The final chapter had begun for Mourning Glory’s war against the Dominion.Only the most dedicated remained in the extremist Darwin cult, holding on to whatever remnants of power they could. Mourning Glory was ready to squash them- but Banting had one last deus ex machina in his pocket. Thanks to help from the Neighborly Association, the town found out that Banting was working on a powerful bioweapon, which had the power to wipe out the Greater Lakesea area. He planned on testing it the next day, right in the middle of town. Those opposed to Banting would have to move fast to stop him from finishing his research.
Friday night, a desperate battle was waged in the town center, sadly taking one brave soul’s infection. Folks also met a few of the Hollow Hounds’ Gorgers, who brought in a Dominion prisoner to torture and have a midnight snack on. Zed and worms attacked during the night, keeping everyone on their toes until they were too tired to stay up longer.
Saturday morning woke with a bang- almost literally! Bombs were left in the bunks, giving players little time to find and disarm them before they exploded. The town took the day to plan a course of action when Banting’s bioweapon dropped. They decided to meet at a second location in an attempt to defend against Dominion forces head on. And so they did, fighting off the almost feral Dominion soldiers. Three casualties were had on the townsfolk side, but Mourners could not rest after the arduous fight.
Throughout the day, whispers of a traitor in town grew stronger. Many folks were eyed, but the evidence against one was finally too damning. Salvage Ironhands was apprehended and questioned, easily admitting that he was indeed helping Banting and the Dominion. He was killed, but those who followed him into the Gravemind would have no further answers. Banting snatched him Salvage out of the jaws of death, telling him “there is more work to be done.”
More battles and trials ensued throughout the evening. A grueling trench war was fought, a desperate Dominion bomber was convinced to release a hostage, and a group assisted the newly formed Greater Lakesea Medical Guild to perform a new procedure which would make progress on healing the Dead Zones. All of this led up to the final showdown with Banting.
The town was split into two groups. One group, Team A, was to enter the dangerous labyrinth that was Banting’s workshop and reach him on its lowest level. The other, Team B, had to complete timed puzzles to open airlocks, allowing for team A to move deeper down the building. The teams worked together seamlessly– only to find one last obstacle between them and the man they’d come here to kill. Salvage, newly enhanced into a part-zed abomination, took his final stand to ensure that his town was truly strong enough to withstand the trials to come. Team A fought against Salvage’s anti-aberrant attacks until he was killed once and for all, but not before letting everyone know with his last words that they had made him very proud.
After a brief moment, the team continued on to find Banting. He was discovered in his workshop, where attempted to stave off attacks with a modified Master Biogenetics bubble. It was quickly discovered that this bubble did nothing to protect him from gunfire. Banting died with little grace in his workshop, surrounded by his enemies.
Knowing that Banting had used his minions to give himself plenty of Infection to spare, the Silent offered their assistance in performing a ritual that would trap Banting in a location of the town’s choosing, so that his spirit could be broken and he would never return. Hozannah gathered the exhausted townsfolk before the doors to the morgue and together, they channeled their psionic energies to plead with the Grave to bring him forth.
Banting emerged in a sorry state, screaming in rage and sorrow for all the wrongs he believed he’d been put through. Echoes lurked not far behind, eager to pull him back into the Grave and rip his body apart. This cycle repeated again and again, as members of the town were able to air their righteous anger. But what ended it all was not hate– but offering him a token from his past, and the chance to ask forgiveness of Carlisle, who’d died believing Banting deserved another chance.
Banting repented, not to the world or the Silent, but to Carlisle– though it’ll never be known if he truly meant his words.
So ended the Dominion war. After putting Salvage’s risen zed to rest, a bonfire with the Silent carried on into the night, and on Sunday, townsfolk talked of the new future without the Dominion in it.