Tor Megiddo: Oil & Blood, Part 13

The Moot

Twenty time twenty days had passed and red storm clouds gathered on the far horizon. And at Windgrip the elders called for a Moot of the Yaike Yaike tribes. And the Children gathered, tribesmen eyeing each other suspicioulsy. And yet, no one drew a weapon while the warleaders and tech-wytches sat in council.

In the shantytown of Notever, Beetle of the Stash Riders squared up to Great Father Arun of the Purebred. The callous Kastorax of the Slipgibbets poured his vicious poison into the hears of Captain Blitzer of the Ashtown Wasters.

Revenge Beetle sought, for the attack on Solitude, and addledly he swung his chainaxe at Arun. The lies of the mutant fell on deaf hears and Blitzer's hammer fell on Kastorax.

The Vulture strode onto Notever and moved to the side of Hijack of the Slipgibbets.

A dire omen this was. Blitzer seized on his stimms, falling to Kastorax feet, there to be punched by the tech-wytche's electroprod.

Arun and Beetle duelled on. And around them the tribesmen started to realise the Moot was over.

Kastorax shouted at his vile henchmen, claiming they had the favour of the ancient Rustman. But the lies of the mutants could not be allowed to endure. Calling on Da-Ar-Vin to guide his hand in cleansing Tor Megiddo, Warfather Jax riddled the hunchback with bullets.

And then, with grenade and pick, the Slipgibbets vented their hanger on anyone around them.

The poisonous breath of the Wasters' dusthound was the downfall of Warfather Jax. He fell, as his Great Father succumbed to the many wounds he had suffered at the hands of Beetle.

But the Stash Rider's triumph was short lived. Cable of the Slipgibbets blasted him with his grenades, leaving him at the mercy of Smilin' Merc of the Ashtown Wasters.

And then, Red Wind returned. And ash and dust rose. In tunnels and caves the Yaike Yaike hid. Great victories had the Purebred seen on the Ashtown Wasters and the Disciples of the Black. Burning defeats they had suffered at the hands of the Stash Riders. And though the Purebred had raged more fiercely than the Red Wind itself at the Slipgibbets, the vile mutants would still have claimed greater respect at the following Great Gathering. In the bunker where the Purebred females were kept safe, there sat Great Father Arun, to counsel with Mahela the Keeper of the Flesh. For Red Wind would have gone and war would have come back.