HT Alias/Player Character Name Type Status/Notes Sex -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- R1.John Haight...........Arawn.............Druid .Normal/Alfar Ma ??.Chris Wells...........Ben'dar...........Warrior.Normal/Human Ma R4.Tom Corckett..........Caladan...........Wizard Normal/Human Ma W2.Marcel Liberty........Chion.............Sailor..Normal/Human Ma W3.Ryan Torres...........Farseeker.........Warrior.Normal/Human Ma --.Tobie Bonahoom........Fremea............Sidh....Normal/Faerry Fe R2.Mark Murtha...........Kell..............Trader..Normal/Human..Ma R1.David Sanders.........Kiet.Sunan........Acrobat Normal/Human Ma R4.J H Hooten............Raban.Usherwood...Bard....Normal/Human..Ma W2.Robert Maxwell........Strie'bog.........Bard....Normal/Human..Ma W4.Wout Broere...........Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human Fe R1 John.Stowman..........Will..............Hunter..Normal/Human..Ma R4.Alex Koponen..........Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human Fe R1 NPC...................Zhou Kiwat........Noble...Normal/Human..Ma Animals: Corona [Eagle] Z'leyra, Tef'wo (Horse) Ben'dar, Game Web Site - http://www.furvert.net/longshotgm/pbem/index.htm Public posts/actions to pnpgm@abroere.xs4all.nl (mailing list) Private emails (not public actions) to longshotgm@netzero.com Game Update #161 in sequence (file #1149) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Admin Notes: None. ----------------------------------------------------------------- [Recap] From Kiet: [Re: Actions] Kiet listens to the discussions about how to get out afterward (making Chion the MVP should the Teleport method be chosen) but is kind of abrubt about it. "Sorry, but I don't need to teleport a horse. I can always... ---- Kiet's vote can be bought....for the right 'price'. (grin) Honestly, as long as we can get to the DL and pick up my...um... investments...then I'm fine (assuming I'll be alive to collect). I just hope the HE (or his subordinates) kept an eye on the Moneychangers like I asked. After that, Kiet doesn't really care where we go, as long as snakes aren't involved. Also, I can't rightly say I understood the IBT options. I can say I didn't read them really closely, so it's my fault. So, if someone wanted to 'sway' me, I might change my vote. ------ Kiet changes his IBT vote to #1....I finally had a chance to read it thru....sheesh... GM: Ack. If not alive your funds can be Willed to Zhou. I'm sure he can use the coin. The IBT vote/options are hardest to understand. Since its all a unknown factor at this point. Things can change so drastically. I just tried to get ahead of it as best I could. But it can still change. From Will: [Re: Buying votes] [*** Kiet's quotes deleted for space***] So if one were to offer a belt snake repulsion for example.... GM: Ack. From Arawn: [Re: Actions] Arawn had been looking for signs of a trail, something that indicated the regular passage of large creatures to and from the Rising Mount as he scouted. He studied the cave with interest, wishing he could take a closer look but, wanting to avoid the use of magic, resigned himself to the limited view currently allowed. When he noticed the barren land between the forest and the mountain a thought occured to him. "I wonder if the Vong have trapped some of the areas between... Scott, do these unmarked barren areas seem to have a common tie, like occuring on seeming 'blind spots' (where it would be difficult to hide a Vong watchman) if one were to approach Rising Mount? GM: Ack. The field looks like a normal field from a long eruption of volcanic ash and lava. While the forest covered up most of the other lava and ash this has remained since the high intensity of the chemicals (bad soil) prevented the forest to take over. From Fremea: [Re: Actions] Fremea feels tired of vong dreams. Swants this business to be.. _____________________ At camp with dress on and no smile on her face, she watches... GM: Ack. When you see text below I'm just pulling a fun thing. I thought the death scene was fun. Not that it could happen but I'd not say the contents of the cave are as it was posted. Might be less or worse. :) As to the below reference - think of Vader. :) It will be fully revealed in detail eventually. Adventure Hook #1. From Z'leyra: [Re: Actions] Z'leyra wonders "Could a trap be set such that the fliers,... GM: Ack. From Arawn: [Re: Actions] Scott, I'm assuming the interrogation is going on while Arawn and the others are scouting. If it actually occurs after we return (IF we return) can you let us know. Although it might be nice to be part of the interrogations and be able to immediately answer questions I know anything can happen between the time the scouting begins and ends, assuming we all return and that the captain is still with the party. I'll answer the question posed to Arawn after I hear back from Scott or after he actually arrives back at camp. "So you have been watching that rock for between one and three... OCC: I'm assuming that we also give a report to Unali about the same time as fremea so that we get to hear her information and she ours. To Fremea: "How much of the top of the mount was a mana barren.. To Arawn: "Have you seen anything like it around the mount or... GM: Ack. hmmm..second part was from Will but it was in your email. I don't seem to have the original email. But will use it here from Will. You came back to see when he was set free. So the initial interrogation no. But there when talk starts. Ahh. I see Will's post on the above now. From Arawn: [Re: Actions] LoL. I'm not sure how I missed it but just re-read Scott's post and realized that Will and Arawn had returned to the camp at the end of the post. It's what I get for reading things early in the morning when half-asleep:) Arawn surreptitiously studied the soldier and his aura after arriving back at camp, trying get a feel for the man. Doing his best to appear casual he waited until Farseeker had distracted the captain before revealing the details of the scouting mission. "... so, from what we could see, there might be two ways into... GM: Ack. From Will: [Re: Actions] Will when he hears Z's idea comments: "I like the idea of a trap I also like the idea of drawing... GM: Ack. From Arawn: [Re: Actions] "I'm capable of casting the spell," Arawn replied. ----- He listened as the others discussed options for a return to the Dark Lands. When it seemed that teleporting was the likely choice it wasn't surprising that questions began to arise regarding their steeds. Having come to know and befriend the horses as much as he has the others in the party Arawn was not prepared to abandon them anymore than he would others in group. "I know it's a bit early to figure everything out, especially... GM: Ack. From Will: [Re: Amulet] Will does a double take then scratching his chin thoughtfully... "so why aren't you using it" GM: Ack. From Arawn: [Re: Actions] Arawn follows Kiet's gaze toward Kell. "I know you're familiar with the elements of earth. If... GM: Ack. From Will: [Re: Actions] Will thinking about what he learned from Fremea. "If they... GM: Ack. From Kell: [Re: Actions] "Depending on the circumstances, I was planning on summoning... [Was out sick for several days, or response would have been sooner.] GM: Ack. Not allowed to be sick unless Kell saves the day first! From Arawn: [Re: Actions] "The talisman is designed to enhance one's ability to summon... GM: Ack. From Z'leyra: [Re: Actions] Z'leyra will take the Katai soldier off to the side saying (in Katai) "Honorable Sir, my humble apologies for the seeming... GM: Ack. ----------------------------------------------------------------- [New Stuff] [Augado 10th, 1634TH] [Location: Middle Katai Plains] [ Mountains west of Pamau] [Time: Earlier] When the party arrive in the forest and dismount ready to begin their exploration, details of after the battle are quickly talked about. Plans for overland routes and teleport seem to be the two main topics for how the party should flee in case of certain good and bad situations. Kiet listens to the talk of teleporting and glances to Chion knowing the load would be on him. "Sorry, but I don't need to teleport a horse. I can always buy, borrow or steal a horse later should I need one. Besides, I was hoping to have Ben'dar show me a selection at his ranch." Ben'dar turns to Kiet and crosses his arms over his chest. A dirty scowl comes to his face. The implication that Tef'wo would be left behind like some draft horse. The gall that Tef'wo could be replaced that easily! Arawn listened as the others discussed options for a return to the Dark Lands. When it seemed that teleporting was the likely choice it wasn't surprising that questions began to arise regarding their steeds. Having come to know and befriend the horses as much as he has the others in the party Arawn was not prepared to abandon them anymore than he would others in group. "I know it's a bit early to figure everything out, especially as we might end up too drained to teleport right away, but if I have the power left after we're done here I can transform some of the horses to ease the burden on Chion or translocate them under my own power. But if we're too drained to teleport all of us on the same day, I'll stay behind with the horses until it's possible to translocate or teleport them." He also pulls out a palm sized circular wooden amulet. A rune is marked on both sides, a small emerald set in the center of one of them. "This amulet holds magical energy that can be used to power one's magic, a Mana Battery. If anyone here feels they might have use for it feel free to carry and use it." Will does a double take then scratching his chin thoughtfully. "So why aren't you using it." Arawn seemed to be pondering something before asking, "Does anyone plan on summoning creatures during our time in Rising Mount?" "Oh, yes!" Kiet points over to Kell. Arawn follows Kiet's gaze toward Kell. "I know you're familiar with the elements of earth. If you plan on doing any summoning I have something that could benefit you if you're interested," The Alfar offered to the half-elf, his hand lifting up a talisman, a triangle of wood with a silver circle inset about size of quarter. "My elements of air and water will likely be less effective when summoning elementals once we are underground and I can hand it over to you just before we make our way underground." Arawn eyes Kell's face to judge his reaction to the possible loaned item. Kell gives a quick examination of the talisman. "Depending on the circumstances, I was planning on summoning. Living Earth Elementals. Very powerful, well, piles of rock that should work well fighting the Vong. Thank you," Kell replies. "Can you explain a bit more about this to me?" Kell also uses his senses on the Talisman. With his finger he traces the rune carefully. Arawn nods, "The talisman is designed to enhance one's ability to summon and dismiss entities from other realms of existence. It should strengthen your influence over the Living Earth," The Alfar answered before explaining the item in more detail. ------------------- [Time: Minutes earlier] On the east side of Rising Mount, Arawn scans the ash field around the eastern side. He had been looking for signs of animal life and tracks. It isn't a matter of finding any as they are easy to find. But even the skilled woodsman Will knows that animals skirt away from open areas due to predators. So the edge of the forest will by default in any forest in any nation have less tracks than would the interior places. Both men have seen small tracks dot the land. But the wind in this valley blows strong and the leaves, rain and wind all combine to cleanse the land of tracks fast. As to the ash field which looks like a snow field the lack of tracks could be anything from the open nature of predators to simply no food on the field. The very edge of the ash and forest do show sings of animal tracks mostly birds and rodent ones that scurry from plsce to place but not over the ash field itself. Most animals like deer, bear or even the small rabbits could tell the open field would yield little food so why venture out when apples and plans abound in the safe forest? The mountain itself has a few bushes on the edge but nothing like the forest. The small bushes might hide a bird or a rodent but nothing larger. The ash field itself doesn't give much terrain to hide Vong or Human alike. Arawn turns to Will to speak. "I wonder if the Vong have trapped some of the areas between the forest and Rising Mount?," he whispered to Will. "The lack of even animal tracks seems odd to me. I'm half tempted to toss something out there and test to see if something's lying just under the dirt but maybe it's best to wait on that until we're done." ------------------- [Time: Minutes earlier] Sitting on the tree atop the mountain. Fremea shakes the cob webs from her mind. Fremea feels tired of Vong dreams. She wants this business to be over and on to her own search. Not saving the world. She rubs her head after the daymare and realizes it would not be wise to go there alone. Damn that infernal Zhou. Fremea heads back to camp through the top of the forest. As she leaps off the tree she hovers briefly. There is something she senses but can't place it. As if a distant memory can't be recalled. She glances left and right then at the mountain. Maybe its the mood and the sun but it is a strange feeling like when back at the Faerry Hill in Vassa lands. Maybe she will figure it out before its too late. ------------------- [Time: 10:43am] At camp with dress on and no smile on her face, she watches the military man with her own special training. She also scans him with her mana sense to see if there is anything missing or added to him. After Zhou tells the guy that she lost a pet, she 'sulks' over to a tree and sits there just watching and listening. If Unali is there, she will tell her of what she found and the fact that there is a lack of mana around the top of the mount itself. Even though Farseeker attempts to distract the Captain he continues to glance at the party as they gather around the dark clothed one he called demon. In tight whispers Will, Arawn and Fremea give their quick reports on what they found including the spring, smoke/fog, cave and forest areas. Will has to use a bit of Chion's puff-perfume to get rid of the stink cloud Squirt gave him as a present. Arawn surreptitiously studied the soldier and his aura after arriving back at camp, trying get a feel for the man. Doing his best to appear casual he waited until Farseeker had distracted the captain before revealing the details of the scouting mission. Arawn senses the same thing that Fremea also obtains during her own scan of the man. his aura is strong natured but not magical. Empatheticaly Arawn can sense determination, strong willed, and desperation. There is something behind that desperation the Alfar can't sense. But maybe it is just desire to help his nation against this threat or something else. Arawn doesn't seem to sense deception or intrigue. He does sense confusion and alertness at the party. Clearly the man isn't duped by the story of these strangers. But for now the Druid can sense the Captain will tolerate it. When Arawn hears talk of possible ways in he adds some of his thoughts in mid thought. "... so, from what we could see, there might be two ways into the mount, a small cave on the north side and the spring. Though we weren't able to see much on the south side as the lay of land made it difficult to see what was causing the steam or mist without moving in close. I'm guessing the cave Fremea spotted is the main entrance but it might be possible to use the small cave to enter the mountain, though it would be difficult to tell if it connects to any main chambers without magic or actually entering it. As for the spring, it seems to lead right up into the mountain. If the tunnel is large enough and we're willing to risk magic it might be a possible back way in, though knowing this for sure poses the same problem as the cave. I'm willing to explore them further if the rest of you decide it is worth it. I can swim the spring or summon an elemental to investigate it and see if it's wide enough for us to use and if it connects to a major tunnel. The other option, I can seek guidance from the Gods to determine which of the paths before us would be the best option to allow us entry and a measure of stealth to best slip inside the Vong base." Z'leyra wonders "Could a trap be set such that the fliers, presumably flying out of the cave entrance run into a net cabled to an anchor below the entrance so the flier runs into the net then swung around an arc and slammed into the mountain wall? Perhaps with spare nets ready to place for the next flier? Alternatively a boulder placed there in their flight path but somehow concealed so they don't notice it, perhaps the boulder hung from a cable? I doubt that running into a boulder would do much good for a flier." Caladan shrugs and leans on his war staff watching the Captain. "Who has nets? We have plenty of rope but not much nets that I know of. It is a good idea with the boulder but those odd things on front and back might just goggle it up like a pig in a trough. It might not stop it one bit." Will gives a grin and watches Squirt squirm in Kell's arms. He'll have to repay the beast for his kindness. He glances over to Z'leyra. "I like the idea of a trap I also like the idea of drawing them out and having a few surprised for them. If as Z'leyra suggests that we find a way to hit them when they are venerable or even if we could just keep them busy. Perhaps Chion could teleport from mountain top to mountain top keeping them distracted chasing him while we slip in and destroy the brain.... How many people here know the thunder head spell?" Arawn turns to Will and adds his view on the spell. "I'm capable of casting the spell," Arawn replied. "A distraction would be great as well, though I think poor Chion might end up too tired to teleport everyone out of here," he chuckled. Chion simply grunts and crosses his arms. The group isn't sure if he agrees or is insulted that his great powers would be so weakened. The sailor-mage remains silent. Caladan cleans a few scales of his firesnake and speaks softly. "I can do the thing as well." Caladan has been seen to cast lighting with his staff and his hands so likely knows the basic storm family of spells. Zhou raises a hand to Will and shushes him. He frowns at the woodsman. How can he even just say the word spell even in a whisper. He glances to the Captain to see if he notices. After a moment he shakes his head. "We are so far good for a surprise attack. Once we do a trap or distract them we lose our greatest weapon." After listening to Z'leyra's idea for a boulder trap Arawn chimes in. "It would be interesting, if we could pull it off, but I'm not sure how feasible it would be. If someone comes up with a plan for it though, I'm in. However, it does make me wonder if we could somehow choke it, the odd opening, maybe a mouth of some sort, with rocks. Other than that, the fliers seem to have been avoiding the storm. Perhaps they are vulnerable to lightning strikes. Of course, as the Vong haven't been seen in days, they might simply be holed up in preparation for something." Fremea also goes into detail explaining the cave itself. That it at places maybe 6-8 feet tall and at most 6-8 feet wide maybe 10-12 it might not allow much room for flyers. She explains while she had a good view of the cave the angle and shadows might distort what the actual dimensions are. So it be smaller or slightly larger than she describes. She also explains it had a signature typically faint of natural rock. So it must've been there centuries from water erosion rather than Vong formed. The flyers the party saw are bulky and at least too big to fit well in the cave. It might not be impossible but it would be expert flying if so. Fremea straightens out her dress, a bit upset that she has to wear it again. She was just getting back to normal. She glances at the Captain as the other talk of Z'leyra's plan. She opens her senses and scans the man. His aura is bright for most humans meaning only that he is likely very active physically and mentally like most of the party. But there is no unusual signatures or definite detections of magic presence or mana on his person. There is also the unique non-lack of mana so he is not Vong. Though she didn't get a look at Nom in his Vong disguise she isn't sure the disguise can fake mana auras but she is doubtful it could. Fremea notices the Captain's hands are deft and graceful. Physically he could match Caladan but likely be outmatched by Ben'dar and Farseeker. This shows him more to be a quick agile fighter than a grunt fighter. Her training also shows to her that his hands are likely attuned for daggers and close at hand combat than swords. But the sword on his hip seems to conflict with that. She figures he is likely trained in stealth and the dagger for his primary scouting missions. Will brings Fremea out of her reverie. "How much of the top of the mount was a mana barren did you notice anything similar about the cave?" Fremea shakes her head. She explains the cave again had some form of natural aura. Even Arawn confirms this from the small niche he saw. But Arawn never saw the top except from the passage top. Then it was shrouded by the sheet of rain and light fog. But Fremea explains the top is about 1,000 feet in diameter. She explains the top looks natural in its knobby rocky top. But when she opened her senses to the environment before her she was shocked to see the rock with not even a faint gray or black aura. It had nothing. She explains the lip of the mountain around the center circular area did have some form of signature. The Mount top lip portion is maybe 5-6 feet wide in areas but the rest is this strange surface material. It almost looks like a lumpy meat pie with occasional white-tan potato like rock boulders. Again the angle and distance is hard to tell actual height even with her magical scope. But the protrusions seem to go as high as 4 feet with boulders at times 1-3 feet. It almost reminds her of a teen's pimply face who hasn't bathed in weeks. Will thinking about what he learned from Fremea. "If they are not going in and out of the cave then they must be leaving from the top of the mount since I did not see any other way in and there are no tracks on the ground. Was Lake Oca a mana dead zone and does anyone know if there are any difficulties casting magic near that zone?" Fremea takes a second to answer Will. "I did fly up to see more of the mount top." She explains the last mountain gave the same level of detail as the one she discovered the top was some Vong surface. As for the cave, there did not seem to be anything I could really tell about it, other than it was about the right size for a person, not one of the huge flying things. I say it could be a great way in, though it may have something waiting in there too." Fremea shivers a bit thinking of her daydream. She wonders if it could've been even a prophecy? She has known that Arawn has had one or two of those things. But why would they start now? She shakes the distracting thoughts out of her mind. Distractions cause failures. It is likely just a bit over imagination. She hopes at least. Zhou nods, "that has to be a Vong created surface if not a Vong creature of some sort. That has to be how the Flyers also exit and enter. Maybe the surface moves or separates or slides or something?" Strie'bog shakes his head. "Lake Oca was waning in aura but it had some. It appeared the small brain was starting to affect it rather than fully affect it or drain its life force or whatever it was doing." He glances deeper into the forest. He also recalls the dead zone in the forest where his father was killed. Before the Vong were even a threat or known. He doubts it was a connection but he hopes his mother has control over that dead zone and has been able to cure it of the ills it suffered. He knows one quick cure then isn't enough over a few seasons. He hopes this past winter it was cured and this spring regrows. Z'leyra will take the Katai soldier off to the side saying (in Katai) "Honorable Sir, my humble apologies for the seeming rudeness of the others for chatting in a foreign tongue. Some do not speak or understand the great tongue of Katai well enough, so the others must use the language that they do know. We are discussing the scouting reports and hope to have scouted a route by which we can lead your mighty army to defeat these invaders. We will, of course, assist in the slaughter of the villains that killed our friend." Z'leyra finally asks, "Is there anything you would wish me to translate for my friends?" Captain Yong glances at Z'leyra then turns to stare intently. He begins to scan her from foot to head. He notices the fine craftsmanship of some of her gear including belt and boots. He then eyes her drum with the strange markings and studies it for what must be a few seconds. Z'leyra shifts from foot to foot and places an arm in front of it to distract the man. Finally the man looks at Z'leyra's eyes. "Katai is made up of many languages. No translation is needed at this point. I know your group has to talk and plan. But now it is time we do it as a group." The captain glances back to Farseeker and nods to him as if exiting a fine discussion on military tactics. Suddenly the man breaks away from Farseeker. "We don't have time to talk military battles or compare tactics of various lands." He glances over his shoulder at Farseeker. "We need to form some plans." Will turns from the group to speak to the Captain. "So you have been watching that rock for between one and three days. What kind of movements have you seen of the flying things or of grey headed creatures? Have you seen any leave the mount an if so where from? When they attacked how did they use the flyer's... and the troops?" Captain Yong raises a hand in the air, "those flying things would suddenly appear and fly almost from no where. They would also fly back and seem to cross over the top. I could never see where exactly where they came from or went to. I don't even know if they even stayed or landed anywhere if those things can land." Will nods and Fremea realizes the scout is good but didn't get the advantage she had with her scope. The scout must've only seen from his low angle the flyers go over the rim and to his view disappear. This would fit in if they used the top to land or take off from. To the scout he couldn't confirm they landed or not. Captain Yong looks grim as he recalls the attacks on his fellow troops. "They would swarm and swoop down usually in packs of 3 or 4 of those Heretical style vile things. They would shoot their balls of fire out like some dragon of old legend. The horses and men were just...vaporized in place...poof..it was awful. We had no defense against it. We had no siege weapons and until we could get cover they had free reign over us." He pauses as he recalls the names of those he knew. Then after a few moments he continues. "The gray things would then empty out of their bellies while landed or hovered or whatever they did. They then finished off the men using those rod things they hold. " He crosses his arms in disgust. "We were ordered forward so I couldn't see more than a minute of this. We had to escape in order to save the rest of the men and the mission." Chion glances over at the Captain in slight dismay. He can't believe the military would leave their brothers behind unless they had direct orders. Katai are known for their somewhat stiff nature but they are loyal to their friends. It would've have to been a desperate last action. Captain Yong pulls Zhou a bit away from the others for a quick question. He lowers his voice. "Your group seems capable. Some even qualified." He glances to Raban and Farseeker. "But some of the others...seem less qualified to be here." Zhou gives a sly smile, "they look that way but they can be quite a surprise. My body-servant there..." He points to Katai. "Got lucky and took down a flying monster all by himself." Zhou watches Kiet and doesn't mention it was with magic. "Some of the others have their own skills. If anything I'm the weak link in this group. But do not fear of these people." Captain Yong glances to the one in the dress. "But your daughter should not be entering that viper's nest." "Actually she is a unique person. She looks young but she is actually much older. The Healers at the House say she was stunted in her growth and body. But her age is almost as old as you." With that Captain Yong's eyes widen a bit in some shock. Then Zhou continues. "She looks frail but he is actually a well skilled fighter in martial arts. She could teach you a few things. This is her advantage. While she looks young she can betray the enemy before they suspect anything." Zhou glances over at Fremea who clearly looks grumpy in her dress not wanting to wear it. He knows it is one thing to fake some childhood disease to prevent her growth but it is another to explain her wings. That he doesn't think he could even fast talk his way out of. Captain Yong studies the group a few more moments then nods. Zhou breaks off and walks back to the group. He turns around and raises his voice. "We must work together for the better of Katai until the Captain's partner can fetch his men. That could take a day or two. But we simply do not have time to wait. The enemy could be on the verge of a large attack at any moment." Captain Yong then raises a hand to silence Zhou. "I need to make one point clear. The Military have authority and jurisdiction here. Once they get here you will need to evacuate the area. It will be up to the General to see if he will allow your vendetta to continue. I only accept it because I need help. I too suspect they are up to something. Their patrols have lessened and I've not seen much of them lately. Common military practice is to build up your force, prepare and attack. If we knew their plans and time frame we could wait. But I think we have little time to spare." Zhou nods in agreement. "We know there are several points of entry into the mountain." He notices some glares his way but he knows the Captain already likely knows these things so its no secret. "The cave on the northside is high several hundred feet up. It is a sheer cliff and would take some intense climbing. With hard climbing it could be done." Inside Zhou knows Fremea could just fly up and lodge some rope at the top and increase the speed. But explaing that to Yong is dangerous for now. "We have a report of a spring that may lead by way of underwater tunnels to and possibly inside the mountain. Then that strange south face steam area may have a hole or something inside. What do you say Captain?" Zhou asks in a strong but soft voice. Captain Yong glances toward the Mount, it is blocked by the distance and trees but his mind's eyes sees it. "The cave is the logical choice. Last night I did explore that south face. It was a slow struggle to ensure no sentries saw me. But I was lucky that time. It was dark and I had faint vision from the stars. But the steam seems to come from a niche in the rock. It is surrounded by a small shallow area not seen except up close. It gives off some warm air and looks like it might be a small cave entrance but it is very small. It may have to be crawled into rather than walked into. I dared not use my torch in case it would be seen." "This girl you found in the forest. The one you sent back with your partner. Did she give info on the mount like any old explorations of the cave?" Farseeker asks the Captain. "No. She did mention that animals have gone in the south entrance but never come out. Mostly a dog or two. Locals have not explored it. They fear the heat might be leading to a possible volcanic chamber or something." Captain Yong turns back to Zhou. "The high cave will take time to get to and the danger of being seen is high. We don't know if they have sentries on the top. From the nearby mountains I've seen the top but not seen any of the gray headed beasts." Fremea dares not mention her senses and the discovery of the Vong top itself. Zhou seems to sense this and shrugs. "Captain. We must assume the flying heretic things are inside. They can't just get in through the cave. It sounds too small. So logically it must be the top." Zhou pauses to study his reaction. "The top? It is rock." Captain Yong squints in concentration to see if his eyes have deceived him. "My house is near the great Choshai forest. One of their major naval ports is hidden by outsiders. The few traders that have seen it report the port is heavily disguised. They will use things that look like the forest or green cloth or such to hide the area. We've seen hunters do the same thing. They'll create..what is it called..." Will speaks up to say the word, "blind." Then Zhou nods and continues. "Yes, thank you. They look like a tree or bush. What is to say the top isn't some brown cloth?" He pauses to study the new reaction at this news. "It is possible..but it would be huge..." Yong places a finger to his chin in thought. "These creatures seem to use nature and bugs and things like this in nature. To them this might be a simple thing to do." Zhou shrugs as if it is a every day thing for some 1,000 foot in diameter brown cloth to exist. "So if that is the case then the top would be a possible entry point. But the climb is still dangerous. It is early but if we wait till night then they might launch their attack. Those flying evil things might use the cloak of darkness to do their dirty work." Yong then lowers his hands and glances to Zhou. "So what is your plan?" Zhou suddenly becomes silent and glances toward the others and especially toward Unali. He has heard plans to trap a Flyer though that could make their sneak attack lose its advantage. The four possible entry points are cave, top, steam vent and spring. But each has their own risks He glances to Farseeker and passes the buck. "You have the tactical skills..." Farseeker shrugs, "the underwater route is dangerous in that who can breath for that long..without help....the top and cave have exposure issues. But going to the steam has exposure issues by simply walking to it. We've not seen any sight of sentries but we don't know they don't exist. We must choose one entry method. If we lure some of them out and try to question them that will be useless as they'd enjoy the torture. Their sentries are either at the cave or the top. If they are hidden we can't see them. So going those routes is dangerous in itself. But the steam vent would need a sentry from the top to look down. From what we've seen that isn't done from the south side of the top. At least not that we can tell." He glances to Will, Arawn and Fremea to see if they concur. Fremea and the others nods slightly. Fremea had great detail and saw little on the top that moved except a stray bird flying over it. She almost hoped it would be better to see one of them. "So you think the steam vent?" Zhou nods and takes note. Caladan sighs and nods. "I agree with the vent. It might lead to a cave of lava and kill us all. But I think it has the least risk. If we can ensure no sentries are around." Strie'bog says he is a good swimmer. Might be able to hold his breath for 2 minutes if he has some time to prepare. But getting caught in a water tunnel is extremely dangerous. It would however be little risk of being seen by a sentry from the Mountain itself. So his vote seems to be the spring. Zhou turns to the others to see their reaction. Actions? Comments? Next Update...Friday... GM: Ok. Finally done. I was so brain dead last Monday I couldn't work at all. Then tried to work a bit tuesday but didn't go far. Then the posts came in and that slowed catch up time. Finally I'm done (Saturday). Sorry for the delay but it happens. Plus the Dwarves heard the government would shut down so wanted to cash their tax refunds in vegas and get their social security checks they steal from old ladies to waste in vegas. So staff gone was rough for work. GM: I had to put the above in three parts. I hope it works and the timeline fits. I had to add bits and pieces here and there as new posts came in and changed the thread a bit. So hope it all makes sense. GM: Raban - You out there? Been nothing for almost 2 months so was checking in. I figure your busy and out of town still but just curious. GM: Unali - you had the email about exploring the river/spring. Wasn't sure if you still wanted that posted dialogue and consider that? If so I still have the info. But wasn't sure if the Captain being here changed those plans. If need reminder I can resend the segment you posted. GM: Will - I couldn't figure out where to place this dialogue. I couldn't figure out the reference or quote. The "like it" I couldn't figure out the IT so place it in the update: To Arawn: "Have you seen anything like it around the mount or anywhere else for that matter?" Sorry. But its out there for Arawn to reply if needed. GM: Schedule of events - Consider this one the Monday Update (4/11). So this will be out a day early. I'll still try to work on a Friday update. But the extra day may allow you guys to reply faster. If so may start the work Wednesday night some. You guys can still plan and discuss the possible plans but I figure this is a good start to continue the debate. I'm not rushing the actions on entry. Once the plan is formed we'll move on. GM: Generic map of area in rough form. /I\ = North 1 Row = Half a mile [around 2640 feet] 1 Column = Almost 1/10th mile [Around 410 feet each column] 4 Miles by 4 miles 1 2 3 4 5 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 ____________________________________________________ I %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% I A I %%%%%%%%%%%%% % %%%% 7 I B I6 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%% %%%%% 4 I C I %%%%%%%%%%%%% X %%%%%%%%%%% I D I %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%% i E I5 %%%%%%%%%%P%% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%% I F I %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% I G I 3 2 1 I H ---------------------------------------------------- X = Rising Mount [D24] - 1,000 feet high, 1,000 feet wide 1 = Mountain [H37] - 10,000 feet high 2 = Mountain [H22] - 8,700 feet high 3 = Mountain [H9 ] - 5,600 feet high 4 = Mountain [C42] - 8,000 feet high 5 = Mountain [F1 ] - 6,900 feet high 6 = Mountain [C1 ] - 6,400 feet high 7 = Mountain [b32] - 8,450 feet high % = Forested area major tree area P = Party place [F18] Forest ground Party is now about 2,000 odd feet to the Rising Mount inside the forest. Can move deeper if needed. Party is about 500 feet from edge of clearing at this point. All heights are estimates.