Mar 23, 2026 1:34 am
That's right, my darlings, this ain't Kansas! Welcome to Romania! Welcome to The End of the World!
Spring 1999. Just Before Sunset. Near Cluj, Romania
LT Thrace stands in a position behind the fighting positions of her platoon, surveying the scene with her binoculars. Beside her is the Platoon Sergeant (SSG) Randall McBride and Second Squad's Medic, Specialist Tom Anderson.
"I don’t like it, L.T.. It smells like a setup," says Anderson.
"I don’t see anything out there, Anderson," Thrace says, turning and handing the binos to her Platoon Sergeant. "What do you think, Sergeant?"
McBride surveys the scene. The platoon had been attacked just an hour earlier, but they held the ridge with minor casualties. Well, except for the three-man Observation Post that had warned them. So far, none had passed away, but the calls for a medic and evacuation were getting more urgent. "I don’t see anything, L.T., but my gut tells me there’s more out there than meets the eye. It would be better to wait until after dark."
Thrace turns to Anderson, "Can those men hold out?"
Anderson shakes his head. "They’ve already lost too much blood. We need to get down there ASAP," he says calmly.
McBride bows his head. "Better take another squad out there for security, Sir."
Thrace surveys the scene one more time. "Alright, then. Sergeant McBride, keep 3rd Squad and WEAPS up here and watch our backs. I’ll take 1st and 2nd squads down with Anderson and see to our wounded at the OP. From there, I can get a better look at the situation."
A few moments later, two squads are moving off the ridgeline toward the wounded at the OP. The ridgeline behind them is already fading into silhouette when First Squad settles into a rough half circle around the OP. They’re breathing hard from the short rush up the slope, but they’ve done this a hundred times in training and more than a few times in the field. Knees in the dirt, rifles out, eyes scanning the low ground where the Soviets disappeared.
Second Squad clusters around the wounded. Anderson is elbow deep in bandages and pressure dressings, working fast but steady. Thrace crouches behind a jut of rock, giving the scene a good look over (Recon: D8+d8, 1 and 7 Opposed, Uncertain) and sees nothing to cause alarm. The stretcher bearers hover close, tense, waiting for the medic’s signal.
The mountain breeze shifts direction.
The first sound is the sharp, hollow cough of an RPG 7. It echoes off the rocks before anyone can react (Soviet Grenadier Heavy Weapons: D6+D8, 2 and 3 a miss). The round slams into the brush just downslope from the cluster around the wounded. The blast is a concussive hammer, a rolling wave of dust, rock chips, and shredded vegetation. The outcropping shields Anderson and Thrace, but the stretcher bearers are thrown flat, ears ringing, vision swimming.
A PKM rips a long, punishing burst across First Squad’s half circle. (Soviet Machinegunner Ranged Combat Short Range: D10+D8+D6 ammoX3; 8, 7, 5, 5, 3 hit and hit, both hits targeting the SAW Gunner – Legs and Torso) The gunner is disciplined — he walks the fire, stitching the line from left to right, forcing heads down, kicking up stone splinters and dirt in violent sprays. Webb tries to return fire, but the first burst slams into the rocks, inches from his face (Partial Cover-Rocks absorb both hits) and he ducks instinctively, SAW forgotten for the moment (CUF d8: 5 rolled, gunner suppressed).
RPK gunners join in, their fire tighter, more controlled. They rake the gaps between the rocks, probing for movement (First RPK Gunner: D8+D8+D6 ammoX2; 1, 3, 4, 5. all misses), (Second RPK Gunner: D8+D8+D6 ammoX2; 1,2,6,8. Two hits – Torso (armor absorbed) and Head (kevlar Penetrated) One burst finds it — a sharp cry from the right flank, then silence. Michaels crawls over to the wounded man, trying to drag him back behind the rocks.
AKs fire from the brush, not spraying, but picking targets. Their first shots Strike around Michaels but nobody is sure whether they hit him. The next burst pins Hayes down. More shots. Evans and Baker are both pinned down. Rounds ricochet off the rocks Moore sought cover behind. Hayes is hit in the arm, minor wound, must’ve been a ricochet. He reacts by pulling a bandage out and wrapping it around the wound.
The fight continues
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Eighteen months ago, the Soviets drove into Romania expecting an easy day. They were wrong. Over the past 15 months, the remains of the Ukrainian, Moldovan and Romanian forces in coordination with independent US Forces including the 173rd Sky Soldiers, have waged a war of a thousand cuts against the Soviet forces transiting and attempting to hold their countries. Oil is still available, but is a dwindling resource now that the Soviets have seized Ploiesti.
Session 0 Anticipated: 16APR2026 - Characters should be completed by this date. This session will bring the PCs together.
Game Start Location and Game Date: Start will be somewhere in Romania. Game Date – TBD - somewhere between 01JAN1999 and 15MAY1999
Characters: Should be members of Joint Combined International Task Force Honey Badger: (US: Team Falcon), which includes the 173rd Infantry Brigade (Airborne); (UK: Team Cyprus), which includes a Light Armoured Recce Squadron, a Force Protection Squadron and a company of Gurkha Rifles; and (Italy: Team Aquile (Eagle)), a Motorized Infantry Bn, A Mechanized Cavalry Bn and a Horse Cavalry BN. Characters can also be members of Romanian Military, Ukrainian Military (operating in Romania), Partisan Forces, or any civilian career. Intelligence career characters will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Seats at the Table: Max of 9 players
Adult Content or Controversial Themes: Goes without saying that this is a game of the war that began the Apocalypse. There will be tough themes and content. Most if not all sex will happen off stage. Other themes may be uncomfortable. Please keep this in mind when deciding whether to join this game.
The game lives here: Next Stop... Romania
-RW (aka Packratt)
Spring 1999. Just Before Sunset. Near Cluj, Romania
LT Thrace stands in a position behind the fighting positions of her platoon, surveying the scene with her binoculars. Beside her is the Platoon Sergeant (SSG) Randall McBride and Second Squad's Medic, Specialist Tom Anderson.
"I don’t like it, L.T.. It smells like a setup," says Anderson.
"I don’t see anything out there, Anderson," Thrace says, turning and handing the binos to her Platoon Sergeant. "What do you think, Sergeant?"
McBride surveys the scene. The platoon had been attacked just an hour earlier, but they held the ridge with minor casualties. Well, except for the three-man Observation Post that had warned them. So far, none had passed away, but the calls for a medic and evacuation were getting more urgent. "I don’t see anything, L.T., but my gut tells me there’s more out there than meets the eye. It would be better to wait until after dark."
Thrace turns to Anderson, "Can those men hold out?"
Anderson shakes his head. "They’ve already lost too much blood. We need to get down there ASAP," he says calmly.
McBride bows his head. "Better take another squad out there for security, Sir."
Thrace surveys the scene one more time. "Alright, then. Sergeant McBride, keep 3rd Squad and WEAPS up here and watch our backs. I’ll take 1st and 2nd squads down with Anderson and see to our wounded at the OP. From there, I can get a better look at the situation."
A few moments later, two squads are moving off the ridgeline toward the wounded at the OP. The ridgeline behind them is already fading into silhouette when First Squad settles into a rough half circle around the OP. They’re breathing hard from the short rush up the slope, but they’ve done this a hundred times in training and more than a few times in the field. Knees in the dirt, rifles out, eyes scanning the low ground where the Soviets disappeared.
Second Squad clusters around the wounded. Anderson is elbow deep in bandages and pressure dressings, working fast but steady. Thrace crouches behind a jut of rock, giving the scene a good look over (Recon: D8+d8, 1 and 7 Opposed, Uncertain) and sees nothing to cause alarm. The stretcher bearers hover close, tense, waiting for the medic’s signal.
The mountain breeze shifts direction.
The first sound is the sharp, hollow cough of an RPG 7. It echoes off the rocks before anyone can react (Soviet Grenadier Heavy Weapons: D6+D8, 2 and 3 a miss). The round slams into the brush just downslope from the cluster around the wounded. The blast is a concussive hammer, a rolling wave of dust, rock chips, and shredded vegetation. The outcropping shields Anderson and Thrace, but the stretcher bearers are thrown flat, ears ringing, vision swimming.
A PKM rips a long, punishing burst across First Squad’s half circle. (Soviet Machinegunner Ranged Combat Short Range: D10+D8+D6 ammoX3; 8, 7, 5, 5, 3 hit and hit, both hits targeting the SAW Gunner – Legs and Torso) The gunner is disciplined — he walks the fire, stitching the line from left to right, forcing heads down, kicking up stone splinters and dirt in violent sprays. Webb tries to return fire, but the first burst slams into the rocks, inches from his face (Partial Cover-Rocks absorb both hits) and he ducks instinctively, SAW forgotten for the moment (CUF d8: 5 rolled, gunner suppressed).
RPK gunners join in, their fire tighter, more controlled. They rake the gaps between the rocks, probing for movement (First RPK Gunner: D8+D8+D6 ammoX2; 1, 3, 4, 5. all misses), (Second RPK Gunner: D8+D8+D6 ammoX2; 1,2,6,8. Two hits – Torso (armor absorbed) and Head (kevlar Penetrated) One burst finds it — a sharp cry from the right flank, then silence. Michaels crawls over to the wounded man, trying to drag him back behind the rocks.
AKs fire from the brush, not spraying, but picking targets. Their first shots Strike around Michaels but nobody is sure whether they hit him. The next burst pins Hayes down. More shots. Evans and Baker are both pinned down. Rounds ricochet off the rocks Moore sought cover behind. Hayes is hit in the arm, minor wound, must’ve been a ricochet. He reacts by pulling a bandage out and wrapping it around the wound.
The fight continues
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Eighteen months ago, the Soviets drove into Romania expecting an easy day. They were wrong. Over the past 15 months, the remains of the Ukrainian, Moldovan and Romanian forces in coordination with independent US Forces including the 173rd Sky Soldiers, have waged a war of a thousand cuts against the Soviet forces transiting and attempting to hold their countries. Oil is still available, but is a dwindling resource now that the Soviets have seized Ploiesti.
Session 0 Anticipated: 16APR2026 - Characters should be completed by this date. This session will bring the PCs together.
Game Start Location and Game Date: Start will be somewhere in Romania. Game Date – TBD - somewhere between 01JAN1999 and 15MAY1999
Characters: Should be members of Joint Combined International Task Force Honey Badger: (US: Team Falcon), which includes the 173rd Infantry Brigade (Airborne); (UK: Team Cyprus), which includes a Light Armoured Recce Squadron, a Force Protection Squadron and a company of Gurkha Rifles; and (Italy: Team Aquile (Eagle)), a Motorized Infantry Bn, A Mechanized Cavalry Bn and a Horse Cavalry BN. Characters can also be members of Romanian Military, Ukrainian Military (operating in Romania), Partisan Forces, or any civilian career. Intelligence career characters will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Seats at the Table: Max of 9 players
Adult Content or Controversial Themes: Goes without saying that this is a game of the war that began the Apocalypse. There will be tough themes and content. Most if not all sex will happen off stage. Other themes may be uncomfortable. Please keep this in mind when deciding whether to join this game.
The game lives here: Next Stop... Romania
-RW (aka Packratt)
Last edited March 23, 2026 1:35 am
