Id personally suggest those who cant fly wait in the cirlce of stones, while those of us that can examine the hut, the smoke and maybe check out the woods.
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Id personally suggest those who cant fly wait in the cirlce of stones, while those of us that can examine the hut, the smoke and maybe check out the woods.
Brutus also wants to check out the hut. looks a better option than a stone circle. uses enhanced vision toward the woods to see if there is any movement
In that case Ill fly over to the ledge and see where that smokes coming from.
smokeseeing is good, my penguin powers can cool any fire down when needed :P
Looking into the woods using his enhanced vision Brutus is unable to make out anything for certain - there is indeed massive amounts of movement, seeming to be circling the camp, and there is steadily getting more - whats more though is that these things are almost certainly magical - he finds himslf unable to focus on them - the forms just merge into each other and separate and hurt the eyes when he attempts to disern any detail beyond movement.
Franks skin crackles with electricity before with a noise like a gas flame lighting up he transforms into his glowing blue electricity form. Interestingly as he does this Brutus sees the shapes retreat back, retreating back and making hteir circle much wider.
Rocketing up into the air Frank peers over the ridge to see the source of the smoke. From what he can see it appears to be a large fire at the bottom of the next hill - he would guess 3 meters across in a perfect circle - the thick smoke obscures it slightly, but it would appear that behind the fire is a vast gate of marble set into the hillside.
Beyond that the hills and mountains go for miles in every direction, getting higher if you were to cross the river and head on in that direction or where to go South, but if you where to follow the river they slowly get smaller off into the distance, while over the ridge (East) they seem to tail off into thick forest after only 3 or four more noteably sized hills.
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Tip Time
Just to say, on average Ill write the chapter update sometime either after 6 each day or when everyone has reaches a conclusion. If you dont update if you are with a group youll just follow what most people are doing, if you arent Ill assume you stay put.
Stay in electric form and go inform the others of what I saw. My vote would be to check out the hut first, if need be we can always double back.
Short on time, so Ill dot point the Baron Knightrous movements.
- Complete equipment check and testing, unsure of what could have happened on the way here, or what effects of this unknown world may have on my equipment.
- Study each individual character, try to understand each strengths, and weaknesses, this could be important later. Make introductions with the man with the top hat and cane, seems to be a fellow similar to myself, like minded people make good alliances, generally.
- Map out area into PDA
- Head to the hut, if theres smoke, their fire.
- Use flame thrower in katana to cut a path through the snow, should make things a bit quicker
(Message edited by teamvertex on July 19, 2008)
All the Barons equiptment seems to be working, if anything the cold seems to have made his cybernetic left arm very slightly more efficient. Consider the info passed on and mapped onto the PDA for future reference.
So currently votes are as follows:
Hut: 3 (Brutus, Barob and Frank)
Stone Circle: 2 (Tarein and The Sucker)
That leaves votes from the the Prof, Perry and Dirge. Remember you dont have to go with the group, and in a vote try to state whether youll go with your own choice whatever, Ill presume that you are going with the majority unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Tip
Look at the other peoples entry stats to get an idea of strengths / weaknesses etc, you know as much as I do.
Crumbs! Updates galore!
First of all, the Prof is going to have a jolly good moan about being thrust into yet another insane quest. Oh and accuse Doomforall of being behind it all. :wink:
As for what to do, Im not that big on camping and I sincerely doubt the Prof will want to spend the night out in the open with all those magical beasties on the loose. Ill check out the hut too. Im sure the cane has some form of gadgetry to tackle the snow, perhaps a flamethrower or a snowblower, not to mention the chopper blades.
Itll also give me a chance to catch up with Frank, the only familiar face, and make Baron Oxides aquaintance. He and Perry Penguin seem like my kind of fellow.
quote:
Im sure the cane has some form of gadgetry to tackle the snow
TACKLE THE SNOW?! IM A FREAKING PENGUIN!
I wanna check the hut too, if only because that makes me leave the snow-less environment within the stones. I wanna have nothing to do with any trying to burn a way through the snow nonsense, so I leave before anything else does, avoiding all of this. Guess Ill catch up with my jolly friends once Ive reached the hut.
EDIT!!!
While still in the circle Id indeed fancy a jolly chat with the baron, my fellow dandy. See what his opinion is on all of this. After that I will move to the hut before anyone else does. As much as I like a nice chat over a cup of tea it just cant beat the sheer fun brought by fresh snow, sorry.
(Message edited by MajinB on July 19, 2008)
Brutus is in on the hut gag. he offers a shoulder ride to the baron. combined with his snow melting abilities and Brutus wired reflexes should get to the hut in no time. would also pave a way for the others.
Dirge will join the group to the hut.
That place is as good as any I suppose.
Damn you all. :proud:
After chatting with some of the people, Tarein follow the others to the hut, and will defend the group at the back of the pack if thats okay with the others.
(Ill stay near the circle, and perhaps try and climb a tree/stone, whichever is taller (suction power :P) so I get a better view of the area)
So you, as a fish intend to wait behind on your own in a myserious forest when you have basically no ability to avoid any kind of danger that should come your way.
Also I suppose I should give you the psychic reading of the environment, what with it beign a sense and all...
Your psychic powers dont detect many animals (nothing above the size of a rat within range) or any people at all, it does detect something - however, its very alien - about the only thing that is at all familar about it is some kind of hunger.
(Is there anything I can detect that would indicate a direction to the hungry alien presence?
So I know where to avoid :proud:)
You dont have to address me in brackets, Im not in the story (yet lol)
In every direction, almost like a sea along the ground outside the stone circle.
(sorry, habit :P)
(In that case, I shall go along with the others to the wooden building, and as Shane...uh, I mean Brutus helpfully told me, I could probably get there quite quickly if I slithered through the snow like a fishy bobsleigh :proud:)
Chapter 2
With the ground decided to head to the hut, they set off even as the sun fades yet more - Perry jumping onto his stomach and sliding off down the snowy slope, quickly vanishing off into the thicket. A number of whirring noises and clicks in the Professors cane pre-empt the emergence of tiny helicopter blades which after a few moments of strained whirring slowly lift the immaculately dressed villain above the treetops and out of sight. Franks electricity powers crackle into existence and he overtakes the Professor on the way up, bathing the clearing for a few moments in pale blue light.
Dirge and his dog, the Sucker, Brutus, The Baron and Tarein are left alone in the clearing. After brief discussion the Baron climbs onto the shoulder of Brutus and ignites the flamethrower, instantly reducing the thick snow it€™s aimed at to slush. The Baron€™s grin is somewhat sinister in its glee as Brutus jumps down onto the thickly wooded slope, fire jetting out from the flamethrower of his companion. The others move to follow the lead of the troll. Their progress is relatively swift, but the numerous ledges and dense trees make it difficult to move quickly, having to climb down rock faces (or in the case of the Sucker, flop over the edge into the snowdrifts below) to cover much of the harsh terrain, they carry on though.
In the west last ray of sun descends behind the mountains for the night and what was originally dappled reds and pinks of the sunset hitting the snow beneath the trees now becomes a deep inky blue of night.
Around them in the gloom, the whispering starts. It isn€™t really words - in some ways it would sound like the wind, but its complexity and tones mark it out as something complex. Now not just out the corners of their eyes but in full view shadows flit between the tree-roots, strange shapes that can€™t be identified in the darkness. They shy away from the light of the flame, but behind them the whispering grows into cacophony€¦ They begin to run now, ledges they€™d have earlier climbed down are now leapt over, not wanting to face the things that hunt them in the shadows€¦
They head on, going as fast as they can, not stopping, not looking back, the whispering rising now to a gut piercing tangle howls and shrieks. A light blinks through the trees in front of them, the steepest part of the slope is over, and it now becomes a more gentle inclination before the open space by the river. They burst out of the woods, twigs snapping beneath their feet€¦ running the last meters to the building
On the front of the building stands Frank, glowing in his electricity form. They turn round to see their pursuers, vaguely defined forms of shadow, somewhat wolf like in their behaviour but equally spider-like in their individual movements€¦ Crackling bolts of electricity lance from Franks fingertips into the pack, causing unearthly yelping and squealing to echo throughout the valley€¦ Beaten, for now at least, the pack disperse into the night€¦
The Prof and Perry emerge from the building, and it is only then that they realise that the Sucker is no longer with them.
***************
Up close it is far easier to see the purpose of the building - it appears to have to do with a logging operation - looking out onto the river they can see hundreds of logs frozen into its surface icy surface.
The building itself is build upon stilts and is far bigger than it had appeared from up the hill. It is constructed from aging but strong wood, and there is a steep set of stairs up to an extra platform that stands a few meters out from the first, and between that and the main building is a hinged bridge and a rope swing to prevent any animals getting up there if they aren€™t wanted while still permitting an enterprising human to cross if being pursued. Clearly you aren€™t the only ones who have had trouble with the wildlife.
Inside there are ten bunk beds, a rather large stocked larder, various charts and graphs covering the logging business, as well as maps of the local area. There is also a large fireplace and various cupboards and shelves filled with assorted items. It seems there is also a storage building of sorts on the side of the river.
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Tip
You can of course ask me to give you an inventory of stuff at this point of what you can find in the house.
(Uh...if I can, I try to get back to the others by flopping down the hill...in the words of Han Solo though, I have a bad feeling about this - Ive either been torched or made into sushi :crazy:)
Incidentally, Alex, I have a few things to ask you over MSN regarding this.
Inventory and what we can find in the house, please, Alex. Id like to know what we have and what we can get here before I make a move. :)
(Message edited by kodster on July 19, 2008)
yeah, take a good look in the hut, and keep on talking with people, talking is good
Complete Inventory of the House (not including outhouse) - (you did ask for it€¦.)
Crate of dried trout
Crate of tins of beans
Crate of UHT milk
Crate of flour
Crate of oatcakes
Crate of potatoes
Crate of carrots
Crate of onions
Barrel of mead
Salt shaker (half full)
Pepper grinder (half full)
Various herbs and spices
Various pickled food in big jars (eggs, beetroot, gherkin etc)
24 pairs of knives, forks and spoons (few actually match, mostly pewter and steel, one or two silver)
7 plates (and a few more broken)
12 big deep bowls
A frying pan and a saucepan
A wooden spatula
Lots of ledgers about logging profits and so on.
Several notebooks, plus a book of post-it notes
Ten biros, 7 black, 2 blue and one red
A plastic ruler
Two HB pencils
A craft knife
A rather dishevelled looking putty rubber
A large fire extinguisher
A fire axe
A rusty band saw
A claw hammer
A hand drill with various bits
Hundreds of assorted screws, nuts, bolts, nails, hinges and washers
A seemingly working telephone
A seemingly broken radio and transmitter
A fire poker
A pile of firewood
A map of both the area showing the nearest settlement and other outposts on the river
A stuffed bear head
A stuffed moose head
The stuffed head of a strangely familiar giant red echidna
A tazer
Three powerful torches
Batteries for said torches
A good pair of binoculars
A portrait of a man and his children
Some petrol
A generic hand gun, no bullets
A hunting rifle, three bullets
Three cheap lighters
A pack of soggy cigarettes
Various ropes
A ball of string
Blankets and pillows
Some thick fur cloaks
A whistle
A mousetrap
Some rat poison
A dead but perfectly preserved cat that looks like it ate too much
A strange dodecahedron shaped device with runes on the sides
Some matches
A few pots of paints of various colours
A small electric radiator
Three fishing rods with a tacklebox
dips on the petrol, I need it for my Porsche 911 :proud:
The Baron will do as follows:
-Scan all maps and information into the PDA
-Collect the strange dodecahedron shaped device with runes on the sides. Devices and Strange are my thing, investigate with my intellect on what this device can or cant do, it might be useful later. Consult with the Prof if need be.
-Collect the Taser. I already have a similar unit built into the Katana, but a hand held version might be of use.
-Look at the radio transmitter, I might be able to fix it with parts from within the cabin.
Ill take a torch and the batteries. If anybody else takes a torch, Ill give them some batteries. :proud:
Brutus starts on the trout and onions thinking of his stomach first knowing the others have the brains. suggests lighting a fire for the night.
I agree about starting a fire. Ill collect one of the silver pieces of cutlery, preferably a knife or failing that a fork and the longest rope I can find.
You do realise that the car is still in the stone circle and theres no real way to get it out lol
Right, try to keep track of your own inventory, I will keep track myself but I dont want you havign to ask me every time you want to sue something...
Anyway - consider everything you asked for got, the fire is started and the food being prepared.
The dodecahedron is a magical device which seems to possibly have a variety of functions, however, the only two you can work out are a universal translator and some kind of distress beacon. However, you have no means of knowing who that distress signal would go to.
The radio is fixed with minimal effort using your technological prowess.
The maps reveal that this area is relatively unknown the further you go away from the river - there are numberous cabins like this one situated every few miles up and down the river. Twenty miles down there is some kind of settlement, although the map is slightly unclear as to its size. The rest is info for the logging company concerning profits, production, invoices for various devices and sales, and properties of tree types. You note amoung other things sapient pearwood, entwood torchwood and wedgewood.
Frank gets a silver knife and fork (not matching)
Remember there is also the external shed to explore, and some of the paperwork implies there is some form of vehicle in there, which could be worked out from further reading. The question is also what will you do in the morning.
(Message edited by alex_holt on July 20, 2008)
So the Sucker is missing, presumed dead, because people are too concerned with cutlery to go looking for a giant fish? :proud:
I guess three of us can take a fishing rod each and see if we can catch the catfish? :proud:
Dirge doesnt need much so he goes to pick up the sea star and bring it to the house. Maybe the sea star can get some water there.
Baron Update:
- Investigate the vehicle in the external shed.
- Find out what frequency the radio functions on and look at programming that wave length into my PDA, someone else can have the radio then.
Brutus suggests sending someone with wings to see if they can see fish boy as he stuffs another trout in his gob.
Frank agrees to go out and find the fish seeing as his electric can drive back the shadow thingies. As he leaves, he mutters something about having to do everything around here.
The Baron goes out to the shed and finds it not as expected. The shed is rather hi-tech and brightly lit and from waist height to the top of the wall is lined with tiny polycarbonate vials, thousands of them.
There are a number of different labels on the different vials (and there are five of each) but the most notable of the thousands present ones are
Five person ice-vehicle
Hot air balloon (three persons)
Emergency rations
Defensive items
Yaught
Scout drone
There are also numerous ones labelled with names similar to the different trees mentioned in the ledgers.
At the other side of the room there are three small satchels which all contain two bottles of liquid (one labelled reducer, one labelled restorer) and a tiny durable plastic storage system which could hold 30 pea sized items each.
The bags are have the words Hank Ps Ultimate storage stitched onto the lid. A small piece of paper in the bag states will not work on animals, do not use in enclosed spaces, do not mix solutions
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Frank flies over the woods, the fact it is still dark makes it difficult to see in general, but he simply follows the trail in the snow back through the night, wary to remain above ground level - the whispering keeping its distance from the glowing electricity form.
After tracing it back a while he finds the point where the Sucker vanished - all the other jumped over one of the ledges but somehow the Sucker never came down. The ledge seems to extend right round this side of the mountain, and looks like it represents the river level in the distant past. However, there is no sign of a struggle, and the only thing strange is that above a small part of the ground he suddenly feels violently sick, nothing physical but just everything seems more claustrophobic with an intense feeling of wrongness. There is no sign as to the fate of the fish.
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Tip
If I drop in a pop culture reference it generally will potentially have some significance, although you dont have to follow it up.
First things first, the Prof will investigate the stuffed echidna head and gloat over it a little. :proud:
Im still a little overwhelmed by everything, so I guess Ill just take the binoclulars, the biros, the nuts and bolts and washers etc and check out the tools left behind. Maybe the Prof can aid Baron Oxide with some tinkering in the shed. Those vials sound most interesting.
Tarein will peek into the shed and see whats going on.
Interested in the defensive items, rather. Ask the Prof. (nicely) for advice.
Baron Update:
- Im guessing the reducer and restorer are effectively a shrinking chemical and a un-shrinking chemical, which would make it rather handy to carry around a 5 person ice vehicle in ones pocket. Id like to collect these chemicals, possibly study them to see if it is possible to synthesis them, could be a handy item to have, and know how to make. Ill also collect the 6 stated vials.
-Would like to request the Prof joins me in this tech shed, he might find it as enticing as I do.