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TL;DR... in space! Star Saga 1: Beyond The Boundary [CYOA/board game/RPG]
- Thread starter Crooked Bee
- Start date
Fair enough, this thing looks pretty dangerous.
Next we follow CappenVarra's plan and buy a Warp Winder on Crater and Nuclear Rockets on Supa.
Our inventory has grown quite large already! Not large enough to confront someone like Silverbeard, though.
Next stop: 226-O.
Paragraph 667
As you approach the planet Firthe, you notice that the surface of the planet is completely hidden from view by a thick layer of white clouds. Moreover, your scanners report that the entire surface under the clouds is covered with water. The planet is one large ocean.
You wouldn't explore this planet any further except for the occasional protrusions that show on your scanner map of the ocean. There seem to be about a hundred or so such oddities scattered along the planet's equator. You can't tell what they are, so you head in for a closer look.
As you descend through the atmosphere, the cloud cover envelops your ship. The fog becomes denser as you approach your goal. Finally, barely a hundred meters above the surface of the protrusion, the fog clears, yielding to a steady rain.
You run a visual scan on the object below you and see it's a metal platform covering nearly half a square kilometer and elevated about twenty meters above the ocean. On the platform's surface, hundreds of funny-looking creatures scurry about.
Your arrival has been noticed and a place is cleared for your ship to land. You touch down on the platform and prepare to step outside. Since the atmosphere is not breathable and the air pressure is very low, you have to wear your environmental suit.
The aliens you meet when you leave your ship are among the strangest you have yet encountered. They are about your size, but their physiology is far more complex, with an astounding variety of appendages that flail about in different directions. Some of the appendages seem to be locomotive in nature, some sensory and some manipulative; others are completely mysterious.
When you try to talk to the Firthians, they motion for you to speak into a machine which translates the popping and clicking of the Firthian language into a reasonable imitation of Earth Standard. Using this machine, you are able to communicate with the aliens and they with you.
After conversing with the Firthians for a while, you learn that though the planet doesn't look too interesting from space, it is actually full of life. All life on Firthe is underwater. There are two basic kinds of creatures, those that swim toward the surface of the ocean, and those that dwell on the bottom. The creatures to whom you are speaking are unique in that they do both.
The Firthians are a very old and advanced race with a fully developed civilization. They are accomplished chemists, biologists, and geneticists, and even have some experience with space travel. Their culture is concentrated primarily in cities that lie on the bottom of the sea.
You now find yourself with the following options:
We ain't got no Super Space Suit, so no luck getting to the underwater city.
Hmm, I wonder what they have for sale here.
Firthe duly noted as a source of Medicine.
Let's now visit the underwater lab.
Sounds, I dunno, useful?..
And what about the translation thingy?
Tralis? Haven't been there yet.
The only option left for us to explore is learning more about Firthian biology. Professor Dambroke is a Xenobiologist, after all.
Holy shit, two more things we cannot currently get. Oh well, maybe someday.
With that, we can't explore any more of Firthe. So I want to ask you,
Do we trade? This question is mainly for CappenVarra, I assume. I've updated the OP with all relevant info on planets, commodities, and special actions we can take.
Also, if we continue exploring the galaxy counter-clockwise, our next stop will be 163-B. This is the default plan, but if you have any other suggestions, feel free to voice them. (Galaxy map)
Paragraph 120
You decide not to risk placing the alien helmet on your head again. You decide the risks are not worth the possible benefits. You probably saved yourself from irreparable brain damage.
You decide not to risk placing the alien helmet on your head again. You decide the risks are not worth the possible benefits. You probably saved yourself from irreparable brain damage.
Next we follow CappenVarra's plan and buy a Warp Winder on Crater and Nuclear Rockets on Supa.
Warp Winder: A device that dramatically increases a ship's speed for a short time, by initiating and controlling a feedback loop in the warp drive. (Ship-to-Ship Defense Mobility.)
Nuclear Rockets: Guided missiles carrying gigaton-power nuclear warheads. Compared to more modern weapons, nuclear rockets are slow and inaccurate, but if they reach their target they are still very deadly. (Ship-to-Ship Attack Projectile.)
Nuclear Rockets: Guided missiles carrying gigaton-power nuclear warheads. Compared to more modern weapons, nuclear rockets are slow and inaccurate, but if they reach their target they are still very deadly. (Ship-to-Ship Attack Projectile.)
Our inventory has grown quite large already! Not large enough to confront someone like Silverbeard, though.
Next stop: 226-O.
Paragraph 667
As you approach the planet Firthe, you notice that the surface of the planet is completely hidden from view by a thick layer of white clouds. Moreover, your scanners report that the entire surface under the clouds is covered with water. The planet is one large ocean.
You wouldn't explore this planet any further except for the occasional protrusions that show on your scanner map of the ocean. There seem to be about a hundred or so such oddities scattered along the planet's equator. You can't tell what they are, so you head in for a closer look.
As you descend through the atmosphere, the cloud cover envelops your ship. The fog becomes denser as you approach your goal. Finally, barely a hundred meters above the surface of the protrusion, the fog clears, yielding to a steady rain.
You run a visual scan on the object below you and see it's a metal platform covering nearly half a square kilometer and elevated about twenty meters above the ocean. On the platform's surface, hundreds of funny-looking creatures scurry about.
Your arrival has been noticed and a place is cleared for your ship to land. You touch down on the platform and prepare to step outside. Since the atmosphere is not breathable and the air pressure is very low, you have to wear your environmental suit.
The aliens you meet when you leave your ship are among the strangest you have yet encountered. They are about your size, but their physiology is far more complex, with an astounding variety of appendages that flail about in different directions. Some of the appendages seem to be locomotive in nature, some sensory and some manipulative; others are completely mysterious.
When you try to talk to the Firthians, they motion for you to speak into a machine which translates the popping and clicking of the Firthian language into a reasonable imitation of Earth Standard. Using this machine, you are able to communicate with the aliens and they with you.
After conversing with the Firthians for a while, you learn that though the planet doesn't look too interesting from space, it is actually full of life. All life on Firthe is underwater. There are two basic kinds of creatures, those that swim toward the surface of the ocean, and those that dwell on the bottom. The creatures to whom you are speaking are unique in that they do both.
The Firthians are a very old and advanced race with a fully developed civilization. They are accomplished chemists, biologists, and geneticists, and even have some experience with space travel. Their culture is concentrated primarily in cities that lie on the bottom of the sea.
You now find yourself with the following options:
- OPFBIY (3 phases) Trade commodities with the Firthians.
- 8PHBAY (4 phases) Visit an underwater chemistry laboratory.
- 89HDAQ (5 phases) Learn more about Firthian biology.
- KPVBKY (5 phases) Travel to Thiros, the Firthians' largest and most advanced underwater city. Because of the extremely high pressure of the sea in that part of the ocean floor, you cannot go there without a Super Space Suit. Consequently, you need a Super Space Suit to select this option.
- 4PXBCY (2 phases) Investigate the translation machine.
We ain't got no Super Space Suit, so no luck getting to the underwater city.
Hmm, I wonder what they have for sale here.
Paragraph 658
Following the Firthians' directions, you take your ship to the other side of the planet, where you find another ocean platform. When you arrive, the Firthians have already cleared a place for you to land. This platform is considerably larger than the one at which you originally arrived, measuring over a full square kilometer. The platform is filled with many different kinds of machines and plenty of Firthians, so despite the size it is pretty crowded.
Here the Firthians process raw materials efficiently under the low pressure of their atmosphere. They send materials up from the ocean floor, process them into more useful products, and send them back down. They also trade with the occasional alien visitor here.
The Firthians are willing to sell you medicines, which they can produce cheaply and in great quantities because of their biological and chemical skills, for the following items:
You may select this option again.
Following the Firthians' directions, you take your ship to the other side of the planet, where you find another ocean platform. When you arrive, the Firthians have already cleared a place for you to land. This platform is considerably larger than the one at which you originally arrived, measuring over a full square kilometer. The platform is filled with many different kinds of machines and plenty of Firthians, so despite the size it is pretty crowded.
Here the Firthians process raw materials efficiently under the low pressure of their atmosphere. They send materials up from the ocean floor, process them into more useful products, and send them back down. They also trade with the occasional alien visitor here.
The Firthians are willing to sell you medicines, which they can produce cheaply and in great quantities because of their biological and chemical skills, for the following items:
- 1 Medicine for 1 Computers
- 2 Medicine for 1 Crystals
- 3 Medicine for 1 Fiber
You may select this option again.
Firthe duly noted as a source of Medicine.
Let's now visit the underwater lab.
In order to travel to one of their underwater chemistry laboratories, the Firthians provide you with a small vehicle which looks like a hydrodynamically engineered steel cage with a propulsion engine. Fortunately you are able to fit inside the cage, although with all your life support equipment it's pretty snug.
You follow two of the Firthians, also traveling in the cage-like vehicles, until you reach your destination. The chemistry laboratory is located inside a large, black, balloon-shaped structure suspended deep in the water, some five hundred kilometers away from the platform on which you landed. You leave your vehicle and enter the structure through a small portal on the side. The interior is partitioned into floors and rooms, much like a human building. However, the entire place is filled with water.
From a tour of the laboratory, it is obvious that Firthian chemistry is more sophisticated than the human equivalent. They have an extensive catalog of natural and artificially-induced reactions many times larger than similar catalogs back home. Their drugs, synthetic fabrics, plastics, alloys, glues, and many other chemical products are far superior to your own versions of such compounds. They also have a wide variety of techniques for countering the negative side effects of technology, which allows them to eliminate all pollution. But perhaps their most impressive achievement is something they call "smart chemicals". These are extremely complex molecules with weird multiple surface structures and corresponding multiple bonding properties. The multiple surfaces enable the molecules to react to different environments in astonishingly different ways. For example, they have an acid that can burn holes through metal in a matter of seconds but becomes completely inert when it comes in contact with flesh.
The scientists at the laboratory trace the Firthians' chemical skill back over fifty thousand years to a time when they were at war with an alien race. The aliens, large green bipeds with scales, arrived when the Firthians first began to experiment with space travel. The green creatures tried to destroy the Firthian race. First the aliens used explosives, but these were ineffective because the Firthians lived at the bottom of the ocean, which shielded them from the blasts. Then the invaders tried to poison the sea, in an attempt to unbalance the ecosystem and destroy all life on the planet. Fortunately the Firthians were able to develop antidotes fast enough to thwart the attacks. Eventually, the aliens left in frustration and the Firthians survived. Since then the Firthians have continued developing their chemistry but have not ventured into space again, lest the aliens notice the activity and return.
Considering that the Firthians have been refining their chemical sciences for over fifty thousand years, it is no wonder they are so far advanced. The most important breakthrough the Firthian chemists have made recently is the invention of a new smart chemical that serves as an almost perfect catalyst for many different kinds of reactions. This chemical, called "particle catalyst", makes some reactions much more efficient, and makes possible some transformations that would be impossible under any other system.
You realize that this substance would be extremely useful in building many types of devices, and ask if you can have a sample. They reply that the compound is expensive to make and they only have a small supply so they are unwilling to give it away.
However, they are willing to sell it. They will trade you one unit of particle catalyst for 2 units each of Computers and Fiber and 1 unit each of Crystals and Tools. If you want to make the deal, plot the following option:
You follow two of the Firthians, also traveling in the cage-like vehicles, until you reach your destination. The chemistry laboratory is located inside a large, black, balloon-shaped structure suspended deep in the water, some five hundred kilometers away from the platform on which you landed. You leave your vehicle and enter the structure through a small portal on the side. The interior is partitioned into floors and rooms, much like a human building. However, the entire place is filled with water.
From a tour of the laboratory, it is obvious that Firthian chemistry is more sophisticated than the human equivalent. They have an extensive catalog of natural and artificially-induced reactions many times larger than similar catalogs back home. Their drugs, synthetic fabrics, plastics, alloys, glues, and many other chemical products are far superior to your own versions of such compounds. They also have a wide variety of techniques for countering the negative side effects of technology, which allows them to eliminate all pollution. But perhaps their most impressive achievement is something they call "smart chemicals". These are extremely complex molecules with weird multiple surface structures and corresponding multiple bonding properties. The multiple surfaces enable the molecules to react to different environments in astonishingly different ways. For example, they have an acid that can burn holes through metal in a matter of seconds but becomes completely inert when it comes in contact with flesh.
The scientists at the laboratory trace the Firthians' chemical skill back over fifty thousand years to a time when they were at war with an alien race. The aliens, large green bipeds with scales, arrived when the Firthians first began to experiment with space travel. The green creatures tried to destroy the Firthian race. First the aliens used explosives, but these were ineffective because the Firthians lived at the bottom of the ocean, which shielded them from the blasts. Then the invaders tried to poison the sea, in an attempt to unbalance the ecosystem and destroy all life on the planet. Fortunately the Firthians were able to develop antidotes fast enough to thwart the attacks. Eventually, the aliens left in frustration and the Firthians survived. Since then the Firthians have continued developing their chemistry but have not ventured into space again, lest the aliens notice the activity and return.
Considering that the Firthians have been refining their chemical sciences for over fifty thousand years, it is no wonder they are so far advanced. The most important breakthrough the Firthian chemists have made recently is the invention of a new smart chemical that serves as an almost perfect catalyst for many different kinds of reactions. This chemical, called "particle catalyst", makes some reactions much more efficient, and makes possible some transformations that would be impossible under any other system.
You realize that this substance would be extremely useful in building many types of devices, and ask if you can have a sample. They reply that the compound is expensive to make and they only have a small supply so they are unwilling to give it away.
However, they are willing to sell it. They will trade you one unit of particle catalyst for 2 units each of Computers and Fiber and 1 unit each of Crystals and Tools. If you want to make the deal, plot the following option:
- O9FDIQ (3 phases) Purchase particle catalyst. (2 Computers, 2 Fiber, 1 Crystals, 1 Tools)
Sounds, I dunno, useful?..
And what about the translation thingy?
Paragraph 710
After a day's wait, the Firthian expert on the translator machine, a female named Ristha, comes to the surface to answer your questions. She tells you that the machine, called a "universal translator", helps the Firthians communicate with alien races. The Firthians bought the universal translator from an alien visitor long ago. They then duplicated it using chemical replication techniques, so they now have many of the machines. However, they don't know how to build them from scratch and they don't know exactly how they work. The translator is specifically tuned to the Firthians' mental patterns, so it translates only from alien languages to Firthian and back, not between any pair of languages.
You ask how you might find a way to build such a machine for humans. If you had a universal translator of your own, it would save you a lot of time learning to speak with aliens who don't know Earth Standard. Rishta replies that she can't be certain, but she remembers having heard something about translator technology on the planet Tralis. She's never been to Tralis herself, but another alien visitor once mentioned it.
After a day's wait, the Firthian expert on the translator machine, a female named Ristha, comes to the surface to answer your questions. She tells you that the machine, called a "universal translator", helps the Firthians communicate with alien races. The Firthians bought the universal translator from an alien visitor long ago. They then duplicated it using chemical replication techniques, so they now have many of the machines. However, they don't know how to build them from scratch and they don't know exactly how they work. The translator is specifically tuned to the Firthians' mental patterns, so it translates only from alien languages to Firthian and back, not between any pair of languages.
You ask how you might find a way to build such a machine for humans. If you had a universal translator of your own, it would save you a lot of time learning to speak with aliens who don't know Earth Standard. Rishta replies that she can't be certain, but she remembers having heard something about translator technology on the planet Tralis. She's never been to Tralis herself, but another alien visitor once mentioned it.
Tralis? Haven't been there yet.
The only option left for us to explore is learning more about Firthian biology. Professor Dambroke is a Xenobiologist, after all.
Paragraph 827
The Firthians are proud of their biological skills and eager to talk about them. They explain that they have been evolving their bodies through a carefully planned program of selective breeding and genetic engineering in order to facilitate their dream of exploration anywhere and under any conditions.
Only fifty thousand years ago they lived on the bottom of the ocean and their bodies were much less adaptive. They required technological life support apparatus, like the kind you wear, just to travel to the surface of the ocean. When they experimented with space travel, they needed big, bulky spaceships which were very slow and difficult to build, since the ships had to be filled with water under high pressure.
While the Firthians were experimenting with the water-filled spaceships, they were attacked by a race of warlike aliens. The aliens were big, scaly, green creatures traveling in armed spaceships. The attackers were extremely ruthless and seemed bent on completely obliterating the Firthian race. The aliens' battleships easily crushed the Firthians' delicate water-filled vessels. The Firthians were forced to retreat to the bottom of the ocean and abandon space travel.
The experience with the alien invaders made the Firthians realize that they were ill-prepared for the forbidding environment of outer space. To meet the challenge, the Firthians decided on a plan to change their bodies to make them more adaptable. They wanted to be able to live on the surface of their ocean without sealing themselves inside pressurized water tanks and to travel in space with a minimum of life support equipment, in ships that were light, efficient, and fast.
Their funny-looking bodies are the product of fifty thousand years of work towards these goals. The Firthians have two completely separate respiration systems, one for water and the other for air. They have special tissues in which they can store a full day's supply of oxygen, so they can spend time in poisonous atmospheres or outer space without having to breathe. They have both a bony inner skeleton, for maneuverability on the ground, and a hard exoskeleton, for protection from radiation, pressure, and caustic environments. Their eyes are located on long, mobile stalks that give them a complete, 360-degree field of view. They have internal sacs where they store waste gases which can be expelled under pressure, allowing them to move around in a vacuum.
They say that soon they will be able to move about in outer space as freely as they walk along the ocean floor or swim on the surface. Their spaceships will be so fast and efficient that no race of warriors will be able to catch them. The Firthians will be able to colonize worlds of all varieties. And their eugenics program will continue, so that each generation of Firthians will be better than the last.
You are so impressed by their biologically engineered bodies that you have them describe every appendage and every organ and explain how it works. You ask them if it might not be possible to build a space suit that duplicates the function of their bodies. Such a suit would be far more versatile than the one you have now.
They tell you that not only is it possible, but that it has already been done. Their genetic engineers have had to make such suits to test out new ideas before programming them into the Firthians' genes. Surely they could design a suit for a human. Of course, it would still be a space suit, not part of your body, but they agree that it would be a lot better than what you're using now.
It takes them only a few days to come up with the design for a Super Space Suit. They're quite proud of it, and assure you that the suit will not only be able to withstand all kinds of environments, it will also be very comfortable. Of course, you'll have to supply the necessary components and build the suit yourself, but the clarity and ingenuity of their design will make this a relatively easy chore. To build the suit, you'll need:
When you have all of the above items aboard your ship and you want to build the suit, plot the following option:
Please make a note of this action code; it is an "unlisted" action, so you will need to enter the code manually when you are ready to build a Super Space Suit.
You thank the Firthians for their help and wish them the best of luck when they venture into space again.
The Firthians are proud of their biological skills and eager to talk about them. They explain that they have been evolving their bodies through a carefully planned program of selective breeding and genetic engineering in order to facilitate their dream of exploration anywhere and under any conditions.
Only fifty thousand years ago they lived on the bottom of the ocean and their bodies were much less adaptive. They required technological life support apparatus, like the kind you wear, just to travel to the surface of the ocean. When they experimented with space travel, they needed big, bulky spaceships which were very slow and difficult to build, since the ships had to be filled with water under high pressure.
While the Firthians were experimenting with the water-filled spaceships, they were attacked by a race of warlike aliens. The aliens were big, scaly, green creatures traveling in armed spaceships. The attackers were extremely ruthless and seemed bent on completely obliterating the Firthian race. The aliens' battleships easily crushed the Firthians' delicate water-filled vessels. The Firthians were forced to retreat to the bottom of the ocean and abandon space travel.
The experience with the alien invaders made the Firthians realize that they were ill-prepared for the forbidding environment of outer space. To meet the challenge, the Firthians decided on a plan to change their bodies to make them more adaptable. They wanted to be able to live on the surface of their ocean without sealing themselves inside pressurized water tanks and to travel in space with a minimum of life support equipment, in ships that were light, efficient, and fast.
Their funny-looking bodies are the product of fifty thousand years of work towards these goals. The Firthians have two completely separate respiration systems, one for water and the other for air. They have special tissues in which they can store a full day's supply of oxygen, so they can spend time in poisonous atmospheres or outer space without having to breathe. They have both a bony inner skeleton, for maneuverability on the ground, and a hard exoskeleton, for protection from radiation, pressure, and caustic environments. Their eyes are located on long, mobile stalks that give them a complete, 360-degree field of view. They have internal sacs where they store waste gases which can be expelled under pressure, allowing them to move around in a vacuum.
They say that soon they will be able to move about in outer space as freely as they walk along the ocean floor or swim on the surface. Their spaceships will be so fast and efficient that no race of warriors will be able to catch them. The Firthians will be able to colonize worlds of all varieties. And their eugenics program will continue, so that each generation of Firthians will be better than the last.
You are so impressed by their biologically engineered bodies that you have them describe every appendage and every organ and explain how it works. You ask them if it might not be possible to build a space suit that duplicates the function of their bodies. Such a suit would be far more versatile than the one you have now.
They tell you that not only is it possible, but that it has already been done. Their genetic engineers have had to make such suits to test out new ideas before programming them into the Firthians' genes. Surely they could design a suit for a human. Of course, it would still be a space suit, not part of your body, but they agree that it would be a lot better than what you're using now.
It takes them only a few days to come up with the design for a Super Space Suit. They're quite proud of it, and assure you that the suit will not only be able to withstand all kinds of environments, it will also be very comfortable. Of course, you'll have to supply the necessary components and build the suit yourself, but the clarity and ingenuity of their design will make this a relatively easy chore. To build the suit, you'll need:
- 1 Primordial Soup
- 1 Super Slip
- 1 Food
- 1 Medicine
- 1 Fiber
- 1 Fluids
When you have all of the above items aboard your ship and you want to build the suit, plot the following option:
- H6AP6B Build a Super Space Suit.
Please make a note of this action code; it is an "unlisted" action, so you will need to enter the code manually when you are ready to build a Super Space Suit.
You thank the Firthians for their help and wish them the best of luck when they venture into space again.
Holy shit, two more things we cannot currently get. Oh well, maybe someday.
With that, we can't explore any more of Firthe. So I want to ask you,
Do we trade? This question is mainly for CappenVarra, I assume.
I've updated the OP with all relevant info on planets, commodities, and special actions we can take.Also, if we continue exploring the galaxy counter-clockwise, our next stop will be 163-B. This is the default plan, but if you have any other suggestions, feel free to voice them. (Galaxy map)
Monty
Arcane
Nice, so we found a source of medicines but need computers for the particle catalyst and super slip for the super space suit.
As we have 2 fiber it must be worth trading 1 of them for medicine while we're here, but I await the usual efficient trading schedule from the chief armourer!
As we have 2 fiber it must be worth trading 1 of them for medicine while we're here, but I await the usual efficient trading schedule from the chief armourer!
Jolly good, a source of Medicine. And so many tantalizing advanced items we can't get yet... At least we found a good use for Primordial Soup.
You guys don't have to wait for me to trade - I don't want to monopolize the decisions, and sometimes I don't keep up with Bee's commendable updating pace... I do, however, have a suggestion for getting more ship upgrades
- current (1 Crystals, 2 Fiber, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 6/10
- trade 1 Fiber for 3 Medicine locally (1 Crystals, 1 Fiber, 3 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 8/10
- drone-trade 1 Crystals for 3 Fuel on Para-Para (3 Fuel, 1 Fiber, 3 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 10/10
- goto Moiran, buy Auxiliary rockets (Ship-to-Ship Defense Mobility) (3 Fuel, 2 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 8/10
- goto Supa, buy Stress Bulkheads (Ship-to-Ship Defense Armor) (2 Fuel, 1 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 6/10
I guess I should try playing as that other character who has a goal of building the perfect spaceship Nah, professor Dambroke is a bro... Carry on 
You guys don't have to wait for me to trade - I don't want to monopolize the decisions, and sometimes I don't keep up with Bee's commendable updating pace... I do, however, have a suggestion for getting more ship upgrades
- current (1 Crystals, 2 Fiber, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 6/10
- trade 1 Fiber for 3 Medicine locally (1 Crystals, 1 Fiber, 3 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 8/10
- drone-trade 1 Crystals for 3 Fuel on Para-Para (3 Fuel, 1 Fiber, 3 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 10/10
- goto Moiran, buy Auxiliary rockets (Ship-to-Ship Defense Mobility) (3 Fuel, 2 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 8/10
- goto Supa, buy Stress Bulkheads (Ship-to-Ship Defense Armor) (2 Fuel, 1 Medicine, 1 Food, 1 Tools, 1 Primordial Soup) 6/10
I guess I should try playing as that other character who has a goal of building the perfect spaceship
Nah, professor Dambroke is a bro... Carry on
Monty
Arcane
Yes, good idea. We still don't have any armor on our ship (as the pulse inverter is a special), so stress bulkheads are a must to fill this gap before we head into more dangerous situations.
MMXI
Arcane
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 2,196
Or find that bloody pirate again. I think we can beat him with some ship armour.
Judging by the combat screen, we need a much better offense as well... Not sure will Nuclear Rockets be enough to reach an attack score of 100 (impossible to know without trying)... and further ship-to-ship improvements mostly need at least 2 kinds of commodities we don't have yet... We'll get him, just not yet
Has our spaceship been delayed in the twists and turns of mount Grimrock or what?
The fact that Bee has not updated this LP in more than 10 days makes me feel less bad about not having updated my own MMVII LP yet. 
Monty
Arcane
Stygian Lurker
Liturgist
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 577
schluberlubs
Educated
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2007
- Messages
- 11,085
Sorry guys, just been too busy and tired to update this. Will get back to it in a couple of days.
First thing we do, obviously, is follow CappenVarra's trading suggestions. As a result, our ship is now equipped with Auxiliary Rockets and Stress Bulkheads, yay.
And then we fly to 163-B, which turns out to be a mysterious planet called Gen.
Paragraph 743
You wish you could wake up, and yet you know from experience that you won't be able to—not until you die.
You're not sure which dream this will turn out to be but you sense that your dream self is approaching the dimly lit cavern where the robed figures await you. In some dreams they send you to places where you are eaten alive by one monster or crushed to death by another. Other dreams are shorter and more to the point, as the mysterious figures just kill you outright. You can hardly wait to see what awaits you tonight.
You started having the dreams when you were three days out from the planet Gen and have had one per night like clockwork. You've tried taking sleeping pills, using hypnosis, even asking the computer to sing you lullabies during the night, but nothing seems to help, so you may as well get on with this one.
The cavern is dimly lit, as usual, and filled with faceless dark-robed figures, as usual. They part before you, forming a pathway that leads to an even darker cave. Oh great. This is the really scary dream.
As you pass through the cave entrance you hear the sound of dripping water echoing through the chamber. Although there is very little light you can tell that the cave is just the right size for a very large animal, or a big hairy monster, to feel right at home.
You can now hear the sound of a large animal breathing deeply. "Good," you think, "maybe I can sneak past it this time while it sleeps."
CRASH-RATTLE-THUNK. You have tripped over what sounds like a pile of bones(?!!!!). You freeze but it's too late. An arm casually reaches out from a recessed area in the wall. Sharp claws snag your clothes and flesh, and before you can even finish screaming you are dead.
You wake up in a cold sweat, as usual.
"Good morning, Boss. Glad to see that you're awake."
You turn to glare at the computer while you force your hands to loosen their grip on the sheets.
"Didn't I tell you to monitor my sleep patterns and wake me when I began to have The Nightmare?" you snap. Sometimes you think that the old heap of bytes has a malicious streak and likes to see you thrashing about, screaming in terror.
"Sorry, Boss. I really was going to wake you but something came up first. Since you are awake now, I can ask you whether or not I should blow that ship out of the sky?"
"WHAT ship?" you demand while slipping on your bathrobe.
"The one that's been trying to blow us out of the sky. I'm getting tired of dodging its missiles."
"Have you tried hailing the ship to find out what it wants?" you ask while peering at the monitors, all thoughts of The Nightmare gone for now.
"Well... er... no, not as such."
You give the computer another withering glare and put through a call to the other ship.
To your surprise the response is in English, an archaic dialect of Earth Standard. The captain apologizes and says that when she didn't receive a greeting she had to assume that you were an enemy ship and therefore began her attack. Since you have decided to be civilized after all, she directs you to follow her to the spaceport.
While your computer is preparing to land, you run a geo-survey on the planet and discover that it has an earth-like ocean/dry land ratio. However, all of the land is massed into one huge continent. Furthermore, there seems to be only a few arable areas; the rest of the land is an enormous desert. The spaceport you are tracking is near the largest "oasis", just a few miles inland from a salt water ocean.
As you arrive in the city of Drofflic, you are greeted by a rather gruff man in uniform. After a brief interrogation you are directed to the "Hospitality Center". From the looks of the place, you gather that this immigration center has been inactive for quite some time.
From the map and brochures you get here you find your options to be:
Eh well I don't think I like this place... or do I?
Anyway, time to check on the local market.
So this is a Culture market. Duly noted.
Let's visit the archives now.
How quaint, rather. A nation ofcave dungeon crawling weirdos like me.
I'm going to postpone visiting the Temple until later and travel to Markov first.
Heh. I wonder if it was Andrew Greenberg who designed this planet.
Naturally, this is a no-brainer. Let's go dungeon-trundling!
Should've been mapping out the dungeon, duh.
Wait what?
Oopsie daisie. Thankfully we're well equipped for this fight.
Paragraph 291
The trick with the light worked better than you had believed possible. You are soon able to show Teddy who's boss.
Quest solved?
And finally -- the Temple!
Hah!
Paragraph 196
The cleric suggests that if you truly wish to join the brethren, you must first satisfy an ordeal. Otherwise, he advises you not to return, but to go quietly and in serene peace. He allows you to light one and only one candle along the wall.
You may now consider the following option:
You may select this option again.
Well, we didn't come all this way for nothing, so let's do it!
So, um, what do we do? Please vote.
And then we fly to 163-B, which turns out to be a mysterious planet called Gen.
Paragraph 743
You wish you could wake up, and yet you know from experience that you won't be able to—not until you die.
You're not sure which dream this will turn out to be but you sense that your dream self is approaching the dimly lit cavern where the robed figures await you. In some dreams they send you to places where you are eaten alive by one monster or crushed to death by another. Other dreams are shorter and more to the point, as the mysterious figures just kill you outright. You can hardly wait to see what awaits you tonight.
You started having the dreams when you were three days out from the planet Gen and have had one per night like clockwork. You've tried taking sleeping pills, using hypnosis, even asking the computer to sing you lullabies during the night, but nothing seems to help, so you may as well get on with this one.
The cavern is dimly lit, as usual, and filled with faceless dark-robed figures, as usual. They part before you, forming a pathway that leads to an even darker cave. Oh great. This is the really scary dream.
As you pass through the cave entrance you hear the sound of dripping water echoing through the chamber. Although there is very little light you can tell that the cave is just the right size for a very large animal, or a big hairy monster, to feel right at home.
You can now hear the sound of a large animal breathing deeply. "Good," you think, "maybe I can sneak past it this time while it sleeps."
CRASH-RATTLE-THUNK. You have tripped over what sounds like a pile of bones(?!!!!). You freeze but it's too late. An arm casually reaches out from a recessed area in the wall. Sharp claws snag your clothes and flesh, and before you can even finish screaming you are dead.
You wake up in a cold sweat, as usual.
"Good morning, Boss. Glad to see that you're awake."
You turn to glare at the computer while you force your hands to loosen their grip on the sheets.
"Didn't I tell you to monitor my sleep patterns and wake me when I began to have The Nightmare?" you snap. Sometimes you think that the old heap of bytes has a malicious streak and likes to see you thrashing about, screaming in terror.
"Sorry, Boss. I really was going to wake you but something came up first. Since you are awake now, I can ask you whether or not I should blow that ship out of the sky?"
"WHAT ship?" you demand while slipping on your bathrobe.
"The one that's been trying to blow us out of the sky. I'm getting tired of dodging its missiles."
"Have you tried hailing the ship to find out what it wants?" you ask while peering at the monitors, all thoughts of The Nightmare gone for now.
"Well... er... no, not as such."
You give the computer another withering glare and put through a call to the other ship.
To your surprise the response is in English, an archaic dialect of Earth Standard. The captain apologizes and says that when she didn't receive a greeting she had to assume that you were an enemy ship and therefore began her attack. Since you have decided to be civilized after all, she directs you to follow her to the spaceport.
While your computer is preparing to land, you run a geo-survey on the planet and discover that it has an earth-like ocean/dry land ratio. However, all of the land is massed into one huge continent. Furthermore, there seems to be only a few arable areas; the rest of the land is an enormous desert. The spaceport you are tracking is near the largest "oasis", just a few miles inland from a salt water ocean.
As you arrive in the city of Drofflic, you are greeted by a rather gruff man in uniform. After a brief interrogation you are directed to the "Hospitality Center". From the looks of the place, you gather that this immigration center has been inactive for quite some time.
From the map and brochures you get here you find your options to be:
- EHMAN6 (3 phases) Visit the commodities market.
- UHOAF6 (3 phases) Visit the city archives.
- EXMCNU (4 phases) Visit the Temple of Nil.
- UXOCFU (4 phases) Take the sandshuttle to the city of Markov.
Eh well I don't think I like this place... or do I?
Anyway, time to check on the local market.
Paragraph 171
The market place is pleasant and reminds you of an open-air market back on Earth. Everywhere you look people are laughing and having a great time haggling and hawking their wares. Everywhere except where the occasional dark-robed figure appears. Then everyone becomes quiet and subdued. You're not sure if this is due to fear of or respect for the mysterious figures.
You soon find out that "Culture" is Gen's prime commodity and is available for trade if you have any of the following:
You may select this option again.
The market place is pleasant and reminds you of an open-air market back on Earth. Everywhere you look people are laughing and having a great time haggling and hawking their wares. Everywhere except where the occasional dark-robed figure appears. Then everyone becomes quiet and subdued. You're not sure if this is due to fear of or respect for the mysterious figures.
You soon find out that "Culture" is Gen's prime commodity and is available for trade if you have any of the following:
- 2 Culture for 1 Computers
- 2 Culture for 1 Fiber
- 3 Culture for 1 Fluids
You may select this option again.
So this is a Culture market. Duly noted.
Let's visit the archives now.
Paragraph 411
After several days of studying the planet's history you have discovered the following:
Gen was one of the first planets colonized during the early exploration years. It was founded by a small Earth corporation with an eye toward providing a resort area between the Nine Worlds and the deeper galactic regions. Unfortunately, the formation of the Boundary rendered this plan unprofitable, and the corporation soon deserted Gen.
Oddly enough, the population seemed to enjoy Gen, in spite of its rather harsh terrain. They chose to remain on Gen and formed two large cities, Drofflic and Markov.
The government of Gen is tripartite. There are two deliberative bodies, representing the two cities, and a third "Council of the Brethren", also known as the Brotherhood.
You are told by the clerk in charge of the archives that the Brotherhood is a religious council directed by a few of its Masters. It is largely uninterested in politics and rarely exercises its political clout, usually rubber-stamping the wishes of the elected deliberative bodies.
When you try to find out more about this mysterious Order, the clerk seems unwilling to say anything more about the Brotherhood. He shushes you and suggests in a terrified whisper, "You shouldn't be asking about them. Not at all."
While mulling this over, you wander about the city and get to know the inhabitants. You find the people of Gen to be unusually relaxed, spending most of their leisure time on the beaches near Drofflic, or spelunking in Markov. However, they take these activities quite seriously. Professional surfing and searching for random objects hidden in caves seem to be the main industries of Gen.
How interesting.
After several days of studying the planet's history you have discovered the following:
Gen was one of the first planets colonized during the early exploration years. It was founded by a small Earth corporation with an eye toward providing a resort area between the Nine Worlds and the deeper galactic regions. Unfortunately, the formation of the Boundary rendered this plan unprofitable, and the corporation soon deserted Gen.
Oddly enough, the population seemed to enjoy Gen, in spite of its rather harsh terrain. They chose to remain on Gen and formed two large cities, Drofflic and Markov.
The government of Gen is tripartite. There are two deliberative bodies, representing the two cities, and a third "Council of the Brethren", also known as the Brotherhood.
You are told by the clerk in charge of the archives that the Brotherhood is a religious council directed by a few of its Masters. It is largely uninterested in politics and rarely exercises its political clout, usually rubber-stamping the wishes of the elected deliberative bodies.
When you try to find out more about this mysterious Order, the clerk seems unwilling to say anything more about the Brotherhood. He shushes you and suggests in a terrified whisper, "You shouldn't be asking about them. Not at all."
While mulling this over, you wander about the city and get to know the inhabitants. You find the people of Gen to be unusually relaxed, spending most of their leisure time on the beaches near Drofflic, or spelunking in Markov. However, they take these activities quite seriously. Professional surfing and searching for random objects hidden in caves seem to be the main industries of Gen.
How interesting.
How quaint, rather. A nation of
I'm going to postpone visiting the Temple until later and travel to Markov first.
Paragraph 578
Markov is a fascinating city. Small, but very crowded. The main buildings appear no more elaborate than simple adobe homes. It seems to be a large resort city, supporting the more industrial Drofflic.
The main industry in the town is a sport called Trundling, a rather elaborate scavenger hunt in the caverns just outside of the city. These caverns are stocked with "monsters" and "treasures" by a person called a Cavern-Master. There are several levels of difficulty, and by Trundling your way up, you can advance to the level of the Professional Trundlers.
Markov is a fascinating city. Small, but very crowded. The main buildings appear no more elaborate than simple adobe homes. It seems to be a large resort city, supporting the more industrial Drofflic.
The main industry in the town is a sport called Trundling, a rather elaborate scavenger hunt in the caverns just outside of the city. These caverns are stocked with "monsters" and "treasures" by a person called a Cavern-Master. There are several levels of difficulty, and by Trundling your way up, you can advance to the level of the Professional Trundlers.
Heh. I wonder if it was Andrew Greenberg who designed this planet.
These, the highest paid athletes in Gen, are followed in their adventures by television cameras which broadcast across the planet.
When you inquire about trying a little Trundling yourself, you are advised that the basic skills require several years to master. After watching some video tapes of the prior year's Trundle-off, you tend to agree. However, you are told that if you are really interested, you may examine one of the "cleaned-out" caves near the city:
When you inquire about trying a little Trundling yourself, you are advised that the basic skills require several years to master. After watching some video tapes of the prior year's Trundle-off, you tend to agree. However, you are told that if you are really interested, you may examine one of the "cleaned-out" caves near the city:
- QH8AH6 (4 phases) Visit the Titanic Cave.
Naturally, this is a no-brainer. Let's go dungeon-trundling!
Paragraph 376
When you first enter the cave it is open and well lit, but as you travel farther back the walls appear to close in on you.
What does this remind you of? You swallow nervously and think about turning back. But common sense returns when you realize that the officials would never allow an untrained Trundler into a still-dangerous cave. You continue on, whistling under your breath.
Your lamp seems to be dimming even though you know this to be impossible. The farther you go, the narrower the passageway becomes, and the heavier the air feels in your lungs. You now find it very difficult to breathe, and your heart is pounding in your chest. This is not as much fun as you thought it would be.
The passages have turned maze-like and you're no longer sure which way is out.
When you first enter the cave it is open and well lit, but as you travel farther back the walls appear to close in on you.
What does this remind you of? You swallow nervously and think about turning back. But common sense returns when you realize that the officials would never allow an untrained Trundler into a still-dangerous cave. You continue on, whistling under your breath.
Your lamp seems to be dimming even though you know this to be impossible. The farther you go, the narrower the passageway becomes, and the heavier the air feels in your lungs. You now find it very difficult to breathe, and your heart is pounding in your chest. This is not as much fun as you thought it would be.
The passages have turned maze-like and you're no longer sure which way is out.
Should've been mapping out the dungeon, duh.
You hear the distant sound of water dripping.
The path you have taken opens slightly to form a smallish-sized cave. Just the right size for a smallish-sized monster to make into a comfortable home for itself.
CRASH-RATTLE-THUNK!!! You have tripped over what appears to be a pile of bones(?!!!). You freeze but it is too late. Immediately to your right something large and hairy, sounding none too pleased at being awakened stands up and peers about the cave.
You have nowhere to run, so you prepare to meet the creature in battle. You quickly turn your light on the thing, hoping to buy some time by temporarily blinding the monster. You now get your first glimpse of the beast. There standing before you is a... a... teddy bear?
The path you have taken opens slightly to form a smallish-sized cave. Just the right size for a smallish-sized monster to make into a comfortable home for itself.
CRASH-RATTLE-THUNK!!! You have tripped over what appears to be a pile of bones(?!!!). You freeze but it is too late. Immediately to your right something large and hairy, sounding none too pleased at being awakened stands up and peers about the cave.
You have nowhere to run, so you prepare to meet the creature in battle. You quickly turn your light on the thing, hoping to buy some time by temporarily blinding the monster. You now get your first glimpse of the beast. There standing before you is a... a... teddy bear?
Wait what?
Yes that's right. A big ten foot teddy bear. A big fuzzy yellow ten foot teddy bear. A big fuzzy yellow ten foot teddy bear that is thoroughly annoyed at being disturbed by the likes of you.
Go now to the CGM.
Go now to the CGM.
Oopsie daisie. Thankfully we're well equipped for this fight.
Paragraph 291
The trick with the light worked better than you had believed possible. You are soon able to show Teddy who's boss.
He doesn't seem to want to fight anymore so you let him go.
Teddy whimpers a bit and returns to his nest to pout. You back up into a passageway only to find yourself in a cul-de-sac. Marked on the back wall is the message:
"Tell the Brethren 'I do not know the answer'."
Teddy whimpers a bit and returns to his nest to pout. You back up into a passageway only to find yourself in a cul-de-sac. Marked on the back wall is the message:
"Tell the Brethren 'I do not know the answer'."
Quest solved?
The teddy bear gives you a reproachful glance as you pass back through its cave, but doesn't seem to be interested in fighting you. You leave the Titanic Cave pondering what you have learned here.
And finally -- the Temple!
Pagraph 268
There is something about the Temple that strikes a chord in your subconscious. Without knowing why, you find yourself approaching the building with fear and trepidation. Each step makes you more uneasy.
Your rational mind kicks into high gear and takes a firm hold of your subconscious. You refuse to keep some nameless dread keep you from entering a building!
You reach out to grasp the doorknob. Before your fingers can touch the metal, the door swings silently open. From the dark recesses of the temple you hear the faint sound of chanting. Swallowing nervously, you enter.
Flickering torches light your way down the corridor. You see no one. The air is damp and musty.
You think to yourself, "My, what a pleasant place this is. Aren't I having a lot of fun?"
The corridor seems endless. You have only the sound of your footsteps for company.
Finally, when you turn the corner, you find yourself in a room of candles. Few are lit, rendering the room quite dim.
You don't notice the robed figure until he politely coughs to announce his presence. You cautiously approach.
After introducing yourself, you explain that you wish to learn about the Brotherhood.
Rising, he turns to you and asks one simple question:\
There is something about the Temple that strikes a chord in your subconscious. Without knowing why, you find yourself approaching the building with fear and trepidation. Each step makes you more uneasy.
Your rational mind kicks into high gear and takes a firm hold of your subconscious. You refuse to keep some nameless dread keep you from entering a building!
You reach out to grasp the doorknob. Before your fingers can touch the metal, the door swings silently open. From the dark recesses of the temple you hear the faint sound of chanting. Swallowing nervously, you enter.
Flickering torches light your way down the corridor. You see no one. The air is damp and musty.
You think to yourself, "My, what a pleasant place this is. Aren't I having a lot of fun?"
The corridor seems endless. You have only the sound of your footsteps for company.
Finally, when you turn the corner, you find yourself in a room of candles. Few are lit, rendering the room quite dim.
You don't notice the robed figure until he politely coughs to announce his presence. You cautiously approach.
After introducing yourself, you explain that you wish to learn about the Brotherhood.
Rising, he turns to you and asks one simple question:\
Hah!
Paragraph 196
The cleric suggests that if you truly wish to join the brethren, you must first satisfy an ordeal. Otherwise, he advises you not to return, but to go quietly and in serene peace. He allows you to light one and only one candle along the wall.
You may now consider the following option:
- AH6AP6 (7 phases) Allow the cleric to blindfold you and begin the ordeal.
You may select this option again.
Well, we didn't come all this way for nothing, so let's do it!
Paragraph 832
You are blindfolded and placed on what sounds like a sandshuttle. After what seems like a day (they fed you three times), you are told to wait 10 minutes and remove your blindfold. Your task, you are told, is to survive until they return. You hear the brothers start to leave but one hesitates. He clasps your arm and says in a clear deep strong voice, "Remember my child, in order to follow the True Path to knowledge, one must first confront, then conquer, one's deepest fears." He releases your arm and turns to follow the others. You are totally alone.
When you remove your blindfold, you note that you have only the clothes on your back and a small canteen filled with water at your side. You appear to be in the middle of the desert with no clear path in sight except the trail of the shuttle which is faintly visible in the sand. You choose to designate the direction it heads in as North.
The only other thing in sight is a huge green plant, which stands well over six feet tall and largely resembles a Venus Flytrap. It periodically opens what appear to be jaws then quickly snaps them shut. It reminds you of something... a dimly lit cavern perhaps, with black-robed figures leading you to your doom?
You may:
You are blindfolded and placed on what sounds like a sandshuttle. After what seems like a day (they fed you three times), you are told to wait 10 minutes and remove your blindfold. Your task, you are told, is to survive until they return. You hear the brothers start to leave but one hesitates. He clasps your arm and says in a clear deep strong voice, "Remember my child, in order to follow the True Path to knowledge, one must first confront, then conquer, one's deepest fears." He releases your arm and turns to follow the others. You are totally alone.
When you remove your blindfold, you note that you have only the clothes on your back and a small canteen filled with water at your side. You appear to be in the middle of the desert with no clear path in sight except the trail of the shuttle which is faintly visible in the sand. You choose to designate the direction it heads in as North.
The only other thing in sight is a huge green plant, which stands well over six feet tall and largely resembles a Venus Flytrap. It periodically opens what appear to be jaws then quickly snaps them shut. It reminds you of something... a dimly lit cavern perhaps, with black-robed figures leading you to your doom?
You may:
- Try to follow the path to the North.
- Stay and wait for them to return.
- Examine the plant.
So, um, what do we do? Please vote.
Finally! :D
Gen seems to be a troll-planet - I mean, faux-dungeon delving as national sport? Giant teddy bears as monsters (foreshadowed by sinister dreams no less)? Sheesh.
Adventure game skills tell us to examine the plant (confront it). Then we should proceed to conquer it - a giant green plant in the middle of the desert is suspicious as hell. Sure, maybe it gets all the water it needs from dead adventurers, but it doesn't seem like many people come here.
Gen seems to be a troll-planet - I mean, faux-dungeon delving as national sport? Giant teddy bears as monsters (foreshadowed by sinister dreams no less)? Sheesh.
Adventure game skills tell us to examine the plant (confront it). Then we should proceed to conquer it - a giant green plant in the middle of the desert is suspicious as hell. Sure, maybe it gets all the water it needs from dead adventurers, but it doesn't seem like many people come here.
Monty
Arcane
They definitely had fun designing this planet!
Yes, running away from our fears doesn't seem the best choice.
Let's examine the plant.
Yes, running away from our fears doesn't seem the best choice.
Let's examine the plant.
Stygian Lurker
Liturgist
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 577
Let's examine the plant, and hope it won't eat us.
Oh boy, an update! 
I guess this means I should get working on my own LP again..
As to this one, I vote for examining the plant.
I guess this means I should get working on my own LP again.. As to this one, I vote for examining the plant.
Looks like you have indeed chosen the best option, dear readers.
Great, I guess we'll have to return to this planet in a month.
1. But for now, the plan is to head to planet 1-V -- any objections? (Galaxy map)
2. Also, any trading we should do?
Paragraph 27
You can still hear the Brother telling you that you must face your fears and conquer them. So you grit your teeth and take a trembling step towards the monstrous plant.
Although you would swear you're still a safe enough distance away, the plant swoops down on you with its stem stretched out as far as possible and engulfs you in its gaping maw. You try thrashing about, but only your right arm manages even a partial getaway. Boy, does it look silly dangling from the creature's mouth like a cheap cigarette. You find you can still wiggle your fingers out there but all you can manage is a feeble farewell to a cruel world.
So you calm yourself down and wait to see what will happen next. Surprisingly though, not a lot does happen. You haven't been impaled on any spikes nor is there digestive fluid making short work of you. In fact it's rather cool in here after the hot desert sun. The dampness is refreshing and there's a nectar you decide to taste (why not?), which is delicious. The only part of you that's uncomfortable is your right arm which, try though you might, you can't bring inside the plant. Oh well, you think, maybe the clerics will see your arm and rescue you.
Time passes and you no longer feel the sun on your arm. Night has fallen and you sleep.
More time passes. Your right arm can once again feel sunlight.
Nightfall.
Sunrise.
You feel a painful sensation about your right arm. Shortly thereafter, the plant's jaws open wide as you fall out with a rather unpleasant thud unto the desert sand. The first thing you see are sandled feet all around you. As you look upwards, you breath a sigh of relief. The clerics have come for you.
You reenter the sandshuttle and are once again blindfolded. Your right arm is throbbing.
When you are led out of the shuttle you are brought to a place where a cool salve is applied to your arm which is then bandaged. The blindfold is still in place when you are directed to place your hand on the shoulder of the cleric in front of you. You are told that if you lose contact with this cleric you will die.
At first all you hear are the echoes of your footsteps as if the passageway is hewn through solid rock; perhaps you are being led to a dimly lit cavern. Gradually, other sounds are heard.
You can tell from the acoustics that you are in a large room. You hear the chanting of a large choir and a low rumbling of a language you do not recognize. When you hear your name called, the blindfold is removed.
You are in a fabulous temple with ceilings one hundred feet high. It is illuminated, brightly in some spots and dimly in others, by one thousand flickering candles placed along the walls.
The Nightmare starts to close in on you. You remain calm.
You are offered a robe similar to those you see around you, except that there is no right sleeve on yours.
The monk standing by your side motions for silence as he unwraps the bandages from your right arm. You note that a green and red tattoo has been engraved on your palm. You feel no pain and your arm seems fully healed.
You are led up the stairs of the golden altar in the center of the temple. A ponderous man at the top takes your right hand and presses his left palm against yours. You notice that he has a tattoo on his palm which is a mirror image of your own.
He then recites the lecture of the Initiate Brother:
You are now an Initiate Brother. Return in one month's time to this place, and speak the Initiate's segment at the temple. You will be rewarded for your patience.
You are led out of the temple, given your original clothing, and now are in the center of Drofflic. You breathe a heavy sigh of relief. It has been seven days since you began the ordeal.
You can still hear the Brother telling you that you must face your fears and conquer them. So you grit your teeth and take a trembling step towards the monstrous plant.
Although you would swear you're still a safe enough distance away, the plant swoops down on you with its stem stretched out as far as possible and engulfs you in its gaping maw. You try thrashing about, but only your right arm manages even a partial getaway. Boy, does it look silly dangling from the creature's mouth like a cheap cigarette. You find you can still wiggle your fingers out there but all you can manage is a feeble farewell to a cruel world.
So you calm yourself down and wait to see what will happen next. Surprisingly though, not a lot does happen. You haven't been impaled on any spikes nor is there digestive fluid making short work of you. In fact it's rather cool in here after the hot desert sun. The dampness is refreshing and there's a nectar you decide to taste (why not?), which is delicious. The only part of you that's uncomfortable is your right arm which, try though you might, you can't bring inside the plant. Oh well, you think, maybe the clerics will see your arm and rescue you.
Time passes and you no longer feel the sun on your arm. Night has fallen and you sleep.
More time passes. Your right arm can once again feel sunlight.
Nightfall.
Sunrise.
You feel a painful sensation about your right arm. Shortly thereafter, the plant's jaws open wide as you fall out with a rather unpleasant thud unto the desert sand. The first thing you see are sandled feet all around you. As you look upwards, you breath a sigh of relief. The clerics have come for you.
You reenter the sandshuttle and are once again blindfolded. Your right arm is throbbing.
When you are led out of the shuttle you are brought to a place where a cool salve is applied to your arm which is then bandaged. The blindfold is still in place when you are directed to place your hand on the shoulder of the cleric in front of you. You are told that if you lose contact with this cleric you will die.
At first all you hear are the echoes of your footsteps as if the passageway is hewn through solid rock; perhaps you are being led to a dimly lit cavern. Gradually, other sounds are heard.
You can tell from the acoustics that you are in a large room. You hear the chanting of a large choir and a low rumbling of a language you do not recognize. When you hear your name called, the blindfold is removed.
You are in a fabulous temple with ceilings one hundred feet high. It is illuminated, brightly in some spots and dimly in others, by one thousand flickering candles placed along the walls.
The Nightmare starts to close in on you. You remain calm.
You are offered a robe similar to those you see around you, except that there is no right sleeve on yours.
The monk standing by your side motions for silence as he unwraps the bandages from your right arm. You note that a green and red tattoo has been engraved on your palm. You feel no pain and your arm seems fully healed.
You are led up the stairs of the golden altar in the center of the temple. A ponderous man at the top takes your right hand and presses his left palm against yours. You notice that he has a tattoo on his palm which is a mirror image of your own.
He then recites the lecture of the Initiate Brother:
The Lecture: Initiate Brother
You have entered a great and ancient order. As an initiate, you have taken upon yourself a great and important obligation: that of secrecy. The information contained herein is knowledge of little use to those who have not earned it by right, yet they will pay dearly for it nonetheless. As an initiate, you must swear to pass along no information pertaining to the brotherhood's rites, unless authorized by Fraternal Law to do so.
You will discover that the brotherhood is structured by castes, or levels. As an initiate, you have achieved the first Level of Righteousness. You may engage in Fraternal discourse with another brother only after he or she has demonstrated membership in the appropriate caste.
You will learn the caste of another by engaging in the Dialogue of Mastery. The dialogue is a section from the Ancient's Book of Knowledge, a tome known completely only by those brethren no longer among us. It is a sequence of questions and answers. The examiner asks the questions one line at a time. If the proper answer is not given verbatim, then a brother must stop the examination and go no further.
As you advance in caste, you will learn more of the ancient dialogue, and will be recognized as, and can yourself recognize, a member of the new caste.
The Initiate Brother's segment proceeds thus:
Examiner: How does one know the way to truth?
Answer: I truly seek the answer.
Ex.: The way to truth is by quietly admitting your innocence.
Ans.: I now know the way.
(Examiner now recognizes you as an Initiate Brother)
Ex.: How then, does one find which path to take along the way?
(You now recognize Examiner as an Initiate Brother)
Ans.: I do not know the answer.
Ex.: You are truly an Initiate Brother.
Ans.: And I know you to be the same.
Whenever a question is asked of you during a formal examination, these exact replies are required. If you do not know the correct response, you must reply, "I do not know the answer." It is a betrayal of trust to engage in an examination in hopes of learning more of the dialogue.
You have entered a great and ancient order. As an initiate, you have taken upon yourself a great and important obligation: that of secrecy. The information contained herein is knowledge of little use to those who have not earned it by right, yet they will pay dearly for it nonetheless. As an initiate, you must swear to pass along no information pertaining to the brotherhood's rites, unless authorized by Fraternal Law to do so.
You will discover that the brotherhood is structured by castes, or levels. As an initiate, you have achieved the first Level of Righteousness. You may engage in Fraternal discourse with another brother only after he or she has demonstrated membership in the appropriate caste.
You will learn the caste of another by engaging in the Dialogue of Mastery. The dialogue is a section from the Ancient's Book of Knowledge, a tome known completely only by those brethren no longer among us. It is a sequence of questions and answers. The examiner asks the questions one line at a time. If the proper answer is not given verbatim, then a brother must stop the examination and go no further.
As you advance in caste, you will learn more of the ancient dialogue, and will be recognized as, and can yourself recognize, a member of the new caste.
The Initiate Brother's segment proceeds thus:
Examiner: How does one know the way to truth?
Answer: I truly seek the answer.
Ex.: The way to truth is by quietly admitting your innocence.
Ans.: I now know the way.
(Examiner now recognizes you as an Initiate Brother)
Ex.: How then, does one find which path to take along the way?
(You now recognize Examiner as an Initiate Brother)
Ans.: I do not know the answer.
Ex.: You are truly an Initiate Brother.
Ans.: And I know you to be the same.
Whenever a question is asked of you during a formal examination, these exact replies are required. If you do not know the correct response, you must reply, "I do not know the answer." It is a betrayal of trust to engage in an examination in hopes of learning more of the dialogue.
You are now an Initiate Brother. Return in one month's time to this place, and speak the Initiate's segment at the temple. You will be rewarded for your patience.
You are led out of the temple, given your original clothing, and now are in the center of Drofflic. You breathe a heavy sigh of relief. It has been seven days since you began the ordeal.
Great, I guess we'll have to return to this planet in a month.
1. But for now, the plan is to head to planet 1-V -- any objections? (Galaxy map)
2. Also, any trading we should do?
No interesting trades at the moment so proceed as planned, your royal updateness.
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