From: Paul, Brett Subject: Bamf [11] Off the sandbar, into the drink [Admin stuff: I think we are back on schedule now. The reason I had asked for a leader was not necessarily for the sake of the group, but rather for the sake of the flow of the game. I'd like there to be someone whom I can ask, "Well, what have you decided. Will you return to the island immediately, wait until morning, or go a different direction?" This is useful to me so that I can move the story along without having to ask everyone, and get differing opinions on what you want to do. I realize there are seven of you, and opinions will vary, but I need someone to decide which option will be taken. For you landlubbers, the port side of the ship is the left side.] New stuff: As the weary group sits uncomfortably in the battered sailboat, the ocean waves slowly begin to nibble away the sandbar a few inches at a time. While time passes, you sit in the boat talking, mending the sail, and looking into the surrounding, bleak mists. The impenetrable blackness of the enclosing sea begins to take away the only steadiness the boat has known on this maiden voyage. Soon, the sailboat begins to nudge its way back to the sea, as though it longs to have the deep, black water beneath its hull. You pull free of the disappearing sandbar and are once again enveloped in a darkness that seems to push in against you, despite the boundless openness of the gloomy waters. The wind is still, and the boat begins to drift, the water's current like unseen hands pulling you along without your control or consent. The only guidance you can see is the barely-visible light from the familiar island. It is drifting further away, becoming hidden and indistinct in the haze to the southwest. As you drift along, a sense of panic rises within you, a sense that you are not in control. As you prepare to make use of the oars, a loud, wood-splintering crack is heard as the boat jumps upward suddenly. John, who is standing with his feet on the worn boards that make up the hull, takes in a sharp breath, jumps in surprise and looks down abruptly. The impact on the boat felt to him like something had struck his feet. A shiver races through his body as he feels a cold liquid flow over his feet. He steps back quickly, with a low moan of fear, bumping into Saif. The board of the hull is clearly broken. The water of the sea, as cold as death, seeps in relentlessly, mercilessly. As you look at the hull and wonder, some out loud, what could have caused such damage, another violent jolt is felt, closer to the fore. With the jolt, the sound of cracking wood is again heard, though this time it is muffled by the cabin. A huge, segmented dark arm with a spear-tipped end and a hard, armored casing emerges suddenly from out of the black depths, spraying water into the air on the port side of the ship. Just as quickly as you recognize this, a second arm appears on the port side, and at the same time, three arms appear on the starboard side of the ship. The arms grab inward and wrap themselves on the hull of the already damaged sailboat. This fearsome sight quickly becomes terrifying as the two final arms of this giant crab-like crustacean emerge from the water, one on each side of the sailboat. Each of these mammoth arms end in a huge, menacing claw that snaps blindly at the rigging, at anything else foolish enough to come too close. Vibrations are felt through the boat as the creature gnaws hungrily at the wood of the hull, hoping to find the soft, meaty center of its catch. The hull creaks and pops loudly as the boat is being compressed from all sides against the giant crab's shell. The mast and sail swing precariously back and forth. Wood around the legs of the crab is being splintered and crushed under the tremendous force being applied. [ It would appear there are dangers hidden within the sea. This is the first combat of the game, hopefully not the last. Please let me know what you are attempting to do at this point, and perhaps give me some idea what you will do after that. in AD&D terms, maybe a couple rounds of planning, so that this combat can run as quickly as possible. Combat in a PBeM tends to be a slower affair, but there's no reason for it to take ungodly long (no offense, Brady). Feel free to continue the other threads started while you were sitting on the sandbar. I am assuming that you had enough time for a good conversation while you were there. Please keep those under Bamf 10, though, to keep our threads straight. Thanks! If you are not sure if there is anything left to discuss, think about this - Going by introduction threads, Dana was in internship, which ended at the end of June. Brady's girlfriend, Kelli, was in Colorado with him, which happened in July. Obviously, you are all from the same planet, but not exactly the same time. And no, you don't have any unlicensed particle accelerators. ] ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Off the sandbar, into the drink > Please let me > know what you are attempting to do at this point, and perhaps give me > some idea what you will do after that… in AD&D terms, maybe a couple > rounds of planning, so that this combat can run as quickly as possible. Saif pulls out his unlicensed particle accelerator and... > And no, you don't have any unlicensed particle accelerators. ] Darn. Saif goes to plan "B". Since nobody claimed the hatchet and he found it I guess he still has it. He'll find a nearby joint in the crab's shell and start trying to open it, hacking away for all he's worth. If he can get near the main shell (or more precisely the seam between the two main shells) he'll work there. "Watch out for people getting knocked overboard! We don't want to loose anybody out here!" Saif ---------- From: John D. Proulx[SMTP:dewelar@ix.netcom.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Off the sandbar, into the drink Paul, Brett wrote: > > A huge, segmented dark arm with a spear-tipped end and a hard, armored > casing emerges suddenly from out of the black depths, spraying water > into the air on the port side of the ship. Just as quickly as you > recognize this, a second arm appears on the port side, and at the same > time, three arms appear on the starboard side of the ship. The arms > grab inward and wrap themselves on the hull of the already damaged > sailboat. This fearsome sight quickly becomes terrifying as the two > final arms of this giant crab-like crustacean emerge from the water, one > on each side of the sailboat. Each of these mammoth arms end in a huge, > menacing claw that snaps blindly at the rigging, at anything else > foolish enough to come too close. > Since I was one of the oarsmen previously, I will assume that I still have my oar. I will attempt to use it to keep the claws from completely destroying the rigging. I will be out of town until Sunday night, so this will be my last post to this game until then. -- John Proulx ---------- From: Adequis@aol.com[SMTP:Adequis@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Off the sandbar, into the drink I Start praying for protection and the ability to hack off this leg right here in front of me as I take the sword and start swinging. I am aiming for the joint so that I MIGHT be able to hack through and remove atleast one of these legs. If I succeed at that I will move onto another one. If I do not succeed I will attempt to find a long relatively pointy and heavy item (maybe the mast if it get knocked down and jam it down into the sea to hit this thing somewhere where it hurts hoping to knock it loose. If that doesn't work I will try to summon an unlicensed particle accelerator. ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Off the sandbar, into the drink "Well, I don't think I'm going to be very useful right now." Greg swims off a little way, keeping an eye on all the other members of the group. If they go under, I'll swim down and try to retrieve them and get them to some drifting wood. "At least we shouldn't have any losses to drowning. "Hey, Dana!" he yells loudly, "I don't suppose you'd have any natural affinity toward a creature like this. Maybe calm him down, or something?" Greg ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Off the sandbar, into the drink > "Well, I don't think I'm going to be very useful right now." > > Greg swims off a little way, keeping an eye on all the other members of the > group. If they go under, I'll swim down and try to retrieve them and get them > to some drifting wood. Catching sight of Greg in the water Saif yells "Be careful out there! There may be more than one! Or perhaps there's some 'little' scavenger down there waiting for scraps." Saif ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Off the sandbar, into the drink In a message dated 97-07-11 04:52:56 EDT, gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com (Greg Thomas Dinkelman) writes: > "Hey, Dana!" he yells loudly, "I don't suppose you'd have any natural affinity > toward a creature like this. Maybe calm him down, or something?" [I was just wondering about that possibility considering all the talk about new-found powers.] "Most of my experience is with furry, warm-blooded critters but its worth a try. Maybe if I try to impart images of lots of melted lemon butter into its mind, it will get scared and leave." >grin< "Hmmmm...." Trying to think quickly...."what would prey on crabs? What would be _in this area_ that would prey on crabs?? Shoot! I wish I had travelled to the east coast more. Umm... umm, sea otters? No, that's west coast. Bigger crabs? Sharks? Egads, no! we don't want that! Umm... Birds!! Sea birds! Like gulls, maybe? Don't they peck at crabs and things at low tide?? At least its something non-marine that I'm more familiar with.... Okay, here goes nothing...." Closing my eyes, trying not to fall overboard (I don't recall us bringing any life jackets on board and I'm not the best swimmer so if I do go over.... PLEASE RESCUE ME!!! :) Conjuring up images of sea gulls, lots of them.... imagining their cries, seeing them swooping around, diving at food, pecking at the crab's legs and body. Calling out with my mind and my voice to any sea gulls around "Lots of food, guys and gulls!! Lots of food - fresh crab!! Come and get it! Here birdie, birdie, birdie!!" (I'd attempt a whistle, too, but that might scare them off. :) ::I'll keep trying to summon gulls until the situation gets truly desperate - ie the boat is capsized or starts sinking or I am thrown overboard, in which case I'll find a piece of wood to hold onto and hope I don't become crab food. If the crab attacks me, I'll whack on it with whatever I can grab - my driftwood staff, belaying pin, oar, etc.:: Dana ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Amendment [Guess I read this wrong the first time. :)] I am NOT going into the water if I don't have to unless someone else goes in first. I will keep a watch out for anyone that does get knocked over or otherwise gets sent into the drink, and will try to fish them out if possible, going in to grab anyone that looks injured or unconscious. Greg ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [11] Amendment > [Guess I read this wrong the first time. :)] > > I am NOT going into the water if I don't have to unless someone else goes in > first. I will keep a watch out for anyone that does get knocked over or > otherwise gets sent into the drink, and will try to fish them out if possible, > going in to grab anyone that looks injured or unconscious. Oops. Forget my comments then too. Saif