[IC] A Stranger Land

Ulthar88 · 10-12-2011, 04:56 PM

A Strange Dream
You just knew teaming up with those other adventurers was going to mean trouble. But with the unexpected appearance of demons in the area, it seemed like a good idea at the time, especially since they claimed to be demon-hunters. The other guys were on the upper ledge, you were down below when the big horned guy seemed to step out of a rock right behind you. The old wizard shouted something about 'porting you up there and that rogue hurled something silvery at the demon that apparently bothered it a lot -- then it all happens at once...

You feel the nauseating tug of teleportation magic at the same time you see the demon do some gating of his own, he is either gating something in or himself out. But then the familiar brief blackness of a teleport overcomes you... except this isn't brief at all... and you are falling! All is blackness and you fall faster and faster -- did that damn spell-slinger 'port you into the clouds?

Wait... you feel yourself falling, but there is no whoosh of wind, no movement of your limbs... ah, this must be only a dream! Yes, you can feel yourself waking up. Everything will be okay now... except for that rock under your butt.

Wait... what's a rock doing under your butt?

Ulthar88 · 10-12-2011, 04:57 PM

A Stranger Dawn
You wake to find yourself spread-eagled on the ground, draped over your own backpack... ow. You blink open your eyes to a gorgeous, unblemished sky fading from deep purple on one side to a pale turquoise where the sun is just coming up. Or is it going down? No... it's definitely sunrise. As the light creeps up over a horizon ragged like torn parchment, you get the sinking realization that you had not been dreaming at all.

The earth beneath you is dry and deeply cracked; despite a slight chill in the air, the ground feels vaguely warm, as if it hadn't enough time to release all the heat of the previous day. It's not entirely barren, however -- patches of prickly scrub and tufts of hardy grasses dot the land like an unruly stubble. The terrain itself might generally be described as flat, but small hillocks and baby ravines are spread liberally around. It is harsh looking country, but doesn't appear to be difficult to survive in or travel through. One thing might worry you, though... the fact that the sun seems to be rising nearly straight up into the sky.

As you pick yourself up and stretch the stiffness from your bones, you see your companions doing the same -- two of them are here with you, but others are missing. You have no idea if they were included in that damnable teleport spell or not. When you speak to the others, it sounds odd at first. You could swear it's the same speech you've always had, but it somehow sounds weird, as if you had forgotten what the words sounded like.

The spell-caster feels something more. You can't quite put your finger on it, but there is something definitely wrong about how the energies flow through this land. You've certainly never sensed anything like it before.
Martel: you realize with a start that your Mana reserve is empty. Wait... it is starting to fill up again, but it doesn't feel like it should. It feels almost like you're pulling on something that wants to pull back. You feel confident that you can use this energy in the familiar ways, but are unsure of what consequences may come from it.

(ooc-- As stated, I run skill-based games. Assuming that you are going to try to find out where you are...
Rolls are not strictly necessary for mundane investigations. Just tell me what skills/abilities you are using and precisely what you are hoping to discover about your environment.)

-- dawn, the wilderness, Ferns 14, 2512

zoncxs · 10-12-2011, 05:35 PM

"blasted mage!" shouts Gale, standing at 6'1" tall, deep blue eyes, and clad in bronze armor from his days as a soldier, now nothing more than a hunter of sorts seeking thrills where it may be.

"How could he have messed up this much! He will be hearing from me when I see him!" He pauses for a moment and looks around. nothing is familiar with where he was last, did they teleport away that far? as these thoughts run through his head he thinks more of what he will do to the mage that is responsible. He begins to check his equipment, making sure nothing was lost.

"how are you two coming along?" he asks his allies.

Gale sheaths his great sword, Komistí̱s Thánatos, and readies his shield and spear.

Lamech · 10-12-2011, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoncxs

"how are you two coming along?" he gestures to his allies.

I get up and brushes myself off "Not too bad." "But where are we?"
Martel feels the mana for a flow back. Hrm... something feels off with the mana, and the sun. We must be a long way from home...

I think we should look for someone who knows where we are first.
I scan the horizon looking for any signs of civilization.

OOC: I need to think up a good physical description...

Skullcrusher · 10-13-2011, 07:36 AM

Spoiler:

Rorik open his eyes and frantically feels area around him for his spear. He finds it a few inches away and jumps up holding his shield at the ready. Last he knew he was being assaulted by a large demon. "Have at thee demon...." he looks around seeing his companions but no demons. Spitting on the ground he swears in his native tongue and then continues in common,"...Wizard and his incantations!"

Quote:

"how are you two coming along?" he asks his allies.

"I am unharmed my friend." looking around he tries to determine which way is north (using - Navigation [skill - 14 includes absolute direction])

"Looks like we maybe in the Great Wastes of Dunkir. Although it seems different some how."

OOC: Hope you don't mind me taking liberities on locations back on our native planet..... :)

Ulthar88 · 10-13-2011, 08:35 AM

Looking around, there seems to be nothing even remotely resembling civilization. However, a half mile away you see a rough-edged hillock that juts up at least 50 or 60 feet above anything else you can see. It at least promises a better vantage point.

Rorik finds north quick enough, despite some confusion about how the shadows are moving as the sun rises. And then he realizes why... although you are definitely north of the equator, it cannot be much more than a couple hundred miles away. And it doesn't take weathersense to know that this land will feel like the sun's anvil long before noon.

Skullcrusher · 10-13-2011, 08:57 AM

Rorik says,"My friends we need to find shelter quickly unless you want to cook in the midday sun's heat!" Rorik points to the hillock and says, "Let's head to high ground, perhaps we can find shelter amoungst the hills or at least get a better lay of the land."

zoncxs · 10-13-2011, 08:59 AM

"So we make our way there then. Martel stay close to us." With that Gale waits for the others to begin to move.

Lamech · 10-13-2011, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoncxs

"So we make our way there then. Martel stay close to us." With that Gale waits for the others to begin to move.

I hurry to catch up to the two. I must agree, with Rorik a good vantage and shelter are excellent ideas.

Spoiler:

Ulthar88 · 10-13-2011, 01:41 PM

In the short time it takes you to walk to the hill and climb it, you can't help but notice that this harsh land is teeming with life. Rorik points out older tracks of antelope and boar, as well as many fresher tracks of small rodents of various types. There is a small set of tracks that confounds you for a moment -- then you trace it to a fist-sized beetle with an iridescent shell and formidable spines. You see a grasshopper the size of your thumb... turns out that's one of the smaller ones. Your footsteps scare up a gray dust-moth the size of your hand -- a foot-long dragonfly rockets through your vision almost too fast to see, leaving two severed moth wings fluttering to the ground. You find a spot where some animal has dug up dormant roots and bulbs; it is apparent that this land is not always so dry. During at least part of the year, it must receive quite a lot more moisture.

On the way to the hill you come across three distinct tracks of larger creatures. Some older tracks are easy to recognize -- even if you had never seen the track of elephants before, this can only be elephant. One set a couple days old is a mystery to you -- it appears to be insect-like, but must be from something the size of a wagon. Finally, the freshest tracks must have been made yesterday -- a cloven-hoofed biped moved perpendicular to your route. Exactly what it was is uncertain, but judging from the spacing and depth, it was distinctly taller than a man and at least twice as heavy.

The climb to the hilltop is easy, but you can already feel the rising heat of the day. Even though it was no exertion, you still have to wipe the sweat from your brow when you reach the top. Gazing around, you see the land has a stark beauty to it.

From this viewpoint, you can see the land rolls very gently and is decorated with hundreds of little hillocks, outcroppings, ravines and gullies. Patches of rough, dry scrub cover the ground as far as you can see. There are trees, as well. From here you can see a few stands of no more than ten or twenty trees each, tall with thin, straight trunks rising to small, sparse tops. They would provide but little shade, but probably the only natural shade available.

The only terrain feature of note lies some four or five miles to the northeast. A flat stretch of lowland runs from roughly north to southeast. In the middle of it is a winding dark smudge that suggests a line of vegetation following the course of a stream or river.

10-12-2011, 04:56 PM	#1
Ulthar88 Join Date: May 2011 Location: high desert plains	[IC] A Stranger Land A Strange Dream You just knew teaming up with those other adventurers was going to mean trouble. But with the unexpected appearance of demons in the area, it seemed like a good idea at the time, especially since they claimed to be demon-hunters. The other guys were on the upper ledge, you were down below when the big horned guy seemed to step out of a rock right behind you. The old wizard shouted something about 'porting you up there and that rogue hurled something silvery at the demon that apparently bothered it a lot -- then it all happens at once... You feel the nauseating tug of teleportation magic at the same time you see the demon do some gating of his own, he is either gating something in or himself out. But then the familiar brief blackness of a teleport overcomes you... except this isn't brief at all... and you are falling! All is blackness and you fall faster and faster -- did that damn spell-slinger 'port you into the clouds? Wait... you feel yourself falling, but there is no whoosh of wind, no movement of your limbs... ah, this must be only a dream! Yes, you can feel yourself waking up. Everything will be okay now... except for that rock under your butt. Wait... what's a rock doing under your butt?

10-12-2011, 04:57 PM	#2
Ulthar88 Join Date: May 2011 Location: high desert plains	Re: [IC] A Stranger Land A Stranger Dawn You wake to find yourself spread-eagled on the ground, draped over your own backpack... ow. You blink open your eyes to a gorgeous, unblemished sky fading from deep purple on one side to a pale turquoise where the sun is just coming up. Or is it going down? No... it's definitely sunrise. As the light creeps up over a horizon ragged like torn parchment, you get the sinking realization that you had not been dreaming at all. The earth beneath you is dry and deeply cracked; despite a slight chill in the air, the ground feels vaguely warm, as if it hadn't enough time to release all the heat of the previous day. It's not entirely barren, however -- patches of prickly scrub and tufts of hardy grasses dot the land like an unruly stubble. The terrain itself might generally be described as flat, but small hillocks and baby ravines are spread liberally around. It is harsh looking country, but doesn't appear to be difficult to survive in or travel through. One thing might worry you, though... the fact that the sun seems to be rising nearly straight up into the sky. As you pick yourself up and stretch the stiffness from your bones, you see your companions doing the same -- two of them are here with you, but others are missing. You have no idea if they were included in that damnable teleport spell or not. When you speak to the others, it sounds odd at first. You could swear it's the same speech you've always had, but it somehow sounds weird, as if you had forgotten what the words sounded like. The spell-caster feels something more. You can't quite put your finger on it, but there is something definitely wrong about how the energies flow through this land. You've certainly never sensed anything like it before. Martel: you realize with a start that your Mana reserve is empty. Wait... it is starting to fill up again, but it doesn't feel like it should. It feels almost like you're pulling on something that wants to pull back. You feel confident that you can use this energy in the familiar ways, but are unsure of what consequences may come from it. (ooc-- As stated, I run skill-based games. Assuming that you are going to try to find out where you are... Rolls are not strictly necessary for mundane investigations. Just tell me what skills/abilities you are using and precisely what you are hoping to discover about your environment.) -- dawn, the wilderness, Ferns 14, 2512 Last edited by Ulthar88; 10-12-2011 at 05:03 PM.

10-12-2011, 05:35 PM	#3
zoncxs Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: earth....I think.	Re: [IC] A Stranger Land "blasted mage!" shouts Gale, standing at 6'1" tall, deep blue eyes, and clad in bronze armor from his days as a soldier, now nothing more than a hunter of sorts seeking thrills where it may be. "How could he have messed up this much! He will be hearing from me when I see him!" He pauses for a moment and looks around. nothing is familiar with where he was last, did they teleport away that far? as these thoughts run through his head he thinks more of what he will do to the mage that is responsible. He begins to check his equipment, making sure nothing was lost. "how are you two coming along?" he asks his allies. Gale sheaths his great sword, Komistí̱s Thánatos, and readies his shield and spear. __________________ Shen Shanlin Cryo Soldier Cris Jedi Zero Agent Chaos Octavian Kreel Last edited by zoncxs; 10-12-2011 at 08:38 PM.

10-13-2011, 08:35 AM	#6
Ulthar88 Join Date: May 2011 Location: high desert plains	Re: [IC] A Stranger Land Looking around, there seems to be nothing even remotely resembling civilization. However, a half mile away you see a rough-edged hillock that juts up at least 50 or 60 feet above anything else you can see. It at least promises a better vantage point. Rorik finds north quick enough, despite some confusion about how the shadows are moving as the sun rises. And then he realizes why... although you are definitely north of the equator, it cannot be much more than a couple hundred miles away. And it doesn't take weathersense to know that this land will feel like the sun's anvil long before noon.

10-13-2011, 08:57 AM	#7
Skullcrusher Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Detroit, Michigan	Re: [IC] A Stranger Land Rorik says,"My friends we need to find shelter quickly unless you want to cook in the midday sun's heat!" Rorik points to the hillock and says, "Let's head to high ground, perhaps we can find shelter amoungst the hills or at least get a better lay of the land." __________________ You can get more with a 2X4 and a kind word then with just a kind word! Randal Kane - Trent Bauer Last edited by Skullcrusher; 10-13-2011 at 09:49 AM.

10-13-2011, 08:59 AM	#8
zoncxs Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: earth....I think.	Re: [IC] A Stranger Land "So we make our way there then. Martel stay close to us." With that Gale waits for the others to begin to move. __________________ Shen Shanlin Cryo Soldier Cris Jedi Zero Agent Chaos Octavian Kreel

10-13-2011, 01:41 PM	#10
Ulthar88 Join Date: May 2011 Location: high desert plains	Re: [IC] A Stranger Land In the short time it takes you to walk to the hill and climb it, you can't help but notice that this harsh land is teeming with life. Rorik points out older tracks of antelope and boar, as well as many fresher tracks of small rodents of various types. There is a small set of tracks that confounds you for a moment -- then you trace it to a fist-sized beetle with an iridescent shell and formidable spines. You see a grasshopper the size of your thumb... turns out that's one of the smaller ones. Your footsteps scare up a gray dust-moth the size of your hand -- a foot-long dragonfly rockets through your vision almost too fast to see, leaving two severed moth wings fluttering to the ground. You find a spot where some animal has dug up dormant roots and bulbs; it is apparent that this land is not always so dry. During at least part of the year, it must receive quite a lot more moisture. On the way to the hill you come across three distinct tracks of larger creatures. Some older tracks are easy to recognize -- even if you had never seen the track of elephants before, this can only be elephant. One set a couple days old is a mystery to you -- it appears to be insect-like, but must be from something the size of a wagon. Finally, the freshest tracks must have been made yesterday -- a cloven-hoofed biped moved perpendicular to your route. Exactly what it was is uncertain, but judging from the spacing and depth, it was distinctly taller than a man and at least twice as heavy. The climb to the hilltop is easy, but you can already feel the rising heat of the day. Even though it was no exertion, you still have to wipe the sweat from your brow when you reach the top. Gazing around, you see the land has a stark beauty to it. From this viewpoint, you can see the land rolls very gently and is decorated with hundreds of little hillocks, outcroppings, ravines and gullies. Patches of rough, dry scrub cover the ground as far as you can see. There are trees, as well. From here you can see a few stands of no more than ten or twenty trees each, tall with thin, straight trunks rising to small, sparse tops. They would provide but little shade, but probably the only natural shade available. The only terrain feature of note lies some four or five miles to the northeast. A flat stretch of lowland runs from roughly north to southeast. In the middle of it is a winding dark smudge that suggests a line of vegetation following the course of a stream or river.