Mission File 009: Germ Warfare

July 27th, 1990: Saka Att becomes concerned when Anastasia Romanov does not return. The other storm knights are asked to come to Canada to help out on the border between Canada and the Living Land. Saka Att refuses to go, wanting to search for Anastasia instead. The heroes take a plane to Canada from the Nile Empire. Once there they are transported to the base camp set up just on the border near a raging border storm at an area known as “The Front Door To Hell”. They are taken to meet Commander White who tells them that a large amoebic creature has been seen on the border. They are worried that it will cross over and attack the soldiers. The Canadian Military doesn’t think it’s something they can handle. During the briefing, the camp is attacked by a small army of Edeinos. Two Jakatt warriors lead them; both blessed with a miracle that makes them resistant to damage. During the scuffle the amoebic creature shows up and begins swallowing up the soldiers. It is fairly obvious that the strange creature is working with the enemies. The army is defeated for the most part, and the Jakatts and the amoebic creature are driven off. Thorin drops to the ground. His skin red and swollen around a scratch he received. The others figure out that it is from the liquid splashed on him and Tor-O by the amoebic creature. Commander White informs the others that there is a biological warfare lab in the section of Canada now controlled by pure Takla Ker axioms. He tells them that the large amoebic creature was actually a mutated form of the anthrax virus. He doesn’t know why Thorin fell victim to the virus so quickly despite it’s normal 7-10 day incubation period, but Tor-O is also in jeopardy of falling ill. Other biological weapons were also being developed at the Andoc Medical Facility. He tells them that he will have medical staff watch Thorin while the others go into the Living Land and destroy the facility. Lara Croft shows up, having been called in by the Canadian military as well. She decides to go with them. Paul is given a satchel with 3 C5 charges in it to destroy the facility with. Along the way they fight two of the plant creatures known as Skestikes, a swarm of Karkata in their mating season, as well as a nest of 4 baby Ugresk. Luckily for the heroes the mama Ugresk is not in the area. They wound but do not kill 3 of the babies and one is tricked into running away by Tor-O. Tor-O and Yarrick are both wounded by the Karkata. Luckily for Yarrick his body cannot support the growth of the Karkata larvae and the bugs that infest Tor-O die from the anthrax virus running throughout his body.

The heroes continue on towards the Andoc Medical Facility, fighting against the Deep Mist and their own surfacing primal urges. The savagery of the land has taken its toll and most of the heroes are wearing very little clothing. Along the way, Tor-O kills a small rat-like creature and skins it, making himself a new cloak. They stumble across the gospog anthrax virus and jakatts that they fought earlier. This time, the heroes are able to defeat the monsters. Not much further ahead they find the research facility. It does not take them long to find the building where the strange ceremony that creates the gospog viral creatures is being held. A new virus has already been made and the heroes are plunged into battle yet again. Tor-O is the first to fall, struck down in his prime by the gospog diphtheria virus. Yarrick becomes frightened by a jakatt spell, and runs for his life, abandoning his companions. Paul decides to play the role he was meant to play and instructs Lara to save herself. It takes a moments convincing, but she eventually flees. Paul is left with a horde of Edeinos, Jakatts, and the gospog virus to deal with. The stalenger follows lara up the stairs and out of the building. With Lara gone, Paul creates a reality bubble around him and sets the timers on the explosives. Outside, Lara catches up to and passes Yarrick as they try and leave the compound. Seeing the slower prey, the stalenger attacks Yarrick. A few moments later the complex explodes. Seeing the rest of his tribe dead, the stalenger flies off to let others know. Yarrick tries to catch up with Lara Croft, but she has since become lost in the fog. Yarrick then heads back to meet up with Thorinn back in Canada expecting Lara to make her way there as well.