To New Horizons(2nd ed game, game thread)

[Armen]

“I am” Tamora answered and the two of them left on their circuit of the lake. Some of the lizardmen glanced up as they passed alongside the village but seemed unconcerned at the two women’s departure. Once out of the immediate area of the village Tamora’s deliberately casual attitude was replaced by a wary openness as she moved forward dividing her attention between the ground ahead, the lake waters and the trees to her right. She would attempt to make good time but equally wouldn’t rush into trouble if anything struck her as out of the ordinary.

[Man Who Fights Like Woman]

Lorath sat next to the fire, and grabbed a stick out of the sand. The others were going about their tasks - investigating the immediate area, listening to the jungle, or just talking. Not wanting to interrupt any of them, he began thinking of what they could do the next day. They didn't really have anywhere else to go, except back to the encampment, and he felt that their work out here was yet to be finished.

Taking the stick in his fingers like a pen he began drawing in the sand. Nothing in particular at first, just some doodles that would get washed away in a matter of hours, but quickly became something else: a plan.

[PurpleXVI]

Bas

No one disturbed Bas as he sat at the edge of the jungle, focusing on it's sounds, indeed, they almost seemed to keep a certain reverent distance.

The sounds reaching his ears were both like those at home, and not. He heard birdcalls and howls, mixed with the song of nighttime insects emerging from where they had hid during the day's brutal sunlight. All around him, in every direction, things were living and dying, even if the sounds and their creators were alien, the way of nature seemed much like it did at home.

Still, at first the jungle, apparently a place of vibrant life, seemed more silent than at home. Almost abandoned to one who was used to hearing the sounds of a healthy, Achenian forest. Slowly, though, Bas detected an undertone to it all. All of the sounds he was used to were still there, even in the same amount, but they were more quiet, more muted, almost as if the creatures of the jungle were descendants of the ones who knew not to make too much noise.

The druid wasn't just hearing, though, on some primal level the world itself was communing with him, imparting him with intuitive insight. At home he would have had to call upon the spirits for such, but here they almost seemed starved for a guardian. He learned that he was upon a world where only the strong survived, a world that forgave few mistakes and where the only living things were the ones whose ancestors had stood atop the corpses of their competitors.

No nature was ever gentle, and the weak had a habit of not being the ones who bred, but whereever he was, the blade that weaned the weak from the strong made the one in his homeland seem like a butterknife in comparison.

The forest was quiet because there were hunters out there the like of which he had never met before, ones that would make the greatest dire wolf tremble and which no ranger could soothe. Creatures which were never meant to be part of the natural order.

Abberrations.


Lorath, Evon, Gan

While most of the villagers kept their distance from the campfire one lizardman separated himself from the crowd and headed for the adventurers. He had nothing to differentiate him markedly from the others, except that he was slightly shorter, and that carried a cloth-wrapped object some two feet long and about half as wide. Without a word he sat down on the opposite side of the campfire from them, closed his eyes and looked like he didn't notice they were there. As he sat, he kept the bundle cradled in his arms.

Aside from the bundle and the physical characteristics, the only thing unusual thing about was that he was extremely at ease and relaxed. Like he had some sort of deep-seated satisfaction with the way of things and no desire to rush out and change them. Most of the other lizardmen were constantly doing something, and even when they were relaxing or on watch at the edge of the village, they somehow contrived to look very focused on their task, as though it demanded every inch of their attention.


Anne, Tamora

Leaving the fires and torches of the village behind, Anne and Tamora soon found themselves in the rapidly darkening twilight beyond. Away from the bustle, they could also hear the sounds, sparse as they were, of the forest much more clearly. Occasionally something would rustle in the trees next to them as they made some poor creature scamper away in fear, but otherwise they encountered few creatures on the first stretch of their journey.

As they reached the northwestern shore of the lake, they got a view of some things to the south and east that they might not otherwise have seen. With enough distance between them and the trees that they could look over them, they saw far-away snow-capped mountains painted in sunset colours. And not just a few peaks, either, but a vast chain. It curved softly away east and south. Letting their eyes drink in the vista, it almost seemed that they could make out the occasional building up among the mountain-tops. Perhaps their imaginations were just transforming piles of rocks and cliff spires into towers and battlements, or there was civilization in that far-flung place so close to the heavens.

Before they could enjoy the view further, though, a bizarre creature stepped out between the trees right in front of them, apparently unperturbed by the presence. It looked like a weird nightmare cross of bird and reptile, with long legs and neck, the creature was almost seven feet tall, well taller than both Anne and Tamora. It's wings were small and vestigial, and could almost certainly not support the creature, but it seemed doubtful that it or any of it's ancestors had ever taken to the skies, for it lacked feathers. Instead it was covered in fine scales that shaded from red to gray in apparently random patterns across it, though gray seemed more common on the front, and red more common on the back. It's bird-like feet seemed almost comically large, but since it was accompanied by correspondingly large claws, it didn't seem like it would be a laughing matter if someone pissed it off.

Completely ignoring them aside from a quick glance, it stepped past the two travellers to drink from the edge of the lake. As they got over their initial surprise they noticed that it had what looked like someone's belt looped around it's neck. Hanging from the loose-fitting belt was a large leather satchel.

[ 01-23-2007, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: PurpleXVI ]

[dplax]

Anne

The creature emerging less than three feet ahead of her from the tree line had caught her completely by surprise. By the time her shock subsided the strange shaped bird-ish reptile was already quenching its thirst at the side of the lake.

Anne motioned to Tamora to stay silent as she examined the creature and the leather satchel it woe around its neck. Clearly the arms and legs it had could not have closed the clasp of the satchel, so either it had somehow taken it or someone or possibly something had given it to the creature. That could mean that some other creature could be very close by. Anne warily scanned the trees, trying to see under their shadowy canopies. She did not move lest the creature by the waterside become afraid of their presence.

[ 01-23-2007, 03:19 PM: Message edited by: dplax ]

[Armen]

Tamora caught Anne’s eye and signalled to move away from the creature. They stepped backwards together slowly until twenty yards away where Tamora planted her spear and carefully readied her bow and knocked an arrow. She risked a glance at Anne again and held up one hand as if to indicate that they should wait. Anne nodded, surveying the trees for whoever or whatever had attached the satchel.

Looking back to the reptile bird Tamora studied it carefully while keeping half an eye on the lake in case anything was drawn to it. She hoped it would return to the forest soon and they could continue on.

(OOC: Anne's actions from dplax)

[ 01-23-2007, 03:49 PM: Message edited by: Armen ]

[Man Who Fights Like Woman]

Lorath stepped over and sat next to the lizardman with the bundle. He looked at him with an inquisitive look on his face, and held his arms close to his body to mimic as if here were holding a bundle like the one the lizardman had. Then he took his right hand and acted as if he were pulling the corner of the cloth that would be over his to reveal what he would be holding, and pointed to the lizardman. Finally he pointed to his own eyes, then at the bundle, and held his hands together, palms out. He finished by moving his hands apart, as if revealing something.

[Encard]

While waiting for Gan's reply, Evon watched Lorath's pantomime with interest. He was curious whether the lizardman would actually open his eyes, or if Lorath would simply be acting for the rest of them.

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

Gan Vahnsen

“Ah, well I just needed a change of scenery,” the half elf shrugged to Evon, in answer to his question, “Grew tired of my father’s people butchering my mother’s and being caught in between.” he made a face, “Really rather a common tale, I suspect. Nothing special to it. So I left, leaving them to kill each other off and I’ve been making my way around the world ever since. I didn’t like what I saw, so I figured that I’d come here and see if this place was any better. Not that I have high hopes, but as you said, gold is always helpful.”

Another shrug. Staring into the fire, the pale half elf sighed, “I guess I’m also looking for something. I was told my fathers’ people could use their minds to aid them; not magic mind you, but something similar. In all my travels… never once on our home world did I find any capable of such, at least, not among the humans. I was half hoping to find some form of sentient life here would might possibly teach me – or show me how to use it.” He laughed, “Well, we all have dreams, right?”

As Lorath moved over to the short lizardman, Gan watched in fascination, wondering what would happen next… …and then he would sleep.

[PurpleXVI]

Lorath, Gan, Evon

The lizardman opened his eyes and impassively watched Lorath's pantomime, then he closed them again and took a deep breath through his nostrils.

Gan and Lorath both suddenly felt an unpleasant, but not painful, feeling of pressure in the front of their heads, as though someone was pressing a finger against their frontal lobe. Briefly, however, the pressure subsided, and they both heard a voice inside their head. Though heard might have been the wrong way to describe it, for they did not hear anyone speak, rather a memory of someone having spoken, and what they said, instantly appeared.

"Remain patient, outlanders," the voice, which was low and sounded like a toad who had mastered speech, said, "The sage wishes to speak to you, and shall do so when all your friends arrive. I do not know your words, so do not waste your breath speaking to me."

Letting the bundle lie in it's lap, the lizardman opened it's eyes again, this time looking at Evon. It maintained the stare until it had his attention, then put it's palms together as though it was praying and placed those palms side-on at it's forehead. Slowly, it spread the palms apart, the wrists remaining in contact, like something opening. It seemed to be waiting for him to act.


Anne, Tamora

It appeared as though no one was going to leap out of the forest and claim the satchel as theirs, and whatever dwelled in the lake seemed to have had enough of dealing with non-aquatic creatures for one day, for no vengeful tentacles lashed out to devour bird or adventurers.

Finishing it's drink, the bird wandered over to the two women and seemed to study them, turning it's head this way and that. It didn't seem particularly bright, but it did seem curious.


Bas

(OOC: Apologies for posting before you've gotten a post in, but it's been 24 hours, I felt it would be unfair to leave the others hanging.)

[ 01-24-2007, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: PurpleXVI ]

[Kazilan]

Bas stood and paced back and forth, his staff making regular thuds against the ground. He was confused by what he sensed. It seemed that the balance that existed back home did not apply here, at least not in the same manner. He looked at his companions by the fire and wondered if he should try to warn them. But how? What could he say to convince non-druids of the strangeness, and what effect would it have beyond creating paranoia?

No, he would not discuss with them, not yet. He needed more information. He needed to speak with the native animals, the ones who needed protection.

The druid walked a couple of steps further away from the fire and peered into the darkness, attempting to spot any living creatures using his infravision.