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  #46  
Old Dec 28th, 2017, 01:10 AM
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Episode 12: It's Raining Men

"No, we definitely need to get the poor guy. He's probably not in his right mind right now." KKDavion countered and for once, his brother didn't argue the point. Pushing back their log round chairs, the trio heading for the tree line. Seeing their departure from the table as a sign from the divine doggy gods, Finn knew his solemn doggy duty. Clambering up on top of the log round as large as himself, the small dog used it as a stepping stone to his ultimate goal. The leftover breakfast the Gygax refugees had abandoned in their search for their wayward patient.

KKDavion took that moment to turn and review the camp before heading into the jungle. Noticing his errant pet scarfing the last of breakfast, the man yelled, "No! Bad dog! Get down from there." An interjection that Finn ignored, as he licked the rough wooden slab Tojara had used as his plate; somehow avoiding getting splinters in his tongue as he did so. Trying again, KKDavion hollered, "Come boy! Heel Finn!" But he got similar results. LaggingSavant, hearing his comrade's efforts, stuck his head out of the jungle brush to see what was the matter. Sussing out the source of KKDavion's yelling, LaggingSavant told him, "Here try this." Putting two fingers to his mouth and letting loose an ear piercing whistle. Finn's head snapped to attention before bounding down from the table and sprinting as fast as his little legs could take him to the pair.

Snuffling all around KKDavions feet, KKDavion gave his pet a look, and remarked to the small dog, "Well, now that you're done stuffing your face, you can help us track the new guy." LaggingSavant nodded his head cheerfully, "Good idea KKDavion, that should save us some time." Both of the men turned to the small dog and KKDavion ordered, "All right boy, track!" As if he understood the words KKDavion said, the small dog shot off like an arrow into the underbrush. Turning to each other the pair ran after the dog grinning. After an hour of sweaty trekking through the jungle, the pair soon found Finn barking at a tree not far away. Looking up past the large waxy leaves, the two saw their quarry. A red chested monkey hooting right back at the barking dog and beating its chest. LaggingSavant turned to KKDavion asking, "Have you ever even trained Finn to track? Or anything else for that matter?" The other man looked sheepish and replied, "Well..."

Shaking his head, LaggingSavant said, "Alright, we need to find your brother. Maybe he's had more luck." Spreading out, the two continued their search eventually finding Tojara; who had just as little success finding their wayward patient as LaggingSavant and KKDavion had. The three spread out, and after several hours of searching, they had found a few promising axe rocks, and a particularly nice bit of petrified mahogany. No survivor though. Hot, tired, hungry and frustrated, KKDavion put words to all three of their sentiments, "Give it up. The guy's gone, and the days mostly gone already." Tojara gave a heavy sigh, and the three turned almost as one to look back in the direction of their nascent homestead.

Eye's downcast and bleary, it was LaggingSavant who noticed the shooting star. "You know, if you make a wish on a shooting star, it will come true." the former chef commented as he pointed it out in the afternoon sky. Closing his eyes, LaggingSavant's lips moved silently. Watching the shooting star more cynically, KKDavion observed the object getting bigger.

And Bigger.

Much, much, bigger.

"Holy Zanzibang! That things coming this way! Move!" Pushing the other two refugees to the side, the three took cover in the jungle underbrush, as a giant fireball grew and roared past their heads, scorching the jungle trees. Crashing to the ground only a half mile away, the three could feel the reverberations in the ground below them when the fireball finally hit the ground. "Did you see that?" KKDavion observed, "That was another class III escape pod in that mess..."

OoCBasic Quarters won the last vote 2-1-0.

Next vote:
We're hungry and tired, ignore the new escape pod and go home.!Vote White Snake
We need to find our lost patient before we do anything else. !Vote Blue Moon
Another survivor may need our help, go check out the crash site. !Vote Red City
We can do both, Let's split up. !Vote Purple Sky


Just as a reminder, anyone can vote!
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  #47  
Old Dec 28th, 2017, 11:09 AM
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!Vote Purple Sky Splitting up has always ended up well...
  #48  
Old Dec 29th, 2017, 03:01 AM
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!Vote Purple Sky
Cause if I go for Diamond Red City...
"Another settlement needs your help. I'll mark it on the map for you."
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  #49  
Old Jan 5th, 2018, 09:49 PM
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!Vote Purple Sky

Divide and conquer!
  #50  
Old Feb 7th, 2018, 02:56 PM
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Episode 13: Search and Rescue

*Bark bark bark bark bark bark BARK!*

Nose pointed to the sky, Finn ran in circles voicing his consternation and fear at whatever had burned and smashed the upper part of the jungle canopy. Maybe it was a sign from the Great Canine Gods; making their displeasure known that he hadn’t finished polishing off the human’s breakfast earlier. Or perhaps it was a sign of another giant enemy to come like that big black cat. Maybe more than one was coming!

"Shh Finn, we need to talk." Grumbled KKDavion as he looked down the path of destruction to the crash site a half mile away. "We should probably at least look at this other drop pod. It could have one of those things in it, and we don’t want one to sneak up on us in the night." LaggingSavant gave a shiver at the thought of more of the mechanical horrors showing up, and sank to one knee. "No thank you! Once was more’n enough." He said emphatically, Scratching Finn behind the ear as he did so. Tojara shook his head, disagreeing with his brother, "Don’t be a lil beach comber. Odds are it’s another survivor like us. The only way we’re going to get this done is if we split up." Shrugging his shoulders KKDavion nodded in agreement, though he did spare a look up into the sky to mark the sun. "I’ll go with LaggingSavant and keep looking for our ungrateful friend. You go check out the pod. You’ve got the only real weapon, and you have a… practical… knowledge of first aid." Tojara gave his brother a small smirk, before nodding his head and replying, "Ok, let’s try and meet back in camp by nightfall if we can. Holla if you need something." With that, the two search parties divided and went their separate ways.


~~~Lagging Savant and KKDavion~~~

After Tojara trudged into the underbrush and disappeared from view, KKDavion remarked to LaggingSavant, "I can’t imagine we’ll find the guy now, but knowing my brother we’ll never hear the end of it if we won’t look." Shrugging his shoulder LaggingSavant agreed, though he did spare a look over his shoulder back to camp. Perhaps he was thinking of all the things he could be doing back at camp. Like sowing a field or gathering lumber. The decision had been made though, and so LaggingSavant turned back to the wilds.

Spreading out a good twenty feet so that they could search a wider swath while still seeing each other, the pair searched the area; though perhaps wandering might be more apt with no leads and no tracks to follow. At least none the pair could discern. Nor could Finn, though perhaps that was because he was preoccupied with… basically everything he could sniff. Maybe it was blind luck, or the guidance of some higher power that eventually turned them towards a boulder strewn grove, but most likely it was the faint sound of yelling. LaggingSavant was the first to hear it, though it was hard to distinguish amongst the sounds of the jungle that was slowly returning in the wake of the crashed drop pod. The faint noise of a deep wordless screaming made LaggingSavant hesitate, but the primal nature of it made the man dismiss it as nothing more than a rabid monkey. It wasn’t until KKDavion came up short and beckoned LaggingSavant over that he began to wonder if maybe it was more. "Did you hear that?" KKDavion asked, to which LaggingSavant nodded affirmative. "Might as well check it out then, but let’s do it carefully. You never know what you’re going to find in this place." KKDavion decided out loud.

Creeping forward, the pair approached the boulder strewn grove. As they approached, squeals and grunts were added to the wordless screaming they had heard earlier. Now that they were closer they could tell that the sound was human, though its lack of diction gave it a slightly inhuman overtone. A fact their eyes confirmed when they took in the scene before them incredulously.


They had found their missing patient, bloody, naked, and screaming his head off like a wild man at a disconcerted boar that was rapidly becoming annoyed with this irritatingly persistent human. Hair every which way, spittle flying from his mouth, the pair’s patient clenched his fists and started running at the wild pig he had cornered. Whatever offense the pig may have offered to the man, it was clear he intended to pummel the thing to death with nothing but his bare hands for it.

KKDavion groaned and slapped his forehead as he took in the sight, grumbling, "Do we have to?" To which the former chef replied earnestly, "Of course!" Pulling his plasteel Mecha Ramsey Special Edition chef’s knife from his waistband, LaggingSavant scrambled over the log they had been watching behind just as the boar and the wild man charged at each other. Surprisingly their quarry was more agile than he had any right to be given his previous medical condition. Dodging the boar’s charge, the wild man grabbed the pig by one tusk to hold it in place and turned his fists into a jack hammer; smashing the pig’s snout over and over again. Bucking and shaking under the assault, the pig tried to gore its attacker, but the man’s hold on its tusk made it difficult. Its squeals were getting increasingly desperate as blood flowed from its snout. Fortunately for the boar, tusks weren’t its only weapon. Baring its teeth, the creature snapped its mouth closed on the crazy man’s hand with a snap that elicited a cry of pain and a spurt of blood from its attacker. Apparently it had caused enough pain for the human to let go its grasp, and the boar took the opportunity to scramble back.

Que the cavalry. On which side was uncertain, but LaggingSavant rushed in wildly waving his knife and yelling at the boar in an attempt to get it to back off. From behind the log KKDavion considered the scene now with two crazy men and a bloodied boar. What to do now? That choice was quickly made for him as the pair’s enraged quarry cradled his mangled left hand against his side, but simultaneously balled his right into a fist once again. This time, the man’s focus seemed to be on his “rescuer’s” back. With all of LaggingSavant’s focus on the boar he was driving off, he was oblivious to the frothing danger behind him. Winding up his one good hand with a fiery gleam in his eye the stranger prepared a vicious blow to the back of LaggingSavant’s head.

right-aligned image
Vaulting over the log ahead of him in a fine display of athleticism, KKDavion was on the scene in a flash. Spinning around the man’s undefended left side, KKDavion delivered a short open palm strike to the chest to push the wild man back and away from his companion and followed up with a full power sucker punch straight to the abdomen. Eyes wide, perhaps not even registering what had just happened to him, the man gaped at KKDavion before falling to the ground flailing. Curling up into a fetal position, the stranger tried to breathe air that wouldn’t come for many seconds before being reduced to dry heaves as he tried to throw up food that he didn’t have.

Meanwhile, LaggingSavant successfully convinced the boar that it had certainly had enough, and two, much less three, humans was just too much for it to deal with today. All it had wanted was some nice truffles after all, before it had been attacked by these dangerous two legged predators. Returning to find KKDavion standing over his naked, mangled and writhing prisoner, LaggingSavant asked plaintively, "Did you have to be so rough with him?" Shooting his companion an incredulous look, KKDavion answered in all seriousness, "I thought I was pretty gentle given we has about to bean you in the back of the head." Shaking his head KKDavion got down to business, "I guess I’ll wrap up that hand before we go, though I’m pretty sure the pig got at least one of his fingers. Then I’ll haul his sorry butt back to camp if you head that way now and put together some sort of holding pen for him. We can’t trust this bugger not to run off again." Giving the winded man on the ground a final look, LaggingSavant nodded his agreement and heading back to camp. How were they going to keep this guy safe from himself and the rest of camp?


~~~Tojara~~~

Unlike his companions Tojara had an easy time of finding the path he needed to follow. The drop pod had certainly left a wake of destruction a blind man could have followed. The biggest problem was bypassing all of the debris and small fires from its passing. After clambering over yet another felled tree, Tojara checked his Desert Eagle’s clip again. KKDavion’s words about the mechanical creatures nagged at the back of his mind. He’d be ready if that was what it was.

As he approached the crash site, weaving between trees and underbrush, the first thing that Tojara heard was a deep wordless screaming. Fortunately it didn’t sound human, it was too primal for it to be the occupant of the drop pod. Slowing his pace some, Tojara realized the sound was not one, but many creatures hooting and generally causing a raucous. Sighting the still glowing drop pod halfway lodged in the ground Tojara, spared a moment to look around for the source of the noise. Up in the Cecropia trees were a whole troop of monkeys screaming at the pod that had destroyed their home. Unlike most of the other jungle animals who had fled form the flaming object’s descent, these primates seemed to have gathered around it.

left-aligned image
"Creepy" the man muttered as he hesitantly stepped into the crash made clearing. The troop of monkeys went wild at his appearance, hooting and leaping from branch to branch in agitation. Fortunately it seemed that the creatures were unwilling to do more than voice their displeasure at his appearance. Picking his way past a small fire, Tojara made his way as quickly as he could to the drop pod under the glares of the monkey troop. He could almost feel their judgmental eyes boring into him as he found himself a long jagged stick. Circling the pod, the rescuer shot more than one glance over his shoulder up into the trees as he searched for the quick release button on the drop pod. After what seemed like minutes, he found the panel he was looking for, though the metal around was clearly too hot to touch. Using his previously secured branch, Tojara thrust the tip forward up into the covering panel and levered it open to expose a large blue button.

Pressing the button with his wavering branch, there was a hiss from the drop pod, and the entire metal bulk shifted some as something expanded and released under the loose dirt. It seemed that the exit door had been partially buried when the pod had crashed, leaving only a small gap open. "Great." Pulling his desert eagle, Tojara confronted the small opening cloaked in darkness. Double checking that he had a bullet in the chamber, the man leveled his weapon and called out, "Hey! Anyone in there?" At first there was no sound, but a weak groan eventually came from the insides of the device. "Come one out!" Tojara ordered, but no further sounds came from the pod.

right-aligned image
It seemed that whoever had crashed wasn’t strong enough to make it out on their own, which meant that Tojara would have to go through the gap between dirt and metal and into the dark pod to get the latest survivor. Sighing, Tojara got onto his belly and carefully wiggled his head and shoulders through the small gap, carefully avoiding the hot to the touch metal in the process. Reaching around in the darkness, Tojara couldn’t see anything, but his seeking hand found a wet and sticky body part, which elicited a pained groan. Grabbing a firmer grip on what could only be a leg, Tojara began the laborious process of dragging the injured passenger out of the smashed pod. The refugee cried out several times as they were pulled out, and Tojara hissed when his elbow brushed the searing metal despite his best efforts to be careful. Finally the man was laid out on the ground. Both of them were covered in blood and Tojara sat crossed legged and caught his breath next to the prone refugee. The injured passenger looked to Tojara blearily, raising his head; curly hair matted with blood. Trying to make eye contact he, gasped out, "Tha… nk—" before limply passing out from the pain.

left-aligned image
Task complete, Tojara laboriously got to his feet. Nursing his burned elbow, he then proceed to attempt to clean some of his patient’s blood from his hands, before realizing that the monkey out troop was still there. Not only were they still there, but it seemed that the scent of blood had driven the primates into a frenzy. By comparison, they had been downright calm earlier. Some of the creatures were swinging dangerously close, slavering at the mouth and making a show of sharp fangs. "In Zanzibang’s name, can’t I catch a break?" Tojara grumbled. Seizing his poking stick from earlier, Tojara stuck the end into one of the small fires from the crash and lit the end. Swishing it back and forth, Tojara wondered what exactly he was going to do to get out of the this latest complication.

OoCPurple sky won unanimously! So split the party we have.



Now what is the besieged Tojara going to do?

Keep Tojara safe. Sacrifice the unconscious refugee and run for it.!Vote Cut and Run
Fireman carry the refugee to shelter and help at top speed. !Vote East Bound and Down
Stand his ground and fight. There’s only twenty of them! !Vote Won’t. Back. Down.
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Last edited by Ion2Atom; Apr 24th, 2018 at 02:19 AM.
  #51  
Old Feb 10th, 2018, 04:11 AM
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!Vote East Bound and Down
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  #52  
Old Feb 10th, 2018, 12:20 PM
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!Vote Won’t. Back. Down.

You made me do this...
  #53  
Old Feb 15th, 2018, 01:26 AM
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!Vote East Bound and Down
  #54  
Old Feb 19th, 2018, 04:54 PM
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~~~Tojara~~~

"Yeah?" Shouted Tojara at the monkey troop, "Come get some!" the man yelled as he stood over the prone man he had just rescued from the drop pod. The monkeys screamed in response and one creature, bolder than the rest, leaped from the trees right at Tojara’s face. Winding up, the man swept his torch across like a baseball bat. Connecting solidly with the monkey, Tojara sent it flying several feet, fur smoldering. Though he had fended off that one initial monkey, the creature’s leap had opened the flood gates. Three other monkeys followed suit, leaping down onto Tojara and the bleeding refugee on the ground. Sharp claws scrabbled on Tojara’s chest and back as they fought for purchase, while the third landed heavily on the downed man. Shaking himself wildly, Tojara vainly tried to dislodge the monkey on his back. Dropping his makeshift torch, the man reached to his front; ripping the second painfully away before the creature could take a bite out of his shoulder. Frantically kicking with his foot, Tojara sent the third monkey, which had been beating its chest atop the fallen man, arcing into the jungle underbrush. Tojara knew a lost cause when he saw one, and trying to fight off the entire troop of monkeys was one of them. Even as he fought off these three, Tojara could see more monkeys staging in the branches above. He would be ripped apart in a matter of minutes if a stayed here.

Ignoring the monkey on his back for the moment, Tojara desperately reached down to grab the unconscious man by his shirt and belt, slinging him into a fireman’s carry, before breaking into a dead run for safety. Howling behind him, the troop gave chase, maddened by the smell of blood. Tojara was panting hard from the weight of the man on his shoulders, and the monkey on his back continued to painfully scratch and claw whilst it scrabbled for position. Fortunately it seemed more concerned with maintaining its grasp on the human than doing additional damage. Sighting a large teak tree ahead, Tojara swerved in its direction, spinning at the last moment so he collided with the solid tree back first. The impact stung Tojara and certainly was not the best for his passenger, but it was more than enough to stun the monkey riding his back. Staggering a little to regain his footing, Tojara gasped and turned to resume his headlong flight, leaving his unwanted monkey passenger in the dust.

Branches swished and swayed violently as the monkey troop pursued the pair, screaming at the top of their lungs in the fading light. Squinting through the increasing darkness and sweat on his brow, Tojara could just make out the light of his campfire from between the jungle trees. Putting on another spurt of speed and yelling for all he was worth, Tojara gave it all he had. "KKDAAAAVIOONNN! LAGGGING SAVAAAAAAAAAAANNT!"


~~~ Lagging Savant ~~~

right-aligned image

*Thunk*

*Thunk*

*Thunk*


The hollow sound of one log striking another echoed through the small clearing that was their campsite. Lagging Savant knew that he didn’t have much time until KKDavion got back with the Wildman who had gone toe to toe with a boar. He needed to find a way to secure the man, and so with limited time and resources, Lagging Savant had come up with a simple wooden cage akin to what one might keep an animal in. Large wooden stakes driven into the ground, and interwoven with trimmed down saplings. Clearly nothing fancy, but it might do for the short term.

~~~ Reunification ~~~


Gathering up an armful of leaves and fern fronds, Lagging Savant threw them into the wooden cage such that their “guest” might have a place to lie down. Whilst heading out to gather another armful, KKDavion slowly plodded into camp with the unconscious wild man slung over his shoulder like a sack of beans. Grunting under his burden, KKDavion cast a critical eye over the wooden cage Lagging Savant had slapped together in the short time they had been seperated, "Not exactly the Ritz Lagging Savant... Looks like there’s hardly enough room for him to even lie down. I’m not sure that will help his disposition any when he comes to." Frowning Lagging Savant, grumped, "I’d like to see you do better." Annoyed, Lagging Savant stumped out into the jungle to gather more bedding materials. Meanwhile, KKDavion asked to an empty campsite, "What did I do?" Attempting a shrug that elicited a moan from his burden, KKDavion slung the man to the ground. Bent over his charge, KKDavion cocked his head as the sound of screaming and hooting approached at a prodigious pace. Confused, the man straightened and turned to look in the direction of the noise.

Eyes widening in sudden surprise, KKDavion had only a split second to regard his brother as Tojara barreled out of the jungle brush. Blinded by foliage and sweat Tojara smashed into his brother with the force of a small freight train, sending Tojara, his charge, and KKDavion flying every which way. "Shoot! Blast!" cursed Tojara, scrambling to his feet. Lifting his rescued refugee from the ground, and ignoring the wild man nearby, Tojara shoved the limp body into the newly risen KKDavion’s arms, "Lock him in the hut! The monkeys are coming!" KKDavion shot a confused look at his brother, but for once didn’t ask questions. Tucking the newest refugee under his arm like an old time American football, KKDavion rushed to the hut and practically threw his charge into one of their makeshift beds. Finn lifted his head in curiosity to watch his master's strange behavior from where he had curled up to nap. Seeing his faithful Finn nearby, KKDavion ordered the dog, "Guard!" before rushing outside. Finn sleepily regarded the closed door, and lazily licked his nose before tucking it back into his haunch. It was nap time right now.

Meanwhile, Tojara had drawn his pistol and taken up a defensive position near the first refugee they had rescued. Tojara may have wondered what the giant cage was for nearby, but unfortunately he had more important things on his mind. Mainly the arrival of the monkey troop that had dogged his steps all through the jungle. Anchoring itself with its prehensile tail, the largest of the monkeys beat its chest and howled fiercely in challenge. Sighting down his chromed and lovingly polished desert eagle, Tojara howled back, "Bring it!"

*Blam* *Blam*

Screaming now in both pain and fury, the largest of monkeys dropped into the brush from its perch. It’s now separated tail still wrapped around the branch above. As if his shots had been a starting pistol, the troop flowed down from the trees in a wave of blood crazed primate fury. Tojara was not alone though. LaggingSavant flew around the edge of the wooden cage, his razor sharp chef’s knife at the ready, batting away a monkey in mid-air with has left hand. He may not have been alone, but the two were certainly separated by some distance. Distance quickly filling with angry primates.


The brushes rustled and the alpha monkey bleeding from the stump that had once been its tail lept at Tojara with a small cadre of monkeys at its back. *Blam* *Blam Blam* Tojara let loose several shots that went wide at the primates launching themselves at Tojara and the unconscious wildman. Out of thin air, KKDavion was suddently there at Tojara’s right hand. Punching and kicking like a miniature tornado, monkeys went flying in all directions. Standing over the fallen wild man, KKDavion took up a defensive stance. Despite having his right side covered Tojara was not so lucky. The Alpha had revenge on its mind, and nothing would dissuade the savage creature now. Colliding directly with Tojara’s chest, the Alpha sent Tojara stumbling back, only to trip over a large rock behind him. Landing hard on his back, Tojara found himself winded and face to face with the slavering fanged maw of the alpha monkey.

Struggling to rise, Tojara tried to bring his prized Desert Eagle to bear. Sadly the angle was all wrong. Nearby KKDavion had his hands full just holding off the swarm of creatures leaping at him from every which way. The Alpha was surprisingly strong for its size, and Tojara couldn’t break its grip as it went to tear out his throat. Squeezing his eyes shut at the last moment when the fanged mouth darted forward, Tojara actually felt the sharp teeth nick his throat. Instead of the bloody death he had expected, the Alpha gave a tremendous squeal of pain that was then abruptly silenced. Opening his eyes, Tojara could feel the weight of the monkey rising from his chest as it was hoisted up by a grim faced Lagging Savant high into the air. The chef had fought his way to Tojara's side, earning more than a few bruises and scratches in the process. Brandishing the Alpha’s corpse as one might a talisman, the chef let loose an ear splitting roar of his own. The nearby troop scampered back from the threesome as they regarded their slain leader. Roaring again, Lagging Savant shook the corpse again, this time beating his chest with the white knuckled fist that held his chef’s knife. Aggressively darting forward as if he meant to charge the frozen monkeys seemed to break their trance. The display was too much for the them, and the troop turned tail and ran. Bruised, battered, and defeated.


In the primal battle between man and monkey, the RPGXers had proven their superiority by dispatching the blood mad Alpha male. Despite their obvious advantages, the colonists had experienced a closer call that they might have liked; each of them bearing minor injuries in one fashion or another. Would this be the last they saw of this monkey troop though? Only time would tell. What was sure was that the morning light would surely bring a new challenge. Given their limited time and resources, the colony would need to decide what exactly they wanted to make their first priority.

OoCEast Bound and Down won with a vote of 2-1




As our general policy, when we rescue a new survivor we will:
Make them our “Guest” for their own safety. They’ll realize its best to stay with us sooner or later. !Vote Retention Policy
Heal them and let them do whatever they want. It’s a free world. !Vote String-Free Policy
Let them figure it out themselves. If they’re strong, they’ll survive. !Vote Darwinist Policy
Note: This policy will be applied to our newest refugee.

Next up, we need to decide what our short term strategic goals are going to be:
We need stronger defenses, and maybe another weapon. If monkeys could cause so much trouble, what would raiders do? !Vote Department of Defense
We have what may be a long term prisoner. We need to establish a proper holding cell, and focus on convincing him to become a productive member of Nova Kapa. !Vote Department of Corrections
We have five mouths to feed and only three able bodied colonists. Focus on producing a steady source of food. !Vote Department of Agriculture
Everyone is smooshed together into a single ramshackle hut. We’re going to be here a long time and we need living space. !Vote Department of Colony Development
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Old Feb 21st, 2018, 07:08 PM
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The penguins are coming!
 
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Old Mar 12th, 2018, 11:00 AM
Lagging Savant Lagging Savant is offline
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We have shelter, water (I think they drink) and we'll need food for the long term.


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!Vote Department of Agriculture


Lagging Savant looks over the monkey considering if chilled monkey brains is really a delicacy.

Last edited by Lagging Savant; Mar 12th, 2018 at 11:01 AM.
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Old Mar 12th, 2018, 08:08 PM
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Old Apr 8th, 2018, 03:24 PM
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Episode 15: Freedom Farms

Exhausted from their late night battle, Tojara gently picked up their latest rescuee with the help of Lagging Savant. KKDavion leaned tiredly against the stone wall of their co-opted home, and waved them on, "Go ahead, I’ll keep watch for the rest of the night. The smell of blood should keep most things away, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful." Nodding their gratitude Lagging Savant and Tojara slowly made their way to the inside of their communal hut along with their unconscious charge. Laying him down into one of their makeshift beds, Tojara spared a few moments to rip a few strips from his increasingly worn jacket to bind their wounds. Between the adrenaline leaving their system, the long hard days of work, and interrupted sleep, neither of them were feeling great. It was no surprise that the pair of RPGXers feel asleep as soon as they stopped long enough to actually lay down.

Outside the sounds of the jungle began to return to normal, only interrupted by KKDavion’s occasional thwack of sharpened stone on wood, as he used his time as productively as possible. Or perhaps he was just trying to keep busy so he wouldn’t fall asleep. It was as he was chopping away that KKDavion noticed a figure slinking through the darkness. Suddenly alert, KKDavion gripped the heavy stone shard he had been using as an axe tightly in his hand. In the shadows it took him a moment to realize what he was looking at, but the curly hair gave it away. "Seriously?" KKDavion grumbled to himself as he made a bee-line for the figure. Striding forward angrily the man challenged, "Just where do you think you’re going?"


The figure straightened and turned to regard KKDavion as he approached. "I’m blowing this popsicle stand buddy, what does it look like?" KKDavion gave the man a hard look while scorching him with his words, "We bust our butts to pull your keister from a crashed pod, fight off a tribe of blood thirsty monkeys, drag you all the way back to safety, and bind up your wounds and you’re just going to sneak out of here like some kind of guilty teenager? No “Thank you”? No name or explanation? What the hell?" Leaning against a tree and the man responded slowly, placidly as if the heat of KKDavion’s words hadn’t phased him at all, "Hold up dude. Name’s Joaquinn, and thanks for saving my butt. Happy? Your friends were passed out, and I need to hit the road. Don’t worry, I didn’t, like, take anything or anything like that man. Like, get off my back." As he talked the man began to pat his jacket down, as if looking for something. Looking Joaquinn up and down, KKDavion narrowed his eyes observing, "And so you’re going to leave just like that? You may not have noticed, but it’s a jungle out there. Literally. You weren’t even stay out the night. You with no food, and no weapons." The overweight man didn’t exactly look like a fighter either.

Shrugging, Joaquinn responded, "No offense dude, but this place ain’t much better. Ah!" Apparently finding what he was looking for, Joaquinn pulled a small box from his jacket and smiled. Opening it up, the man pulled out a small cigarette, and popped one end into his mouth. "Like, I took a look around when I woke up. You don’t have a lot going on man. A Leaky ruin with some bundles of hay for beds to sleep in. Hey, you happen to have a light?" KKDavion shook his head negative, and Joaquinn sighed, "Like, Guess I should know that." Taking the cigarette from his mouth Joaquinn ripped it into chunks and popped them into his mouth one by one, paper and all. Chewing away like they were gum, the man continued, "You like, don’t have any creature comforts here, and who knows how long you’ll last anyway? I’m going to head off and find myself a more established settlement. Something that has what I need, you know man?" Joaquinn shrugged apologetically.

As the man chewed his cigarette, KKDavion took a closer look at the man’s eyes in the moonlight. As he suspected. Bloodshot. Shaking his head, KKDavion responded ponderously, "I think I understand Joaquinn. Go your way then. It’s a free universe." KKDavion was experienced enough in the ways of the world to know that you couldn’t save everyone, but he wondered if letting this man go free would be tantamount to a death sentence. He was no gaoler though, and Joaquinn has made his choice. The other man seemed slightly surprised at his dismissal, "Glad to hear it buddy. I was wondering what with that dude all looked up in the cage. Seemed pretty beat up. I suppose he deserved it though. Anyway, when I get back to civilization I’m totally going to grab myself a massive double bacon cheeseburger and a gargleblaster. Man am I hungry." Waving goodbye, the man cheerfully meandered his way east.

Shaking his head KKDavion muttered to himself, "Not when. If."


~~Day 6~~

"Hmph!" Tojara grunted unhappily. "So, he just up and left last night huh?"

"Yup." KKDavion replied through a yawn. "Anyway, I’m going to go hit the sack, there’s a pile of fresh cut wood for you to work with. Night now." Rubbing his eyes KKDavion made his way into the “Leaky Ruin” to sleep.

"What did he do?" Tojara muttered suspiciously at his brothers back. Lagging Savant took the opportunity to pipe in as he finished off the last of his fried beaver, "You know Tojara, in some ways this makes things easier. We have food for now, but we’re going to need a steady supply long term… So… you uh, remember what we talked about back when I was sick?" Tojara groaned. "You remember that huh? Well I guess a promise is a promise. By my count we have enough food for four days counting our patient. Plus a little extra meat, but I’m not sure if it will stay good in this heat. I guess you’re right."


"Great! I know we got the field partially cleared out the other day, but I think we can expand it out a little, and I’ll start transplanting berries. That spot by the marsh is going to be great for farming!" Despite his enthusiasm, Lagging Savant rose from their ramshackle dining chair with more than a little stiffness. The abuse they had received last night was still painfully present. Together, the pair headed out to the field. As they walked the marshy path to the nascent field, Tojara looked down at his once fancy shoes. Rubbing his chin he observed, "If we’re going to be coming out here all the time to tend the field, we should probably see what we can do about putting down a boardwalk or something. Keep down the grass and keep us a little above the water." Pausing Lagging Savant considered and nodded, "Yeah good idea. Didn’t KKDavion say he got us a bunch of timber last night?" Nodding Tojara replied, "Yep, I’ll go grab it and see you in the field in a bit."


An hour so later, the timber was in place for construction and Tojara walked into the field where Lagging Savant was hard at work. Already a few plants had been moved in, and Lagging Savant had cleared out a few more trees as well. The pair greeted each other amicably and Tojara moved to gather up the new felled timber and the while chatting with Lagging Savant. It had only been a few days, but the two seemed to be becoming good friends. Hardship had the effect it seemed.

Chatting away, the pair were surprised to see a sleek black shape prowl along a branch of a nearby tree and plop down to watch them work. A muscular panther, lazily sunning itself and watching the two humans work away on their field. "Uhh… Lagging Savant… maybe we should… go work on that board walk?" Tojara asked his companion whilst nervously fingering his desert eagle. Looking up at the great black cat, Lagging Savant shrugged. "Eh, he’s not bothering anyone, but we are going to need more wood by the time this is all done. I wouldn’t mind an extra chair or two at the table so we can all have a place. I’ll stay here and finish up the field while you grab the materials."


left-aligned image
"OK, if insist…" Tojara said doubtfully, reluctant to leave his friend alone with a panther. Lagging Savant did seem to be right though, so Tojara eventually relented and inched his way back to the camp. Smiling, Lagging Savant returned to his work of planting and transplanting berry bushes into orderly rows. An hour or two later, Lagging Savant was questioning his choice to send Tojara away. The panther had gracefully leaped down from its spot and was sniffing around some of the bushes he had just planted. Frozen in place, Lagging Savant watched the powerful cat inspect the plants with interest before wandering lazily around the field. Chuckling nervously to himself, Lagging Savant slowly, and oh so carefully, resumed his work under the watchful eye of his panther observer.



As the day waned, the pair began to be more comfortable with each other and when Lagging Savant left the newly planted field and crossed over the freshly constructed board walk the panther ponderously got up and followed the human, sniffing along at each of the new scents in its territory before turning its tail and returning back into the jungle whence it came. "Good bye kitty. That was a good days work today." Lagging Savant said quietly as to not startle the wild creature. Shrugging and smiling, Lagging Savant returned to camp where he played Tojara in a game of horseshoes for who would have to warm up dinner. A bet that Lagging Savant handily won as the wooden horse shoes clacked time and again into the post. "It’s the wood" Tojara complained, "I’m much better with metal shoes." but as he complained the man was smiling.

right-aligned image
The smell of dinner finally roused KKDavion from his sleep. Yawning the man emerged to join the pair at the table. Together the three chatted, though KKDavion had to stand due to the lack of chairs. “To help him wake up” or so Tojara claimed when KKDavion commented on it. Either way, spirits were higher than they had any right to be given some of the trials the three had gone through. Perhaps it was the fact that the day had been quiet, but not too quiet that helped. Perhaps it was the fact that they had completed the berry field that could provide them a long term source of food. Maybe it was just that indefinable feeling of hope that came with starting a new adventure. Either way, the three laughed and talked for several hours before Tojara and Lagging Savant started to compete on who could produce the largest yawns. Waving his hand, KKDavion ordered, "Off to bed with you two. I’ll grab some food and check up on “Boar Boy”."

Sleepily complying with the pushy KKDavion, Lagging Savant and Tojara headed towards bed. Picking up the leftovers of yet more hot beaver tail, KKDavion made up a plate comprised of only a broad leaf’ anything heavier could be used as a weapon after all. Given their history with the patient, it wouldn’t hurt to be too careful. Making his way over to the makeshift cage, KKDavion untied the cage “door” and entered into the cramped space. There was barely room to turn around, but fortunately the unnamed man was still mostly unconscious. Bent over half way, and stepping over the man’s limbs, KKDavion made his way to the patient’s head, and slowly fed the semiconscious man; making sure he swallowed each bite without choking.

left-aligned image
The process was slow and laborious and thus KKDavion had plenty of time to look around. From his seated position, he could see the supply pile and a large dark shape strolling into camp. A panther as bold as brass, stalked into camp and made a beeline in his direction. Unarmed and stuck in the cramped cage with an injured patient and a partially consumed meal, KKDavion didn’t have many options. Eyes wide, he did the only thing he could think of… he reached forward and pulled the cage door shut. Watching from behind his tenuous fortification, he could see the panther walking his way. It stopped to sniff in his direction before turning to the supply pile. Reaching out a paw the size of a dinner plate, the creature knocked over the pile of emergency rations that Lagging Savant had rescued from the Gygax. Flexing its long sharp claws the panther ripped one of the packages wide open, before promptly devouring the freeze dried contents.

Stunned, KKDavion watched the large cat clean its whiskers with one paw before casually slinking around to examine the supply pile. The stranger’s activity in their camp had alerted another besides just KKDavion. Scrambling around the corner of the reclaimed building of their home, Finn came running along on his small legs. Barking and growling, the small dog oriented on the panther like a homing mine. The panther hissed at the dog, but Finn would not be deterred. Disdainfully the panther, having already sated its hunger, leapt up on top of the cage KKDavion was in affording his a spectacular and terrifying view of its muscled body. Giving a final look of disgust at the small dog as it raced after the great cat, the panther made a second leap into a low hanging branch. Slinking away slowly as if to say “I’m leaving because I want to, not because you made me.”

Taking the opportunity to escape, KKDavion crawled out of the makeshift cage. Standing next to an alert Finn, the man looked from his diminutive dog and back in the direction of the most unusual panther. Blinking several times, KKDavion commented to the night, "Huh."

OoCWe have unanimously chosen to prioritize agriculture and to help space refugees and allow them to leave as they please.
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Last edited by Ion2Atom; Apr 24th, 2018 at 02:20 AM.
 

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