From: Paul, Brett Subject: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness [Go ahead... try to figure out the title of this post. I'm not even sure *I* know what it means. :) ] Marshall looks towards the approaching birds, trying to assist their arrival by making use of the wind. He furrows his brow and concentrates, but can't seem to find his place among nature, unable to reproduce the effect that happened as you were leaving the docks. No wind comes to the aid of the birds. However, he doesn't lose heart, as the birds are approaching quickly and will be here to aid you soon. You hope. As he loses his concentration on the task of moving the wind, he sees motion out of the corner of his eye. As he looks towards the motion, he sees the crab's claw on the port side of the boat lunge at John again, missing him, but not by much. As the crab swung its claw forward, it shifted its hold on the boat, moving each of its legs quickly. Unfortunately for Saif, it was the moment he had chosen to attack. Again, splinters fly off the side of the boat. Jeff appears to crouch somewhat, peering intently into the black water. Suddenly, he lunges forward towards the water, as if seeing something. With a yell, he attacks with his bare hand. To his surprise, the crab moves his claw quickly, almost as if to protect itself. Unable to stop his momentum, Jeff attacks the claw itself with a claw of his own. With a loud, splitting *crack*, he penetrates the shell of the crab with his fingers, and punches through the meat within. Jeff withdraws his hand quickly, noting a slight pain in his fingers and a cut along his wrist from the jagged edge of the crab's pierced armor. He moves back towards the center of the boat with a stunned look on his face as bright red blood flows across his hand and onto the deck. The crab swings its claw towards where Jeff had been standing moments before, and finds nothing but salty, sea air. Its other claw seems to be suspended in the air, as though the crab has forgotten it has two of them. Seeing an opportunity, Brady swings mightily with the sword, striking the joint of the claw. [ooc: critical hit] The sword is momentarily stuck inside the shell of the crab's claw. Brady twists the blade quickly and pushes the claw towards the boat. With a final popping sound, the top of the claw is severed, and clatters on the deck of the sailboat, oozing a dark liquid that begins to blend with the sea water covering the bottom of the boat. Dana looks up from the scene to the birds she summoned. She points at the crab, now damaged and trying to retreat. "Look! Food!" she calls to them. The three huge birds look directly at her for a moment as they ride light currents of air towards the boat. One of the birds lifts an ear-piercing screech, and looks back. Dana is filled with an odd feeling in her body. It is not painful, neither is it unwelcome. It is a feeling she can only describe as … appreciation. The birds turn their heads towards the damaged crab, and the feeling within Dana subsides. The large seabirds begin to dive at the water near the base of the boat, attacking the crab ferociously. You see them pick at the legs, at the claws, sometimes dragging the crab back towards the surface of the water. As they fly upwards, you can see strings of meat hanging from their beaks, which quickly disappears into their mouths. The struggling of the crab diminishes as the birds repeatedly find their mark. In almost no time, the whole crab is exposed at the surface of the water, the birds having already broken through its softer back-shell. Finally getting a look at the thing that attacked the ship, you wonder why you are still afloat. The crab's shell is wider than the wingspan of these great birds who have assisted you, by at least a foot from point to point. It's black, emotionless eyes grow distant as life leaves it. The birds continue to break off pieces of the shell, exposing the meat inside. One of the birds dives at the remains of the crab and grabs a piece of meat delicately in its beak. It then flies over the boat and drops the meat onto the deck. It looks again at Dana, and Dana feels some sort of strange feeling (she has never felt this before, she will later explain) wash over her. With that, the three birds fly off into the surrounding mists. The remains of the crab disappear slowly into the murky depths. The light of the lighthouse is distant, but visible. You are able to point the boat in that direction and make your way slowly in that direction using mostly oars, but helped by the occasional light breeze. Feeling uncertain as to whether it was his ability to make the wind rise up or not, Marshall attempts once more to propel the small craft across the dark water. He stands in the middle of the boat. The rest of the group is hushed. You can hear the gentle lapping of water on the bottom of the boat. The water within the boat has made your feet cold and wet. This cold feeling permeates through your body, and you begin to shiver. Then, the breeze picks up, pushing the boat along in the water. It blows more and more strongly, until you are moving quickly towards the island, towards the docks, towards knowledge of Cassandra's fate. Bailing the boat along the way, you remain afloat. Marshall is able to sustain the wind until you get to the docking area, where he falls backward into the water covering the bottom of the boat, exhausted, sweat covering his face. Looking around, you see no sign of the undead, though their smell remains behind. As you reach the dock, you see a glint of metal on the dock, a gold coin, seeming to be waiting for your return. You get out of the boat, and pull it to shore. Jeff's cut is minor, and has stopped bleeding. You pull the boat to shore, knowing that if you leave it here, it will surely sink again. Looking cautiously around the island, you see footprints in the sand leading in every direction. Some lead to the lighthouse. Some to the house. Some are barefoot and others are from shoes. Marshall is completely worn out, and needs help walking. As you approach the lighthouse, you hear a loud POP and suddenly everything around you grows dark. Looking up, you see a cascade of sparks falling down from the top of the lighthouse. The lighthouse's light is dead. As you approach the lighthouse, you notice that the door is closed. As you grow nearer, you see scrapes and hack marks in the door. You try to open it, but it does not budge for any of you. Cassandra is not in the house. In the distance, far to the east, beyond the lapping of the waves, you hear a quiet, mournful tolling bell. The rest of the night proceeds quietly for you, and in the morning, you estimate it will take a matter of five to six hours to repair the boat so that it is sail-able. Marshall is feeling fatigued, and Dana slept very, very soundly for slightly longer than 10 hours. Your supplies are somewhat depleted, but the crab meat is actually edible. The artesian well continues to flow, providing you with fresh water. Once the sun rises, the seemingly ever-present fog lifts. Jeff notes that his fingers are still a bit sore, but definitely feel better than they did yesterday night. [Well, you're back on the island. The crab is dead, Cassandra is nowhere to be seen, and Marshall is exhausted (at least until he sleeps). Questions remain - what of the coins on the dock? Where do you go from here? Anything else you'd like to do or try? Please open up the lines of communication. Give more than a couple words to get your reply in to me just to get it out of the way (I don't want to single anybody out). After all, I take the time to give a few descriptive paragraphs. (I know, I know, I'm the GM... it's my job, after all, and I shouldn't complain) Postulate. Theorize. Discuss. Then plan… Have fun! Next post goes out Friday (God willing). :) - Brett ] ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness > quickly. Unfortunately for Saif, it was the moment he had chosen to > attack. Again, splinters fly off the side of the boat. * We might just make it out of here, if I can avoid chopping a hole through the boat in the process. :) > The light of the lighthouse is distant, but visible. You are able to > point the boat in that direction and make your way slowly in that > direction using mostly oars, but helped by the occasional light breeze. As we make our way back to the island Saif walks over next to Jeff. "Here, let me see that." He examines the wound for a moment. "Not too deep, but it will need to be taken care of. Do you mind playing the guinea pig for a moment? I'm going to try and heal your wound using... non-conventional means." Saif puts his hand over the cut and closes his eyes. He starts concentrating, envisioning the skin, muscles, and blood network around the wound. Once he is focused he begins thinking of the muscle drawing back together, the capillaries re-joining, and the skin fusing back into place. He thinks about an increased blood flow to the area to aid in the healing, and especially about lots of white blood cells rushing to the area to deal with any infection. After about a minute he draws his hand away and looks to see if anything has happened. If not, he'll try it for two more minutes. If something happens he'll smile and say "Good as new! Well, almost." If nothing happens, he shrugs and puts a simple dressing on the wound. "You'll need to be sure and clean that out with soap when we get back. If there is any hydrogen peroxide in the house you should use that too." > of the lighthouse. The lighthouse's light is dead. As you approach the > lighthouse, you notice that the door is closed. As you grow nearer, you > see scrapes and hack marks in the door. You try to open it, but it does > not budge for any of you. "Well, we've seen mage, drudic, and (if my thing worked) psionic powers. Anybody want to try their hand at thief skills?" (OOC: Sorry, but I can't remember who it was up on the tower when we got here. I address that person.) "X, do you think you could climb up the tower and get in through one of the windows?" > [Well, you're back on the island. The crab is dead, Cassandra is > nowhere to be seen, and Marshall is exhausted (at least until he > sleeps). Questions remain - what of the coins on the dock? I am quite interested in them. Are they still there? > Where do you go from here? Anywhere as long as it is before nightfall! > Anything else you'd like to do or try? Yes. At a few points during the day (when we are taking a break from working on the boat) Saif wants to try a few things. He tries to move small, light objects using telekinesis. He'll try to light a small scrap of paper on fire by thinking about all the molecules moving faster. I'll also try ESP at some point, but before I do that I want to check with the person I want to try it on. Oh, and also I'd like to take a small piece of wood from the boat, where I was chopping. I'll wrap it in a cloth to keep as a momento. Finally, I want to start work on a jury-rigged first aid kit. I'll cut up sheets to make cravats, try to find some clean linen and boil them (sterilize) to make dressings, etc. I'll look for something to put the stuff in, even if it is a pillow case. Later all, Saif ---------- From: Marshall T. Vandegrift[SMTP:marsh@intrlink.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness >[Go ahead... try to figure out the title of this post. I'm not even >sure *I* know what it means. :) ] It wouldn't happen to be related to the _Left Hand of Darkness,_ would it? No? I didn't think so. :-) >[Well, you're back on the island. The crab is dead, Cassandra is >nowhere to be seen, and Marshall is exhausted (at least until he >sleeps). Questions remain - what of the coins on the dock? Where do >you go from here? Anything else you'd like to do or try? Please open >up the lines of communication. Give more than a couple words to get >your reply in to me just to get it out of the way (I don't want to >single anybody out). After all, I take the time to give a few >descriptive paragraphs. (I know, I know, I'm the GM... it's my job, >after all, and I shouldn't complain) Postulate. Theorize. Discuss. >Then plan. Marshall, yawning and occasionally shaking his head, says "Since the undead aren't here, maybe they think they chased us off. That first time they passed might have being like a scouting patrol. When they saw people here they dropped the coins and when we picked them up they were able to home right in on us. Just in case it's something like that, I don't think we should touch the coins. Even if it is the coins that lets them find us, I agree with Saif that we should probably get out of here by nightfall. Now, if nobody minds, I think I'll get a little rest." Marshall then proceeds to go lay down in the bed and go to sleep. (Assuming I wake up before the next turn.) Like Saif, I'd like to fiddle around a little and see what I can do. Not having any idea what sort of things are possible, first I'd like to see how specifically I can control the wind (tiny bursts, pushing things, etc.) and try to figure out how much effort it uses. Since, so far, what I can do seems to be related to the air, I'd like to see if I can alter how the air reflects/absorbs light (illusions). Since I don't want to become too tired again, I'll stop with that. Marshall T. Vandegrift (mailto:marsh@intrlink.com) ---------- From: Jeff Willis[SMTP:thor@bji.net] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness >[Well, you're back on the island. The crab is dead, Cassandra is >nowhere to be seen, and Marshall is exhausted (at least until he >sleeps). Questions remain - what of the coins on the dock? Where do >you go from here? Anything else you'd like to do or try? Please open >up the lines of communication. Give more than a couple words to get >your reply in to me just to get it out of the way (I don't want to >single anybody out). After all, I take the time to give a few >descriptive paragraphs. (I know, I know, I'm the GM... it's my job, >after all, and I shouldn't complain) Postulate. Theorize. Discuss. >Then plan. Okay first, Jeff looks at his hand after it went through the crab's shell. A claw? (My question, was this an actual claw, or just my visualisation? And is it just me or is that cut healing faster than normal? :If it is... no one needs to heal me. When we get back to the island I'll tell everyone about what happened and what I think is happening... (Brett, you'll have to give me a little more detail, if you would? :) ) :Oh, and if it does seem that I have some sort of regenerative abilities, How is my back feeling? (My old army injury?) ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] "Marshall, why don't you stay with the boat and get some rest. "Okay, now who has the hatchet. Maybe we can chop through the lighthouse door and find out what happened to the light." I also look around to the members of our little fellowship. "Well, Marshall seems to be manifesting some form of affinity to nature; Dana seems to be attuned to at least some wildlife; Brady's our cleric; and Jeff seems to have absorbed every Bruce Lee movie ever made. Well, John, I guess that leaves you and me. "I'm in good shape right now, so when we need to work on the boat, I should be able to do any heavy lifting necessary. Do we have any pitch left over to repair the thing? We'll probably have to scavenge some boards from the dock here or the lighthouse, use the pitch to seal the cracks, and nail the boards on. Ideally, we want to nail the boards to the outside of the hull, so that the water will actually help hold it together when it pushes against the patch. "Oh, and I'd recommend cooking up that crab meat this morning. Seafood is notorious for going bad quickly; and I don't want to get a nasty case of food poisoning out on the open sea. "If we're lucky we can get everything together and ready to go by noontime or so. That'll give us about 6 hours before nightfall to get where we want to go." Now which way did we think the closest land was? Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The gold coin "Saif, was it you that had that other coin held out from the sack?" "Anyway, Brady can you concentrate and see if there's any malicious aura associated with the coin. I think that'd be a religious function, right?" I shrug. "Yeah, it's a stupid idea, but you never know. Oh, and the canteen's filled with the blessed water, right? If not, we've got the well right here, and you never know when it'll come in handy." Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Brady, cleric-type extraordinaire "I was thinking, also, Brady that you might want to see if you can heal Jeff's hand. (Or anyone else's assorted wounds.) If you can't, we don't lose out, but if you can, then we know that you've got a potentially life-saving talent." Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Talents [OOC: I've tried to break up my responses this time. There's a lot of stuff to discuss here, and I figured it would follow more easily in threads.] "Nice job with the birds, Dana! That probably really saved our hides. That water was too cold to want to make a mile swim through. "On another note, it probably wouldn't hurt to find out what types of extra-curricular talents we might have picked up on this world. Some of us--Dana, Brady, Jeff, and Marshall--seem to be figuring it out. That leaves Saif, John, and I. "At any rate, it seems to have a debilitating effect on at least Dana and Marshall. Brady, you don't seem to have suffered any major forms of fatigue, but you haven't really been pushing some things. Jeff didn't seem any more fatigued than normal. In fact, you almost seem like you've added an increased healing rate. That looked like a nasty cut last night. Jagged chitin can cut almost as well as anything. "As for me, I don't know. Maybe something to do with music, but I don't have an instrument out here, and definitely don't have a singing voice. Unless you like country. :)" Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Side note While we're back in the house looking for things, I'm looking for some cloth that I can cut in strips about 4 inches wide and about 15 inches long. I'll try to get three of them to be used as slings. (It's always better to not have to makeshift. I can use my t-shirt, but irregularities in it mess up the accuracy.) I'll also try to make myself a little pouch and then collect about a dozen or so smooth round stones about golf ball sized to use in the sling. I'll keep one of the new slings in my belt, the others, I'll store with the gear. I should also have the hammock from before, right? Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Cassandra's fate Think we should have some kind of memorial service? Greg ---------- From: Jeff Willis[SMTP:thor@bji.net] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Brady, cleric-type extraordinaire >>"I was thinking, also, Brady that you might want to see if you can heal Jeff's hand. (Or anyone else's assorted wounds.) If >>you can't, we don't lose out, but if you can, then we know that you've got a >>potentially life-saving talent." > "Actually, I don't think I need healing... Look at it... it's closing up before my eyes... healing over. Oh, and my back, I hurt it in the army... that's why I left, it's been bothering me ever since... but I just realized that even with the straining it's perfectly fine... in fact better than ever." ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The gold coin > "Saif, was it you that had that other coin held out from the sack?" "Yes, I still have it." > "Anyway, Brady can you concentrate and see if there's any malicious aura > associated with the coin. I think that'd be a religious function, right?" I > shrug. "Yeah, it's a stupid idea, but you never know. Oh, and the canteen's > filled with the blessed water, right? If not, we've got the well right here, > and you never know when it'll come in handy." Saif gives the coin to Brady and lets him scan it. "We might also want to try pouring a little of the blessed water on it." Saif ---------- From: Paul, Brett Subject: RE: Bamf [13] Repairing the boat >Do we have any pitch left over to repair the thing? Yes, you do. >Ideally, we want to nail the boards to the outside of the hull, so that the >water will actually help hold it together when it pushes against the patch. That would probably take some extra time, due to the locations of the repair sites. You would have to pull the boat onto the sand (there isn't a handy dry dock) and tip it over. >"If we're lucky we can get everything together and ready to go by noontime or >so. Probably more like 2:00, unless you don't mind sacrificing some sleep to get it done. >That'll give us about 6 hours before nightfall to get where we want to go." You'll still have about 5 hours of light/twilight, but that would be pushing it. >Greg - Brett ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Cassandra's fate > Think we should have some kind of memorial service? > > Greg "Let's see if she is dead first." Saif responds. "I still have the hatchet, but I think we should destroy the door only as a last resort. If we do end up stuck on this island another night the lighthouse seems like the most defensible place, but that would be compromised if the door was busted." If nobody is able to get into the lighthouse any other way (has anybody looked for keys? is there even a keyhole?) after about 3 hours, Saif will help to chop down the door. Saif ---------- From: Paul, Brett Subject: RE: Bamf [13] Side note >While we're back in the house looking for things, I'm looking for some cloth >that I can cut in strips about 4 inches wide and about 15 inches long. Between slings and first aid, so much for the sheets. >I'll also try to make myself a little pouch and then collect about a dozen or >so smooth round stones about golf ball sized to use in the sling. Ok. >I should also have the hammock from before, right? Right. >Greg - Brett ---------- From: Paul, Brett Subject: RE: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness >Saif puts his hand over the cut [in Jeff's arm] and closes his eyes. He >starts concentrating, envisioning the skin, muscles, and blood network around the wound. Once he is focused he begins thinking of the muscle drawing >back together, the capillaries re-joining, and the skin fusing back into >place. He thinks about an increased blood flow to the area to aid in the >healing, and especially about lots of white blood cells rushing to the area >to deal with any infection. > >After about a minute he draws his hand away and looks to see if anything >has happened. If not, he'll try it for two more minutes. You try for a few minutes more after your initial attempt, and nothing seems to be changed about his arm. (OOC: Sorry, but I can't remember who it was up on the tower when we got >here. I address that person.) I believe that would be Brady with his climbing gear. >>what of the coins on the dock? >I am quite interested in them. Are they still there? Looking around in the area where Brady threw the coins, you are able to find 25 of the gold coins. Adding to this the one kept out earlier, and the one on the dock, there are only a few missing. >At a few points during the day (when we are taking a break from >working on the boat) Saif wants to try a few things. He tries to move >small, light objects using telekinesis. You concentrate, trying to visualize the object floating through the air. You close your eyes and focus your energy on the object (one of the strips of cloth). You imagine it rising up through the air... floating... Greg, who handed you the strip of cloth, says, "Hey! It's working! You're making it move!" You open your eyes and see the piece of cloth hovering lightly and uncertainly in the air between you and Greg. The realization that it works breaks your concentration, and it drops back to the sand. >He'll try to light a small scrap of paper on fire by thinking about all the >molecules moving faster. You concentrate again, focusing your energy on the paper, visualizing it burning. You open your eyes after some time, only to find that the paper is unaffected. >I'll also try ESP at some point, but before I do that I want to check with >the >person I want to try it on. Let me know who you would like to try it on. >I'll look for something to put the [first aid] stuff in, even if it is a >pillow case. A pillowcase is available. :) >Saif - Brett ---------- From: Paul, Brett Subject: RE: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness >>[Go ahead... try to figure out the title of this post. I'm not even >>sure *I* know what it means. :) ] > >It wouldn't happen to be related to the _Left Hand of Darkness,_ would it? >No? I didn't think so. :-) No, it's a little more convoluted than that. >I'd like to see how specifically I can control the wind (tiny bursts, pushing >things, etc.) You try tiny bursts, and nothing seems to happen. Then, you attempt pushing against something... looking around, you see the sail lying in the sand, the tipped-over boat, the shutters on the house. Deciding that the least harm would come if you tried moving the sail (the shutters might break, and people are working on the tipped-over boat), you push it around a little with the wind. You are able to pick it up into the air, spinning it around a couple times, and set it back down on the ground in a small cloud of sand! >and try to figure out how much effort it uses. By doing this, you feel a little exerted (like running up a couple flights of stairs), but you aren't as tired as you were when you got back to the dock yesterday. >I'd like to see if I can alter how the air reflects/absorbs light >(illusions). Once you catch your breath again, you begin to use your wind control to try to change the appearance of the air. Unfortunately, you only succeed in lifting some sand into the air, and into Dana's eyes (which can get really annoying when you're wearing contacts). Once this happens, you quit trying. :) >Marshall - Brett ---------- From: John D. Proulx[SMTP:dewelar@ix.netcom.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness Looking around at all that has occured, John decides that the sooner the boat is repaired the better. As he works on the boat, you notice that he is strangely quiet. The only thing he comments on all morning is the idea of a memorial service for Cassandra. "Aye, Greg, I think that's an excellent idea," he says. "If you can handle the repairs, I'll prepare a bit of a speech, and maybe Brady can lead us in prayer." Depending on the response, he either continues to work on the boat or pulls out his pen and paper and begins writing a poem in Cassandra's memory. John Proulx ---------- From: Dinkeldog@aol.com[SMTP:Dinkeldog@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Repairing the boat In a message dated 97-07-16 16:12:05 EDT, Brett_Paul@kne.com (Paul, Brett) writes: << >Ideally, we want to nail the boards to the outside of the hull, so that the >water will actually help hold it together when it pushes against the patch. That would probably take some extra time, due to the locations of the repair sites. You would have to pull the boat onto the sand (there isn't a handy dry dock) and tip it over. >"If we're lucky we can get everything together and ready to go by noontime or >so. Probably more like 2:00, unless you don't mind sacrificing some sleep to get it done. >> Personally, I'd like to get the thing together and get off this island before nightfall, and hopefully away from an area where more giant crabs can try to find the meat inside the boat's hull. If that means sacrificing sleep early, I'd say sacrifice it early, and sleep during the boat trip. Oh, and how deep is the draft on the boat again? Greg ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Talents In a message dated 97-07-16 13:47:09 EDT, gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com (Greg Thomas Dinkelman) writes: > "As for me, I don't know. Maybe something to do with music, but I don't > have an > instrument out here, and definitely don't have a singing voice. Unless you > like country. :)" "NO!!!!!! NOT COUNTRY!!!!" Dana runs screaming for cover.... :) ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Cassandra's memorial service In a message dated 97-07-16 19:37:56 EDT, dewelar@ix.netcom.com (John D. Proulx) writes: > The only thing he comments on all morning is > the idea of a memorial service for Cassandra. I personally would like to think that she got zapped back into her own world - *our* old world. We have found no evidence of her demise or injury (right Mr. GM?) so why should we assume that the sailors got her? Maybe her ability was to teleport or go invisible or just to simply return from whence she came. On the other hand, she *is* no longer 'with us' so I guess a "memorial service" wouldn't be out of line. Not that we have too many memories to go on, but what the heck. If it'll make people feel better...... I'll go try to find some flowers that we can toss into the ocean in her memory and hopes for her safe arrival somewhere else. Dana ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The gold coin - treasure hunting? In a message dated 97-07-16 15:03:41 EDT, saif@xmission.com (Saif) writes: > > "Saif, was it you that had that other coin held out from the sack?" > "Yes, I still have it." No wonder the undead came after us!!! :) But they also left the other coins on the beach so perhaps they were'nt after the coins after all..... Begs the question of what they *were* after though...... I wish we had time to scout and scour the island for any sign of buried treasure...... Hmmmm... what kind of animal life did we see here, anyway?? If there are anything like mice or rats or small rodents of any sort, I'll try to communicate with them and see if any of them have found more shiny things buried in the sand. Some birds collect bright shiny objects, too. I'll try the same thing with any birds that look like they nest on the island. Dana ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Side note In a message dated 97-07-16 13:52:12 EDT, gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com (Greg Thomas Dinkelman) writes: > While we're back in the house looking for things, I'm looking for some > cloth that I can cut in strips about 4 inches wide and > about 15 inches long. Speaking of that first aid kit Saif was putting together (okay so it was in another post), it may not be a bad idea to take some lengths of individual threads from the sheets to make suture material. They should be made of linen or cotton, either of which would make decent suture in a pinch. If we boil them wrapped inside little packets of bandaging material like Saif wants to do, they should stay fairly "sterile". Dana ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] cooking seafood In a message dated 97-07-16 13:23:56 EDT, gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com (Greg Thomas Dinkelman) writes: > Oh, and I'd recommend cooking up that crab meat this morning. "I can at least cook up the crab for dinner" (I hope its not too late by the time I get up.) Too bad we don't have any butter, unless someone wants to try conjuring it up. Or maybe I can try to summon a dairy cow." :) > Seafood is notorious for going bad quickly; and I don't want to get a nasty case of > food poisoning out on the open sea. "Amen to that one, Greg. It wouldn't be very easy to hang it over the gunnels, especially if the sea is choppy. Besides, a person can dehydrate real fast that way and we'll have limited water supplies once we go back out in the boat." Dana ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Repairing the boat In a message dated 97-07-16 20:48:26 EDT, Dinkeldog writes: > Personally, I'd like to get the thing together and get off this island > before nightfall, >snip< If that means sacrificing sleep > early, I'd say sacrifice it early, and sleep during the boat trip. I'd tend to agree that staying on the island is inviting trouble. I'm not sure we could do much to fight off all those undead sailors effectively. I had a thought about soaking the ground in some area, running the wiring into it, and luring the bad guys onto it in the hopes of electroculting them. Not sure if it would work or even if it could be attempted. With the lighthouse light blown out now, we wouldn't have to worry about ruining our only guide point. Then again, going back out onto the sea brings its own hazards. Of course, if we leave before it gets dark, especially if we leave before 9pm or so, we should be well on our way to the other shoreline before the big bad ship comes huffing at our boat again. Dana ---------- From: Marshall T. Vandegrift[SMTP:marsh@intrlink.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Repairing the boat Greg, sorry about you getting this twice. >Personally, I'd like to get the thing together and get off this island before >nightfall, and hopefully away from an area where more giant crabs can try to >find the meat inside the boat's hull. If that means sacrificing sleep early, >I'd say sacrifice it early, and sleep during the boat trip. "Since I'm already sleeping [snore :-) ] I'll just go ahead and sleep while the boat is being repaired. Then, while just about everyone else is sleeping, I'll augment the normal wind to get us where ever we're going as fast as possible. "By the way, where are we going?" Marshall T. Vandegrift (mailto:marsh@intrlink.com) ---------- From: Adequis@aol.com[SMTP:Adequis@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] Brady, cleric-type extraordinaire In a message dated 97-07-16 13:31:39 EDT, gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com (Greg Thomas Dinkelman) writes: << "I was thinking, also, Brady that you might want to see if you can heal Jeff's hand. (Or anyone else's assorted wounds.) If you can't, we don't lose out, but if you can, then we know that you've got a potentially life-saving talent." >> I will try to heal Jeff's hand and also any other injuries that came up in the battle. I will also attempt to detect evil on the coin. I also have another Idea if we can't get off this island tonight, I coudl try to do the whole rite of a circle of protection against evil/undead, just need a circle, maybe some iron shavings(preferably cooled) possibly some candles, holy water, and alot of concentration. It might work. ---------- From: Adequis@aol.com[SMTP:Adequis@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness Okay, so we have some wierd abilities... Some really wierd creatures... wierd undead sailors... Does anybody else find this a little... wierd? I have a few things I would like to try, one I would like to attempt to comprehend what the sign is actually. Withthe savior gods reference, I would also like to try and comrehend the writing on the coins. I am hoping that God would be nice enough to tell me what it says while I skip the years of learning it would normally take. I will also bless a glass jar of water for each person to carry. I think it would be a handy thing to have. Along with the healing. I will watch to see if I start tiring. I will also go and pray for a little boost (i.e. levitation) to the top of the lighthouse. "I really wonder what I can ask for. I mean in a world with giant creatures and undead, is it like clerics of ad&d and relatively structured, or does God just kind of give what He wants to?" I will also pray for a lifting of fatigue from Dana and Marshall. "I really would like to stick around the island and see what those undead are after. If I knew that a circle fo protection would keep them at bay I would push for staying here, as it is, I would probably leave." "I wonder... I think hey think about this. Our abilities spurn from possibly interests on our other world. Dana is vet tech, I am a devout Christian, I don't know but it sounds like Marshall was into martial arts and training. Saif were you a studier of psionics and mind over matter? Maybe the clue to the ability is inside each of us already." I inspect the door, push on it, and look for a lock. I try to figure out if it is barred or locked. If it is locked I inspect the lock and start going through my climbing stuff and any other small metal things for a method to unlock the door (This is all assuming I couldn't fly... if I did, I will probably inspect from the inside how the door is closed.) After praying for a while (hour maybe two) and asking for direction on what God will allow me to do. Audible voice would be prefered method of communication God. I will work on the boat and help fix it. If anybody else needs help or support I will lend it. I seem to be in excellent condition feeling relatively well rested comparitively so lets see. OOC:: Yo GM, is there and answer to my prayer on what I can do, healing attempts, levitation, language comprehending, detecting of evil, opening the door, or atleast detecting how the door is locked. "By the way, good job everybody on keeping you heads during combat and stuff, we got out of that relatively well, and with some help from the local wildlife (with a smile and a wink to Dana)." Brady ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness > "I wonder... I think hey think about this. Our abilities spurn from > possibly interests on our other world. Dana is vet tech, I am a devout > Christian, I don't know but it sounds like Marshall was into martial arts and > training. Saif were you a studier of psionics and mind over matter? Maybe > the clue to the ability is inside each of us already." "Not really. It's just that over all the years that I've played in games I've always been fascinated by psionics. Magic is interesting too, but like the independent nature of psionics. Also the things I have done have always been more mental than physical, and have always required a lot of concentration. I thought perhaps all that would add up to some psionic abilities, so I gave a few things a try. Say, would you mind playing guinea pig for me for a second? One thing I would like to try is to see if I have ESP. I've been wrestling with the moral implications of that all afternoon. In my belief system our thoughts are know only to ourselves and to God. But, if it is something I can do, and if it is something that will help us survive and get back home, then I would like to try it." (If Brady agrees...) Saif takes a few deep breaths and then smiles. "With my luck clerics are immune to ESP in this world. Now, what I would like you to do is think of simple things and concentrate on them. Like picture a blue square or a red corvette and just think about it." (Saif concentrates) "Hum. Ok, now just think something, as if you were talking to yourself." (Saif concentrates, "listening") "Hum. Interesting." (I'll let you know what was interesting when I get the test results back from Brett .) Saif ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] cooking seafood > "I can at least cook up the crab for dinner" (I hope its not too late by the > time I get up.) Too bad we don't have any butter, unless someone wants to > try conjuring it up. Or maybe I can try to summon a dairy cow." :) Saif ducks his head and looks up into the sky. "Run away! Run awa... Oh, sorry. Wrong film." ---------- From: Marshall T. Vandegrift[SMTP:marsh@intrlink.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness Quoth Brady: >"I wonder... I think hey think about this. Our abilities spurn from >possibly interests on our other world. Dana is vet tech, I am a devout >Christian, I don't know but it sounds like Marshall was into martial arts and >training. Saif were you a studier of psionics and mind over matter? Maybe >the clue to the ability is inside each of us already." "I didn't know black-belts could control the wind (smiling). I think you've got me mixed up with Jeff. Jeff seems to have turned into Grasshopper. I seem to have an afinity with nature. But anyway, I've never been an evironmentalist, though I did end up playing a lot of mages. "Which brings me to a theory of why we were brought here. We know that this world is different from ours, right? So what if we were brought here because in this world we demonstrate these strange abilities. It makes sense, doesn't it?" Marshall T. Vandegrift (mailto:marsh@intrlink.com) ---------- From: Jeff Willis[SMTP:thor@bji.net] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness >> "I wonder... I think hey think about this. Our abilities spurn from >> possibly interests on our other world. Dana is vet tech, I am a devout >> Christian, I don't know but it sounds like Marshall was into martial arts >and >> training. Saif were you a studier of psionics and mind over matter? >Maybe >> the clue to the ability is inside each of us already." > >"Not really. It's just that over all the years that I've played in games >I've always been fascinated by psionics. Magic is interesting too, but >like the independent nature of psionics. Also the things I have done have >always been more mental than physical, and have always required a lot of >concentration. I thought perhaps all that would add up to some psionic >abilities, so I gave a few things a try. "This is what has been bothering me as well... see, with all of you your abilities are things that interested you and the like... well, what you don't know about me is that I am usually VERY Goth..." Jeff opens up the suitcase that he has been carrying around. "Of course I don't get all done up when I'm preforming, (Which is when I was snagged) But usually, I'm very... how shall I put this... vampire-like? It's always been a fascination of mine and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm getting my abilities by becoming more... vampire-like. I don't seem to be having any cravings or things like that... But just so you all know. The only other thing that has been a recurring interest of mine that fits along these lines is... well... Shapeshifting! I have an idea." : With that I'll concentrate on changing shape. First, because of my experience on the boat, I'll try tiger, if that works/doesn't work I'll try smaller shapes and then larger... and then finally Some inanimate object. ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness > "Which brings me to a theory of why we were brought here. We know that this > world is different from ours, right? So what if we were brought here > because in this world we demonstrate these strange abilities. It makes > sense, doesn't it?" "Now that is an interesting thought. Perhaps we have had these "powers" all along, but either something in our world prevented their manifestation, or something in this world triggers them. I wonder what other people will be like. Are there druids and mages walking around the streets, or are we something special? Oh well, I guess we won't find that out by wondering." Saif turns back around and continues helping with the boat. Saif ---------- From: Adequis@aol.com[SMTP:Adequis@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [13] The Four Leaves of Darkness Oh yah, I forgot, I always played a paladin so leveitation was throw the thief over the wall, comprehend languages was beat the thief until he told you what it said. I though they were clerical spells :) Brady