ic Crash on Volturnus (IC)

[Thevshi]

GM

 

The trample grass proved easy to gather, the passage of the massive creatures having smashed the glass sheath around the blades of grass.  Soon there was a good sized pile toward the middle of the trampled path, with a second pile nearby to feed the fire over the night.

 

After having a dinner from the supplies provided by the Ul-Mor, the watch shifts began as those not on watch settled down to try to get some sleep on patches of ground that had been cleared of all the shard grass and the broken glass sheaths.  When Starshot laid down and listed to the sounds round him, he heard very little other than the occasional stirring of the nearby grass by the wind.

 

The night passed without incident, and eventually the morning came, Soreen being on last watch as the sky began to brighten as the sun rose up over the horizon the group could not see among the tall shard grass.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot woke slowly, dreaming of forests, mountains, and clear lakes. His childhood. It was a pleasant memory, spoiled quickly by the memory of events that followed in Germany. He found himself betwixt the two memories as he moved through his gear. He was a prudent man, a military man, despite it all. He had found that checking equipment and supplies was wise, and the ritual of it gave him some space in his head. 

 

Thus, he said little whilst in the ritual. Once completed he found himself refreshed and focused. 

 

"Onwards then, as magnificent as this grass is, I would rather be out of the field. Onto more pleasant lands, I hope!" he said, full of hope in his voice and little in his heart. He was enjoying the sights, but there would be more blood spilled before the end of this journey, he wagered...

[Thevshi]

GM

"Yeah, would be nice to be somewhere where the foliage won't cut us to ribbons if we try to hide in it."  Soreen replied in agreement as she finished up gathering her gear and slung her pack onto her back.

 

Laark already had his gear on as he pulled Phalen up and got the crazed alien ready to move as well. 

 

Given the herd of large creatures the group had been following had turned south, the opposite direction they wanted to go, there was no choice but to go back to cutting their own path.  So the time consuming work began, with Starshot and Laark taking turns at cutting a wide enough path for the group to make their way safely through. 

 

After several hours they had managed to get a few kilometers, when Starshot hacked away come shard grass to come upon another clearing.  However, just as he was finishing clearing the entrance to the clearing, he glanced down at the space just beyond the path he had cut and noted something odd.

 

There was several stalks of shard grass lying on the ground, the glass like shell around the stalks covered in some liquid that was causing it to sizzle and dissolve…

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot quickly held up his fist. Stop...Quiet....

 

It was probably safe. 

 

Probably wasn't good enough, when it came to safe. 

 

What was this? Acid? it would be an ideal way to bypass the defences of the blade grass. Spit out some acid, wait for the shell to dissolve, then feast. He doubted this was a sentient event; too much effort for too little reward. By his estimation, they were facing a acid spitting herbavoure. 

 

Of course, best not too assume. 

 

 

Or assume only danger. 

 

He flicked on the blaster rifle and kept it raised. Maybe his whip and strength would be more effective, but the rifle packed the punch. He did not neglect scanning the air: it could well be a bird like creature. 

 

Dropping acid. 

 

He gave a little smirk at the pun. 

 

With hand signals he indicated to Saark and Loreen to keep eyes open, scanning the grass and the horizon. Damn, the grass was excellent cover. Perfect for an ambush. 

 

Cautiously, he approached the grass and gently put the very tip of his boot onto the chemicals...

[Thevshi]

GM

 

By the time Starshot moved a bit closer to test out the acid it was mostly gone, used up in dissolving the glass coating around the shard grass.  What little remained did manage to sear a small gouge into the tip of his boot, but did not penetrate too deeply.

 

Then he heard some cracking, looking back up he saw across the clearing a large creature about the size of a wild boar, with short legs and a long snout, sort of like an aardvark's.  Between its two point ears on the top of its head was a large crest of some sort.  Like the larger creatures Starshot and his group had encountered, this creature appeared to have a very thick hide that likely provided protection against the shard grass.

 

The creature did not appear to notice Starshot, as it walked over towards the still standing shard grass.  As the space hunter watched, the creature spit out the acid he had seen on the ground, which hit several stalks of the shard grass and began eating through the outer coating.

 

Just as Starshot had surmised, after a few moments the creature began chewing on the grass underneath, toppling several stalks.  A couple more of the creatures moved into view, using the same process to remove the obstacle to getting their food.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

"Careful..." started Starshot. "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of these grazers"

 

The threat looked low, however, as long as the grazers were not antagonised. Thinking about it, they could even be useful. Cutting through the blade grass was slow, exhausting work and not something he would choose. It sapped energy and resources. 

 

Putting his weapon away, and his hand up, he slowly, peacefully, approached what he judged to be the alpha. 

 

"Easy...easy..." he whispered, calm and in control. He had a natural rapport with animals. What was it? The fluid movement, the steady eye? Whatever it was, he was going to try and persuade the animal that he was no threat. And, if lucky, perhaps even direct its grazing in a suitable direction...

[Thevshi]

GM

 

As Starshot stepped out into the clearing and moved slowly further, he was able to see further down the trampled path through the shard grass.  There were over two dozen of these creatures spread out along the nearby section of the path, all grazing along the path’s edges.

 

When Starshot approached the largest of the creatures, it initially turned towards him, taking a slightly aggressive stance and generally aiming its snout in his direction.  But his calm demeanor and stance appeared to work, as it did not spit any acid, and after a few moments, allowed him to draw closer as it turned back towards the stalk of shard grass it had been eating.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot beckoned the crew to come out of hiding and keep weapons low. He didn't want the animals startled. 

 

The peace had been brokered, anyway. There was no immediate danger. If the alpha had backed down, or at the least not responded with aggression, the rest of the herd were unlikely to. 

 

He breathed out slowly. 

 

"Looks like they are more interested in dribbling acid on the grass than spitting it at us" he said. "And thank the Gods for that. I don't like acid"

 

He recalled a painful week recovering from a bad encounter with the Gzerth Spitting Bisnake. That had taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget quickly. 

 

"They wont attack" he explained, firmly and with more certainty than he possessed. "They might even help, if we can direct them in the direction we are going. I'd rather follow these beasts than carry on cutting down the grass...."

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Soreen came forward into the clearing, her blaster pistol lowered.  Laark was just behind her, pulling Phalen along with him.  They eyed the creatures, who were still focused on their grazing.

 

"Hopefully they will stay focused on their grazing."  Soreen commented as she holstered her blaster. 

 

"This could take some time."  Laark commented as he watched the unusual creatures grazing along the edges of the trampled clearing. 

 

His prediction turned out to be accurate, as even when Starshot was able to guide the alpha in a northeastern direction and the rest of the herd began to follow, the creatures took a bit of time to use their acid and then start eating the shard grass.  Another problem that became apparent was that they too had thick hides that protected them from the razor sharp grass, allowing them to slip among stalks and then graze a shot ways in. 

 

Still, with nearly thirty of the creatures in the herd, they managed to thin out the shard grass enough that it was much easier for Starshot or Laark to hack through remaining stalks and keep after the herd.  Overall, the pace was probably about the same.

 

After a couple of hours, the herd apparently had had their fill, as they slipped ahead in the shard grass, no longer stopping to spit their acid or graze.  Laark had to start hacking a proper path and it was clear after about twenty minutes or so that the herd had wondered well ahead of them, or possibly even had turned some other direction.

 

After an hour of hacking a path, the group came upon another of the trampled pathways.  While one direction of the path was the complete opposite of where they wished to go, the other direction was more or less due north.  Not quite the direction they wanted to go, but at least easier going.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot called for a breather, taking off his helmet and wiping his brow. The heat sinks on his spine kept him reasonably cool, but there was the matter of physical exertion. The grazers had made it easier, but no faster. A small win. 

 

There was the compulsory ritual of checking food, water, ammunition. All in all, they were in pretty reasonable shape, he thought. But time could grind even the best prepared expedition to dust. 

 

"North it is. Not quite the direction I should have wanted, but it is close enough, and I would follow the trail if we can. The blade grass saps will and muscle, and I would conserve both" he explained, getting ready once more and taking a look to see how Phalen was faring.

 

"I know it is a hard road we have taken, but all we can do is grit our teeth and follow it. And once it is over, be glad for the journey. It will be in our dreams and in our tales, and it you can tell it over a round of Vester Ale in a seedy bar of your choosing" he said, a gravel laugh following. 

 

With that, he put his helmet back on and flicked on the Map HUD. Time to get moving...

[Thevshi]

GM

 

After everyone had taken a brief rest and had something to eat and drink they were once again ready to continue their journey.  Their travel time speed up once again as they followed the trampled path. 

 

The afternoon wore on and eventually the path they were following turned to the Northeast for a few kilometers.  Just as the path turned back to the south, Starshot and his companions saw the end of the shard grass.  There was a small depression before them, the stalks thinning out part way down the hill.  Then a couple hundred meters away, was vast forest thick with vegetation.

 

The trees of this forest were massive, rising up fifty or more meters into the air.  The lower parts of the trees were a mass of long, tangled vines, but fifteen or more meters above the ground, the trees had wide branches, covered with large flat leaves.  Long tendrils of roots hung down from those branches, reaching all the way back to the ground.  Up at the very top branches of the trees, up in the direct sunlight, were leaves covered with flowers.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot took a moment to take in the trees, which were impressive. And to celebrate getting free of the endless fields of Bladegrass that he was sure would plague dreams in nights to come. 

 

"Thank the Gods, the forest!"

 

He sat down on a root and stretched his legs. Another short break was in order and the same ritual as before. Hydration, that was the key. He gave Phalen a good look over to. He hoped the alien would regain his mind at some point. 

 

"Now, where do we go from here?"

 

He posed the question to both himself and his crew. To his mind, they would have better water, food, and surroundings. A positive. There was more chance of hostile fauna. Or possibly flora, come to that. But how to navigate through the forest?

 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Laark and Soreen both seemed to be glad to be done with the shard grass as well, the former leading Phalen over to the shade of the edge of the forest as the group settled down for another break.  As they took a few moments of rest, drinking some water and checking supplies, there were echoes of distant animal calls from within the deeper forest.  None seemed alarmingly close and were rather typical of dense forest biomes.  Of course, they generally confirmed both of Starshot's assumptions, there would be more opportunity for food and possibly hostile fauna.   

 

"Well, it is not too long before it will start to get dark."  Soreen stated, noting the lower position of the sun in the sky.  "I image it can get rather pitch dark in there, so might be make sense to camp for the night and set out in the morning light well rested."

 

"We certainly have more materials for temporary shelters and a fire."  Laark added in.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

"Wise" nodded Starshot who had been mulling over the same issue. "Best not rush these things"

 

He dropped his equipment and took of his helmet, surveying the scene with his own eyes as was oft his preference. It was all very well to have advanced electronic readouts and multi-spectrum graphics, but he wanted the air on his face and his breathe in the air. 

 

"A fire would be good. But we must be wary, for they can attract as well as repel wildlife. And we must secure Phalen" he added, contemplating (but rejecting) giving the alien a solid dose of Omni-sed. "And a watch. Eyes and ears open when we do. And blasters at the ready..."

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Phalen was still mumbling to himself much of the time, but he had become much more docile in allowing himself to be led around and otherwise not trying to escape any longer.  Once he was tied to one of the roots of a nearby tree, the crew set to work preparing a small camp site, Laark using some dead branches to set up some makeshift shelter.

 

Soon there was a nice fire going and they had a bit of cover from winds and other elements.  The sky was darkening and they could see some stars coming into view in the night sky.  The forest quieted compared with the day, but there were still some occasional sounds from time to time, but none seemed to be approaching their campfire. 

 

Once again they took turns on watch, although the night again passed uneventfully.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Waking up early, Starshot felt refreshed. He took his time to take in the environment. Even in such situations, he would always seek to absorb the memories of such places. Rich and bold. 

 

He took his time to in the normal ritual of equipment maintenance, stock taking, and making sure they had a nice meal and kept hydrated. 

 

He gave Phalen a studious eye. "Feel like talking yet?" he asked the alien, without any real hope that the alien would indeed feel so inclined; or rather, even if he did so, that he would say anything new. 

 

Consulting with Laark And Soreen, and a few sticks, they plotted out what they thought was the best aproximation of a map. 

 

"This is where we are...the problem is...where do we go from here? Damn, I would kill for some good quality sensors right now..." he muttered. "How can we get to our treasure trove of salvage?"

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Unsurprisingly, there was no change to Phalen, he turned his head away as Starshot tried to engage him, continuing to eat his food that Soreen had provided.  Both Soreen and Laark were still waking up fully, but became a bit more alert as Starshot began discussing their options.

 

"The Ul-Mor spoke of the Kurbanda that live in these forests."  Laark replied.  "Perhaps they may be able to help guide us towards the technology readings the sensors detected while we crashed?"

 

"The technology was toward the northeast, along the edge of what appeared to be a lake."  Soreen added.  "At the very least we can try to continue that direction and see if we can find the Kurbanda along the way."

 

"At least we should be able to more easily hold to a northeastern heading now."  Laark commented.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot carefully mulled the options over the rising sun. 

 

"I would think the locals would be our best option. The Kurbanda. There is risk, of course, for if they are hostile then our odds are bad" he noted, grimly. 

 

"However, the matter of actually finding them....I suspect that they will find us, rather than the reverse. This is their planet, their forest" he explained, looking at the trees. "We should not expend fruitless energy trying to find them. If they do not want to be found, I would think we would not find them. No matter how many wave spectra my helmet analyses. No matter how skilled our woodcraft"

 

"I think we should head north east, as you say. I suspect we will find the Kurbanda en route. And if not, at least we are heading in the right direction. I hope..."

 

With that consensus reached, north east they headed...

[Thevshi]

GM

 

With a course of action decided, Soreen and Laark set about quickly gathering up all their gear and were shortly ready to start off once more.  Although there was considerable underbrush below the towering trees, there was still enough space to move around or through it without much trouble, providing considerably quicker travel than hacking through shard grass.  The high canopy of the massive trees helped provide shade from the glaring sun, but the air was still rather warm and humid.

 

The forest was much more filled with wildlife than any of the other biomes the crew had ventured through thus far.  As they moved through the forest in their decided direction, there were numerous rustling of underbrush as small, unseen animals moved to better hiding places.  There were several times Starshot caught sight of some winged creatures taking flight from nearby branches, or spotted small lizard like creatures dart off deeper into the forest.

 

After a few kilometers, the group came across a small stream.  Soreen used a device to check the water for any impurities, and after it came back clean they were able to top off their water containers once more.

 

A few kilometers further on, Starshot was leading the group around a small hill covered in particular thick underbrush when suddenly the relatively calm air was interrupted by the very distinct sound of energy weapons being fired.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot was relieved that their water supply was adequate. Hydration was, to his astute mind, the most important thing.

 

Oxygen, heat, water, food. Oxygen, heat, water, food. The mantra of survival. At least, if you were human. Or near enough human. 

 

At the sound of energy weapon discharge, he pulled up Phalen's blaster rifle. This was something new. 

 

He quickly motioned everyone to take cover, groaning at the difficulty of keeping Phalen up to speed. Hopefully, the alien's Paranoia would serve, but he found it a weak hope. 

 

"What that? Energy weapons? Are our friends armed? Not all on this planet is primitive then..."

 

Irrespective, there was only one thing to do. He motioned Soreen and Laark to stay put, keep Phalen silent. For  himself, he started creeping through the forest, silent and unseen, ready to spy on the commotion...

 

 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

As the sound of the energy weapons could be heard, Phalen had dived to the ground and wrapped himself into a ball, trying to hide behind whatever underbrush he was near.  Laark got down near him, holding him down with one hand while drawing his blaster pistol with the other.  Soreen also took cover, drawing her weapon as well as Starshot moved to scout ahead.

 

Starshot moved silently, keeping to the shadows of the large trees and behind undergrowth as he went, moving ahead a little over a hundred meters.  Several more energy blasts could be heard as he went, followed by what sounded like shouting and some other sort of grunts.

 

Stopping near several large bushes, Starshot looked ahead at a trio of the towering trees.  Up on the lower branches of the center one were five humanoid creatures that looked rather like tarsier monkeys and stood about 1.2 meters tall.  They were armed with spears and bows and arrows.  A sixth of these creatures was lying on the ground beneath the tree they were in.

 

Gathered around the base of the other two trees, with a few up on the lower branches as well, were ten humanoids of a number of different spacefaring races.  Each was armed with a blaster rifle or pistol, as well as other equipment.  A few took shots at the monkey like creatures, their shots missing or burning holes in the trunk of the tree, while the creatures shot a few arrows in return.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

The Kurbanda. And...Starshot could only presume these were the pirates that had shot down the Xeno in the beginning. Fair guesses, but far from certain. It could be anybody, but this was a remote part of the galaxy. And they sure seemed to act like pirates. 

 

And from the looks of things, the Kurbanda were getting the rough end of the deal. 

 

Normally, he would have started picking off the pirates by stealth and snipe, but he needed the Kurbanda on his side, which means he needed a dramatic display. 

 

Screaming some various whoops and calls from battling tribes around the galaxy, he started running into the fray, firing of beams of blaster rifle power left, right, and centre; not so much aimed, but spectacular - to make it quite clear to all and sundry that he was firing at the pirates and protecting the Kurbanda...

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Starshot's sudden calls and appearance apparently caught all the combatants off guard, as there was a pause in the fighting as the pirates all turned to regard him as he moved into the open. 

 

The Kurbaka also paused to regard the new development, but they recovered quicker than the pirates did.  Taking advantage of the distraction Starshot had provided, they loosed a volley of arrows at the pirates, however the pirates were still behind partial cover, so three of the arrows just buried themselves into roots or tree trunks. 

 

Two of the arrows found their marks.  But in one instance, the chitenous hide of an insectorid alien managed to deflect the arrow.  In the other, an armored vest protected the pirate as well.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot carried on screaming, discaring the blaster rifle to one side into some undergrowth, and running at full speed to the Pirate captain. This was no time for anything other than boldness. It carried a risk, of course, it reeked of danger and recklessness. But by doing so, he calculated that the Kurbaka would see him as a bold ally in the future. 

 

It was a gamble, but this was the way to seize life. 

 

With all his considerable speed, he crouched slightly and tried to slam the captain with his shoulders and arms. He wanted to make damn sure that this looked good, even if it was less than correct strategy. 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Starshot slammed into the apparent leader of the pirates, causing the green skinned humanoid with course, thick hair to stagger backward slightly from the impact, clearly feeling it.  "Who the blazes are you?"  He asked, righting himself as he drew a large knife from a sheath at his hip.

 

Several of the other pirates returned their focus on the Kurabanda, five of them opening fire once more.  Most of the shots went wide, or hit tree limbs, but one was dead on, striking one of the Kurabanda square in the chest and dropping it onto the wide branch it was standing out.

 

A pair of the pirates that were near the tree opposite where Starshot had charged circled back around the tree and out of sight, apparently trying to circle around. 
 

The other two pirates, who were near Starshot and the leader, both drew knives and charged at the space hunter.  The first missed badly, his blade almost cutting the leader.  However the second managed to land a solid blow. 

The leader meanwhile stepped back forward, trying to jab at Starshot, who was able to briefly grab the alien's arm, enough at least to stop the attack.