| Latest Posts | The Island - Amanda
After waking up packing up her bedroll, Amanda kneels on the ground, spreading the small map before her. After a quick consultation, she decides that the next place she ought to visit is one of the three cities. Since, the oil town is the closest, she decides that she'll try to make her way there first and work her way down the eastern coast afterwards.
She wants to tell herself that the animal sounds that danced through the cabin and her dreams all night didn't intimidate her, but that isn't the truth. Maybe if the fog wasn't so thick she'd try to make her way directly over the hill that the Pines stand on, but under the present conditions she decides she'd rather take the more certain, if slightly lengthier, route of walking due north to the coast and using that as her guide to head east. Having laid out her plan, she pulls on her pack, fastens the straps, and makes her way out of the lookout tower. Though the steps creak and the wind taunts her, she figures she can get down fine if she uses the same steps she used on the way up.
DAY 2, 0630 - THE HIKE NORTH
= ROLL: Wisdom 3 + Survival 1 = RESULT: 1 Star (-2 for effects, net 0) = TIME SPENT: 2.5 Hours _____ The View ( i.imgur.com/QW9SIGU.jpg ) The Sounds ( youtube.com/watch?v=UzH_H8VkeLc ) As you step firmly onto the dark, cold ground beneath the tower, it becomes immediately apparent that the short days and long nights of The Island will be a continuing hindrance to your safety and survival. Despite your well-made plans, the fog and winds are both relentless, so much so that by the time the sun crests the forest of The Pines, rising ominously over the jagged treetops, you realize you have made little progress across the terrain. Light gives some respite, as does the comfort of the wooden rifle slung over your shoulder, but the journey is still difficult. The good news, you realize as the coast comes into view further downhill, is that in the dense fog and howling winds, the wildlife of The Pines seems to have missed you as much as you missed it, the both of you traveling untouched through the morning. You now stand on the rocky northern coast of The Island. Looking east, you can see the spindly pine trees racing down the steep rocky slope to meet the cold waters below. The fog stands on the shore as much as it does in the forest; this route will indeed by safer, but perhaps no easier than traversing the hill. A wolf cries out somewhere far off. As if in reply, your phone beeps. The sat phone's battery is low, but alive. MESSAGE RECEIVED: ALPHA 2 OTM. GOOD WORK. _____ STATUS: = Might: No restrictions = Agility: -1 to ranged combat & reactions (fog) = Wisdom: -1 to senses (fog) = Location: NE corner F2
For at least fifteen minutes, Amanda stands on the shore, taking in the sound of the surf and the view of the shrouded waves. She stands and takes a deep breath before continuing her trek to the east.
As she walks along the shoreline, she holds the satellite phone's solar pack facing upward in her right hand. After only a few minutes her arm gets tired, so she switches the phone to her other arm every few minutes. The scattered messages that the phone delivers don't mean much to her, but she figures that if she ever does learn the meaning of the messages, she will have really regretted missing any. The hiking and arrival of the sun make her somewhat grateful for the fog for keeping the temperature down a little. Water sashays on her left. Pines stand stoically on her right. The fabric of her pants swishes rhythmically alongside the soft crunch of gravel and dirt beneath her hiking boots. Foremost goal: Travel along the northern edge of G2 without incident.
DAY 2, 0800 - COASTAL CONFRONTATION
= ROLL: Agility 2 + Survival 1 = RESULT: 1 Moon! (disregards negative effects) = TIME SPENT: 1.5 Hours (moving unseen) _____ The View ( littlewolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_2497... ) The Sounds ( youtube.com/watch?v=5v11Ck9vKwM ) Picking your way across the rocky shore takes time, but with nimble footing you manage to traverse the shore quickly and silently. With a full battery after only a half hour, the phone returns to your pack as you focus more on the slippery algae-covered rocks and calf-deep water. Your efforts to maintain solitude do not go wasted. Only once along the hike do you stop to sling the rifle from your shoulder and glass the nearby treeline for movement. As you snake your way along the shore, moving further inland, the fog gives way to sunlight, and the jagged rocks to marshy soil. The gently sloping eastern side of The Pines deposits you onto the waterlogged portion of The Island. After only a few minutes of walking along the soaked, soft ground, you find a small clearing with a freshwater pond. Your stomach growls, and your eyes look to the clear rippling water where several small fish dart just below the surface. For a moment, you stand on the edge of the pond, considering the supplies in your pack as well as the fish in the shallow water, contemplating your choices. Luckily, before you have the opportunity to make noise, something else beats you to the punch, stepping out curiously into the pond, splashing and lapping at the water. You stand a mere twenty-five meters from the creature, but it does not see you. The air, other than the chirping of birds and groaning of insects, is deathly still, and each splash of the creature's paws in the water echoes loudly in your ears. The Wolf ( s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/13/fd/9c/13fd9cd... ) For a single moment, you wonder if your phone has service in this clearing... _____ STATUS: = Might: No restrictions (Hungry, nearing Famished) = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: No restrictions = Location: NW corner H2
The unexpected splashes of the wolf made her jump a little in surprise. She knows from experience that if she doesn't draw the wolf's ire, it ought to leave her alone. The wolf doesn't appear to have seen her, and if it has, it doesn't care that she is present.
Keeping an eye on the wolf, she pulls the phone from her pack, checking it for service out of curiosity. Seeing that she has none, and resigning herself to the fate of never having any signal regardless of her receipt of the enigmatic messages. Although she would love to catch some fish here, she acknowledges that she doesn't have the equipment to catch anything larger than a minnow or the equipment to clean the fish if she were to catch one. Instead, she rummages through her pack and pulls out the bread and peanut butter. As she eats her sandwich, she watches the wolf peacefully drinking in the morning sunshine. As she replaces her other food after the meal, her fingers brush against the mysterious burnt object in her pack, turning her thoughts away from the tranquil pond and towards the bitter pain of the scar on her neck. Not wanting to break down in pain in front of the wolf, she decides to save her curiosity for tonight. Leaving the pond and the wolf, she would walk westward once more. When she reaches the shore again, she would turn south and follow the coast to the place where her map shows a bridge connecting the Oil Town to the main island. Foremost goal: Eat one meal. Walk to the bridge connecting the main island to the Oil Town.
DAY 2, 1000 - OIL TOWN BRIDGE
= ROLL: Might 2 + Survival 1 = RESULT: 2 stars = TIME SPENT: 2 Hours (eating and traveling) _____ The View ( farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4183248972_0427bede8a... ) The Sounds ( youtube.com/watch?v=5v11Ck9vKwM ) Your small meal slakes hunger for the time being. As you eat, still and quiet on the far side of the pond, the wolf returns from where it came, sloshing through the shallow water and disappearing from eye and ear into the trees beyond. You pack your effects and start off eastward once more. Food has empowered you. The swamp trees are not as thick as The Pines, but the terrain itself is much tougher as soft soil threatens to sink you to your waist with each step. Blazing a trail for a while, you make short work of the worst of it, emerging onto high ground and a drier path. However, you soon realize you share this path with other creatures. Animal refuse scattered along the fallen grass gives sign of multiple predators nearby, but out of sight. As the path begins to give way to deeper water and even less firm earth, the bridge pokes into view, beckoning to you from its elevated position. Low trees hang across the structure, and thick spider webs stretch from plank to limb, much higher than your own frame. Your first step, testing the wood much like you've tested the bog over the last few hours, echoes out in the swamp as the board groans loudly. Your heart races, beating loudly in your chest and ears. The bridge has not been tended to in some time. Should you sprint across, lessening the amount of time spent on the creaky boards, you risk breaking through them, falling into the murky water below. Picking your way across slowly would send a chorus of unnatural noise into the moss-covered trees. For a moment, you look back on the path, and a large shadow moves quickly out of sight. No, it was moss... Was it moss? Does moss make noise? _____ STATUS: = Might: No restrictions = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: No restrictions = Location: NE corner H2
Her heart is beating faster than ever, even faster than the time she saw mountain lion while hiking with her dad in Big Bend National Park. Everything had turned out fine because the cat hadn't given them trouble, but she had no guarantee that this situation would end similarly. She considers each option briefly before deciding that even though she is thoroughly alarmed by the shadow in the woods, the shadow will probably have as hard a time crossing the bridge as she will.
Before taking her first steps onto the bridge, she remembers a trick her dad had shared for crossing similarly decrepit bridges. Usually, a bridge like this weakens along the horizontal walkway, but the vertical supports beneath it are fine. Amanda kneels down on the ground at the edge of the bridge and peers underneath it to locate the vertical supports. She doubts that they are close enough together for her to cover the distance between each one with a single, long, leaping stride, but she can stay in line with the vertical supports to avoid weaker parts of the bridge. Please apply a power to the roll for bridge-crossing.
DAY 2, 1030 - OIL TOWN
= ROLL: Might 2 + Survival 1 + 1 Power Point = RESULT: 0 Natural Stars, 1 Power Star = TIME SPENT: 30 minutes _____ The View ( i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/21/article-2346084... ) The Sounds ( youtube.com/watch?v=41HyBjoLoyw&spfreload=1 ) The bridge is long. Much longer than what should be possible for so flimsy of a structure. As you pound along the rotten boards with heavy boots, the blind turns through the swamp trees keep your heart rate dangerously high. Quick, rhythmic notes resonate from your boots that squelch over the creaky wood. Your path over the bridge was thought out enough to keep you dry, but you quickly realize it's not enough to keep you safe. Batting at hanging moss and spiderwebs, you vault the occasional broken or missing board and gasp at the splashes of murky water that follow some unknown creatures, hidden and irritated by your intrusion. As the path ends, you rush away from the bridge and onto solid ground. The Main Street of Oil Town opens to you, its narrow corridor of shops, stalls, and houses once brightly painted but now faded. A cloudy sky blocks the sunlight, and further down the street, on your left, a loud howl pierces your ears. You make out a wolf on the grey asphalt, and you have to squint to watch it stalk slowly into one of the buildings... Another howl, this time behind you, instinctively pushes you into the street. The animals are far better at hiding, and for now it appears they are content with watching and scaring you. You check quickly to ensure a round is chambered in your rifle, and you find comfort in seeing multiple rounds beneath it. =ROLL: Wisdom 3 =RESULT: 1 Star As you contemplate your move, seemingly pinned in the long street between multiple predators, you notice something odd about one of the many dead trees on the roadside. It has almost no branches, and if your eyes aren't deceiving you, it's not even a real tree. Small horizontal cuts separate the tree into sections all the way up the trunk. They look like movable discs. _____ STATUS: = Might: No restrictions = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: No restrictions = Location: SW corner I1
Though Amanda feels the threat of the unseen predators all around her, her curiosity is piqued, and she wants to examine the fake tree. After casting her wary gaze over the dilapidated buildings threatening her from along the road, Amanda decides to take a closer look at the tree.
DAY 2, 1040 - CONTACT
= ROLL: Wisdom 3 = RESULT: 2 Stars = TIME SPENT: 10 minutes _____ The View ( i.imgur.com/eeT9xS1.jpg ) The Sounds ( none ) Gravel crunches under your boots on the weathered street. The wolf ahead of you, somewhere down Main Street, has now taken refuge in a building and has gone silent. His companion, watching somewhere from behind you, possibly near the bridge, leaves, heading south. A quick check of your map tells you that's the narrow pass to the Refinery. Once more, all is silent in Oil Town. Quietly approaching the tree near an intersection in the small town, you observe the dull plastic-looking branches and discs before coursing a hand along the 'trunk'. You spot something carved into one of the segments facing you. "III". Picking at it with your finger, you can make out that it was carved recently, though the very phrase seems relevant given the ancient state of almost all of the man-made structures here. As you look around the tree, you pass under a branch, brushing it aside with your hand. It moves, as does the segment of the trunk it is on, revealing another carving that lines up just under the first. "IV". There are four segments above these two, and you begin looking further up the tree for more numbers. As you do, you hear a distant but distinct shout. A human shout. Calling from the south, somewhere between you and the Refinery. "HEEELLLP" _____ STATUS: = Might: No restrictions = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: No restrictions = Location: Center I1
Move to this forum until departing from your newfound company:
fabletop.com/forum/topic/6089/the-island-amanda-jo...
DAY 2, 1810 - SENSES BETRAYED
_____ The View ( Darkness ) The Sounds ( Silence ) The Shadow stands between you and Jonathan, reaching out to him. With a quick turn and the clicking of a switch, he is gone from sight entirely. Jonathan's flashlight is turned off, and you can barely make out the sounds of his boots stomping down the hallway, fading into the distance. It doesn't take long for your heartbeat to replace his foot steps. Rapid beats, rising in your chest and ears as your eyes see only black in all directions. What do you know for sure? You stand at a fork in the tunnel. There are hallways on your left and right. Before you is the hallway that leads back to Jonathan, but as far as you know, the Shadow is still that way. Or perhaps much closer. After all, you can hardly see blackness in the midst of blackness. The seconds take hours, but before long, your eyes adjust a bit, and you see a dim light from the pathway at your right, which your inner sense of direction tells you is north. _____ STATUS: = Might: No restrictions = Agility: -1, Darkness = Wisdom: -1, Darkness = Location: Bottom I2
Alone in the dark, she begins to panic that the shadow is bearing down on her, but after a few seconds without anything horrific occurring, she begins to hope that the shadow has left.
The light on her right beckons. Her inner compass is telling her that the light is to the north, which is convenient because the sat phone told her to go north to I1. Slinging the rifle back over her shoulder and stowing the note from "F" in her pocket to free her hands, she makes her way toward the light. Her right arm is outstretched as she runs her hand along the wall to keep her balance in case she trips on anything in the darkness. Please log in to add a comment. |
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Using your quick wits and survival skills, you arrived at the Northern Lookout (F2) just before the pursuing rain clouds. After some investigation of your surroundings and the potentially life-saving find of a loaded hunting rifle, you waited out the storm safe in your warm enclosure, removed from the audible but harmless (for now) wildlife.
A new day will be dawning soon, bringing with it a low rolling fog from The Pines that emerges from the forest and creeps down the hillside, engulfing much of the slope with the cotton-thick haze.
As you awake in the observation tower, the stove fire having gone out during the night, you notice an uncomfortable lack of daylight. The sun is nowhere in sight on the eastern horizon. Perhaps it is blocked by The Pines themselves. You are peckish, but not famished. The air is cold, and the wind assaults your eyes and face, but your layers and bedroll have proved useful overnight.
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STATUS:
= Might: No restrictions
= Agility: -2 to ranged combat & reactions (fog, darkness)
= Wisdom: -2 to senses (fog, wind, darkness)