Rifts - DMH - Journey to Rifle Ridge - Brad
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2026 6:41 pm
Not much more was said to Marty after the Summer Festival. No one brought up Lord Stein again. People drifted away quietly, glancing over their shoulders as if speaking his name might draw something listening from the dark.
When Brad returned home, he learned that Vi and Dusty had escaped the jail, triggering an all‑night manhunt. By the time his father stumbled in at nearly noon; exhausted, hollow‑eyed, he told Brad that Megana had vanished too. He’d spent the night helping Dr. Lewis treat Teddy’s horrific injuries. Life in town pretended to continue as normal, but everyone walked a little faster, spoke a little softer, and kept their doors locked even during the day.
Brad also discovered that his father had treated a horse, named Thunder, at the Damodred Stables. The animal’s bionic legs had been attached improperly, leaving it in terrible pain. His father fixed the issue, only for Thunder to disappear that night without a trace. The Damodred family has been searching for both the horse and Megana ever since.
Two of Brad’s closest friends had vanished with Dusty, who’d stolen Marty’s prized APC—a machine worth more than a Smith Falls luxury sports car. Six months later, there's still no sign of the girls, Dusty, or the vehicle. A witness, Ingrid, claimed she saw Dusty kill a man in the lumberyard. Lysanthra, from Smith Falls, verified that Ingrid had witnessed it before the news became public. That detail unsettled Brad more than the murder itself.
Marty sold off most of his inventory at desperate prices to cover Teddy’s medical bills. Teddy lost an eye, which was replaced with a cybernetic one. Much of his skull was rebuilt with a super‑alloy. After an expensive trip to a place called The Baronies, he recovered with unsettling speed. He grew quieter, more withdrawn; except for the sudden urge to smack Johnny without warning. Something in him had changed. His obsession with finding Vi bordered on frantic. He and Sam spent months digging for clues no one else could find. Then, four months later, Teddy vanished too. Marty didn’t look for him. Not really. People noticed.
Marty thanked Brad and the doctors by donating a Mountaineer ATV, which they converted into a mobile clinic. Brad now travels regularly between towns, delivering medical supplies or transporting medical teams to emergencies. He’d recently hired Lysanthra, whose medical training seemed… unusually extensive for someone her age. Her knowledge of holistic remedies and basic treatments went beyond anything Brad had seen in medical books. He's never asked her about the murdered man. Business boomed for the clinic and for Brad, who now earned a percentage of the profits. Even now, he had more money than he’d ever had (44,000 credits total).
After the Festival, Dane has been seen with Miss Hoffman more often than not. He uses his computer skills to score small jobs, and rumors suggest that he’s been helping his father solve cases. He was rarely seen without his new tablet, that he’d purchased during the festival. Dane and Meg enjoy trips to Smith Falls or gathering friends for poker nights. Unfortunately for Brad, Dane usually wins. People joke that even amateurs get lucky. Brad isn’t so sure.
Things around town had shifted since the festival. Coach Driver took Johnny under his wing, training him to stand up to Teddy. Brad overheard townsfolk whisper that Johnny was a fast learner… maybe too fast. Johnny regularly rents Bravo, an energetic Clydesdale, to taxi people between towns. When he isn’t working, he's mooching food or drinks from Frank. He even tried, unsuccessfully, to teach Brad how to ride and care for a horse, though Brad couldn’t shake the feeling Johnny was trying to distract himself from something.
Frank had shifted from brewing drinks to becoming a full‑fledged chef. After failing miserably at the festival cooking competitions, he spent five months in expensive culinary classes. He returned transformed, seeming more confident, more precise, maybe even obsessive. Business boomed so much that he's hired Sam to decorate cakes with gallery‑level artwork. People whisper that Frank had changed too quickly, also having learned too much too fast.
The biggest talk of the town was Kendal. For a month after the festival, she barely left her house. Then her parents pushed her into a fashion shoot in Smith Falls, which led to modeling gigs. Somehow, she landed an acting role on the popular show "Eagle Rock Spuds," skyrocketing her into celebrity status. Brad hasn't had time to watch her, but he’s heard she's surprisingly convincing as the shy younger sister of a wealthy potato farmer. Rumors say that Steve appeared in one of the motorcycle chase scenes.
Over the last several months, Brad studied hard and finally passed his exams, graduating both school and his MLE and MCAT programs. He was now a licensed MD and officially as prominent as his mother and father.
Recently, Frank was contracted for a catering job for a wedding in Rifle Ridge, a half‑week journey from Fort Hammer. He hired Sam to help decorate the cake and prepare the culinary displays. As usual, when Frank has a traveling gig, Johnny tags along to “help.” Larry Elmore, the Smith Falls obstacle coordinator and MC, also planned to travel with them, bringing his laborers to set up his infamous obstacle course. The wedding is rumored to draw a large turnout.
Brad discovered through the Smith Falls job boards that the local clinic in Rifle Ridge was looking for traveling physicians and willing to pay well for a week of residency, which is during the exact timeframe of Frank’s trip. When he asked Lysanthra, she seemed excited to get away from home and go on an adventure. Frank was thrilled too. “We almost have the old gang back together!”
With Brad joining the caravan, Maya decided to tag along as well. She wanted to write an article on the rocky mountain region and wouldn’t mind spending more time with Brad. He hadn’t said more than a few words to her since the Summer Festival. Now, months later, she gets to see him again. When Steve learned of her intentions, he purchased an expensive off‑road vehicle to come along. Brad suspects jealousy.
After speaking with his father and Dr. Lewis, Brad convinced them that the trip could be a good boost of revenue for the clinic and the town. Lord Stein even encourages it. After some minor pushback, they've agreed; citing that a large group was less likely to run into problems. Frank has also inquired if Brad could drive Sam and him there. Brad agrees, for a small fee. Still, Brad can't shake the feeling that problems don't always wait on the road ahead. Sometimes they follow you....
OOC: Don't post here, Post to "Rifts - DMH - Journey to Rifle Ridge"
When Brad returned home, he learned that Vi and Dusty had escaped the jail, triggering an all‑night manhunt. By the time his father stumbled in at nearly noon; exhausted, hollow‑eyed, he told Brad that Megana had vanished too. He’d spent the night helping Dr. Lewis treat Teddy’s horrific injuries. Life in town pretended to continue as normal, but everyone walked a little faster, spoke a little softer, and kept their doors locked even during the day.
Brad also discovered that his father had treated a horse, named Thunder, at the Damodred Stables. The animal’s bionic legs had been attached improperly, leaving it in terrible pain. His father fixed the issue, only for Thunder to disappear that night without a trace. The Damodred family has been searching for both the horse and Megana ever since.
Two of Brad’s closest friends had vanished with Dusty, who’d stolen Marty’s prized APC—a machine worth more than a Smith Falls luxury sports car. Six months later, there's still no sign of the girls, Dusty, or the vehicle. A witness, Ingrid, claimed she saw Dusty kill a man in the lumberyard. Lysanthra, from Smith Falls, verified that Ingrid had witnessed it before the news became public. That detail unsettled Brad more than the murder itself.
Marty sold off most of his inventory at desperate prices to cover Teddy’s medical bills. Teddy lost an eye, which was replaced with a cybernetic one. Much of his skull was rebuilt with a super‑alloy. After an expensive trip to a place called The Baronies, he recovered with unsettling speed. He grew quieter, more withdrawn; except for the sudden urge to smack Johnny without warning. Something in him had changed. His obsession with finding Vi bordered on frantic. He and Sam spent months digging for clues no one else could find. Then, four months later, Teddy vanished too. Marty didn’t look for him. Not really. People noticed.
Marty thanked Brad and the doctors by donating a Mountaineer ATV, which they converted into a mobile clinic. Brad now travels regularly between towns, delivering medical supplies or transporting medical teams to emergencies. He’d recently hired Lysanthra, whose medical training seemed… unusually extensive for someone her age. Her knowledge of holistic remedies and basic treatments went beyond anything Brad had seen in medical books. He's never asked her about the murdered man. Business boomed for the clinic and for Brad, who now earned a percentage of the profits. Even now, he had more money than he’d ever had (44,000 credits total).
After the Festival, Dane has been seen with Miss Hoffman more often than not. He uses his computer skills to score small jobs, and rumors suggest that he’s been helping his father solve cases. He was rarely seen without his new tablet, that he’d purchased during the festival. Dane and Meg enjoy trips to Smith Falls or gathering friends for poker nights. Unfortunately for Brad, Dane usually wins. People joke that even amateurs get lucky. Brad isn’t so sure.
Things around town had shifted since the festival. Coach Driver took Johnny under his wing, training him to stand up to Teddy. Brad overheard townsfolk whisper that Johnny was a fast learner… maybe too fast. Johnny regularly rents Bravo, an energetic Clydesdale, to taxi people between towns. When he isn’t working, he's mooching food or drinks from Frank. He even tried, unsuccessfully, to teach Brad how to ride and care for a horse, though Brad couldn’t shake the feeling Johnny was trying to distract himself from something.
Frank had shifted from brewing drinks to becoming a full‑fledged chef. After failing miserably at the festival cooking competitions, he spent five months in expensive culinary classes. He returned transformed, seeming more confident, more precise, maybe even obsessive. Business boomed so much that he's hired Sam to decorate cakes with gallery‑level artwork. People whisper that Frank had changed too quickly, also having learned too much too fast.
The biggest talk of the town was Kendal. For a month after the festival, she barely left her house. Then her parents pushed her into a fashion shoot in Smith Falls, which led to modeling gigs. Somehow, she landed an acting role on the popular show "Eagle Rock Spuds," skyrocketing her into celebrity status. Brad hasn't had time to watch her, but he’s heard she's surprisingly convincing as the shy younger sister of a wealthy potato farmer. Rumors say that Steve appeared in one of the motorcycle chase scenes.
Over the last several months, Brad studied hard and finally passed his exams, graduating both school and his MLE and MCAT programs. He was now a licensed MD and officially as prominent as his mother and father.
Recently, Frank was contracted for a catering job for a wedding in Rifle Ridge, a half‑week journey from Fort Hammer. He hired Sam to help decorate the cake and prepare the culinary displays. As usual, when Frank has a traveling gig, Johnny tags along to “help.” Larry Elmore, the Smith Falls obstacle coordinator and MC, also planned to travel with them, bringing his laborers to set up his infamous obstacle course. The wedding is rumored to draw a large turnout.
Brad discovered through the Smith Falls job boards that the local clinic in Rifle Ridge was looking for traveling physicians and willing to pay well for a week of residency, which is during the exact timeframe of Frank’s trip. When he asked Lysanthra, she seemed excited to get away from home and go on an adventure. Frank was thrilled too. “We almost have the old gang back together!”
With Brad joining the caravan, Maya decided to tag along as well. She wanted to write an article on the rocky mountain region and wouldn’t mind spending more time with Brad. He hadn’t said more than a few words to her since the Summer Festival. Now, months later, she gets to see him again. When Steve learned of her intentions, he purchased an expensive off‑road vehicle to come along. Brad suspects jealousy.
After speaking with his father and Dr. Lewis, Brad convinced them that the trip could be a good boost of revenue for the clinic and the town. Lord Stein even encourages it. After some minor pushback, they've agreed; citing that a large group was less likely to run into problems. Frank has also inquired if Brad could drive Sam and him there. Brad agrees, for a small fee. Still, Brad can't shake the feeling that problems don't always wait on the road ahead. Sometimes they follow you....
OOC: Don't post here, Post to "Rifts - DMH - Journey to Rifle Ridge"