A BioHazard® 5.0 play-by-post adventure run by bh5ogm
Hey guys, I wanted to sit down and do a move, but there is still a decision to be made. There are no natural landmarks nearby, as you are in the middle of a yucky, nondescript swamp. If you want to collapse some bushes and make a pile or something, or rely on someone's memory, that's okay. Heil will point out that moving around tree trunks and bushes won't do much good, as the water level of the swamp varies by as much as two feet and there are large animals around capable of undoing any work like that.
Here's a hint though.... Heil's years of swampwalking have given him a better than average sense of swamp direction and memory. If asked, Heil will indicate that he is fairly certain that he can guide the team back to Arlktn from here. Heil made a note to remember the general direction and length of travel to get to the well. (The well, by the way, is also not in view. It is too far away.) Heil will also indicate that If he travels with constant awareness of the direction and distance, he could with an acceptible degree of certainty remember how to return to this general vicinity.
Grover, knowing that his mission will eventually lead him and the young genius back to the oil refinery, keeps this in mind. He has neither anticipated nor desired Heil's company on the return trip, nor has he anticipated or convinced Heil to remain with them. But now it seems that Grover, Heil and Pafnuty must be kept together if Grover's mission to unlock the VX computer will succeed. (Have no idea what I'm talking about, Dave and Jim? Exxxxcellent....)
Grover now thinks ahead a bit more, and recognizes that this party is not well-equipped enough to handle the brutal terrain and the native opposition. A fourth member of the party, someone both powerful and willing in varied combat, must be added if this mission will succeed. The mysterious Mystic remembers that, ironically, had it not been for a ravenous pack of Jepperds, the Vedoresk might have provided them with an insurmountable problem (post 70).
Feel free to exchange dialog, then eventually decide upon a course of action to start the trip back to Arlktn.
"Of course you don't understand. You two don't live in the swamp, and you don't speak swamp language. Follow me, that is if you want to be guided back to Arlktn. Otherwise you could just wander around in the swamp until a ravenous pack of Jepperds finds you. Coulda woulda shoulda, they always say."
"Whose stupid idea was this, anyway?" I grumble some more.
"Ahh. Still obsessed with the swamp, I see."
"I'm not obsessed."
"That's what you say. Can you get us out of here?" he sighs as his eyebrows droop with the view of the swamp.
"Oh, yeah, and if Heil gets us out of here, what do we get? A free trip to Bermuda?"
"Yeah, I heard that. No one ever wins though. Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" I trudge off in the direction of Arlktn.
"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?"
"Hey, I listen to you, even if it is against my better judgement!" Pafnuty jokes, but his playful verbal jab can't mask his respect. "C'mon old man," Pafnuty nods to Grover. "It'll still be here when we get back."
Obsessed with the swamp or not, Heil is their ticket out of the murky muck. And as Pafnuty follows Heil's every slurping footfall, he is confident that the swamp-wise tracker will be able to lead them back, "within epsilon" as he spoke earlier. Pafnuty is already mentally designing a portable metal detector that should be able to take them the rest of the way on their second foray.
If Pafnuty has learned one thing during this rite of passage, it's that trust makes one's life easier. He never thought he'd find himself trusting a swamp rat with his life. He never thought he'd come to respect mystic powers---though technology will forever be King to him. He never thought that giving up control would be so exhilirating. But it is.
Only by the synergy of their respective talents did they survive this mission. And even though they still have the long and dangerous trek home, he can't help but feel giddy about how it all makes sense. He understands why his father would bend the rules in allowing the Mystic to accompany them, and he realizes (with some disgust) how selfish he was in thinking that Grover was sent along just to be his bodyguard. Here, there are larger issues at stake---"juicy stake," he thinks wistfully---and he is glad to play a part in them.
Pafnuty quickens his pace. He can almost smell the fat dripping off Brinthas' barbecue spit.
Grover falls in line behind Heil and Pafnuty. "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Arlktn we go!" he sings, or at least tries to sing an adaptation of an old tune. Whether or not he succeeds is not his concern.
He thinks about what he will say to Coryatt, his Mystic guild advisor and Master Mystic. He will report their findings about the VX machine. He will also report on Pafnuty's role in the discovery process and how Coryatt was wise to have Grover accompany the young man in his quest. He also thinks of his meeting with Pafnuty's father again, and how he will give Pafnuty high marks on his mission. Marks, he hopes, that will soften Brinthas' criticism of his son.
Checking his vials one final time before they leave, Grover ponders the ending of the present task. Furthermore, as he sloshes his sandals in and out of the murky, muddy waters of Arlktn's neighboring swamp, his thoughts drift ahead to the many future adventures the three of them will have.
The party slogs through the swamp, marching into the night until their legs are too weary. The trio makes camp on a dry hill, using a heat element to warm up some dried rations. Keeping watchful but tired eyes open, the three sit at points of an equilateral triangle to keep lookout at all possible angles. But knowing that sleep would leave the party at risk, none of the three are eager to close their eyes, despite exhaustion.
When morning comes, none have gathered more than an hour of sleep through the night. The long-distant shrill cry of a swamp bird gets the party on their feet once again.
In midafternoon, the skies fill with brackish clouds and a downpour of slightly toxic rain further slows progress and lowers spirits. Since the team left the manhole exit to the underground installation, not a word has been spoken between the travellers. Only an occassional "Hee-hee" breaks the silence as Grover dislodges his foot from especially soggy mudholes.
One of Arlktn's scouting parties finds the party the next night as they are fighting off sleep underneath the rain-sodden branches of a swamp willow. Fresh rations, more than ample protection and familiar faces accompany the party back to Arlktn safely.
Under a black, stormy night sky, the party finally slogs into the village. Aside from a congratulatory shout from a window, there are no villagers running to embrace them on their return. Heil's family, close to him by blood only, is nowhere to be found. They are probably on the north side of the village asleep. Had they arrived in the middle of day, Heil still would not expect them to greet him. For all practical purposes, Heil is without family and friends. Only a few of the swamp-wise scouts even know his name.
Pafnuty, looking forward to seeing his father for the first time as an adult, is disappointed: Brinthas Galewood is away from the town on a matter of regional importance. While Arlktn is a civilized island in the middle of a swamp wasteland, neighboring villages keep in touch. Arlktn is a two day walk north from the nearest village, Crethkesh, the seat of the regional council. The only road out of Arlktn is a direct path to Crethkesh.
While Brinthas did not tell the community his business, all the villagers know it must carry great importantance. Pafnuty is told that his father looks forward to his return and has been sending scouting parties regularly to scour the swamp. A swell of emotion builds in Pafnuty as he hears of his father's regret at not being present for their return.
Grover, a foreigner to the village and the region, is unfazed by the lack of attention to him. The villagers are still unsure of Grover's intentions or reasons for being here, but they have not yet levied the brand of troublemaker on him.
Without a word, Heil continues north to his small home to collapse in a familiar bed. Pafnuty casually invites Grover to his house out of politeness only, and is somewhat depressed that the Mystic accepts.
Pafnuty is given word that, with or without his father, the rite's ending ceremony will be held the next night. He nods silently and goes inside his room, where he sleeps until the afternoon.
Grover makes his way to the Galewood guest room, a bland and rarely used room. He too sleeps through the next day, but awakes regularly to think of things that still require his attention. Grover knows that the party must be rejoined, but that his venture will not continue until Brinthas has returned.
Experience levels rewarded:
Now would be a good time to look through the new manual and figure out your skills. It's really quite easy. Print out a new character sheet off the website. It's Word 2000 encoded.
Depending on your class, you receive a certain number of points to put towards weapons skills and a certain number to put towards character skills. Each experience level, you gain 8 points to put on any skills, weapons or character. You could put one on eight different skills in either category, or eight on one.
While Heil and Pafnuty were 1st level characters before this mission, Grover was not. Although I don't know what level you're on (Grover) because it ain't on your stats page, give yourself 8 points for each level past one that you were at, and one more set of 8 for this new level you just gained. This is a guess, but if you were third level going into this, that's 16 points; now you would be fourth, so give yourself another 8.
If you have any questions find me on Yahoo messenger or drop me an e-mail. We will pick up the mission anew soon.
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This page updated: Mon Jan 09 14:22:11 2006
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