This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance.
Emmett & Joshua are now cattle ranchers, seeking a quiet change in career for various reasons. They’re driving buggalo from Emerald City to the Porcelain Citadel. Now they’re looking for their promised auto-golem and have found a gangster’s dead daughter.
Story
Joshua is talking to the corpse of Lateria. Lateria says she was brought milk at the end of the day that she hadn’t requested. She drank it unthinkingly, and it was her last thought alive. She misses her father.
Don Mecanzio in sorrow thanks the pair and has them escorted to their rooms. They hear a lot of screaming. The Don meets them and bows to Joshua. It’s all true, and now he can avenge his daughter. He insists on hearing Emmett and Joshua’s needs and helping with all of them.
The autogolem is found, and made good. And stocked with food. Nice food. And fuel.
Money, naturally.
A barge, the Rigatone Te Amore II, to take them upriver to the Porcelain Citadel. Minders to run the barge, and their autogolem and wagon, they can relax.
Joshua and Emmett are lounging on the deck before they can say ‘No’. Joshua ends up slipping back to land to help with the buggalo. The luxury at the end of the day helps when the sun beats harder and harder and dust is thrown in the air.
Emmett gambles with the crew on the boat, and does some fishing. Joshua starts a small garden on the roof of the autogolem. The autogolem seems to like it, it’s hard to be sure.
The weather stays dry and the grasses wither. The buggalo struggle to feed, Joshua distributes rations to supplement the poor grazing. The beasts are confused, but less hungry.
It’s not the worst way to arrive at the Porcelain Citadel. Neverthless the pair are slightly relieved to get off the boat and watch it sail across the lake, and let them continue in with their buggalo.
Tools
Unchanged.