal armor just made for exploring the poisoned necropolises of the wastes. When the staring got too much, he bought a grey cloak to hide all this impressive hardware, but he still gets curious and envious looks. All kinds of equipment dangle from the suit, most noticeably the two compact Ingram submachine guns under Mal’s armpits. A white card hangs from his neck, allowing him to carry this sort of firepower in Memphis. Mal himself seems to be on the wrong side of thirty, with brown, longish hair, tanned skin and dark eyes hidden behind old motorcycle goggles. He talks most of the time.

In the unavoidable Hollywood tie-in, Mal Porter will be played by a Mel Gibson circa 1983.

Zed
It’s a week since Judge Boyd crashed. In hot pursuit, he flipped his armored Camaro eight times. When the men of his jhat pulled him from the wreckage, his legs were broken in many places and his left arm was on fire. He is in Uptown’s hospital now, encased in plaster and healing up, but a full recovery will take months. Judge Stoneleigh has taken the duty upon him to keep Boyd’s men busy. He ordered Zed, a close combat specialist, ambitious and very by-the-book, a true believer in LAW’s mission and role, to play guide for an explorer who just made a huge deal with Memphis concerning some wondrous piece of technology. “Show him around, open a few doors for him. Make him feel that we appreciate his efforts and that further exploits will be rewarded as well. If he wants to buy armor for his car or himself, that’s okay by me. He buys some fancy handgun under the table, fine. But no rifles, and ammo only from the sanctioned place, and no explosives at all, you understand.” Zed stands at attention “Good boy.” Zed has been taking care of Mal Porter for a week now and watched him spend a small fortune on gear and armor.
Zed is slightly built and not among the biggest men, but his muscles speak of a tough training regimen. His face is stern and powerful, and although he is not yet thirty he seems to seen some harrowing things. He has shaved his head: No sparring partner is going to drag him around by his hair. He wears a faded black coat over an ancient Kevlar vest, leather trousers and heavy boots. The clothing is of good quality, and along with his no-nonsense behaviour, fast step and firm voice, many people in Memphis sense that he is with the judges, even if he is not advertising the fact. Some small bags hang from his belt, but one sees no guns: In the safety of Memphis, he seems to go without weapons. But when he feels unobserved, he flexes his hands just so and one gets the feeling that he does not need no guns to take you down. In the week with Mal, he has not laughed or smiled once.

In the unavoidable Hollywood tie-in, Zed will be played by Clint Eastwood circa 1968, with a shaved head.