From: TheIceMage@aol.com[SMTP:TheIceMage@aol.com] Subject: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! [Ok, who among you *doesn't* know where the title comes from... :) This is coming from my home account as I got out of work early today. Wal hamdu li'lah. ] After Medizar's introduction, and the approaching ghost ship, you decide the best course of action is to make your way through the forest heading west. It takes some convincing, but Brady decides to go with you. After all, he didn't want to be the only one on the beach when the ship landed. However, he seems to believe that while he was there praying, something was happening. He doesn't seem very happy. [I'll leave it to Brady to interpret this one.] You begin making your way through the woods on a winding path. I'll assume that Marshall is leading, Greg is following, and the rest of you are somewhere in the middle. The terrain is pretty easy to run through, though it is tiring for most of you, since a lot of it is made up of soft sand and dirt. After running for about half a mile, some of you are winded, others are just getting started. Marshall has stopped running at this point, and he waits for the rest of you to see what he sees. Lying ahead of you is a marshy, bog-like area of water. You can't see the other side of it. There are cattails growing up out of the murk, along with tall dune grass and the occasional tree. Insect noise is louder here than it had been all night at the beach. Remembering what was in the water [the giant crab, or had you forgotten?], who knows what might be lurking below the surface here. The path from here runs north and south. It is obviously not well traveled, in fact, you are having trouble distinguishing where anyone may have used it already. Time for a quick decision. Supporting the idea of having to make a quick decision is the fact that you can hear something behind you, through the woods, pushing trees around, breaking branches, and making a *lot* of noise. To Greg, it sounds familiar, like when Medizar approached the group, though it seems louder. To the north, the forest extends seemingly indefinitely. To the south, the forest continues for probably about a mile, and turns westward. To the west is the marshland. [ Please let me know if you a) picked up anything along the way b) wanted to do anything specific before leaving the beach (setting up a trap, etc) c) attempted to use any of your special powers at any point I also need to know which way you wish to go and how, and if you can, plan ahead as much as possible. I know there isn't a whole ton to do from this post, and I am not trying to force you into combat with the ghost ship, but I have to follow the map, you know? It's times like this when a party leader would be handy... hint, hint. With your flight through the woods and onward, I'd like for you to let me know what your equipment list should have on it now. Thanks.] - Brett ---------- From: TheIceMage@aol.com[SMTP:TheIceMage@aol.com] Subject: Bamf [17] For your eyes only While you were standing on the beach praying, you could feel a buildup of power beginning in your body. When the others interrupted you, trying to convince you to go with them, the buildup stopped, and the power you felt fell off rapidly, leaving you a little tired, but not much. [ooc: You spent some of your TAL, which are Talent points, but didn't finish the ability you were working towards. This was in response to when you wrote: "I am NOT here to serve a blood-sucking cockroach, second, he chuckles about his servants and then these losers show up again. I personally think it is time for these retards to feel the presence of a real master!" [and you began to pray for God to show his might against these servants of evil, holding your cross...] - Brett ---------- From: John D. Proulx[SMTP:dewelar@ix.netcom.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! TheIceMage@aol.com wrote: > [ Please let me know if you > a) picked up anything along the way No... > b) wanted to do anything specific before leaving the beach (setting up a > trap, etc) Only what I mentioned in my previous post regarding my attempts at poetic magic. > c) attempted to use any of your special powers at any point See above. > > I also need to know which way you wish to go and how, and if you can, plan > ahead as much as possible. I know there isn't a whole ton to do from this > post, and I am not trying to force you into combat with the ghost ship, but I > have to follow the map, you know? I vote for continuing north. I am not ready to fight _anything_ right now, and I don't want to be pinned up against that marsh. > > It's times like this when a party leader would be handy... hint, hint. > O.K., here's a new suggestion along this route. Since I have a thing for Robert's Rules, I nominate Greg. There are two reasons for this: 1 (the in-game reason) ) he's the only one among us who has not developed some sort of power, which (to me) means his head is probably most clear on matters, and 2 (the real-life reason) ) given the number of posts he has made, he seems to have the best access to e-mail. > With your flight through the woods and onward, I'd like for you to let me > know what your equipment list should have on it now. Thanks.] There have been no deletions to my list since the game opened, and I have added only my makeshift wooden cross and (temporarily anyway) the sword. John Proulx ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > Subject: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > Date: Friday, August 01, 1997 3:55 PM > > [Ok, who among you *doesn't* know where the title comes from... :) If they don't they should be shot. ;-) > [ Please let me know if you > a) picked up anything along the way Not unless those elusive unlicensed thermonuclear accelerators happen to show up. > b) wanted to do anything specific before leaving the beach (setting up a > trap, etc) Nope > c) attempted to use any of your special powers at any point Just that strange jogging power. > I also need to know which way you wish to go and how North. I can envision foot long mosquitoes. > and if you can, plan > ahead as much as possible Keep moving until we reach someplace interesting or that looks safe. If we pass by hills or something else high I would like to run up them to try and get a look at the surrounding area. Specifically I am looking for any tell-tale glows along the horizon that might indicate a city or town in that direction. > With your flight through the woods and onward, I'd like for you to let me > know what your equipment list should have on it now. Thanks.] Everything on it originally plus a hatchet, first aid kit, a few bottles/cans/whatever of water, any preserved food I was able to grab before we left. Saif ---------- From: Adequis@aol.com[SMTP:Adequis@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! 'I could have stopped them I am sure of it. If we get caught be them there is no worry, I just don't want to be winded when or if they catch us. I know I can dang it, if I could have held my concentration just a second longer, we wouldn't be running from these idiots right now! Well I say south. It looks like we will get aroun the bog faster that direction and towards the tower.' 'I still think we should've stayed and fought, but since we are on the run let's get moving so we atleast don't get cought where we don't want to be caught.' ooc: Did I get the sword back or not? If not I will get a sturdy stick in the forest that can work as a walking stick and a staff for fighting if need be. Brady ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > you can hear something behind you, through > the woods, pushing trees around, breaking branches, and making a *lot* of > noise. To Greg, it sounds familiar, like when Medizar approached the group, > though it seems louder. "Guys, that's what Medizar sounded like when he approached. Could be our ghost ship friends." > To the north, the forest extends seemingly indefinitely. To the south, the > forest continues for probably about a mile, and turns westward. To the west > is the marshland. > > [ Please let me know if you > a) picked up anything along the way No more hands to carry anything with. :) > b) wanted to do anything specific before leaving the beach (setting up a > trap, etc) > c) attempted to use any of your special powers at any point > > I also need to know which way you wish to go and how, and if you can, plan > ahead as much as possible. I know there isn't a whole ton to do from this > post, and I am not trying to force you into combat with the ghost ship, but I > have to follow the map, you know? Possible plan forming. Give me a second to think on this one. > > It's times like this when a party leader would be handy... hint, hint. > > With your flight through the woods and onward, I'd like for you to let me > know what your equipment list should have on it now. Thanks.] My list shouldn't have changed, except for the slings and rocks I've collected. I should also have the canteen filled with holy water. Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > > It's times like this when a party leader would be handy... hint, hint. > > O.K., here's a new suggestion along this route. Since I have a thing for > Robert's Rules, I nominate Greg. There are two reasons for this: 1 (the > in-game reason) ) he's the only one among us who has not developed some > sort of power, which (to me) means his head is probably most clear on > matters, and 2 (the real-life reason) ) given the number of posts he has > made, he seems to have the best access to e-mail. 2's probably decent. This is all going over my work account, and I've got loads of time during the day. :). 1's probably a little weak. I'm trying to rack my brains to figure out exactly what I'm going to come up with. Besides, I thought Saif didn't have an ability, either...or did I just flake this? Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Bamf [17] geography lesson Brett, I'm formulating a plan to try to lead the bad guys into the bog and away from us. Is the path to either the north or south overgrown or is it clear. If they can see us, this won't do any good at all. Greg ---------- From: Paul, Brett Subject: RE: Bamf [17] geography lesson I'm formulating a plan to try to lead the bad guys into the bog and away from us. Is the path to either the north or south overgrown or is it clear. If they can see us, this won't do any good at all. There are overgrown patches placed sporadically throughout the forest. You can certainly find hiding places in either direction that the trail goes. - Brett ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > The path from here runs north and south. It is obviously not well traveled, > in fact, you are having trouble distinguishing where anyone may have used it > already. Time for a quick decision. Supporting the idea of having to make a > quick decision is the fact that you can hear something behind you, through > the woods, pushing trees around, breaking branches, and making a *lot* of > noise. To Greg, it sounds familiar, like when Medizar approached the group, > though it seems louder. > > To the north, the forest extends seemingly indefinitely. To the south, the > forest continues for probably about a mile, and turns westward. To the west > is the marshland. > > I also need to know which way you wish to go and how, and if you can, plan > ahead as much as possible. I know there isn't a whole ton to do from this > post, and I am not trying to force you into combat with the ghost ship, but I > have to follow the map, you know? [Okay, all, I've got a little geography lesson from wonderful-GM that runs like this... Greg: I'm formulating a plan to try to lead the bad guys into the bog and away from us. Is the path to either the north or south overgrown or is it clear. If they can see us, this won't do any good at all. Brett: There are overgrown patches placed sporadically throughout the forest. You can certainly find hiding places in either direction that the trail goes. ] "So then, the plan works something like this...We've got a bog directly in front of us. Let the bad guys think we've gone that way, while we go a little way to the north or south (I'm leaning south), and hide. The key thing is that we need to let sunrise get here until we're truly safe. I don't know if we can really survive that long on the run. And as Brady said, 'If we get caught be them there is no worry, I just don't want to be winded when or if they catch us.' "So we need a couple, three people to make enough sets of footsteps that lead into the bog, and then have everyone move along the path to one of the overgrown areas (I'd pick the second or third area in a direction.) Follow along and hide our footprints. "Once we're hidden we need to start looking at the talents we have. Maybe Dana can get some kind of wildlife to make noice in the bog, or Saif can telepathically project that there's no life here. Marshall might be able to pull up a wind from here toward wherever we are to hide our scent. "If they find us, Brady can try doing what he wanted, and we can fight them off, but I like the forest better than the beach for fighting. At any rate, the ghosts are probably not going to get tired and we are. Any time that we spend hiding that they take to find us is time for us to rest. "So what do you think?" Greg ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > 1's probably a little weak. I'm trying to rack my brains to figure out exactly > what I'm going to come up with. Besides, I thought Saif didn't have an ability, > either...or did I just flake this? Saif's working on psionic powers. ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: RE: Bamf [17] Planning... > From Brett_Paul@kne.com Mon Aug 4 16:45:54 1997 > John does not know what he is capable of, either. > Saif has tried psionics with some success. > Jeff - shapeshifting > Brady - Paladin/cleric type stuff > Dana - Link to animals, summon them > Marshall - Weather and winds control > Greg - Dunno. (Time to give this stuff a shot...) Once everyone has hidden, I'm going to try to help hide our presence from the bad guys. Essentially how I think it should work is this. I put together a mental image of everyone in our group, and proceed to remove them from the mental image of the forest. When I'm done, I'm essentially overlaying a thought pattern of "nothing here but us natural things" over our own presences. Kind of the Jedi mind trick, thing. "These aren't the droids you're looking for... :-)" Greg ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: RE: Bamf [17] Planning Brett, btw, the effect I'm hoping for is similar to Invisibility or Invisibility to Undead. Greg ---------- From: Brady Subject: RE: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! ROCK A----... I mean rock and roll. (More whispering now) I like that alot better than just running til we fall over." I will help on the footprints leading into the swamp and I lean towards south too. If the marsh ends closer at that end it is less walking in the wrong direction. (This is all in favor of Greg's plan) ooc:: I fully support Greg as party leader. I also have gotten a sword, if I get it back, otherwise a staff/walking stick. A jar of holy water, and a set of clothing that fits this motif i.e. from the house on the island. Otherwise, all the original stuff. Let's do this. If the ghosts find us, Holding my cross, I will pray for God to show his might against these servants of evil and to send these servants of Medizar back to where he dug them up. ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Planning > From Brett_Paul@kne.com Mon Aug 4 16:45:54 1997 > John does not know what he is capable of, either. > Saif has tried psionics with some success. > Jeff - shapeshifting > Brady - Paladin/cleric type stuff > Dana - Link to animals, summon them > Marshall - Weather and winds control > Greg - Dunno. "Okay, then. It would probably be best to have Brady closer to the front. Jeff closer to the front. I'll go off to the side just a little bit, Marshall and Dana in the second rank. John and Saif close to the back. Unless someone wants to hide up in a tree...Oh, and watch out for poison ivy. :) "Remember if they find us, try to find a partner and go back to back. We don't have the weapons and equipment to fight well side-by-side, so that wouldn't help much, but we should be able to keep our backs covered. "I'll have the sling ready with 3 of the stones soaked in the holy water and ready to go." (One stone in one of the slings, the other two setting on top of the other sling.) "Be ready with the holy water--" (I talk a lot when I'm nervous. :) ) Once everybody gets hidden and our tracks to this location are wiped away, I pick up some dirt and rub it on my face, grab some sticks and stick them on my head, trying to get some leaves stuck in my hair and do my best imitation of a bush that I can; then get as silent as possible unless someone else breaks the silence. Greg ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > "So we need a couple, three people to make enough sets of footsteps that lead > into the bog, and then have everyone move along the path to one of the overgrown > areas (I'd pick the second or third area in a direction.) Follow along and hide > our footprints. Saif volunteers to go make footprints. > "Once we're hidden we need to start looking at the talents we have. Maybe Dana > can get some kind of wildlife to make noice in the bog, or Saif can > telepathically project that there's no life here. Marshall might be able to > pull up a wind from here toward wherever we are to hide our scent. Saif nods and begins to consider how he might "hide" the party telepathically. Saif ---------- From: John D. Proulx[SMTP:dewelar@ix.netcom.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Planning Greg Thomas Dinkelman wrote: > > > From Brett_Paul@kne.com Mon Aug 4 16:45:54 1997 > > > John does not know what he is capable of, either. Especially considering I never received any confirmation on what my attempts at verse did before we started running... > > Saif has tried psionics with some success. > > Jeff - shapeshifting > > Brady - Paladin/cleric type stuff > > Dana - Link to animals, summon them > > Marshall - Weather and winds control > > Greg - Dunno. > > "Okay, then. It would probably be best to have Brady closer to the front. Jeff > closer to the front. I'll go off to the side just a little bit, Marshall and > Dana in the second rank. John and Saif close to the back. Unless someone wants > to hide up in a tree...Oh, and watch out for poison ivy. :) > Poison ivy isn't a problem for me; I'm not allergic to it. On the other hand, this place could have poison dandelions or something, and they _could_ be a problem. > "Remember if they find us, try to find a partner and go back to back. We don't > have the weapons and equipment to fight well side-by-side, so that wouldn't help > much, but we should be able to keep our backs covered. > > "I'll have the sling ready with 3 of the stones soaked in the holy water and > ready to go." (One stone in one of the slings, the other two setting on top of > the other sling.) "Be ready with the holy water--" (I talk a lot when I'm > nervous. :) ) > > Once everybody gets hidden and our tracks to this location are wiped away, I > pick up some dirt and rub it on my face, grab some sticks and stick them on my > head, trying to get some leaves stuck in my hair and do my best imitation of a > bush that I can; then get as silent as possible unless someone else breaks the > silence. Personally, I'm still not comfortable in combat, but I'll stay if everyone else does. If we do stay and fight, I will most certainly return the sword to Brady. However, until I know whether my earlier poetry had any effect, I have no idea what I might do otherwise. Unless I hear otherwise from the GM, I will assume they did absolutely nothing. John Proulx ---------- From: Paul, Brett Subject: RE: Bamf [17] Planning > > John does not know what he is capable of, either. John wrote: >Especially considering I never received any confirmation on what my >attempts at verse did before we started running... Geez, what a bonehead I am. I think that mail crash affected my ability to think! >Personally, I'm still not comfortable in combat, but I'll stay if everyone >else does. If we do stay and fight, I will most certainly return the sword >to Brady. However, until I know whether my earlier poetry had any effect, >I have no idea what I might do otherwise. Unless I hear otherwise from the >GM, I will assume they did absolutely nothing. I apologize for my silence on this question. Please don't burn me at the stake (or boil me in a pot -- I must be on a Monty Python kick lately). John wrote: >I'm willing to give this a try, and since I don't know the words, I'll >need Dana's kind assistance. I will then test the sword on a nearby rock >to see if it was effective, hopefully without breaking the blade. Reciting the words as Dana has taught you, you focus on the sword in your hands, wanting it to become sharper than a razor. After reciting the verse, sweat is standing out on your forehead, and the edge of the blade seems to have changed colors subtly (very difficult to discern, but you'd swear there was a difference). Noting this, you try to cut a nearby rock. The blade of the sword sings as you strike the stone, but the rock is not cleaved... simply nicked. Again, apologies for not getting back to you on this much, much sooner. There are some other things that I need to catch up on as well... When you were on the beach and all was quiet, you noticed the lights of a city to the northeast, probably on the other land mass. Once you got to the other side of the forest (by the marsh), you noticed a similar light in the sky to the southwest, though this one is not as bright. There are no foot-long mosquitoes. That would be too Jumanji-ish. If I've forgotten anything else, please let me know. In fact, use a subject of "Bamf - Bonehead"! :) - Brett ---------- From: Animalz@aol.com[SMTP:Animalz@aol.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! [Having read everything in random order and partially quoted, thanks to AOL, I think I can figure out what we're trying to do.] "Umm... before we get all excited about the ghost sailors coming through the trees, I'm going to try to determine if it might be a bear. This looks like prime brown bear country to me. Or maybe some other normal, natural creature. At any rate, if I can I will link minds with it and attempt communication. If the noise isn't being made by a bear, maybe there is still one, or several, around that I can summon. Hey, Bears! There's some juicy bones over here to crack into!" (Yes, bears will eat meat and bones occassionally.) At the same time, I will be looking for a place to hide/defend myself should the ghosts arrive. Going up a tree is not a bad idea, actually. If there is a big enough one near the others' hiding places, I'll shimmy up it like a squirrel. :) Any palm trees around? Dropping coconuts on heads might be a good tactic. :) Okay, maybe I can drop Holy Water instead. Sounds like a decent plan, Greg. Let's hope it works and that nothing huge, green and ugly slithers out of the swamp. Dana ---------- From: Paul, Brett Subject: RE: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! Sounds like a decent plan, Greg. Let's hope it works and that nothing huge, green and ugly slithers out of the swamp. You guys really need to quit giving me such great ideas! :^) - Brett ---------- From: John D. Proulx[SMTP:dewelar@ix.netcom.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Planning Paul, Brett wrote: > The blade of the sword sings as you strike the stone, but > the rock is not cleaved... simply nicked. Given this, I will definitely give the sword back to Brady. In the meantime, I will continue to think of appropriate poems, since it seems the poetry of others as well as my own triggers some response. I haven't got an idea for protection yet, and it seems the poetry has to be...well...poetic and not just rhyme. I wonder if free verse will do anything? (All this runs through my head as I catch my breath from running through the woods.) John Proulx ---------- From: gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com[SMTP:gdinkelm@ccs.lmco.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Planning John wrote: > Paul, Brett wrote: > > The blade of the sword sings as you strike the stone, but > > the rock is not cleaved... simply nicked. It did have an effect, though. Hopefully it will last long enough to work on the creepies. > Given this, I will definitely give the sword back to Brady. In the > meantime, I will continue to think of appropriate poems, since it seems > the poetry of others as well as my own triggers some response. I haven't > got an idea for protection yet, and it seems the poetry has to > be...well...poetic and not just rhyme. I wonder if free verse will do > anything? (All this runs through my head as I catch my breath from > running through the woods.) That's the point of hiding. Give us simple mortals a chance to recover while the undead creepies come at us. :) Greg ---------- From: Saif[SMTP:saif@xmission.com] Subject: Re: Bamf [17] Help! I'm being repressed! > Sounds like a decent plan, Greg. Let's hope it works and that nothing > >huge, green and ugly slithers out of the swamp. > > You guys really need to quit giving me such great ideas! :^) > > - Brett As we come up onto the swamp Saif says "Say, have you guys all read Lord of the Rings? Remember the scene where the Fellowship is stuck between the swamp and the doors to Moria and that Watcher comes out of the water and.... um, never mind." :)