GM: Paul
Players: Cary-Cody/Zerk, Brad-Ian, Jon-Simon, John-Alexander and Stacy-Ned
Game Date: July 22-23, 2016

We find out about a regular swap meet at 68th Street and Ryan Road, near the old prison, where we can trade. This is about 20 miles from the town, and we have an inkling to visit and barter some things.

Our chemist, Alexander, has been making some batteries that we want to trade. Unfortunately they are several times the size of batteries from a few years ago and not as powerful.

We are concerned about how to transport the batteries, since they are almost 300 pounds all together. We procure a wagon and some horses to take us to the swap meet, and begin the long trip down.

We go east to cross the Milwaukee river, but we’ve heard that there are such things as coyotes, other wild animals and also abnormal things like giant ants or blue zombies in the city. The “blues” eat animals and humans alike.

We cross the river at Locust, and as Cody goes across he sees a glint of something in the distance. He stops the group and takes a look with the scope on his rifle. It looks to him like an emergency vehicle halfway down the ravine under the bridge.

We lower Cody down tied to a rope and he makes it to the vehicle, which turns out to be a Bell Ambulance, but he can’t open it because of the rusty doors and all of the debris.

Dusty climbs down the rope to help but almost falls and hurts himself. After a few minutes they gain entry but don’t find much; some medkits and metal tools. We extract them and then head out.

We stay overnight nearby and have an uneventful evening, then head south on 6th Street. At around 9am, as we are passing Highland and the MATC, we hear a call for help. Though others are running to assist, we decide that it is too dangerous (and possibly a trap) so we move on.

GM: Paul
Players: Cary-Cody/Zerk, Brad-Ian, Jon-Simon, John-Alexander and Stacy-Ned
Game Date: May17, 2016

A group of kids runs into town and one of them is screaming incoherently, saying that one of the other children, Roger, was taken. Ian asks who took him, and after she calms down she says that a spider took him.

Cody takes off on his mountain bike to see what is going on, and finds some huge indentations at regular intervals in the ground. He returns back to the Settlement and lets the rest of us know what he saw.

We organize a party, and Roger’s father wants to come with us. We convince him to stay since he isn’t much good in a fight.

The rest of us search for where the tracks lead, and eventually come upon a small five foot by five foot wide cave entrance where the tracks disappear into.

Heading into the cave, it opens up and is quite a bit larger inside. We are seeing some movement ahead of us in the dark and strange sounds. Toward the back we see the shape of a giant ant. Ned sends his bear over to attack it, and with one powerful strike it tears into the ant’s face, killing it instantly.

We hear more sounds and suddenly several more ants appear, attacking us savagely.

We unload several shots at the ants, which echo like cannon blasts in the small cave.

Dusty is pinned down by an ant and is being attacked, and we open fire to try and clear them off of him. He is terrified of all the noise but manages to hold it together.

After escaping from the ant, Dusty swings at one with his aluminum bat and it bends in half.

We hear more ants coming and behind them, and suddenly the huge shape of the queen, wings and all, come behind them. We begin to beat a hasty retreat.

As we exit the cavern, the ants follow us in a huge swarm. From above us we hear a buzzing sound, and a cloud of dragonflies descends on the ants and tears them apart.

Shocked, we regroup and bind those with wounds. Ian says that we should take care of the queen now that her drones have been decimated.

We venture back inside and go further into the cavern, seeing a dead deer and what appears to be the remains of a small black boy, which sadly must be Roger.

Coming upon a cave to our right, we hear more noises from here and round the corner to see the queen and several of her drones. Simon dumps an entire flask of oil in front of him to trap them in as we attack.

Ned’s bear is hit with poison and perishes.

Before Simon can light the oil, the queen flies over him into the hallway and attacks the group. Ian pulls his Peacemaker and shoots her in the head, but she doesn’t die.

Simon finally lights the fire and it engulfs the three ants in the flames, but they are not heavily damaged.

Alexander finally rushes in and stabs the queen with his spear, and we take care of the other drones.

Simon searches the area and finds a skeleton holding a .22 rifle that looks new, and also a pair of binoculars that is also in great shape.

Ian finds Roger’s corpse and prepares to take him back to the town.

We find at least 18 eggs, and Cody smashes them.

We also find a bundle of roofing shingles, some motor oil, a candle, a metal music box, a full bottle of gin, four MREs in a backpack, as well as a Sprite can with a hole in it.

Dusty asks Simon for the music box, but he declines and takes it for himself.