S1E16 - Something Wicked This Way Comes

The crew finally made landfall in the northern Appalachian Territories. The town of Hope is far behind them now—and with it, any sense of stability.This week’s session picked up as the party approached the Tyler County Fairgrounds, a landmark of rusted rides and overgrowth that once held happier memories. What they found instead was a gunfight, a settlement barely holding on, and a super mutant named Chop who may be one of the best allies they’ve found yet.🔫 A Gunfight, a Misunderstanding, and a New NameNear the fairground gates, gunfire broke the calm. A scorched creature and a lone wastelander were already mid-fight as our group arrived. Sam and Jim crept through the brush. Raven climbed a rooftop and flanked the scene.After a few well-placed shots and one dramatic entrance from Raven, the scorched was down—and the settler was still standing. His name was Reuben.Reuben brought the party back to a patchwork settlement in the woods. Just a few cabins, some crops, a makeshift watchpost. But it was enough to be home—for now.The people there, including Marlene and Ted, weren’t hostile. But they weren’t exactly welcoming either. Trust takes time.🪓 “Chop is good at making smash.”While the others unpacked, Sam went looking for Ted and stumbled into something else entirely: a massive super mutant pulling apart Protectrons in the woods.His name—self-given—was Chop.What followed was one of the strangest, gentlest, and tensest social scenes in the campaign so far. Sam stayed calm. Chop asked for Nuka-Cola. And after a few rolls and a lot of heart, they came to an understanding.Chop followed Sam back to camp, dragging two dead robots behind him.Then things got complicated.A half-joking comment from Raven about “keeping” Chop went sideways fast. He backhanded her—not hard, but enough to draw a line. One hit. One point of damage. One very clear message: Chop is not a pet.To everyone's credit, the tension diffused. But the moment lingers.💤 Visions from the CultLater that night, Raven dreamed—or was pulled—again.This time, she saw Clancy Manor not as ruins, but alive with firelight and activity. Cultists marched. Pyres burned. One figure in the crowd turned toward her. Just one.She woke up with more questions than answers.🌽 What We Learned This Week* The scorched are still around* Reuben’s settlement is one of the last threads of frontier life in the north* Chop may be the most dangerous ally the party’s made* Free Radical gangs are rumored to be pushing down from the east* Raven’s visions are starting to feel more like warnings than memoriesThe crew’s presence here changes things. People are watching—some with hope, some with fear.🎙️ Studio NotesWe’ve moved the whole stream over to new software—cleaner visuals, multi-camera setups, and more tools for future guests and call-ins. It’s laying the groundwork for what’s next across Tales from Tomorrow, Vault Broadcast, and beyond.If you haven’t yet, check out our new Ko-fi page. Everyone who joins before we hit our $1,000/month goal will have their name added to a real-life “Vault Founder” wall in our future studio space.Thanks for helping us build something out of the Wasteland.🧭 What’s Next?Do they help protect the cabin from encroaching gangs?Do they track the Free Radicals at Anchor Farm?Do they confront Clancy Manor before it’s too late?We roll Sunday night at 7:00 ET.Until then, grab your discount codes:🧢 BTALES33 and BTALES34 for 20% off Fallout gear🎲 BTALES for 10% off the Fallout TTRPG at Modiphius💬 Community QuestionWould you bring Chop along on a stealth mission?Would he trust you?Drop your thoughts in the comments.Join the Adventure:* 🎥 Watch us live every Sunday on Twitch at 7:00 PM ET* 📺 Catch up on episodes through our YouTube channel* 📺 Follow Kyle’s secondary YouTube channel for Fallout prop reviews and deep dives* 💬 Join our Discord community for behind-the-scenes content and discussions* 🎙️ Follow our TFT podcast for enhanced storytelling and exclusive commentary* 🎙️ Follow our Vault Broadcast podcast for community interviews* 💰 Support us on Patreon for shoutouts in episodes as well as behind-the-scenes content!* 📱 Follow us on TikTok and Instagram for more!* ☎️ Call into the showUse our Affiliate Codes:* 🛒 Get 20% off the Bethesda Gear Shop using our codes:BTALES23, BTALES24, BTALES25, BTALES26, and BTALES27* (If one doesn’t work, try increasing the number — they expire often!)* 📚 Get 10% off the Modiphius shop when buying the Fallout TTRPG using code BTALES* 🛍️ Shop Amazon with our Amazon Affiliate link.Grab your Pip-Boy and stock up on RadAway – the wasteland awaits! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tftfallout.substack.com/subscribe