Lore Submission Thread

[Purplebong]

A Next Island Love Story by Pope L’Brung

Book 2, Chapter 1

It was early evening when I arrived on Next Island. Initially, I had intended to return to my home on Calypso but now I was determined to find Jihkanna, the Haruspex girl I met at a festival on Toulan. I knew she was from Next Island but she kept her details mysterious. I would have to search for her.

‘Welcome to Next Island,’ read the giant sign at Paradise Landing. The tropical air was warm and inviting. I had been to Next Island only once before. It was years ago - I visited this planet to scout for a rare mineral called Dark Lysterium. The findings were scarce, as was the population back then.

Now, the island seemed more vibrant and populated. The locals were friendly and offered guidance to the new arrrivals. I had travelled by myself and didn’t know anyone here. I was appreciative of the help.

Following a suggestion, I ended up at a place called Caroline’s Bar in Crystal Bay. The staff were locals but the patrons seemed mostly like tourists. I sat at the bar and ordered a Haimoros tea. The bartender was Haruspex so I asked her if she knew of a girl named Jihkanna. She shook her head and apologised. I felt awkward and guilty for even asking. Was my plan to just approach ALL Haruspex people and ask them to help me find a girl that I barely knew? This was going to be more difficult than I expected.

I slowly sipped my tea and surveyed the bar. My goal was to secure lodging for the night and gather any information that might help me locate the girl who stole my heart. It had been a long weekend and I needed some rest.

“Pope? Pope, is that you?”

I looked through the crowd toward the voice calling my name. I smiled to see a familiar face. It was an old mining buddy of mine from Calypso.

Book 2, Chapter 2

I nodded and motioned to my friend as he navigated the crowd and sat next to me at the bar.

“What in the world are you doing here?” he asked. “Probably searching for that Dark Lysterium, I reckon,” he added.

I chuckled and then told him about the girl I met on Toulan. I told him that I had made a spontaneous decision to travel to Next Island to look for her.

“You sly old dog,” he replied as he winked and made a thumbs-up gesture. His fingers were covered with various shiny rings. “Chasing a girl across the universe, eh?”

His name was Gus but everyone called him ‘PK’. He’d earned a reputation within the toxic mining zones of Calypso as a ruthless hunter of unsuspecting miners. He caught me once, years ago when I was a kid. Thankfully, he let me go. That’s how we met - I remember asking him how he found me and he just laughed and told me it was my brightly coulored purple clothing and that I could be spotted hundreds of metres away. He suggested that I would be more successful at avoidance if I camouflaged myself to match the terrain. The advice was followed and a friendship was born.

PK asked me where I was staying and what my plans were. I told him that I was without plan nor place.

“Nonsense!” he laughed gregariously. “I’ve rented lodging here on Next Island for a week. You’re welcome to stay with me.” He leaned over from his barstool and hugged me tightly with one arm. “What’s mine is yours,” he declared as he ordered us another round of tea.

We drank and chatted about exaggerated mining stories. It was a relief to meet an old, familar friend. I was appreciative of the help but my mind was still focused on finding Jihkanna.

Book 2, Chapter 3

PK and I walked down to the beach from Caroline’s Bar. I followed him to the tent he had rented for the week. It was spacious and well-decorated inside. He pointed me to the guest room and I tossed my backpack onto the bed.

“Thank you,” I told him. “I really appreciate this.”

“Don’t mention it, mate,” he replied with a smile.

We reconvened in the lounge and had some more tea. I could see that there were maps laid across the round coffee table in front of us. I noticed they were geological maps - the kind that indicated elevation, terrain, and resources.

“You see that, Pope?” my host began. “That’s why I’m here!” He pointed to a large area on one of the maps. It was shaded red. He started to tell me about a mysterious toxic mining area that he’d come to explore.

“I don’t think there are any toxic mining areas on Next Island,” I stated unassured.

“Correct!” he interjected. “But the portal to the place I seek is located somewhere here on Next Island. I intend to find it.”

Her eyes were like…portals.

“Do you beleive in time travel?” he asked.

I’d heard rumours of time travel since I was a child. The idea was intriguing, but I remained mostly skeptical because I had never witnessed any evidence of it. Only stories.

“I don’t know. Not really,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

“Well get ready to believe, my friend. Time travel is real and I’m going to prove it.” He possessed such a confidence.

I listened to him tell me about a normal planetary teleportation portal that supposedly led not only to a different place…but a different time. It was said to have the ability to send travellers back to the past, specifically Ancient Greece.

“The key is with the Haruspex,” he continued. “They are the ones who know how use it.”

Book 2, Chapter 4

I laid in bed, exhausted but restless. My mind was focused on finding Jihkanna. She was the reason I had come to Next Island and I was determined to see her again.

Earlier before I retired to my guest room, my host had disclosed a plan to locate an alleged time portal. He was convinced of the idea and had asked for my help. He believed this portal could allow people to travel back to the time of Ancient Greece where a volatile mining area existed. He trusted me and recommended that I help research it with him.

Normally, I’m always up for an adventure. Especially if it involves mining in unique areas. I told PK that I would give him an answer in the morning and excused myself to my room.

His plan was to meet up with a Haruspex guide he recently been introduced to. He said this guide had knowledge of time travel and could help direct us to the specific location of the teleportation portal. If successful, it would transport us back in time.

I hatched a plan. I decided that I would help PK on his mission to locate the supposed ‘time portal’. I was doubtful that it even existed but saw no harm in tagging along with him to explore Next Island on his crazy, adventurous mission. I was also interested in meeting his Haruspex contact. Perhaps I could ask him for help with locating Jihkanna. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Sleep eventually came and again I dreamed of her. I saw her beautiful face and enchanting eyes. She didn’t speak, she just smiled at me. My soul craved her and my heart demanded her. In my dream it felt as if I inhaled her. I could sense her essence coursing through my body like a magical frequency. I held my breath as long as I could.

Book 2, Chapter 5

I awoke the next morning to the sound of PK rummaging through his mining gear in the lounge. He owned several different resource finders and excavators. It seemed he had amassed just about every type of specialty mining tool available.

“Good morning, my friend,” he called out as I entered the lounge. “I hope you slept well. Today is a big day. Have you made up your mind?”

I nodded and told him that I would help him. To be honest, I was intrigued with the idea of time travel and mythical mining locations. Who wouldn’t be? I privately suspected it was just a fabricated myth used to attract tourists. I was more concerned with meeting the Haruspex guide. I wanted to see if he knew how to find the girl I sought.

PK finished loading his equipment into a large rucksack. I spotted a few weapons mixed in with his mining gear. High-powered weapons.

“Do you think we’ll need those?” I asked.

“Better to have them and not need them…” he smirked, “…than to need them and not have them.”

I hadn’t considered the idea of needing to arm myself. I typically carried a small pistol with me just to scare off curious mobs that interrupted my mining runs. I wasn’t highly skilled in weapons or combat like PK. I took the opportunity to check my pistol and ammo just in case. They were neatly tucked away in my small backpack along with my simple mining finder and excavator. I didn’t have fancy mining equipment. Never needed it.

After our bags were packed, PK made us a small breakfast. He advised me that we would be meeting his contact at a Haruspex outpost near The Enchanted Forest. The guide, called Ayinde, would then lead us to the teleportation portal that supposedly altered time.

[isme]

Isme’s Journey #9

Isme’s Journal #9

THOSE ROTTEN, NO GOOD, EVIL, VICIOUS PAPOO!!!

AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHH!

This is my 9th journal entry…. I know I am not very good at this but I need to write something down or I will go crazy!!!

I went to see some more papoo today. Sebastian seemed so nice I wanted to meet the friends I kill piglets for. UGH if only I could put on this paper how much I am seething right now.

SEEMED is the word here. You know what he really is? He is the front man for an evil monkey army!!! OH SURE he is nice and friendly, offers you a reward for killing piglets. He wants you to kwill the evil piggies so his wittle friends will be safer!!! Safer indeed so they can grow in numbers and take over!!!

HA! Its a plot!
I know its a set up.
I went to see what his friends were like after killing my 200th piglet TODAY…… grr

Those little blankety blank blank creatures attacked me as soon as I was close. Then while I was healing 6 of them jumped me! Can you believe that? I ended up in revive!

Its not so much that I had to go to revive as it is the total sense of betrayal. That feeling of being played a fool! I have been through a lot since coming to this planet, and it wasn’t to be a patsy for a talking monkey!!!

I have to review what I know about the factions on this planet. If there is one that hunts, especially hunts papoo…. I am gonna see what I can do to sign up! While I am waiting for acceptance into said faction. Maybe I will write a new article called “Beware of Talking Papoo” and I might follow that with a book “Next Island- an Honest Guide to its Flora and Fauna” and its going to include a line about “Papoo are evil. Start a farm and raise Mountain Boars. Its a good source of supplies and will reduce your chance of being attacked by papoo!!

That Papoo army is going down!

[Fatty]

Lore Entry #1 for May, 2022

More Screecher Facts
Research by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

Aloha, my fellow wildlife enthusiasts! We’re back with breaking new information about the mysterious screecher! This bird is simply full of surprises! For example, did you know they take a great amount of care when it comes to their plumage? Or should I say fur? Yes, that’s right. A screecher’s feathers are more hair-like than feather-like. I was amazed as well! But what’s even more amazing is some screechers keep hair spray on them at all times so they can keep their fur nice and bouncy, not to mention plastered to their bodies. It gives them such a velvety sheen, too! This may be another tactic males use to attract the females. Oh, but you might be wondering where they keep their hair spray? You probably didn’t know, but screechers have a sort of pocket in the front of their breast area, sort of like a kangaroo does. Be sure to search that pocket thoroughly, if you’re hunting them! Who knows what else they are keeping safe in there?

Speaking of the mating rituals of the screecher, I’ve noticed something somewhat disturbing. There are only about 1/3 or less the amount of males as females. This is no doubt due to over-hunting of the males, since they are the only ones counted for the containment mission. But it may also be because two thirds of eggs that hatch seem to be female. It’s a compounding problem! I hereby officially enter a request to make the containment mission count females as well.

There are a couple more things I found out about the screecher. First, since we are on the topic of breeding, it appears that after the chicks hatch at the nest, they are taken to either the beach at Paradise landing or to the boar enclosure near papoo village. The ones taken to the boar enclosure actually receive some protection from the boar piglets, which act like older siblings and watch out for the chicks. After the chicks reach some level of maturity, they migrate over to the beach at crystal peak. There may be other places, too, but I haven’t stumbled upon them yet. After the young screechers reach adulthood, they eventually migrate to Screeching Hollow, where the life cycle repeats as males woo females with their mating ritual.

That’s all I have on screechers for now, friends. I am sure there is still much more that can be said about this captivating creature, and I will find out what it is. Until next time, may Tommy bless your every endeavor.

~Your friend, Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson, the High Prophet of Tommy

Lore Entry #2 for May, 2022

Chimera Facts
Research by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

Dear journal,

I have been studying the enchanting creatures of Next Island and recording the facts for everyone’s enlightenment. I have known about the Chimera for some time, but never really got a close look at them until the last few weeks. I have been out in the field, north of Oasis Outlook, collecting data about these strange animals.

The chimera is unlike any other creature on Next Island, aside from maybe the desert crawler, its closest relative. What makes these critters unique is that they display attributes of both reptilian and mammal species. What makes them like reptiles is their scaly body and almost turtle-like beak. What makes them like mammals is they have some fur and mammary glands and teets, which I am sure they use to nurse their newborns. I am still unsure whether Chimeras give live birth, lay eggs, or have some other way of birthing their young. There are a lot of possibilities, and I haven’t ruled any of them out yet.

I mentioned their turtle-like heads. They have no teeth, but instead have a serrated beak, like a turtle, or bird. This suggests they have a uniformly carnivorous diet. A lot of creatures on Next Island can subsist on insects and other small fauna for food, but chimeras must hunt large game based on their equipment. I believe the boars that litter the planet are a plentiful source of energy for them, but I haven’t witnessed a chimera eating, so this is only speculation. I have, however, seen the remains of people near chimera, which suggests they have eaten Humans. Unfortunately, I needed to kill a few of them to get close enough to examine their physiology. Chimeras are very short tempered and territorial. They see most other animals, especially Humans, as a threat and attack if you get within 50 meters give or take. At least, that’s my experience with them.

I am certain there is more to know about the mysterious chimera, so I am going to continue to record more about them. I sincerely hope this information finds its way into the right hands. We need to know about the animals of Next Island so that we can respect them and be good stewards of this planet.

Time for me to wrap this entry up. I hear a noise coming from outside my tent.

Lore Entry #3 for May, 2022

Cyclops Facts
Research by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

Unless you’ve been living under a rock your whole life, you have probably heard about the mythical Cyclops. They hail from Greek mythology, so it is appropriate that they can be found in none other than Ancient Greece. Of course, the Ancient Greece we visit on Next Island is NOT the same Ancient Greece that was on Earth. It appears to be a parallel version that has similar locations and names, but has creatures that I am almost certain didn’t exist on Earth. Perhaps this alternate Ancient Greece is the source of the legends Earth’s Greece had, but I digress. Back to the topic at hand.

Cyclops are big, brutish Humanoids with dark amber skin and one, single, almond-shaped eye. Their dress is primitive leather and loin cloths and they all seem to wield crude clubs. Cyclops, as one could imagine, don’t have the best eye-sight. They often stumble around and get stuck in trees or bushes, becoming unreachable if you are hunting them. To get them unstuck, simply get them to start hitting you. They usually get unstuck themselves.

Another oddity about Cyclops is that they carry hair spray when they are completely bald. Believe me. There isn’t much hair on them. I checked many dead ones over to verify this. It is my theory that they are inhaling the spray to get a sort of high from it. They probably get the stuff from passing hunters after they kill them. This theory also supports their disorganization and clumsiness as well as their general lethargy as they trudge through the hills of Ancient Greece.

There are a few tribes of cyclops. There are the regulars; the Cyclops. Then there are the Arges, who are stronger and more warlike. Finally, we have the Brontes, who stand head and shoulders above the other tribes and often bully and exploit them. There is a bounty on all Cyclops heads. See Hiresh at Kamba Outpost for one mission. I am told the other mission requires a bit of convincing of one of the factions here on Next Island to do.

What other mysteries do the Cyclops hold? I will find out if it kills me. Until next time, my friends.

Yours, Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson the High Prophet of Tommy

Lore Entry #4 for May, 2022

The Blue Baobab Tree
Research by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

Next Island is not only home to unique creatures, but also is home to some very interesting plant-life. One such plant is the sizable blue baobab tree. A baobab is a tree that has a very round and thick trunk that is wider near the base. Baobab trees on Earth have similar leafage as most deciduous trees, but the blue baobab has leaves that more resemble the petals of the magic flower. It is my theory that the magic flower and the blue baobab have some common connection. Perhaps they are evolutionary cousins. Maybe the magic flower is actually a blue baobab sapling! Wouldn’t that be extraordinary! It’s possible. Because of the demand on magic flowers causing them to be picked not long after sprouting, they wouldn’t have the time to become their adult forms. Magic Flowers will be a topic for another time, though.

The blue baobab has bluish green hued leaves that sprout from the top in a fan-like fashion. Their trunks are long and fat, especially around the bottom. The bark is rough and forms in gray rock-like scales. The trunk is also very bumpy and dented, almost creating a twisting look. I have examined several specimens and found that every one of them is virtually identical. Perhaps they are all clones of each other? Wouldn’t that be fascinating! There’s another tree nearby the blue baobabs that I hypothesize are distant cousins of the blue baobab. I call them woolly baobabs, and I will have to research those more next.

They all seem to grow in very specific regions. The ones I took notes on are North and North-west of Oasis Outlook. They don’t appear to grow near water, but I could be mistaken, since my sample size was so small. Judging by the dryness of the areas they are found in, I’d almost consider them a large succulent. Their leaves certainly resemble the succulents back on Earth. Perhaps the magic flower too is a succulent? This requires further investigation.

That’s all the information I have right now on the blue baobab tree. I am certain there is more to know about them, but it will require a few more months of research; at least a month more. I think it is just as important to know the flora of Next Island as it is to know the fauna. Perhaps the plants are less profitable, but there are some that the native critters either call home or use for feeding. As far as I am aware, nothing eats the blue baobab. We’ll investigate further and get back to you guys.

Thanks for reading my report.

Your friend, Fatty, the High Prophet of Tommy.

Lore Entry #5 for May, 2022

The Woolly Baobab Tree

Research by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

Despite the name (which I coined, actually), the woolly baobab is not a good source of wool. Sorry, that was a bad attempt at humor on my part. Indeed, though, the woolly baobab has earned it’s name for its shaggy appearance. The leafage on this plant resembles the hair of a woolly mammoth, a long extinct elephantine mammal from Earth’s Pleistocene Epoch. If you’ve seen a picture of one, you’ll know what I mean. I believe the woolly baobab and the blue baobab are close kin to one another. Perhaps in the same family of plants, a divergent genotype. I won’t bore you with scientific jargon, though.

The woolly baobab, like other baobabs, has a thick trunk, much wider at the bottom than the top. It’s bark has long, horizontal striations, not unlike a palm tree. The bark is white and decidedly bitter. Yes, I cut off a piece to taste it, and I am still alive, which is a very good sign. From all of my research into the animals of Next Island, I have yet to meet a critter who can reach the leaves of the taller trees, although the shorter ones’ leaves can be reached. Still, I do not know a single animal who’s diet has this plant in it. Even so, I am sure the woolly baobab plays an important part in the ecosystem, though what part exactly is up for debate.

When the woolly baobab reaches a certain height or age, the crown, where the leaves are, splits into multiple segments. Each segment’s base resembles the trunk. This very well could be how the plant reproduces, since I did not notice any reproductive parts (such as flowers, seeds, or fruit). My hypothesis is that the woolly baobab reproduces asexually by growing these extra segments and then waiting for them to fall off. Once they fall off, they establish themselves as new trees. This is not entirely uncommon in the plant kingdom, so it is very possible.

Truly a splendid plant, the woolly baobab is. I wish I could report more about them, but I literally just discovered them myself! I’m sure many people have walked by this tree not thinking too much about it. It’s just sort of in the background. For most people, this tree doesn’t seem to play a noticeable role in their lives, but I think it plays a much more important role than we think. We shall see. If you’re looking for this tree, go to Oasis Outlook and go North-East, down the valley.

Yours truly,

Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson, the High Prophet of Tommy.

[isme]

Isme Gotitt

Isme’s journey #10

Isme’s journal entry #10

It has begun!

I found out that a robot in Crystal Peak can tell me about some of the factions! Super excited I hope that the ones he tells me about hunt papoo! I tried to get there today. Tried is the key word here. I was headed to the transported to Crystal Bay when I came across a field of yellow papoo. Well I was attacked as soon as I got within viewing distance. I really shouldn’t be surprised!

I didn’t even plan to attack them. I figured I would learn what I needed about factions and then come back and take this piece of ground. BUT I got just so I could see their individual outlines and one of the little fur covered maniacs comes running at me all fangs and claws and hair standing out!

I dispatched it with little difficulty. Then the others came. I took them out too. I cleared myself a path and continued my journey. I kept a sharp eye for those sneaky little monsters!!!

Then I saw this pylon, radio tower, looking thing. It turned out to be a sensor. While I was examining it A solid wave of yellow papoo came at me! When I got rid of them a second wave! And a third!!!

Then a fourth and a fifth wave! The fifth wave though, had a papoo that was bigger and darker in color then the rest. It stayed out of the fighting until near the end. Even still the last wave was tough. Bloodied but not beaten I fought through the fifth wave. Then I confronted what I think was some sort of leader for that particular bunch of papoo. I took him on! It was fangs and fur against my blade. I can even say my armor because I still was wearing only my chiton!

He killed me once. But I RAN from the revive and got back before he could fully heal. It was more flashing steel and flashing claws it was getting close… but he jumped and I swung from the side and caught him below the arm and sent him crashing to the ground!

It was over! I was VICTORIOUS!!!

Tomorrow I will arrive at Crystal Bay, then its onward to Crystal Peak. Stronger and Faster, and more skilled with my blade I will seek new knowledge and allies in my fight to free Next Island from the threat of papoo!

[Nakor]

Ale`xandros asked me to check up on his wife and daughter. So I went to Cyzicus. There I found Berenice. When I told her Alexandros was fine and had asked me to check how they were doing, she cried and told me to tell him she loved him and that they were well. She also gave me a few pages of her journal. Sadly, I did not see Chloe. This was written on those pages:

Part 1:
Dear diary, it’s been another wonderful week here in Thebes. My loving and proud husband Alexandros is earning enough gold to let us live a comfortable life. The weather has also been wonderful this last week. I have nothing to complain about! Yesterday, I went to the temple. The temple of Athena that is. Like I do every Wednesday. There were 3 women there that I have seen there before, but I have never spoken to them. They were gossiping. GOSSIPING in a temple of all places! They were also complaining a lot about all of the aliens who came in, fell to their knees before the statue, put their heads to the ground, and then left again. Alexandros calls them newcomers and welcomes their arrival, but I don’t know. They change things! Things that have always been how they were for a reason! I know it’s not my place to doubt my husband. Athena have mercy on me, but in this, I do. Life here in Thebes is so different now from when I grew up. All these aliens are here walking around. Some are even setting up shops! It’s just too much change for me. Though I love my life here. I really do! Sometimes, I long for the days when I was young and lived in Cyzicus. A small town to the northeast of here. It doesn’t have beautiful temples as Thebes does. It doesn’t have a temple at all, only shrines. But it was safe there. Oh, how I long for that feeling. When I prayed to Athena, I always get that safe feeling. So, I prayed to Athena, made an offering of flowers to keep Alexandros and Chloe safe, and returned home. Alexandros just got home from work. So id better go get him and start cooking dinner.

Part 2:
Dear, dear diary, today was a very strange day. I went to the temple of Athena, as I do each day. The women I mentioned before were there again. I’ve seen them every day there now. I did not speak to them, but I heard parts of what they were talking about. They said some city guards were getting very close with alien shopkeepers at the market. I’m sure it’s not true, or if it is. It’s not my Alexandros! When I heard that, I felt chilled to the bone! I only felt warm again after saying a few long prayers to the goddess.
After I visited the temple, I decided to go to the market. Not to spy on Alexandros, but you know. Just to see the stalls there. Yes, that’s it. I just wanted to see the stalls. What I saw there, took my breath away! One of the stalls had a huge display of strange creatures on it! Not live creatures, but small and soft versions. They looked a bit like children’s toys. Most of them had bright colors and they were made of some soft fabric. It looked like wool. Most looked very strange, but because of the colors and softness, they weren’t scary at all.
The owner of the stall was an alien. A very tall man. He stood out because of how tall he was and because of what he was wearing. He was wearing only two thin bands of clothing! Even slaves here wear more clothes. A very strange sight. And a very peculiar thing. He called “Eros” all the time. He worshiped the god of love!! Maybe Alexandros is right and we should call these people newcomers instead of aliens. If you worship Eros, you can’t be bad, right?
A very strange day, and I can’t stop thinking about those things in the stall. Are those real creatures somewhere? Has that stranger ever seen them? How big are they?

Part 3:
HE’S CHEATING, I KNOW IT! |I saw him at the market hugging another woman today! MY Alexandros! Hugging another woman! Today after visiting the temple of Athena, I went back to the marketplace. Last night the sight of all those brightly colored, wool creatures kept me awake and thinking. What are they? So today I decided to go back and ask the owner of the stall. He worships Eros, so It should be safe to talk to him, right?

He said his name was Waffles and then something that didn’t make any sense to me “Because everyone loves Waffles”. But he was very nice and friendly. He told me this world was part of another world that he called “Next Island” and that there were more worlds. On his visits to those other worlds, he had encountered the creatures and he’d even hunted them! These were trophies of his hunts. Now I suddenly understood why Alexandros welcomes these strangers. They are great hunters and if more like this Waffles, there are good and friendly ones among them.

Then, all of a sudden, I saw it! Alexandros was there on patrol and I saw him walk up to a woman. They talked for a moment and then he hugged her! I couldn’t believe my eyes!

Dear diary, me again for the second time today. It seems I overreacted just a little bit. Alexandros came home today with a dark look on his face. He immediately came over to me and gave me a hug and a kiss. He told me he had met the wife of his friend Janus. They grew up together and Janus became a scout n the army. Alexandros had also heard the rumors but never spoke to me about them.
Rumors have been going around of a leader rising up and uniting all of this world’s monsters. Our king had heard more and more reports of attacks and killings of people around Thebes and had sent a few scouts out to investigate. Janus was one of the men sent out. He did not return. His wife. Widow now, I guess had told Alexandros and started crying again. Alexandros told me he fears for me and our daughter Chloe. I have never seen this look on his face before and it frightens me.

Part 4:
Dear, dear dear diary, this has been a very difficult period and I fear more is to come. For one Alexandros has really shown more of himself than I had seen before. It’s very unlike for a man to show his feelings. Especially fear! But I like it. I love him even more now! He told me the death of Janus hit him hard and that he worries a lot about the safety of Chloe, our daughter, and me. Alexandros thinks it’s only a matter of time before Thebes is attacked and wants us to be in another, safer place then. Cyzicus is far to the north from here and my parents live there. It is a small, but a safe town. Upon a hill with wide-open fields. Part of me has always longed to go back there. The fields, the smells of the fields. It’s so different from here. Oh and how I‘d love to see those old familiar faces again. Telamon, the baker, Stelios, the sheepherder, and Halkyone, the fisherman.
But I will also miss my life here. Waking up next to Alexandros, of course. Our beautiful home here in bustling Thebes. Visiting the temples. But I’d get to see my parents again!! And Chloe her grandparents!
I also think this change would be good for Chloe. She’s been behaving too much like a boy. Not like the young lady she is. She always wants to go look at the soldiers at the barracks. I can’t blame her for that. When I was not married. I and my friends loved watching all those muscular men there too. It is where I first saw Alexandros. It’s different with her though. She’s more interested in how to throw a javelin the farthest instead of how handsome the man throwing it is. Cyzicus has no barracks, No soldiers. Only lots of gorgeous flowers you can make beautiful bouquets of, plenty of wool to learn how to make clothes of and learn the things a woman should know!

Part 4:
Dear diary, we’ve been in Cyzicus for a week now. It’s everything that I expected and everything that I was afraid I would not like. Spending time with my parents is great! It had been almost two years since I last saw them. So much here has stayed the same from that time. I love it! My old friends. Well, some are still here. Some have left. Sadly, Stelios was out with his sheep when they were attacked by wolves last fall. Poor man. He left for the Asphodel meadows too early. Telamon has become a broad-shouldered man! His parents have both passed and he now runs the bakery. He married Elpida! Who would’ve guessed that would ever happen! I remember him pulling her hair every chance he got when we were young. Halkyone left for Sparta soon after Stelios’ passing. I can’t blame him. There was nothing left for him here. But I am sad he’s not here. It is good to see those familiar faces, but it also saddens me to think of the ones that left. And of Alexandros, who I miss dearly! There is no temple here, but I go to the shrine every day and ask the goddess Athena to keep him safe.
Chloe is adjusting well to life here. She enjoys spending time in the fields and she brings home a freshly picked bouquet every day. Telamon and Elpida have a daughter close to her age who is showing her around and teaching her all sorts of things. They do stay out until late though. I don’t remember doing that when I was young. Yesterday she came back when It was almost dark! And she had cuts on her arms and legs. When I asked her how she got them, she said they came from brambles and gave me a basket with berries. How sweet!

After reading that last part, I’m even more curious about Chloe…

[vic_skaya]

The story is ramping up!

Name: Captain Hector Draken, EEF
Entry: #85

Data:

Today’s meeting was scheduled for early in the morning with the commanders of the Elysian Expeditionary Force, Loyalist High Command, and some directors of our science department. Since I was recently discharged from a medical hut, I looked absolutely terrible and bystanders saw as I stumbled and struggled to walk through the building with the help of a walking stick.

When I got to the meeting room, I spent the next half hour setting up handouts and my holographic visualizations of what we could do in Ancient Greece. Around 15 minutes later, the secretary called and said the various commanders and directors had arrived from across the Loyalist territory to hear my pitch. To say I was nervous would be an understatement, I was petrified. The fact that I was in a room with some of the highest-ranking people in the Loyalist
faction made me feel like I have made significant progress in my career and feel immense pressure to do a perfect presentation.

I started off with a summary of my original proposal and soon enough, started pulling up charts of potential areas to begin extracting resources from, strategic alliances and partnerships to forge, and what the budget and equipment I would need to get the Loyalist faction to become the most powerful and influential on planetside.

In the middle of my presentation, a director of the science department asked how intrusive this would be to the delicate landscape and Ancient Greek society. This then followed up with a question from a representative from High Command asking how this fits Elysian values.

In the end, they had no interest in the idea of gathering resources and building up our faction to assimilate the other factions. They lack the understanding that to split up into several factions means the splitting of the vision that our predecessors had. To co-exist as several factions with different territories was already bad enough, and I think I will need to find another way to get my proposal approved. To the Loyalist High Command directly I shall go, this is too amazing of an opportunity to simply shoot down.

Name: Captain Hector Draken, EEF
Entry: #86

Data:

Today’s meeting was scheduled for early in the morning with the commanders of the Elysian Expeditionary Force, Loyalist High Command, and some directors of our science department. Since I was recently discharged from a medical hut, I looked absolutely terrible and bystanders saw as I stumbled and struggled to walk through the building with the help of a walking stick.

When I got to the meeting room, I spent the next half hour setting up handouts and my holographic visualizations of what we could do in Ancient Greece. Around 15 minutes later, the secretary called and said the various commanders and directors had arrived from across the Loyalist territory to hear my pitch. To say I was nervous would be an understatement, I was petrified. The fact that I was in a room with some of the highest-ranking people in the Loyalist
faction made me feel like I have made significant progress in my career and feel immense pressure to do a perfect presentation.

I started off with a summary of my original proposal and soon enough, started pulling up charts of potential areas to begin extracting resources from, strategic alliances and partnerships to forge, and what the budget and equipment I would need to get the Loyalist faction to become the most powerful and influential on planetside.

In the middle of my presentation, a director of the science department asked how intrusive this would be to the delicate landscape and Ancient Greek society. This then followed up with a question from a representative from High Command asking how this fits Elysian values.

In the end, they had no interest in the idea of gathering resources and building up our faction to assimilate the other factions. They lack the understanding that to split up into several factions means the splitting of the vision that our predecessors had. To co-exist as several factions with different territories was already bad enough, and I think I will need to find another way to get my proposal approved. To the Loyalist High Command directly I shall go, this is too amazing of an opportunity to simply shoot down.

Name: Captain Hector Draken, EEF
Entry: #87

Data - Encrypted:

“Here comes Draken with his antics again”
“I heard he hit his head too hard while being a Resa hostage”
“He’s been trying to get his proposal approved for months now, just give up”

All of the above were some of the fragments of whispers and gossip I heard while walking through the building. High Command sees me as a madman and I’ve heard rumors of my removal from the Expeditionary Force.

If the Loyalist faction will not officially back my endeavors, I will have to look towards private backing to follow through with my idea. I do not know much of Elysians who are notably wealthy or have the resources to back such an expedition, but perhaps, just perhaps, a few would like to help.

What I will need for this project of mine would be drilling equipment and arms to pacify any local resistance. As I recall, last time I believe I angered the local population of warrior females and believe they are out to get me if I set foot near them with drills and surveying equipment.

In terms of weapons and securing the mining site, I have someone who can help. We’ve been lagging behind the New Elysian Order in terms of technology and the military has been wanting an edge to keep away an emerging New Elysian Order that could wipe out our way of life. I know some of the high-ranking commanders of the Loyalist militia were interested during every one of my pitches but always got talked over by the rest of High Command.

Colonel Murdoch, stationed with a detachment near the northern border, has been my priority to get on board with my project. On paper, he has artillery, laser rifles, and tanks to make sure no one interferes with the operation. Getting him to go against the faction in exchange for more R&D funding might prove difficult, but I think he’ll crack eventually.

This entry and the next entries onward I will start encrypting to ensure no trace of my plotting is discovered.

Name: Captain Hector Draken, EEF
Entry: #88

Data - Encrypted:

Located northeast of Haruspex-controlled Tanzanite View, Colonel Murdoch has a detachment scouting and patrolling in case NEO decides to do an amphibious or airborne incursion into Loyalist territory. His men usually operate out of Screeching Hollow for meetings but always spreads out his forces around the north in Haruspex lands.

According to reports, he’s operating out of Tanzanite View and working with the Haruspex to secure the area from dragons. When I got to Tanzanite View, he was surprised to see me and as we took a walk just outside of Tanzanite View, away from eavesdroppers and Loyalist officials, we started talking business.

“I know you’re here to get me to persuade High Command but they just won’t budge. You have a great proposal but if they say no, I can’t do much to change their minds”

“I understand, but you know we are being out-gunned by our northern rivals and High Command doesn’t understand it as well as you do”

“What you’re asking is treason and disobeying orders”

“For the survival of our society. Don’t consider it ‘treason’, just consider it ‘taking initiative’”

After a while, Murdoch finally came around and we shook hands. In return for resources and the creation of a private R&D team under his command, he will offer the troops and equipment to secure the excavation site.

There is no turning back for him now and I believe he made an excellent choice, I think High Command and the faction overall will see that me taking initiative was the right choice and will drop any accusations of treason and disobeying orders.

With security taken care of, it is time to find someone to provide heavy equipment. I have heard of several high-rolling business people that have traveled to our lovely planet from the other side of space.

Crystal Bay is a popular vacation spot for off-world visitors and I already have a target. There is a wealthy businesswoman that loves racing at the race track here and goes by the first name “Chloe”. No one knows her last name but some say she’s heir to a massive fortune on some asteroid that has drills that print money practically. An adventurous investor and she already knows the industry, which makes her the perfect person to try getting onboard. Time to get my beach shorts on and prepare to impress her. I will share the results in the next entry.

Name: Captain Hector Draken, EEF
Entry: #89

Data - Encrypted:

Located northeast of Haruspex-controlled Tanzanite View, Colonel Murdoch has a detachment scouting and patrolling in case NEO decides to do an amphibious or airborne incursion into Loyalist territory. His men usually operate out of Screeching Hollow for meetings but always spreads out his forces around the north in Haruspex lands.

According to reports, he’s operating out of Tanzanite View and working with the Haruspex to secure the area from dragons. When I got to Tanzanite View, he was surprised to see me and as we took a walk just outside of Tanzanite View, away from eavesdroppers and Loyalist officials, we started talking business.

“I know you’re here to get me to persuade High Command but they just won’t budge. You have a great proposal but if they say no, I can’t do much to change their minds”

“I understand, but you know we are being out-gunned by our northern rivals and High Command doesn’t understand it as well as you do”

“What you’re asking is treason and disobeying orders”

“For the survival of our society. Don’t consider it ‘treason’, just consider it ‘taking initiative’”

After a while, Murdoch finally came around and we shook hands. In return for resources and the creation of a private R&D team under his command, he will offer the troops and equipment to secure the excavation site.

There is no turning back for him now and I believe he made an excellent choice, I think High Command and the faction overall will see that me taking initiative was the right choice and will drop any accusations of treason and disobeying orders.

With security taken care of, it is time to find someone to provide heavy equipment. I have heard of several high-rolling business people that have traveled to our lovely planet from the other side of space.

Crystal Bay is a popular vacation spot for off-world visitors and I already have a target. There is a wealthy businesswoman that loves racing at the race track here and goes by the first name “Chloe”. No one knows her last name but some say she’s heir to a massive fortune on some asteroid that has drills that print money practically. An adventurous investor and she already knows the industry, which makes her the perfect person to try getting onboard. Time to get my beach shorts on and prepare to impress her. I will share the results in the next entry.

[Night]

Auberon Night Night May lore submission

Part 6 - Betrayed by Time

Waking up rested and ready, with a goal in mind, Aeon felt positive and allowed himself to feel relaxed for a bit.

Breakfast was boar steak, from the island boars, and eggs from the strange looking blue and black flightless birds he sees all over. Followed by swimming and bathing in the nearby river.

This part of the planet was semiarid with a number of mountains that rips up from the land into the sky as if in defiance of gravity itself. No obvious water erosion just wind scars all around each, revealing the layers of the rock almost like year rings of a tree. It looks almost as if forces of nature thrust up with such force that it broke a part of the land out of the crust and raised it high above the ground.

This land was beautiful but unforgiving in its heat. When the sun reached its peak and the heat was unbearable, Aeon started to feel as if the world is shimmering, while a feeling of cold settled on his chest. For a moment he felt intensely ill then his vision became darker and the world started to spin. Was he ill, or poisoned? As his legs folded and he collapsed he fell forward in what seemed forever and the spinning grew more and more intense until everything turned black.

The warmth of the sun on his face and the cold of the wet sand on his back was the first sensations he had. With a dry mouth and one hell of a headache he was at least assured he is still alive.

Sitting up took intense concentration and effort but he got up and saw he was where he had blacked out but it looked different somehow. The small river seemed much bigger now and the trees somehow bigger as well.

He drank some water and walked back towards his camp from the night before. The river seemed to wide to cross safely and he still felt poorly.

As he crested the hill close to where his camp was he expected to see guardian robots all over the plains but he saw none. What he saw was animals. Various boars and some smaller birds and other creatures he did not recognize all over. Confused he walked on and reached where his camp had been but not a trace was there.

Part 7 - Where or when?

It was still daytime so he could see clearly and there was no sign of his campfire, where he slept or walked around. The bushes looks different and generally it did not feel like the same place at all.

He walked to the nearest big hill to have a better look at the area. The hill seemed bigger than he remembered but he was fit and reached the top quickly enough.

Looking out over the area he realized the land was much greener than before. Filled with animals and not a single guardian in sight.

He made camp right there but no fire. Whatever is going on he did not want to be seen.

As night settled in and the last rays of the sun disappeared the stars finally came out to play and decorate the night sky. Aeon looked up and enjoyed the view while dreaming of his homeland. Then he realized that the stars look different than before.

As a child his father taught him how the stars moved over time and how to see what direction to go, what season it is and even what year it is, all from the stars.

That of course was his home-world and this is a different world.

But if the same rules apply and he is reading the stars correctly this is not the same time period when he landed here. This is almost a thousand years earlier. Or later. He was unsure about that part but based on the landscape changes with the stars he would say this was about 1000 years earlier.

Could it be that going through the rupture has left a temporal shift within him that took him back in time? And if so will it happen again? And then where or when is the guardians?

Was there even other sentient life on the planet or was he about to live and die slowly with no one else and no guardians to fight and no way to return to their time or his time or anywhere not here and now?

Part 8 - The bird people

After a good nights sleep Aeon set out to explore this world and start all over again. He needed information before he could make any further decisions or make a plan for the future.

And settlements would need water so he walked along the river following it northwards hoping he might find something. Where the river forked he stayed on his side and followed the fork that went further north. Some distance further he saw what appeared to be smoke on the other side of the river.

With some searching he found a shallow area and crossed the river. A small distance north of the river he came across a city. A sprawling city of stone buildings with massive stone slabs supported on marble columns.

A temple on a small hill stood out above the rest. But most surprising was the people.

Big birds with wings and all, wearing clothes and clearly surprised by him as much as he was by them.

The nearest one screeched an alarm and some even bigger birds came running and before he knew what was going on he was wrestled to the ground and arrested by a pair of giant blue birds.

And then they spoke. A strange kind of language that he did not understand but clearly a language.

Almost musical but clearly not friendly at this point in time.

He was marched away with an escort of four giant birds. All his belongings removed and a weapon pointed to him that he did not recognize but was fairly sure would kill him so he decided to not resist and see where this is going.

Thrown into a cell and left there for the rest of the day still with his hands tied and no food or water he started to wonder if the intention was to let him die there.

Finally guards showed up and opened the cell door accompanied by a much smaller bird-man with feathers on his head pointing out in all directions and his head tilted slightly to one side.

This bird-man started yammering on very fast and then stopped just staring at Aeon.

“Why have you arrested me” said Aeon, “I mean you no harm I am lost and needed some help”

The small bird-man nodded his head excitedly and waved one feathered arm in a motion to show keep going.

“What do you want with me?” “Are you supposed to be the man, erm bird in charge?” “Where am I?”

“What or who are you people?”

Suddenly small bird-man held up his hand as if to say stop so Aeon stopped talking and waited.

“Gallo, I are Bzzznip, you is…?”

Aeon just stared. What the hell. Did this guy just learn his language by listening to him talk for a a bit?

“Did I speak right?” “Your words new to me, I learn but maybe not good?”

“No, you are speaking very well, in fact it is just a shock to realise you learned my language so quickly and just by listening to me speak?

The small bird-man was literately bouncing and smiling his delight evident in his every action

“ I will be better soon, if I wrong please … ehm… adjust me…?”

“I am Bzzznip. Knower of tongues, learner of things. I advise the king. I am here to find out who you are and why you came here. And where from. We have never met one as you”

“Well I am Aeon from Mirsk. This might sound crazy but I followed a group of guardians through a rupture in space and time and ended op on this planet maybe a 1000 years into the future from now. Then one day was ripped back here in time and I am trying to find out what is going on”

Bzzznip’s smile faded and he looked concerned, somewhat confused as well, slightly agitated and even alarmed too.

“Better we go elsewhere and talk. If you are who I think you are this is bad time for my people”

Part 9 - Bad news to new friends

With his bonds released and no more guards he was left to follow Bzzznip as he scurried down the halls and out into the streets. He could move fast for a walking bird and Aeon found it hard to keep up.

After a short while they reached a building that Aeon correctly took to be Bzznip’s house.

Inside the decorations was sparse almost spartan but functional and comfortable. Bzzznip sang in a musical chime and someone else answered similarly. The conversation went on for a while then Bzzznip looked at him

“Sit down. Make yourself at home. My mate will bring you some drink and food shortly.”

“Until then please tell me more. Who or what is this guardian? And what was the rupture?”

“Best to start from the beginning as I know it then”

“My planet, Mirsk, was invaded by a force we came to know as the guardians. They were created by a being called Kaijun. Why we do not know. They make more of themselves by using the brains of local beings combined with robotic shells made from a crystaline material. Once all animal type life has been destroyed or taken over and only plant life remains they move on to the next planet.”

“A large ship full of them left my planet and flew towards a rupture in the space time continuum. I do not know how it was made but they knew about it even before it opened though they did not open it themselves”

“I followed them hoping to destroy the ship before they got away and destroyed another planet but was too late. I found myself here on this planet with them and then suddenly the world began to spin and I woke up here. Or now, as it were. As far as I can tell now is 1000 years before myself and the guardians arrived on the planet”

“And that is all I know unfortunately”

As he finished talking another bird walked in and placed some fruit and flavored water in a colorful spread in front of them then left.

“She does not understand your language and would rather not join in. Go ahead eat and drink there is more if you want”, Bzzznip explained

Bzzznip looked saddened and with a heavy sigh started talking.

“Our people have foreseen a coming of one such as you. But with your coming it means our end…”

Part 10 - The beginning of it all

This world is not only what we see and feel and smell. We already know other beings can maybe see and hear more than we do. We know through science that there are smaller things that make up all matter. That these smaller things are made up of even smaller things. And that in the end all things are but energy. If we and everything around us is but energy, then it stands to reason thought is energy. And if so, thought and matter are in fact the same and thus thought are able to affect matter. Or to put it more boldly, a single thought can create or destroy all existence.

Overly dramatic and a simplification of a complex statement but that is the best way I can describe it.

The various dimensions are simply matter or energy vibrating at different frequencies forming layers that we interpret as dimensions or planes of existence.

Similar to what light does when it shines through a transparent object and are broken into its various color bands.

When my people were made we were devoid of bodies and flying through space, living as what some may call spirits. We searched for for new experiences and people and in time decided to make our own world. So we may experience mortality. We would never truly die of course but to the mortal being death feels ultimate.

We poured some of ourselves into the void and made this world. Our different energies like colors of the rainbow flowing together to create all that is here. And then we created our bodies. With legs to walk and wings to fly and our feet webbed so we may swim. With feathers so we had no need for coverings.

We came here and build this city and lived here ever since. We lived and died and was reborn within our offspring. And over time forgot who we really are. Some already left this world and went back to the void. We even have offspring who is not reincarnated and has never been to the void.

But your arrival means our time here is at an end. Those of us who can must return to the void.

It also means we have to decide who will stay to open the way back and to close it again after the others have left.

While you are here we will help you. And once we have sent you back we will leave this world and turn our city to sand. And we will be no more of this world.

Your coming was foretold even though we hoped it would not be. The elders already built the black pyramid that will channel our essence and return us to the void. So we are prepared.

Some will stay within the temple and through a spell destroy the city. And a few will stay at the pyramid and seal that gate so none may follow.

So you see. While I am glad to meet you and we hold you no blame, I am also sad to see you as we will be no more.

We must return to where we came from. We must leave this home we made to the people who has need of it.

[Dalinha]

Character Name: Dalia Vivian
Month: May

5 Lore Submissions:

Entry #06

It was not easy! Today I finally told my plans to leave to explore this land. The idea was not well received. I had to hear a lot about how dangerous this place can be. Creatures are harmful, the land is unsafe and full of deadly dangers, and the people who live outside our zone, all those who have abandoned us, are even more dangerous! “The unknown is not to be desired, but feared!” I was even told that I was letting myself be corrupted by Demra, and if that was the case I shouldn’t even think about coming back. I don’t blame them for talking like that. I know they didn’t mean it, they were just worried about me. In fact, many things were said today. Surely some need to be forgotten, and others… others I will keep forever in my heart!

– Let the girl live her own adventures!

– Why did she have to grow up so fast?

– Dalia, you don’t have to do this! We will always be proud of you, no matter where you are!

It took a while for them to realize that my decision wasn’t going to change. Finally, we reached an agreement: if I was going to explore the land, then I should do it for our faction: “write full reports”, “immediately notify any important discoveries” and “don’t stay away too long”. I’m pretty sure this last rule was invented by my instructors and is not part of the official rules of Loyalist Officers, but ok, I’ll be happy to do that!

When I was walking on the road that leaves Crystal Beach, I could still hear the conversation in the distance:

– Well, we knew this could happen one day…

– Of course! She never belonged here in the first place!

– Shut up! None of us belonged here in the first place!

It’s not that they were wrong, and still that is where I grew up. They had no obligation to me, but they raised me as if I belonged to them. I have always felt loved, so surely I owe them a lot. I won’t let them down!

Entry #07

“How am I supposed to be able to walk with such a heavy backpack?”, I had been thinking about this since I climbed the first stairs on my way out of Crystal Beach. Then I crossed the bridges and still had to climb the new stairs inside the cave to Crystal Peak. I needed to take two minutes to rest before I head downstairs to the Dock and Crystal Bay.

First it was Lisy and Miranda’s fault! They abruptly entered my room as I was about to start packing and insisted on helping me. Before I realized, they were already struggling to fit my entire wardrobe into my small backpack. “A girl needs to look good, even when she is traveling!”, they said. That’s when Herbert appeared at the window with a huge backpack: “I used to use this to carry my mining materials, but now I have a new one, so I thought maybe you would have use for this one!”. Jamie also arrived bringing some fruit and packaged supplies “for the first few days”. She also insisted on giving me a big frying pan, saying that it would be very useful.

So I ended up carrying everything everyone thought I would definitely need! And now I’m exhausted even before I start the trip!

I decided to first get a map with the Cartographer at the Dock and then think of some solution for all this weight. The map I received is really very incomplete, much worse than I imagined! But to my happy surprise, I received a gift that was exactly what I needed: a vehicle!

It is an amphibious vehicle, the Strider! Although this one is still a prototype in the testing phase. But the Cartographer told me that if I was traveling there would be no one better to test it! I don’t need to say how happy I was to put my heavy backpack inside the strider’s storage! So finally I was ready to go!

Entry #08

I’ve decided that I’m going to write my first report on the Screechers. This area is full of them! This must be the biggest Screecher colony around here!

After I got the map and my new vehicle, I went down from Crystal Peak towards Crystal Bay to say goodbye to my friend Jonas. As usual, we could see his surfboard on the sand, and next to it there was a crate of island beer; so he should be close, with Arthur and his friends. When we were little he used to drag me to that place almost every day. I think he was always passionate about the sea, the waves and surfing. Since we never shared the same likes, I found it more interesting to watch the screechers that live just above the beach. But that is a relatively small colony. Everyone knows that the one in the hills north of Shepherd’s Beach is much bigger. Well, I just realized that it is a lot bigger than I imagined!

After I said goodbye, I continued my journey to North, passing through the Biological Research Area. It is to the north of this area that the village boars live. But I don’t think there was ever any interest in researching the boars. After all, boars = steaks, and that’s it! Now, the papoos have always aroused the curiosity of our scientists. In fact they are trying to introduce a small wave of brown papoos exactly in this area, as it is difficult to find them in the Loyalist zone; I heard that they prefer to live in the NEO Mountains.

Finally i took the road to go northwest, i passed north of the First Wave Settlement and here I am. Then the entire area to the left of the road is full of Screechers, that spread to the south almost to Shepherd’s Beach.

I’m watching them and… hmm… oh, I thought I saw something… it seems impossible, but I could have sworn there’s something shining on that island in the distance…

Entry #09

Today I made my first contact outside the Loyalist faction!

It all started when I was watching the Screechers: on the island in the middle of the river I thought I saw something shining. So I quickly jumped into my strider and crossed the river to investigate. As I approached, I could see that what from a distance looked like a simple mound of land covered with vegetation was actually a rock formation. Inside it was like a beautiful grotto. In the center were what looked like stone columns carved by the erosion of nature, and the rays of sunlight entered through holes in the ceiling and walls of the rock, making the scenery unique. But the most unexpected discovery is that spread out all over the grotto were big blue eggs!

I rushed inside to examine the eggs, when in a quick move a man appeared from behind one of the stone columns. The sun reflected in his armor making it shine. Now that I think about it, obviously that was the shine I had seen before! But at that time I didn’t even have time to think and a gun was already pointed in my direction.

Fortunately everything turned out well… maybe thanks to the Screechers. Right, I ended up finding out that those blue eggs were screecher eggs, and suddenly the cave was filled with big Male Screechers trying to defend their nest! In the end the man got rid of them. And since I gave him a good help… well, I mean, I gave some help… maybe a little help… what matters is that my first contact can be reported on a positive note!

"Wait! I’m Dalia. May I, at least, know your name?”, I still asked him. But he just smiled, grabbed his things and left to West.

The man sort of pointed me to the best direction to go: East. So, after putting some eggs in my strider’s storage, I followed the river to east and now i have two reports to write: on the screechers, the nest and eggs, and on the my first contact.

Entry #10

I can’t stop thinking about everything that man told me. So I’ve been replaying in my mind everything that happened:

First there was a gun pointed at me. But suddenly a screech was heard and the cave was filled with big Male Screechers! The man rushed to fire at them, while I was trying to hide behind one of the stone columns.

I was wondering if I should try to run away from that place when I noticed that I couldn’t hear the sound of the gun anymore. When I looked up, the man was on the ground with so many Screechers on top of him that he had no way to move and I was sure his armor wouldn’t last much longer. I didn’t know what to do and the gun Joe gave me I had left in the strider’s storage! So I didn’t think straight and grabbed the first thing I could, one of the blue eggs, and threw it at the head of one of the screechers. Then I threw another and another, as many as I could… Fortunately I always had an excellent aim… or unfortunately, in this case… because when I realized there were already several screechers running towards me… one of these days my impulsivity will really get me in big trouble! At least that day hasn’t been today. When he found himself more free, the man was able to quickly get rid of the screechers that were attacking him, then the ones that were coming to me, and finally what was left of them.

Silence invaded the place again. He just gave me a slightly annoyed “we’re even” look and asked me what I was doing there. But before I could finish replying that I was exploring, he was already telling me to go back home.

“I hope you’re not thinking of going to the mountains to the North: that area is not for someone like you” and “Don’t you ever dare go to the West, the people there are very dangerous!”.

Of course I wasn’t going to turn back, so I took that as an indication that the best route to take would be East. Am I being too positive? Is this trip really an imprudent stubbornness?

[cat1000er]

Harriot’s lore for June

The Medallion
Entry #130

Charlotte was sound asleep in her bed. I still couldn’t get used to sleeping in a bed, I kept tossing and turning and even tried sleeping on the ground like I had grown used to but to no avail. The events that had happened last night played through my head on repeat. The image of the medallion was burned into my brain and wouldn’t leave me alone. I tried to not stir Charlotte as I went downstairs. I had to get the image out of my head and onto paper. I stared at what I had just drawn. There appeared to be 5 items missing from it, probably the parts that Elliot had mentioned.

I had no clue where to even begin searching but if something rare had been found it was sure to turn up. All I had to do was wait by the usual spot the traders of rare goods would frequent. Ever since new things had been discovered on Next Island more traders of such items had started to show up. It would just be a case of finding the right one.

I spent hours hanging around the local trading spots so much so that people thought I was in the business of trading myself and when I told them I didn’t have what they were looking for they asked if I were buying things. I needed information quickly before things got out of hand.

“Did you hear about that top level hunter being on Next Island recently? Hardly any of us lower level hunters have ever seen him.” Two traders were standing by the statue at paradise landing chatting away loud enough for the whole of Next Island to hear.

“I heard he recently found something that no one else has come across yet. Of course such a high level person wouldn’t tell the likes of us where he found it.”

“I guess you didn’t hear then, there’s a man who’s half-bear that’s in with such high level players and got the information from him. but says he won’t share that information with just anyone.”

Dang that bear-man, is there no one he doesn’t know? After the last time I was on edge, he knew I was a Resa and by the sounds of it, it was likely he knew everything about my origin. And now I needed his help.

The Medallion
Entry #131

The bear-man of all people, why was it the bear-man. I had no clue where to find him. He seemed to just randomly appear then disappear as if he were never there. I checked his last known location, then the house in which we had plotted to find pages in. Nothing. Something did cross my mind though, the first time I had met him he was crafting at a terminal not many stayed long at. It was worth a shot anyways.

Sure enough there he was in his classic mankini and bear head. He seemed to sigh as he stared at the crafting machine. I tried to not make my presence noticeable but he must have a super sense of hearing as he turned around the second I was in the room.
“Where’d you disappear to after Carolines? Everyone was worried about a lightweight like you falling into a ditch and getting eaten by boars or something.”
The bear-man seemed down today as if something were playing on his mind.
“I had places to be, I do have a social life.” The bear-man mustered a small chuckle before staring deeply at the crafting terminal again. "What’s got your kini in a twist? This to do with those pages again?” His eyes seemed to light up.
“You have crystals right? Of course you have crystals, you hoard everything. The Haruspex want me to craft clothes, I think they feel sorry for me or something.”
“I may have, but I’ll only trade it for some information you may have on a ‘new item’ that was found.” The bear-man seemed to think for a moment.
“Seems like I’m the one getting the better deal here but sure I’ll tell you what I know about this ‘item’”

The bear-man said he would only talk once I brought back the crystals he required and there were a lot of them. Somehow I had a feeling I had played myself and would be trading a lot of my hoard on information that seemed important to Charlotte and her crew. Luckily I had everything he requested from the list he gave me. I almost surprised myself with how many crystals I had. Whatever he had to say it had better be worth it.

The Medallion
Entry #132

I could hear Charlotte waking up, it must have been around midday. I had half thought she would have been awake when I returned. She stared at my pile of crystals. When I had moved them I had placed them all in a box, but now they were all spilled out on the floor for me to go through them and pick out the ones the bear-man needed.

“Are all these found on Next Island? Some of these are super pretty, has no one ever made them into necklaces or jewellery?” My hand stopped at her words. How could I have forgotten? Since her return I hadn’t found the right moment to give her the necklace I had ‘acquired’. It was tucked safely in one of my pockets, I had been carrying it with me everywhere I went.

“Well I guess there’s no good time but the present. Here, this is for you.” She seemed stunned for a moment and didn’t say anything. It was the first time she had ever stopped talking, it was all too short lived when she let out a sequel that was higher pitched than a boar. Without warning she threw her arms around me in a tight hug. “Hey, it isn’t that great, no need to go overboard.” I didn’t know the last time anyone had ever hugged me or been close enough to me that I hadn’t felt like stabbing.
“I’ll wear it wherever I go. But you still have to tell me what all these crystals are and why you’re sorting them now.” Charlotte let go of me and started to pick through the crystals.
“I met the bear-man…”
“Bear-man?” I had forgotten that Charlotte had never met him before.
“Yes, a man that looks like a bear, can I continue?” Charlotte sat on the ground looking very much like a child sulking. “He has information about the medallion and I offered a trade, some crystals he needs for the information we need.” Charlotte’s hand halted over a piece of Tanzanite her eye went wide for a second before regaining her compositor.
“Can I come meet the bear-man with you? If this is about the necklace then I should be there too right?” I couldn’t deny Charlotte anything she wanted. Not when she gave me that puppy dog look.
“Fine but you better be on your best behaviour.” I had a bad feeling about this.

The Medallion
Entry #133

The bear-man hasn’t moved since I had left him. Charlotte had no sense of caution to her, and strolled right up to him as soon as she saw him.

“You must be the ‘bear-man’.” He gave her a friendly smile
“Waffles.” We both stared at him in confusion, did this bear-man demand us to get him waffles? He seemed to chuckle to himself “Waffles is my name.” Waffles inspected the crystals closely, he had a look of approval on his face.
“So, what was it you wanted to know again? Ah yes about this rare item found by a hunter. Well you see for me to explain it you must listen to the story of how he found it. He was out on his usual hunt near Vulcans Pass. Vulcan drakes began to swarm all around him, as a top end hunter this didn’t bother him one bit. But they appeared to be guarding something, something that he could just see in the corner of his eye. It was a cave, when he grew closer there was a blinding red light shining from within. On closer inspection he found it to be known as a ‘Fire Gem’ something that was rarer than any diamond. No one knows how it is formed and only 2 people have ever seen one. Its purpose seems unclear. Even the hunter himself didn’t know what to do with what he found. I suspect it’s sitting away somewhere on a shelf now.”

My hand reached for the drawing I had tucked away in my pocket from the sleepless night.
“Did the gem look like something that would fit in this?” I showed Waffles the picture. He stared at it intensely for a moment, Charlotte had joined in staring too.
“Wooh did you draw that from only seeing the thing once?”

“Depending on how big that necklace of yours is, this gem was the size of a papoo’s eye.” Charlotte gave me a knowing look, she was thinking the same things as me.
“Where would we find this hunter?”
“You’d probably have an easier time trying to find that stupidly rare gem than you are trying find that hunter.”

The Medallion
Entry #134

When we got back to the house, that fire gem was playing on my mind. The lead we had was the drake cave but I had a feeling there was something Charlotte wasn’t telling me. She had changed since going back to Calypso as if something happened there that she was hiding from me now. Another thing that was playing on my mind, there were 5 slots, one of which potentially could be connected to the Vulcan drakes. There were 4 types of drakes, which begged the question, were 4 of these gems connected to the drakes? I had a feeling Elliot could shed some light on these ‘missing pieces’ as he called them.

We were about to find out as Charlotte had already contacted her crew and they were slumped against the wall waiting for us at the house. Elliot was the first to speak.

“Heard you have news on the necklace. You are as good as Charlotte said about finding information. Would have taken us weeks to find out about this Fire Gem.” I found myself putting my guard up again. There was something they weren’t telling me. I hated being in the dark about things, it was in my nature to seek out information and the truth. After all, there had been many important things that had been kept from me, things that could have saved me from the life I was now living.

“You need to tell me everything you know about this medallion and about the missing pieces. I have a feeling you already know what you’re looking for, you just don’t know where to look for it.” Elliot didn’t flinch or react in any way at all.

“We should tell her.” Charlotte seemed to act differently around these two. Usually she was loud and assertive but around them she was quiet and almost shy.

“Fine, but you can deal with the backlash, when the time comes…”

Elliot spilled out all the research they had done on the medallion and the ancient ones of Next Island. According to an old piece of scripture they had found with the medallion there were five guardians. Fire, Snow, Storm and Death, the fifth guardian was said to be their leader. Each one possessed a keystone. No information was found about what happened to these drakes but there was mention of a fifth stone that was a combination of all 4 drakes, the Moonstone.

[Balam]

Lores Submission for May 2022
Writing my own experiences in Next Island
Posting all 5 post/parts in one submissions

First Thing First

Part III

Sitting in my Strider at the start line, it seems like everything surrounding me went very quiet. The sound of my heart beats are getting louder and louder, palm start sweating, it reminds me of last time I was on this race track. The rule of this race is a simple. The racer needs to bring own vehicle, fuel it up and set it on the start line. Then just need to run the lap within the time counted by Greta. Like I said before, Greta is nice person. But, also a very precise and strict when it comes to the track run time. Even a second… No, even a millisecond will not pass by Greta, I need to be on time. As flashback of bitter memories cross by my mind, I shake my head off to get rid of them.

Greta: “Are you ok, Balam?”

Me: “Yes, Greta. Just thinking how to handle the course. I am ready now.”

Greta: “Ok, good luck and drive well!”

Me: “Thank you, wish me a luck. I need it.”

The 3 counts started by Greta, the grip gets firmer, again take deep breath.

Greta: “3…2…1…Go!”

Vooom, the Strider makes the fuel/electric combined sounds. Even we put common fuel in most of vehicle, it seems like each vehicle has it own mechanism to convert the fuel to it own source of energy. For the Strider, it does sounds like hybrid of both gas and electric, the hard part of this vehicle is that it goes much faster than it seems but it is very light weight. A high power vehicle with light weight, everyone know how that ends up.

Now crossing over the start line, a first segment of the circuit is always smooth. There is just small bumps and hills but nothing too difficult to handle. It is very much straight line, but I can’t let my concentration to be loose. As I check the response of my Strider, I need to prepare for a most difficult segment, the huge hill which only Strider can climb up.

Part IV

This hill is definitely the most problematic part of the course, well… at least for me. The bitter memory makes me feel the taste of the dirt I experienced in the past. It is tall, so tall that you can’t even see what is past it. The long climb requires the driver to muscle down the vehicle or you will eat the dirt back on the ground. If you are lucky, you may not eat the dirty and still manage to be on the vehicle, but staying on the course is quiet difficult for any driver.

Me: “Come on, you can do it… Woah!”

Even though the Strider did not slip away from my hands, but unfortunately it made wild 360 and slammed it’s body on the water body on other side of the hill.

Me: “Well, at least I am on other side.”

Yep, I better get moving. Floored the accelerator to the limit to earn some time. Rest of the course on both a water and a land, it is continuing winding road where you must make a sharp turn to cut to loss time. Left and right, I vividly cut the steering wheel with accelerator control to handle the speed. I was so focused that it felt like synchronization buff has been used. As I run through the last small hill, I hear Greta counting “10…9…8…”. This last stretch, I must hurry to make it to the goal on time. The rushed feeling had made me step on accelerator further down. [Splash] Next moment, my sight was spinning hard. Not only my sight, but the Strider slipped and spin on the paddle of a water on the end of the course. Placing the it’s direction to completely opposite side of the course. My heart was beating fast, so fast that I couldn’t think or hear anything. It was very close call, if I was not lucky, I could have fallen off from the edge down to the lake.

Part V

[Beep]

The sound of the timer has echoed in this sunny and dry environment. I know it is loud sounds from when I watched others, but it only sounded like background noise to me at the moment. I was so shocked, that I completely forgot the race time counter was still going. The timer has announced that my challenge was over. Again at the disappointment to myself and bit of shame to talk to Greta.

Greta: “Are you ok, Balam? Did you get hurt?”

Me: “Thank you for worrying Greta, I think I am ok.”

Greta: “Make sure you are not hurt, you can rest at the side space of the track.”

Me: “Thank you, again. I need that.”

I slowly dragged my Strider to the resting space, sat on the vehicle and realized my hands are shaking. I was not sure if it was due to a rush of adrenaline going through my body or just fear of thinking that I could have fallen off the cliff.

Me: “Haha, well I am still in one piece. There is always a next time.”

I must overcome this challenge, but for now, I did not have a guts to go again right after. Even I challenge again, I did not have a confidence that I can be at the finish line before the timer ends. I need to rest and regain my focus. It is great that Greta is letting me rest so I can be calm before getting out of my Strider. I took a deep breath, closed my eye to take a little rest.

After the small nap, I felt much better. It seemed like I was sleeping for hours, but looking at the clock on a Strider, only several minutes has passed. Looking at my hands, it is not shaking anymore.

Me: “Ah, ah.”

Ok, it seems like my voice is not shaking either. I think I am good to talk now.

Me: “Hey Greta, thank you for letting me rest. I will get going for now.”

Greta: “Ok, glad to hear you are not hurt and ok. Take care.”

Me: “You too, Greta. See you soon.”

Surprise the Disciple

Part I

After leaving the race track, I had to take a rest and change the scene. No, I did not give up on the challenge, but I just need time to reset my mind. In order to regain the confidence within myself, I decided to go find my disciple K. It is easy to find her with the newly born player, yellow jump suit, yet just walking over and meeting her does not sound interesting enough. She needs a surprise. I opened the guide book {NI Helper} to see what is available for a such a surprise. It did not take much time to find and decide what to do next. Yes, you may have guessed. Let’s Monkeying around. I run down to the beach side where I know there are tons of Yellow Papoos. Papoo is a monkey like creature who lived in the Next Island long people our migration. It sometime feels that we are invading their original land, and I am sure Papoo feels same way. As soon as we get close to them, they will attack us without any warning. I know some creatures attacks us because they think we are just their food, but Papoo, I feel their intention is more complex than that. It may not be moral to kill Papoos after invasion we had made already, but the colony issued the order to kill many Papoos as possible. A termination is part of a good citizen duty. I grabbed the gun from my pack, loading the ammunition to get ready and aimed at the Yellow Papoos. For this mission, I need to kill 250 points worth of Yellow Papoos, which Old and Provider give 1 points and Guardian gives 2 points. It is reasonable and quick mission all players should try as the reward is definitely amazing. [Pew Pew] I mindlessly shoot the laser rifle then loot from their dead body. It was just repeatable machine work from here which it did not require me to think.

Part II

I do like a hunting, but a hunting is completely different type of activity compared to a mining or a crafting. I consider hunting as a speed and a focus required job. I am not sure if others feels so, but a hunting requires the significant number of kills to be a good hunter, of course in a skills but as a return. Those creature holds the various loot, but finding the one is previous treasure is just a number game, need to kill large number to hit one. Well, I must say, I am not the professional. Maybe a veterans knows which one to kill even though when I look at those Papoos I can not tell the difference between one and others. [Ping] I hear the sound in my mission counter indicating I have collected enough points for the mission. Finishing off last few Papoos on my sight, I run down to collect the reward. I was not doing this mission only to terminate the Papoos, this mission was to surprise my disciple. Did you ask how I am going to surprise her? Good question. The reward in my hand is the answer and you will see how. I softly hold the medicine looking capsule in my hand, and start walking towards the new arrival paradise landing beach where my disciple K should be at.

After walking my way down the long stairs while looking over the beach to locate K, I start to hear the laser pistol noise I recognize. It must be my disciple, distinct high pitch laser noise her favorite gun. I have found her over the trees where she fights off Papoo punies, I have arrived at the perfect moment. Sneaking around and hiding behind one of the tree, I have thrown the capsule I just got from the mission in my mouth. I usually can not drink a medicine without a water, but it is difficult to find a good purified water in this world of Entropia. The only choice was to swallow it with the determination to surprise K. [Gulp]

[Dante_Inferno]

Dante Artorius Inferno

Lore for June

Title: gone with the hell

Part 1

So that Centaur was Chiron, the teacher of the Ancient Greek Heroes and, along with Asclepius, the one who knew the most about Medicine… We had to be careful now that we had established contact, and try to be diplomatic…

Chiron kept looking at us intently, trying to discern what could be the reason for our visit… So I spoke with all the respect I could.

-Well… Greetings, Master Chiron… Precisely my friend and I were looking for the one who trained Jason, Achilles and other Heroes… -I said respectfully.

Chiron looked at me in surprise…he certainly wasn’t expecting this acknowledgment.

-How is it that You, the “People of Sky”, know about me and my disciples? –The staff pointed at us menacingly.

-Master Chiron, his fame and that of the people he trained precedes him… In our world praises are sung to your Heroes and to the wisdom of their Master, worthy of being compared to the prudence and wisdom of Mentor… -Borward stepped forward, with great respect and grandiloquence… If they heard us speak like that, someone would believe that we were characters from “The Iliad” or “The Odyssey”…

A smug smile came to Chiron’s lips… without a doubt, he was not immune to recognition… he looked back and shouted something in a guttural language… Automatically, the other Centaurs sheathed their swords and their postures denoted a certain relaxation… I encouraged myself to continue. talking.

-True, Master… and it is because of that fame of being a Physician as reputed almost as Asclepius himself, that we are here asking for help for Greece and our “People of Sky”… Master, can you help us? -I didn’t have to pretend anything… my concern and longing to find a solution were real…

Chiron looked at us, looked at his people… and turned around… he only said a single word:

-Follow us.

About twenty minutes later we arrived at the Centaurs’ camp… it was a village of huts, but shaped like stables, clustered around the entrance of a cave, on the lintels of which were paintings similar to the chevrons Chiron had painted on his chest body… Without a doubt that cave was the temple or refuge of Chiron, who would be something like the Shaman of those people…

I saw some foals running… they weren’t foals, but children but with half the body of a horse… And sometimes a female Centaur would appear… They didn’t wear any clothes, and the contrast of their half body of a horse with the great beauty they had… Well , I’m a married man but I have eyes… and Borward’s eyes were also bulging out of their sockets… For a long time my friend had only devoted himself body and soul to his work, and now he was disturbed by the beauty he saw…

The Centaurs that accompanied us each went away to their chores, while we followed Chiron… He stood in front of the cave entrance and, with a graceful gesture of his front legs, made a genuflection of respect to the image that was carved on the upper lintel… It was Asclepius…

Chiron parted a curtain adorned with strange symbols and advanced through the dark entrance while he said to us:

-Come in…

Part 2:

We crossed the threshold of the cave… After a moment of darkness and the attempt of our eyes to adjust to it, some sparks lit a flame… Chiron had lit a torch and dedicated himself to walking around the room lighting some more…

The cave had a mysterious air… an area where there were some stuffed animals and others in process… some schematic drawings on the walls that indicated the anatomies of men, centaurs and some animals…

In one corner there was an area for plants, no doubt a curative herbalist… In the background were rows of scrolls on some shelves… Possibly the compendiums of knowledge of medicine and other sciences…

In short, it was something like a Medicine and Natural Sciences laboratory… Chiron invited us to sit on the floor while he dropped into a position similar to that of a horse when he rests…

-Talk… What is happening that you need my help?

Borward and I began to tell the story about the epidemic… the effects it produced and how it eluded resurrections… At this point, Chiron waved us to silence.

-So that’s it… I always wondered what Zeus would think about beings from another Kingdom who are capable of doing something that is their prerogative…

Borward and I looked at each other: Chiron seemed like he was going to start talking about the Gods… But that was a disease, not a divine punishment launched by a deity.

-Master… In our Kingdom we do not understand Gods or their punishments… This is a very dangerous disease, and I wonder if the great Chiron would know something about it…

Chiron looked at us… he got up and went to the parchment shelf… he searched for a while and afterward came back with a scroll in his hand… he sat down again and began to read aloud:

-“Zeus, jealous of the power that Andropos had, sent him a divine punishment from his own hand… the lightning struck him and knocked him to the ground… His eyes distilled blood, and his claw-like hands scratched the air while his back arched… at last, Andropos found the way to Tartarus…”

We remained silent… Despite believing only in science and not in magic, the description of the symptoms were very similar to those suffered by the victims… It was disturbing, and at the same time unreal… The Gods really had to see something in this??

-Master… This is very strange… Do the Gods worry about the things of insignificant men like us? That, assuming they exist, of course… -I’m skeptical, sorry…

Chiron looked at me like a teacher at his most clumsy student… A look of sorrow appeared in his eyes…

-Listen, foreigner… The Gods exist, and they own everything human, the beasts, the cyclops, us Centaurs… Haven’t you seen wonders here in Greece that can only be the work of the Gods?

He was right… The Gorgon, the Cyclopes, the Mirynians… That was Mythological Greece, a Greece where the Gods existed… Perhaps… Perhaps this really is their punishment…

While I was thinking, Borward made his typical gesture that preceded the intelligent questions he used to ask…

Master Chiron… this… do you know that Zeus is angry with men or with the “People of the Sky”? – A very pertinent question.

Chiron was thoughtful for a while… Then he looked at us and said:

-I really haven’t seen anything in the signs or in the oracles that would suggest such a thing… honestly, I don’t think Zeus is the God who is upset with you… -Chiron had a half smile, as if he knew something more and didn’t want to say it.

-Then… it is possible that another God is angry with the “People of the Sky”?

Chiron looked at Borward with satisfaction… He was definitely on the right track.

-Think, foreigner… with your artifacts and sciences… which God have you been able to anger? -Chiron was staring at us…no doubt he knew the answer, but he wanted to see if we could find out.

As I racked my brain, Borward said a single word:

-Hades…

Part 3

Hades!!! Of course!!! The Underworld needs servants… the souls of the dead travel through the Stygian lagoon and end up in Tartarus… Meanwhile, Hades is their lord…

And now, suddenly, death no longer exists… The Stygian lagoon does not need the Ferryman Charon to carry the souls and collect the obolus of the coin in the mouth of the dead… Cerberus no longer has anything to watch over nor the Hecatoncheires of a hundred arms with Briareo in front have no task…

Without a doubt, Hades will be more than annoyed with the humans, including the Greeks, although really we, the “People of the Sky” are the ones who are to blame with our Revive and Resurrection techniques…

-Okay, let’s suppose that Hades is angry with us… But the outside is not his world nor does he have influence there… Zeus rules on Earth… then, how could Hades have such an influence? -Borward kept asking the right questions.

Chiron looked down… No doubt he was thinking the answer but I had already sensed it.

-Isn’t it possible that some God, Demigod or mortal of the earth has helped Hades?.. Call him a traitor, an infiltrator or whatever you want… -I saw it clearly.

Borward and Chiron looked at each other and suddenly stared at me… I had no doubt guessed right.

-Assuming that was the case… -Chiron spoke slowly as he shaped the idea. -What reason would someone have to help Hades? And above all… how to take part of the power of Zeus and give it to Hades?

They were unanswered questions for now… It would imply someone close enough to Zeus to take part of his power without his realizing it, and at the same time that he had some kind of rapprochement with Hades… Perhaps a Demigod, some servant of the Gods, a relative of some other God with unfinished business…

We fell silent… I got up and walked around the room in deep thought… While Chiron and Borward were still discussing possibilities… I walked over to the scroll shelf and took a look.

There were various rolls of the most varied themes… there were even several unrolled sheets of papyrus… papyrus??? Was there an “Ancient Egypt”???

I was about to turn around when my eyes fell on some leaves that appeared in the middle of others… It wasn’t parchment or papyrus… it was PAPER!!!

Without them noticing, I took out the sheets and looked at them… They were written in our language, and what they revealed left me perplexed:

Personal Notes- Entry 20

Tourists these days have no respect, one of them today called me a disgusting animal. At least his friend had more manners and he explained that he thought I was one of the other papoo found on the island. Although my appearance and instincts may be similar to those of the papoo, my intelligence far exceeds them. Although today I had noticed that the papoos on the island were nervous as if something was about to happen, my own senses are also nervous. Heck, even the pesky piggies were running away today. From my usual place I could hear two Loyalists talking, they mentioned something strange, it sounded like they were talking about a disease that was spreading like wildfire in Greece… No doubt something big will happen on Next Island, and it will all start with the neighbors Greeks… They are going to die there, and we are going to die here…. A boar just drooled on my diary. I’ll have to pay more people to keep them away.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading… those pages kept raving about Juliana robots, pigs and settlers, but basically they talked in detail about something similar to this Pandemic… some disturbing predictions…

How was it possible??? Sebastian’s diary here?? How had it arrived? And speaking of the pandemic… Gods, maybe the Man-Bear is right… Although that could wait now… I surreptitiously put the sheets in one of my armor’s holsters, and returned to Borward and Chiron.

Part 4:

The entrance curtain moved violently… a strong wind had blown it inside… Chiron stared at it…

-How strange, bad weather is coming…

-Well, Master, in a couple of months it will be autumn… - I said almost without thinking…

-True… but it’s too soon for fall… How strange…- Chiron changed his position; he seemed restless.

-Demeter was sad before her time… - Borward continued to demonstrate his erudition.

I remembered the ancient legends of my grandfather’s library… Demeter, the goddess of Agriculture, had a daughter of great beauty, Persephone, who had been kidnapped by Hades and made her his wife… Demeter was saddened and Nature turned to frost and bad weather…

After many vicissitudes, Persephone fell in love with Hades, and they reached an agreement to spend six months on Olympus with her mother Demeter (spring and summer) and six months with her husband Hades (autumn and winter)…

And now it seemed that autumn was brought forward two months… as if Persephone had returned from Olympus to Tartarus before her time… Why did she advance her departure?

-But it doesn’t make sense – Chiron said – The agreement she reached with Hades clearly stipulated the time Persephone would visit her mother Demeter… it seems that it ended before time…

-Yes… Maybe she had something that she should take to Tartarus before they discovered her…-Borward already knew what was happening.

-Persephone fell in love with Hades at the end… I’m sure she would do anything for her husband, if things didn’t go well for her… -I also had it clear.

-Like, for example, to restore death again so that Hades could reign over Tartarus as before… - Chiron put the final piece.

It was clear… Persephone had taken advantage of the annual visit to Olympus to get closer to her father Zeus in some way, and steal some power that granted death, to spread it over the earth and cause death again… In this way Hades would once again have a kingdom as before, with subjects, with money paid to the ferryman… a Tartarus as it had always been before the “People of Sky” had ended with death…

-Well… we already know what has happened… now… how do we solve it? - Chiron asked.

-Well… we have two jobs: End the pandemic, which we will achieve sooner or later, I’m sure, and convince Hades to end this, but… the latter is going to force us to do something very dangerous. – I looked at my companions, who were following my words expectantly… I paused, and…

-Borward, Master Chiron… we must see Hades, and the only way is to go talk to him directly… we must go down to Tartarus, to the Underworld…

They looked at me as if they didn’t understand…

-Come on Dante, when someone goes down to Tartarus they don’t come out anymore…

-Well… some have gone down and come back up, like Odysseus…

-Yes, but they didn’t speak directly with Hades, they only visited some souls…

We didn’t understand each other… The truth is that it would be dangerous, but not impossible… Chiron went back to the shelves and examined his parchments… He took one out and showed us, and Borward and I smiled as we recognized part of Homer’s “The Odyssey”… It was the Song that narrated the descent of Odysseus to Tartarus to consult the soul of Tiresias the Fortune Teller… It precisely explained that to descend to Tartarus one had to make some sacrifices with two lambs, make some libations and dip a sword in blood…

Well, it was a start, so we went outside and boarded Borward’s Gungnir, which was the only ship Chiron could comfortably enter… We arrived at Knossos, where the Gorgon, to visit the Aruspice who lived there…

He first made frightened gestures when he saw Chiron, but with our explanations we managed to calm him down a bit… When we told him our plan he shook his head as if we were three crazy people…

Borward was more pragmatic: A good bag of peds changed hands, and the Aruspice promised us all kinds of rites and libations in order to bring our plan to fruition.

The Aruspice presented himself with two lambs, one white and one black, which he slaughtered… immediately afterwards he dipped a sword in the blood while reciting some formulas and prayers worthy of the Eleusian Mysteries… he took a glass of wine and made the appropriate libations, Y…

A mist began to envelop us…grayish shreds surrounded us while we heard some wails… And suddenly, between wails and fog, a part of the ground began to become transparent, to finally end up being the entrance to a cave… Without a doubt, the entrance to Tartarus …

When he looked back, the Aruspice had already run a hundred meters away, leaving his flip-flops and cloak abandoned… It seems that he did not want to “see the Gods”…

Borward watched wide-eyed as Chiron nervously stamped his paws on the ground, almost whinnying in fear…

There was no other choice… We had to enter… And we entered the Underworld…

Part 5:

We descended through the threshold of the cave… The darkness enveloped us, so we turned on our flashlights… the sound of wailing increased…

-What is that sound? -Borward asked.

-These are the lamentations of the souls that don’t have the money to pay Ferryman Charon… They must wander around here until they can pass… - Chiron replied.

We continued descending and suddenly we saw in the distance a kind of greenish misty mass… We got closer, and it turned out to be the souls of those who were waiting… They were like ghosts, transparent, greenish in color, and presented the appearance they had at the moment to die… Suddenly, the bunch of souls turned their eyes towards us…

-Who are you? What are you doing here? You haven’t died yet… -Some questioned us while they looked at us strangely…

And among the souls, those of the father and daughter who had died of the Pandemic in the village near Larissa appeared…

-Foreign!!! You couldn’t help us… At least, you should have put a coin in our mouths, to be able to go to Eliseo… -The father looked at me sadly…

I was going to answer when I heard a splash: Charon’s Boat was approaching… With a loud creak it came alongside the pier… The souls swarmed, while Charon pushed them away with his oar… He only let those who had the coin pass, while the other souls wept and lamented…

And suddenly, he placed his empty eye sockets on us:

-What are you doing here?.. You’re not dead… -Charon seemed perplexed.

-Listen, oh, Boatman of the Stygian Lagoon… we are heroes of the world who want to see Hades and Persephone… Let them know of our presence… -I answered with Greek declamatory style.

Charon looked at the three of us like someone looking at some insects.

-Listen… Get out of here or I’ll call Cerberus or the Hecatonchires, and then you’ll be dead and penniless - he pointed at us threateningly with the oar.

-Listen, Toothless… if you don’t want to come, we’ll cross the lagoon to his kingdom, so we can talk to him… -Chiron had recovered part of his integrity…

Charon looked at us, and made a helpless gesture…

-Okay, if you want to go see him and let him kill you with his own hands, it’s up to you… go up…

Borward, Chiron and I got on the boat… At that moment I put five coins in Charon’s hands…

-Wait, there are three coins, one for each… here are five. -At least he was honest.

-I know… they are for you to pass to the Eliseo that man who is with a girl holding hands. I pointed to Larissa’s father and daughter…

With a gesture, he called them to get on the boat… among the souls’ laments, the boat began to move away from the pier and headed towards the Lagoon of Oblivion…

The trip lasted a couple of hours… The cavern was terrifying, and there were greenish vapors in the water… souls who had forgotten who they were…

Finally, we reached the end of the lagoon… The boat ran aground on the sand and we all got out…

-Foreigner, thanks for helping us… At least we’ll be at Eliseo thanks to you… - The father, grateful, made a gesture of respect… he took his daughter by the hand, and walked away… I turned to Charon…

-All right, Boatman… Let Hades know of our visit and… -I didn’t have time to say more… Loud roars were heard in the cavern…

-I think Hades already knows you’re here… -said Charon in a mocking tone as he pointed his oar to the bottom of the cave… We turned our heads and…

Three huge giants, with a lot of arms and heads, were approaching us… The watchmen of the tunnels… The Hecatonchires!!!

-Dante, Chiron… I think we have to fight – Borward said as he unsheathed a Katsuichi Determination.

We charged at those giants with our swords, slashing arms and heads one after another… Despite being out of practice, Borward defended himself well, while Chiron lived up to his name “Sagittarius” with a bow and arrow.

The giants lost arms and heads as they tried to catch us… After a few minutes they began to retreat, wounded, leaving debris behind, while we advanced.

A few seconds later they ran through the tunnel screaming in pain… We had defeated the Hecatonchires!!!..

-And now? -Chiron asked…

He didn’t have time to think… a huge dog with three heads appeared from a corner of the cave… his drooling mouths, his hair standing up, his powerful claws… It was Cerberus, the dog of Hades…

We prepared to fight again when a voice from beyond the grave was heard…

-STOP!!!

Cerberus stopped short, gave us a look of hatred and ran off in the direction of one of the tunnels, through which a being appeared… He was wearing a tunic and had a Corinthian helmet in one of his hands… his eyes were red, and their beards and hair had reddish tones too… He looked at us…

-For the Gods!!! how did you get here? And by defeating the Hecatonchires… without a doubt, you are protected by Zeus or Poseidon… I myself, Hades, will have to kill you…

Part 6:

Hades looked at us… his eyes glowed bright red, and sparks began to come out of his hair…

-Wait, Lord of the Underworld, and hear what we have to tell you. –It was a desperate request from Chiron… The sparks subsided and Hades’s eyes lost part of their glare… he looked at us and said:

-Okay… say what you have to say and be careful what you insinuate or face the consequences… Only the dead can be here…

Chiron and Borward looked at me with pleading in their eyes… without a doubt, I would have to act as spokesperson… I cleared my throat and began to speak…

-My Lord… this… something is happening in Greece, people are dying again, but I think…

-That people die again? It is the divine order, an order that has been broken by you, the “People of Sky” who have usurped the power of Zeus… - Hades looked at us satisfied.

-I think it wasn’t exactly us who stole something, My Lord…

Hades looked at me blankly…

-My Lord… Death has returned, but it has not been by natural means, but someone has taken the power of Zeus…

-What do I care? -Hades replied- The result is that death exists again… the souls return here, to my kingdom… and I return to reign as it should be…

-This… that would be so if it had happened naturally… but if Zeus finds out that someone from your kingdom has taken the power of the Father of the Gods, well… - I couldn’t finish

-What are you insinuating, damned mortal??? -Hades’s eyes shone - I have commanded to steal the power of Zeus over life and death???

-My Lord… Hades would not steal anything, but Zeus may think that it has been so, and his revenge could reach you, even if you were innocent… You could end up castrated and banished like Uranus…

Hades began to look at me with fear in his eyes…

-Banish me?? Why? I haven’t stolen anything from Zeus… I really don’t need anything, here I have everything I need, including my beloved Persephone, who…

-That she has returned early from her visit to Olympus… My Lord, don’t you wonder why she returned earlier? -My words cast doubt on Hades’s face…

-Well… well… without a doubt he wanted to come back with me… -Hades doubted…

-Either he brought something from Olympus that he shouldn’t have… and he came back before Zeus found out…

Hades looked at us…he could hear the gears in his mind, thinking…finally, he gave a piercing whistle in the direction of one of the caves…

As if it were a puppy, the huge Cerberus appeared at the call of his master… He sat on his hindquarters, obediently…

-Cerberus… bring Persephone… NOW!!!

The dog walked away through one of the tunnels while Hades addressed us…

-Foreigners… listen to me carefully… If you have lied to me you will never set foot on Elysium… Prometheus’ punishment will be a game compared to what I will do to you… -Hades was really angry…

Minutes later Cerberus appeared, on whose back rode a beautiful dark-haired woman, with the beauty of the Gods… he dismounted from the back of the huge dog, and headed towards us…

-My Lord… who are these living? And what are they doing here? -He said with a seductive and melodious voice, worthy of Eros… Hades looked at his beloved…

-Persephone, my love… These foreigners say that you have brought something from Olympus… something that you shouldn’t have… IS THAT TRUE??? - Hades’s voice, soft at first, cracked at the end like a whip…

Persephone looked at us with fear in her eyes… she began to back away, fearful of her husband’s reaction… Given her attitude, Hades finally understood…

-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE??? Did you steal something from my brother Zeus??? – Hades’s anger increased every second… - Do you know what he could do to us???

-My Lord, I… I only wanted you to reign over the dead again as before… but there are no dead now… - Persephone collapsed to the floor of the cave between sobs.

-Woman… if Zeus finds out, he will think that I was the one who ordered you to do it… he will banish us from Tartarus!!!.. Didn’t you think about the consequences??? –Hades was already out of his mind.

Persephone sobbed… Deep down, we felt sorry, because he had done it out of love, but the consequences would be terrible for Hades… I cleared my throat…

-Ahem… Madam… what exactly did you steal from her… - She looked at me in tears…

-I took… I took a pinch of the punishment essences… and I spread it around the north of Greece, so that people would start dying… I didn’t know it was so lethal… - Persephone continued sobbing, looking at Hades – I was afraid of being discovered , and I fled… Sorry my Lord, sorry…

-Well, perhaps Zeus hasn’t gone into detail… but if this pandemic is so contagious, it’s a matter of time before he realizes it, and then… - I couldn’t finish, because suddenly an idea struck me - Madam… that essence has any antidote?

Persephone looked at us… then she looked at Hades, who was already calming down, and told us:

-Not that I know of… I only know that this illness changes people from within… I don’t work in medicine, perhaps Asclepio knows something else… I can ask him…

-NO!!! Don’t say anything else… -Hades’s face was contorted with fear – May the secret of your sin remain here between these foreigners and us… Listen to me… come back and try to find a remedy, but you must be discreet… and fast… if the deaths increase from abnormally, Zeus could realize what happened… Come on, go back to your world!!!

We didn’t think twice… taking advantage of the fact that Charon was still there, we climbed back to the exit of the cave… at least we already knew what had happened, and Hades’ fear of Zeus would make the secret safe… we only had find out more about the disease and try to stop it before it decimated Greece and Zeus found out… Or worse yet, that it went out to Next Island and Chief Socrates found out…

[Dante_Inferno]

Part 7:

The disease changes people from within… those enigmatic words of Persephone were undoubtedly the key to an antidote… But how?.. The three of us were in Chiron’s cave, racking our brains, looking at parchments, consulting our tablets… nothing …

-Dammit!!! How is it possible for people to change from within? –Borward cursed men and gods alike… as a good scientist, this enigma had him insane for not being able to solve it.

Chiron had been thinking for a long time… finally he spoke -Perhaps for us, changing people from within has a meaning, but… and for you?

Borward and I don’t look… what’s inside people? Organs, viscera, bones… and from within everything… there is the DNA…

It was a possibility… It took us a while to explain the concepts of DNA to Chiron, but more or less he understood it… if we had to do more analysis we had to go back to the laboratory…

We left Chiron in his cave, and returned to Pearl Cove…we used the samples obtained from Larissa’s corpse…Nothing, the DNA was normal…there was nothing in the sequence that designated a change or mutation that would cause death…

Suddenly Borward’s assistant, Peter, approached one of the terminals, connected the database and typed something: The list of names of the people who were registered in Larissa’s Revive… After a few minutes looking, we identified the photo of that girl’s father, of whom we had the samples.

Since the Revives were implemented and Queen Penthesilea gave her approval, all the inhabitants of Greece were registered in the Revives database… There was also their genetic composition, essential to be able to revive them correctly… and…

There was!!! When we compared the DNA obtained from the corpse, and the DNA from the database, there were huge differences…

That was the answer: Persephone’s essence was a deadly virus, but it also modified people’s DNA (it changed from within) and when the Revive worked, it did not match the one stored in the database… That caused a defective resurrection, which led to a horrible death… We had found the cause and the effect… now the cure was missing!!!

Borward, Peter and I hugged each other satisfied… At least we already knew what to look for: some viral element, as we already knew, but that also produced changes in the DNA of human beings.

Peter and Borward analyzed the samples more closely, trying to isolate possible viral elements… after several hours, four elements were detected… time to culture samples…

The first three corresponded to simple viruses similar to dysentery, or the flu… but the fourth virus literally destroyed the cells with which it was cultured… It was isolated!!!

It was a very strange virus: the contagion rate was slow, but totally deadly… That explained why it had not been so virulent, although it was lethal in an isolated community like the town of Larissa…

Three hours later, Peter managed to create a component that rendered the virus harmless, a kind of “vaccine”… It must be said that Borward was a little jealous that he hadn’t been the one to discover the solution, but that didn’t matter…

Now we had to find a way to inoculate the “vaccine” to all the peoples between Larissa and Thebes itself… and in such a way that Queen Penthesilea or Chief Socrates, much less any God of Olympus, would find out…

The solution was easy: between Larissa and Thebes there were several wells, lakes and rivers, from which the different populations took their water… Huge amounts of the “vaccine” had to be diluted in rivers and wells, so all the scientific staff at Pearl Cove set about crafting liters and liters of the “vaccine”.

We divided up the areas on the map, and we all went in vehicles or TP to the assigned areas, with the “vaccine” containers… Meanwhile, the lower-ranking assistants and scientists would go along the roads with the Fappers adapted to the new compound…

It was a matter of days to put an end to that madness…

A week later:

Borward, Peter, and I were drinking herbal tea in Chiron’s cave… For Peter, all this was new and magical…

-Foreigners… you did well… without you, that Pandemic would have killed all living beings in Greece… We Centaurs, the Cyclopes… we also have what you call “DNA”… Perhaps we would have been the next to go to Tartarus…

-All the wells have been inoculated, and the Fappers adapted to the virus… we’ve only had one case in the last two days… A guy who lived alone in a mountain and we couldn’t locate… -Borward summed up the situation.

-And at the moment Chief Socrates hasn’t heard anything, nor has Queen Penthesilea… And it seems that this Zeus hasn’t either… -Peter was a bit skeptical about the subject of “the Gods”…

Chiron looked at the three of us… Without a doubt, relations between humans and Centaurs could take a new direction after this collaboration…

-I suppose now you will go back to your places to do whatever you do in Greece… Remember, you will always be welcome in this tribe… If any Centaur stops you, just say that you come to see Chiron, the Master of Heroes, and they will let you in peace… - Chiron’s offer was very generous…

We returned to Pearl Cove in the afternoon… Now we must go back to our business…

-Well, I have to prepare everything to receive Katalina… she went to Monria to see her parents - I said to Borward as we said goodbye near the TP – By the way, Dr. What are you working on now?

Borward looked from one side to the other, as if he was afraid of being heard… He lowered his voice and said:

-Dante… Peter and I are working on something big… We are trying to create another portal like the one in Ancient Greece to be able to connect with other kingdoms: Egypt, Rome, T’sin… who knows… But please, don’t say anything… this is secret…

Borward could rest easy, I wasn’t going to say anything to anyone… after this adventure, all I wanted was to see Katalina and have a drink at Caroline’s… I’ll go one day to see the Man-Bear and bring him the leaves that I stole in Chiron’s cave…

EPILOGUE:

Epilogue 1:

Dr. Borward adjusted the dials together with his assistant Peter… They looked at each other for a moment and connected the machinery… An enormous light illuminated the laboratory…

A beam similar to that of the Teleporters emerged from the center of the machine and, for a moment, something seemed to be seen through the light… Perhaps a face? and snow?

With a descending sound, the machine stopped working…

Dr. Boward sighed… There was no way, whatever it was that managed to open the portal to Ancient Greece, it seemed impossible to do it now and try to open other portals…

Maybe in the future…

Epilogue 2:

The figure looked at that strange swirl of lights… For a moment it seemed to see another place, and other people… Then everything went out…

How strange… It seemed as if someone wanted to open a portal to his world…

For a moment he thought about doing the right thing: telling his father and brother about what he had seen, but seconds later he decided not to do it… Better to investigate on his own what it was and try to take advantage of it, as he always did…

He smiled as he walked away from the place… His footsteps left footprints in the snow… Definitely, neither his father Odin nor his brother Thor should know anything about that… one day Asgard would be his and that portal could bring him some advantage… Meanwhile, he, Loki, I would keep the secret.

Epilogue 3:

I was on the beaches near Crystal Peak… good sun, good beer and the impatience to see Katalina, who was returning from seeing her parents who were in Monria at the time…

Ah… My in-laws… the truth is that they had never seen well that their daughter, on whom they had pinned all their hopes in a political career, was going to wander with someone like me… That’s why they couldn’t even see me…

Suddenly I heard the sound of an engine… but it didn’t sound like Katalina’s Quad… it was a heavier sound… I looked up and saw an Arkadian Dropship getting ready to land…

It’s strange that Katalina takes a transport… maybe someone else is coming to Next Island… and once I thought that, the alarm lights went off in my mind.

From the back of the transport, the exit and unloading platform was opened… Katalina was there, beautiful, with monriana clothes… I felt lucky to see the beautiful woman she had…

And my smile froze when I saw the figures that accompanied her: A snooty old woman with a raven nose and a stooped old man with a cane with the handle like the head of an Arkadian Kiana… My in-laws!!!

The old crow-woman looked in my direction, wrinkled her nose and said…

-Well, if the drunken adventurer has come to receive us…

I think that, until they leave, it will be a very long few days…

[CollisionPending-TTV]

Removed to avoid copys

[isme]

Isme’s Journey

Isme’s Journal #11

So, Its been a few days… but I finally got to Crystal Bay and then headed up to Crystal Peak. Good thing I have been focusing on improving my skills, because first it was papoo then it was… STAIRS! SO MANY STAIRS!!!

I climbed all the way up that mountain to the very tippy top. I needed to catch my breath. When I could breath enough to look around me I saw snow and stores. Who knew there would be stores on the tippy top of a mountain?

I was expecting a shrine or remote crashed ship with stores of old tech and archives. The stores kind of intrigued me. What would people want to climb a mountain to get? So I did some window shopping. There were many wonderful (and expensive) things for sale up there!

Then I found the robot I was looking for. He told me some history, gave me some basic insight into the different groups. Then sent me on my way to meet with some people who could tell me more. I started with the Haruspex. The elder, at the cave, has always been kind so it seemed like a good way to begin. The first person he sent me to, told me to get a data pad and kill papoo. So I thought this was a great start!

Then I realized that I had to go all the way down to the bottom of those stairs again. If I fail in my attempt to rescue this planet from papoo, I will least have the best looking calves on the planet! As much as I cringe when I see stairs… my legs look great!!!

I went to retrieve the data pad. It didn’t look so far on the map. It seemed to take forever though. Then there were these wagons. They were nice looking wooden wagons with nice tapestries draped over the top. They were also completely empty. It seemed very strange. They were clean and nice and the space around was also clean and nice and no evidence of animals anywhere. A little spooky though.

Not far from the wagons there was a little space with papoo… I figured those were the ones in my mission, and I was right! I took out the papoo and the data pad was right in the middle were the furry beasts!

Mission accomplished so I will head back and turn it in. It was an interesting trek but so far I really have not learned much about the Haruspex

[isme]

Isme’s Journey #12

Isme’s Journal

ARGH!!! WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!

I dreamt that I was on a landing in the middle of a drift wood staircase. It stretched as far as I could see in both directions. Every step had at least one very angry papoo on it! Red ones, gray ones, yellow ones and brown ones, all were represented and all were angry!

I can still see it when I close my eyes!!

It must have been that last round of missions that did it! After I helped the Haruspex. After I got turned in the data pad I was sent back to a different Haruspex settlement to give it to their head being. As a way of building trust. I learned that they did not have a leader as we would define it. They are all so friendly and kind! But I was sent to talk to a different elder and then to a guard and then back to an elder and then to kill mutant boars.

Mutant boars are mean. But I did it! Poor little weak Isme is getting stronger! MUHAHAHAHA
Okay okay I know…… I am a long ways from being the next hunting master. But I can pretend!
But seriously all the swunting is paying off! I could take on 2 at a time! And survived a while with 3!

Enough patting your own back Isme! After I took care of the boars and went back to the guard and then the elder. I then had to go back to Crystal Peak… and more stairs. Then I realized I had to deliver some other messages in the area. I said I would because I was headed that way. BUT I found out AFTER I was at the top that the person I needed to talk to was at the bottom. Then She sent me back UP the stairs!

I was so bummed out! And tired. As for learning about the Haruspex, They are all super nice, the are a very peaceful bunch. That is why they needed my help with the boars. They were not equipped to fend them off. They told me too info about the Derma. I don’t fully understand it. Its sort of like an evil spirit that can infect people if they are not on the watch for it. I have to learn more about that.

Oh …I made a new friend today, James Smithle (the great… Sometimes. hehe ) He is one of the newest arrivals. I showed him where the piglets were so he could get in some good swunting!

I need muscle balm. My legs hurt so bad!!! I will write down more tomorrow.

[Karael]

New Elysian Order Fanfiction, first part is true, end is hilarious ;D will post on quotev too

Prologue - Rough Start at Caly

There we are, at the high-tech gates of Port Atlantis - a miracle of technology, almost as old as the colony itself. These halls are traversed daily by many great and not-so-great Elysians, with me being part of the latter group.

I had just started out as a hunter and learned why it’s never a good idea to ask “how bad can it get?” before trying something outside of your comfort zone. We may be immortal, but we’re not invincible and boy, these monsters are letting me know it. I was fighting caudatergus, one of the weakest monsters on planet Calypso. Its danger rating is only level 1, but for a beginner who has no armor and a rusty old pistol, it sure doesn’t feel that way. I was a warmed-up corpse by the time I ran out of ammo.

The genetically modified monsters on the training asteroid, Thule, were much easier to handle, but I knew if I ever wanted to grow as a hunter, I had to go to Calypso, where all the big shots are. One must not be fooled by the shiny architecture, as Caly is a planet full of danger, posed by both robots, mutants and monsters. Although the Robot Wars officially ended eons ago, some territories are still highly contested or even controlled by the remaining invaders and one of them, the Zychion Citadel, we may never get back. Those who return from Zychion with the loot of Mulcibers are feared and admired as heroes, as these merciless machines with levels above 300 could slaughter an average colonist before entering their line of sight.

What amazed me even more than their bravery are their seemingly limitless pockets. The kind of gear required to take down something so colossal is equivalent in value to a warp ship and a palace in the sky.

I didn’t really want to go to Zychion, my dreams were much simpler. I wanted to get my hands on a special kind of weapon, a chip that gives the user superpowers. This power, called mindforce, was long out of the working class’s reach until synthetic mind essence was invented. While still pricey, using it is now my plan instead of my dream.

Even for immortals, money was essential to keep people motivated and prevent the younger generation from falling into despair. The first goal was achieved, the second not so much. The chances of a youngster catching up with seasoned professionals, who worked in their respective fields for centuries was next to none. Sure, there were new professions such as tailors, gardeners and painters, but the available niches were running out fast and the future didn’t look bright for the children of the poor. While reproduction wasn’t biologically necessary, some colonists still brought children into the world, justifying any potential problems with immortality. The easiest ways to make money while investing only time were fruit-picking, looking for rare stones or perhaps the most humiliating of them all – collecting vibrant sweat from monsters. While it may sound strange, sweat can be used as a lubricant for crafting and making mind essence, which is still widely used by healers and more potent than its synthetic alternative.

This is how I spent the majority of my first year on Calypso, before my life was changed forever.

Chapter 1 – The Voyage

I was getting accustomed to life as a hunter, and once I acquired a level 1 lacerating chip, I felt invincible. Obviously I was brought back to reality by the damage of a kerberos and the jeers of stronger hunters who ran away with my loot while I was down, but I didn’t let that ruin my day. Okay, maybe it ruined my day a little, but it wasn’t as bad as killing a rabbiger that is super expensive when tamed.

By now I also had a ship, although it was the cheapest model. I was hesitant to use my car or ship, since oil was a luxury and I had plenty of time to get where I was going, but it was helpful not to have to call for rescue whenever I got encircled by a horde of monsters.

I also got to travel through space, visiting the nearby planets Cyrene and Arkadia. I loved hunting ferans on Arkadia, but after my ex broke up with me I couldn’t stand being on the same planet as him and went back to Caly. Lots of people love flying through space, but I didn’t think much of it, especially with the threat of pirates looming overhead. Flying at light speed would have been interesting, but it’s ten times more expensive.

One day as I was minding my own business, I saw a recruitment poster – they were looking for volunteers who were cooperative and not afraid of the unknown. I was bored, so I decided I might as well take a look at this. The job was fully sponsored and was a rescue mission to a planet called Next Island. It was my first time hearing of that planet and long story short, ages ago a scientist opened a portal to a distant planet in hopes of offering people a better life, but it went sort of sour. The separation of people who had the corrupted demra molecule in their dna from those who didn’t have it was unsuccessful and 400 unidentified people marched through the portal along with the chosen 100. Unable to deal with this, its creator self- destructed along with the portal, trapping the colonists on the distant planet and it isn’t until recently that warp drives were strong enough to send a rescue mission, which is where I come in.

“Welcome to OnlyFly, we hope you enjoy the flight. A bag is attached to the seats in case you get spacesick.”

We were seated in a ship that was huge even for warp ship standards and sent on our merry way. The warp was incredibly fast and we were soon making our way through the planet’s atmosphere. But the wilderness we expected to find was nowhere to be seen, instead we were greeted by infrastructure not inferior to that of Caly.

There weren’t many people when compared to the metropolis Calypso, but it didn’t look like they needed rescuing. In fact, we looked terribly out of place in our rugged military uniforms, while everyone else wore swimsuits or something that could be seen on the runway. Hunting without armor was the norm here, not something poor people had to endure.

We asked to speak to someone in charge and our adventure begun.

Chapter 2 – New Elysian Order Recruit

I was debriefed about the situation on the planet. The first wave of colonists split into different factions with their own respective territories. The Elysian Loyalists got the most fertile land, as they weren’t particularly strong – this is the faction where we landed. Haruspex got the forests, they also aren’t powerful but they are in tune with nature. Stel are demra corrupted scavengers and thieves, they are strong and tech savvy occupants of the desert. Resa branched out from the Stel and are nomads mainly found around waterways. And finally, the New Elysian Order. One could see the contempt on the Loyalist’s faces when they talked about N.E.O’s arrogance – they were the most elite of all the groups, able to make a living in the harsh mountains.

This was very new to me. People on Calypso were too busy trying to stay afloat on an overpopulated planet to bother with politics and were united against a common enemy. This level of complacency was a completely foreign concept, but it intrigued me.

I was instructed to talk to Ben if I wished to learn more and happily obliged. I was killing most monsters I came across on the way in one shot, if you can even call them monsters – they were pigs and monkeys, normal animals.

I decided to investigate the New Elysian Order since hunting monkeys and boars all day would bore me to death. I talked to Audrey Niles and guess what she wanted me to do? Hunt brown monkeys. I finished the easy hunt and just as I was about to give up on this planet altogether and take the first warp back to Caly, a female voice beckoned me over.

Her name was Alice and she was in charge of training New Elysian Order recruits. The completion reward was a cool blueprint, and of course bragging rights. Okay, I’ll bite. It started off fairly easy, with me having to find a certain cave and a guard, but then progressed to bickering with angry Joan and bizarre riddles. By the time I was supposed to decide which tree doesn’t belong in a forest where all the trees look weird I was out of my depth and guessing things– it turned out to be a tree stump. Maybe it’s meant as a metaphor that the weak don’t belong in New Elysian Order, but I’m probably reading too much into it. The last riddle was finding the item between winter and spring, which actually wasn’t that hard to find – I was getting good at this.

My final task was to kill a drake. I could hear my heart racing as I kited the drake across the hill, the adrenaline giving me the power to outmatch its speed. It hit the ground with a thud and I never felt more alive than in that moment. I went on this huge adventure and spent basically nothing, even the ammo I used on the drake was free, courtesy of Joan. The so-called elitist faction was actually the fairest of them all, with merit prevailing over money.

It was right then and there I decided to officially join the ranks of New Elysian Order and become a much more powerful cryogenic.

Chapter 3 – N.E.O. V.I.P.

Damn snakes. It’s been ages and I still can’t make a dent in these daudaormur creatures. I was determined to take the head of every creature on this planet, but so far the swampy residence of these fancy snakes remained a death zone for me. Not a single faction made a claim on this area, unsurprisingly. It was like the Zychion of Next Island.

I resigned, dropped a few probes and came back to the headquarters with my head hung in shame. I noticed a new terminal standing next to a televator – New Elysian Order VIP, it said. Apparently, materials are needed for a new project in the underground, they mostly weren’t hard to procure, but were quite pricey due to rarity. I jumped the wagon and, not wanting to wait until I collected all the materials, sold some off my possessions and bought them on the auction from other factions.

The televator took me to a huge underground cave with more missions to be found, the mining one caught my eye. I had to deliver 100 praetonium claims to help with the construction, and in return I’d receive a drake wings blueprint. I was mainly a hunter, but I dabbled in mining and praetonium could be found in shallow depths so I decided to try my luck. It took a while, but I was still among the faster ones to finish.

Since I had two left hands for crafting, I outsourced the blueprint in exchange for one pair of wings. They were so pretty, but merely cosmetic at the time. I was really hoping flight would get implemented – hoverboards and ships were great, but flying with your own pair of wings was something I always desired.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to wait long, straight from the hands of the world’s most accomplished engineers came the new battery capable of taking me to the skies. It was not only fun, but also very useful, since it got us out of reach of anything except drakes. This made a light bulb go off in my head and I suggested a quick trip to Calypso to take care of a couple Mulcibers.

After a bunch of “what’s in it for us?” an expedition team was finally formed with me in the lead. The tables have turned, and the people of Next Island who were supposed to be rescued by Calypsians became the ones doing the rescuing. Obviously I couldn’t care less about being a hero, but the gold and glory beckoned me and my fellow faction members.

When we arrived on Caly, a lot of colonists were giving us the stink eye. Word travels faster than light and people didn’t exactly sing our praises, so it didn’t surprise me much. We get in, sell the loot and get out, that’s the plan.

Unfortunately plans don’t always work out as intended.

Chapter 4 – The Ice Queen

“We’re really doing it!” Cheered my teammates. The Mulciber we were targeting was on its last legs, but suddenly an odd sound was heard. Uh oh…

Sparks were flying out of my teammate’s wings. Come on, now out of all times? He lost control in the air and dragged down two of us with him.

“Idiot, what are you doing?! Let go, you’re immortal!”

“Hell no! Pull me up!”

Slash. Rip. Smash.

Great, now all our wings are broken. Thank gosh for the revive terminal. Facepalm, these guys were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and likely didn’t die even once until now, of course they would freeze up.

“What are we gonna do? We can’t show our face back home.” a teammate complained.

“Look, there’s enough of us to kill it, if you’re prepared to die a few times and live up to the name of the New Elysian Order.” I said. Damn, I’m going to hell for this.

Few times was a euphemism but after the seemingly never ending massacre, we managed to slay enough of them to safely retrieve the loot and return home. Thankfully I had spare clothes so we didn’t have to embarrass ourselves further.

Our names got into the hall of fame and my use of cryogenics earned me the title of Ice Queen, which I must say kind of pleased me. It’s also very fitting, since my subordinates shudder every time I walk by them, tho I’m a little bit less pleased with that.

“So, esteemed heroes, would you be so kind as to lend us your aid and kill some leviathans?”

“NO!” We all said in unison and walked out.

“Is it something I said?” The chief asked around, flabbergasted, as we already had one foot out of the door.

“Man, I have a few ‘words’ to exchange with that engineer.” One of us sneered.

“So do I, but let’s get home first.”

To Next Island.

[isme]

Isme’s Journey

Isme’s Journal #13

Today was. That is about all I can bring myself to say about it.

I crawled out of bed this morning. I mean literally crawled!

I was so stiff and sore that I had a hard time moving my legs, back, and neck. Even crawling was hard at first. As I moved more it got easier and eventually I could move enough to stand. I tried to use my pulse unit to see if that would make any improvements. It politely and somewhat coldly told me “You are not wounded”. Thanks pulse unit.

When I could move enough to function like a proper person. I got up and got ready to go out and hunt. My hunting is still improving but I do not feel I live up to my Super Hunter status just yet. I am getting enough now to fix my equipment and eat more then Ramen Noodles. I heard that ramen noodles have been a cheap food and around for a long time. They are pretty tasty. That powder they include with it gives me a headache if I use to much of though. I wonder what is in it? Any way, the point is I can get enough hunting to eat at least a little better. So YAY ME!!

I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do today though with how stiff I was. I decided that a walk would do me good. So I walked to the auction house. I saw a pattern I wanted for only 1 Ped starting bid. I took a chance. And I got it! I would like to remember it as skillful bidding on my part. If I am going to be honest though. I think it was really because no one else wanted it and the auction was almost over. That sounds super sad though…hmm. I think, I think the story I will tell is that I watched and waited and sniped it at the last moment! Sounds so much more clever and dramatic!

On that positive note I will just call it a day!

[isme]

Isme’s Journey

Isme’s Journal #14

Some days its REALLY HARD to stay positive.

I wanted to learn more about the other factions. So the next on my list was the New Elysian Order.

I found out from that robot that I needed to talk to an Audrey Niles. So I went to find her. I walked and walked and walked. Took the teleporter to Tanzanite view and began the roughly 2600m hike to where she was supposedly located.

I had to walk because I didn’t have enough extra to buy fuel for the car. Also I hadn’t clearly thought out how long of a walk it would be. I mean, after all it only looked like a couple of millimeters on the map…. Ha

I THOUGHT I saw a way I could shimmy down the side of the mountain, I was wrong…
As I stood once again at the Tanzanite View revive terminal. I shook my head and tried a new way down the side. I tripped on a rock. Next I knew I was back at the same revive terminal. I had forgotten to heal the last time then took a hard fall……

So this time I decided that I would take the road part way down. It was going in the opposite direction I wanted to go but it would get me closer to the bottom of the mountain. Once I was about half way down I tried the shimmy down approach again. It almost worked! Almost. As I was falling to my doom I realized one side was a gentle small slope to an almost sheer, deceptively high drop. Where the other was a slight drop and then a slope and I had picked the wrong side!

As I once again started out from the Tanzanite terminal, I took the road a bit farther down, shimmied down the gentle side of the hill, and turned to head toward my way point. I was making good progress. I traveled nearly 1000m when I encountered the herd of mutant boars. I got the first one down. No problem. The another came at me, and another one joined that one. Next thing I knew I was back at the Tanzanite revive.

Does this happen to anyone else? Or am I just really skilled at dieing?

I think I will just spend the night here in Tanzanite. Maybe tomorrow will show me the way.

[Fatty]

Fatty’s Submissions for June!

Submission for June #1
The Origins of Sebastion Part 2 - Escape
Short Story/Lore by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

Dr. Kylon was a kind, albeit quirky man, Sebastion thought. He provided for all of his lab subjects and the tests he ran were incredibly humane considering that they were tests on animals. Sebastian was one of the Papoo that Dr. Kylon cared for, but of all the Papoo there, he was different. Sebastian would often hold long conversations with the good doctor while he measured and took notes on him and his Papoo brethren. And if Sebastian didn’t know any better, he’d say the doctor was starting to grow a fondness for him far above the others. This didn’t surprise Sebastian. Dr. Kylon – Paul, as he insisted he call him- was shut off from the other Humans and craved social interaction. Sebastian was the nearest thing to a Human that Dr. Kylon had contact with for months at a time. When another Human did visit, it was brief and not terribly pleasant. I mean, it wasn’t unpleasant. It was just business stuff. “Boring stuff,” Paul called it. Regulations, other scientists checking in on his progress, it all seemed sketchy to Sebastian. Was what Dr. Paul doing illegal? He asked Dr. Kylon one day and Dr. Kylon assured him everything was on the up-and-up. Sebastian wasn’t all too sure he believed him, though he desperately wished he could.

The day it all went away was a day like any other. The underground laboratory was dim and quiet, even though outside the sun shown brightly and the jungle birds and screechers noisily romped and cawed. The other Papoo had been getting antsy and spoke to one another of rebellion. Even though Sebastian could speak Human, he could still understand the other Papoo. Their language was simple and guttural, but hard to comprehend to Humans. Sebastian was certain his friend Paul had no idea what was coming, so one day he brought it to his attention… only to be deflected by Dr. Kylon.

“I have considered the possibility that the others might try something and precautions have been taken, Seb,” Dr Kylon said to his faithful Papoo friend. Again, Sebastian was not so sure. When Dr. Kylon began to clean the cages, Seb noticed the evil looks in the faces of the other Papoo, but it was too late to do anything about it. Before he could even screech a warning, one of the Reds jumped from their open cage and snatched Dr Kylon’s keys. They had been watching him use these to open the cages and knew what they needed to do. It began opening the other cages and Yellows, Reds, Browns, and Greys leapt from their confinements and started to surround the poor doctor, murderous intent in their eyes.

Sebastian knew there wasn’t much time, so he had to think fast. Using his gift of high intelligence, he weighed his options. To save Dr. Kylon, he had to do something drastic. He then saw the laboratory’s generator, a large battery bank powered by solar, wind, and thermal sources. He knew how unstable this was and that destroying it may be the only way to distract the others and allow the good doctor to escape. Seb grabbed a pipe and, using all of his primal strength, ripped it from the wall. He then began to beat the generator repeatedly with all his might and determination. Time seemed to stop for Sebastian. Would this work? Would he end up killing himself in the process? Could he even save his friend?

After an eternity, it seemed, the generator began to smoke. Then, without any warning, it burst into a flaming fire-ball! Sebastian was thrown backward, shrapnel and heat passing him, nearly skewering him. He landed with a sickening thud. His eyes drooped, and he lost consciousness.

When Seb awoke, everyone was gone. There didn’t appear to be any signs of a struggle or of there being violence. There was a bright, gaping hole in the side of the laboratory that lead out into the dimming jungle. It must have been dusk, meaning he must have been unconscious for hours. He knew deep down that the other Papoo must have taken the opportunity to gain their freedom when the hole was blown into the lab. As for the doctor, he had no idea. Why would his friend leave him unconscious on the floor? Did he chase after the Papoo who must have escaped? They were his life’s greatest accomplishment, after all. Sebastian wouldn’t have blamed him one bit. But still, a hot anger grew in his gut, a slight pressure at first, but then it became all consuming.

“DOCTOR!” Sebastian exclaimed in fury. “WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!”

Sebastian’s breath came in short, powerful bursts, his chest heaving. What was he going to do now? He had saved his friend, but what did that get him? He had to make his own way now. Surely he’d be fine in the wild. A Papoo with his intelligence could certainly survive without much issue. Still, he felt betrayed. The question that nibbled his mind the most was this; what had happened after he lost consciousness? “I guess I’ll never know,” he spoke under his breath, wrath tainting his words. Sebastian lumbered into the brush. He grabbed the pipe that had clearly been blasted out of the lab and smacked it into his other palm. “Who needs friends if they just leave you, anyway?” He walked out into the wild green jungle with a nascent vengeance growing in his heart and was not seen again for many months.

Submission for June #2
The Origins of Sebastion Part 3 – Vengeance
Short Story by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

He was on the run. The doctor scarcely had time to stop for food or shelter. He could trust no one. Word of his experiment had gotten out not long after the Papoo nearly killed him and then escaped. They had integrated back into the wild and were wrecking as much havoc as they could – robbing people, killing endangered wild-life, and worse yet, breeding and spreading their tainted genes. He cursed under his breath as a Guard on duty walked by the shadow of the tree he was ducking into. Nearby, a sign read “Tanzanite View”. He felt like the red ball cap and dark shades he was wearing were enough to help him go unnoticed for the most part, but he had a narrow escape himself, with a guard just the other night. He was a wanted man now. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a deep, heavy sense of guilt for leaving Sabastian behind. He was a good Papoo. Surely Seb was the least of his concerns, however. Obviously Seb could survive on his own better than the doctor himself could. Both had a measure of intelligence and craftiness, but the doctor was the one that the settlers were looking for. A bounty had been placed on his head. It was a significant bounty.

There was a ruckus in the square and guards rushed by without looking at him. “I wonder what it could be this time?” Dr. Kylon muttered under his breath. “Probably another drunken brawl by the new comers.” New settlers had been arriving en mass ever since Next Island was “discovered” by the denizens of a planet called Calypso and another one called Rocktropia (bizarre name, he thought). Naturally, this meant all sorts were arriving, including the troublesome sorts. Dr. Kylon was pretty open minded, not xenophobic in the slightest, but he still didn’t like it. But maybe they would be a blessing in disguise. He could get one of the space travelers to give him a ride to another world where he could start over. Not to mention the plethora of new scientific knowledge that would come with such an adventure. He smiled. Maybe if he ran into Seb, he could bring him too. Seb would like that, he thought. Again, a painful feeling of guilt gnawed at him. He didn’t want to leave Sebastian at the laboratory wreckage, but he had to try to catch the escaped Papoo at all costs! It was too late for that now, though. If he had the luxury of looking for Sebastian and apologize to him, he would, but he had to beat feat and get off world as soon as Humanly possible.

Sebastian tore through the overgrowth. He heard Humans. He was near a Human settlement, for certain. Then he spotted them. Two Humans brawling in the street at the edge of the forest. He could smell them, too. A horrible mixture of sweat, filth, and booze. It angered him. Humans were the reason he was alone now. The only Human he spent time with had left him and what was worse, they never returned to get him! He was unconscious for hours after the explosion, the explosion that saved that man’s life, he thought bitterly, a rage building up inside. Was his anger undeserved? He had asked that question a few times, and each time his instincts told him NO. It was fair to be mad. Of all the Human settlements he ran into throughout Next Island, none of them had the doctor in them. The doctor not only didn’t come back for him, but seemed to be hiding from him. All of this angered Sebastian even more. Someone would have to pay for this grave injustice. He glared at the two imbeciles who were rolling in the street, smashing their fists into one another. What did they have to be angry about? They were doing what he wished he could do to Dr. Kylon.

That was the final straw. Sebastian leapt from the bushes, baring his claws and his fangs and closed in on the two drunkards. The two stopped fighting for a second that would prove perilous, staring in unison at the awe inspiring sight of a mad Papoo coming right toward them. All animosity between them was forgotten and they struggled to get off one another and scamper away. But it was too late. Using all of his primal fury, Sebastian ripped off the man’s right arm. Blood spurted from the wound and the man howled in agony. Sebastian could hear footsteps coming his way and the burly voices of guards, as well as the clank of weapons on backs. He smacked the man with his own arm, threw it at him and dashed back into the jungle. But not before he heard a click and saw a flash. The other man had taken his picture. Seb thought nothing of it and winded his way toward a shadowy grove. That was when he saw him. He recognized the man by his scent before he recognized his face. He was wearing a red ball cap and dark shades, no doubt to hide his identity. So he was hiding, then! This new revelation renewed his anger.

Paul Kylon saw the familiar Papoo and a broad smile burst onto his face.

“Seb!” Dr. Kylon exclaimed. “You found me!”

Sebastian was unsure for a moment and then the wheels in his head started turning again. You found me was something someone would say if they were hiding from you, he thought feverishly. He wrung his primitive hands and closed in on his former friend. What he failed to do to the drunkard, he was going to do to the man who abandoned him in the cruel jungle, the man who had left him to die and who could have thought he had been dead already. Had he even stopped to check to see if he was alright before running away?

Dr. Kylon saw the fury in his old friend’s eyes and raised his hands as though to fend off the first blow. It all happened too fast for him to even comprehend what was going on. Sebastian had taken his left arm and torn it out of its socket. A wave of fear and pain washed over Paul as the raging Papoo tore his other arm off. Next, Sebastian tore off Paul’s face, shades and cap with it. Dr. Kylon barely was able to gurgle a scream before another blow knocked him unconscious.

There he lay… Dead in a pool of his own blood with the heaving Papoo standing over him. His rage was finally quenched and a new emotion filled Sebastian. It was loss. It was sadness. Dr. Kylon was the only person he could call a father figure. The sight of his mangled body made a well of heartache rise within Sebastian. Tears streamed down his monkey-like face and he tried to stem them with the back of his palm. Then, footsteps and the clank of weapons on backs were heard approaching. Thinking fast, Sebastian grabbed the only two things that he could remember his beloved friend by; the red ball cap, and the shades. He put them on and darted into the woods.

No one could identify the doctor. His face was gone and he wore no other identification. Fingerprints and dental details were preserved, but that technology wasn’t widely available yet so his corpse was given to the boars to eat. No evidence of this evil night was spared, save for the red ball cap and shades that were retreating into the night on their new owner. To this day some are still looking for Dr. Kylon. But now there is another they are looking for- the assailant who gravely injured one man and apparently killed another in a similar fashion.

Submission for June #3
The Origins of Sebastion Part 4 – The Papoo Mafia
Short Story by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

Has anyone seen Dr. Paul Kylon? Sebastian was nursing a deep wound, but it wasn’t one of the physical variety. He had just killed his only friend in the universe. Did he have the right to do that? At the time he thought so, but now he wasn’t so sure. He kept wearing the red ball cap and shades in part to honor Dr. Kylon and in part because they made him feel safer. There was a bounty out on him now, though it was for “Killer Papoo”, not Sebastian. If he hid his face and head, perhaps he would never be identified. Damn that drunkard for taking his picture. He saw it plastered in every Human settlement he went to.

People thought it was cute, though, to see a friendly looking Papoo wearing a hat and shades. Several children and women – and even one, particularly fat man – had come up to him and offered him a paplon or two exclaiming how adorable he was. He would smile and accept the fruit and then go about his business, which of course meant getting away and wandering some more. These days, Sebastian was lost in his thoughts more than anything. Maybe his violent streak was behind him, but he feared it would rear its ugly head again one day. What would his life be like now that there was no doctor and no laboratory? It had been a year since the explosion and most of the lab was still in tact and unmolested. No one had even so much as taken a tech chip since the disaster. It was a secret lab, after all, even with much of it exposed now. But the jungle had started to reclaim it. Tree roots, ferns, and mosses were growing over the gaping maw that was exposed with the explosion. Birds of paradise had made their nests in old machinery. Screechers were getting annoyingly curious about it and Sebastian had started making it a daily ritual to chase them away. Luckily, their eggs were also very delicious and very filling. Sebastian had stumbled on an island with a large cavern filled with them.

It was war… The Screechers were stupid, flightless birds, but they were irritatingly aware of everything Sebastian was doing. They went out of their way to make the poor Papoo’s life a living Hell. Maybe it was warranted, but a Papoo’s got to survive. What were a few unborn chicks worth? He noticed other Papoo, the Red ones in particular, brutally attack Screechers, sometimes stealing into their nurseries and murdering the chicks for food. Sebastian had no way to stop this barbarism and was forced to accept it. What he wouldn’t accept, however, was the Screecher’s apparent disdain for all Papoo, himself included. Papoo weren’t all baby killers! Just the dang Reds! They gave them all a bad name. He supposed the egg thieving wasn’t helping his case, but they were enough to feed him for a couple days at least. When fruit was scarce, they were his go-to source of sustenance.

They were getting smarter, too. The Screecher had formed an alliance with the Boars. Boars. The name made Sebastian shudder in anger. Boars were literally everywhere on Next Island, and their main food source happened to be the thing Seb couldn’t find anywhere; fruit. It was really the boars that were to blame for Seb’s egg thievery! If they weren’t such big pigs, maybe there would be enough fruit to eat, he thought savagely. It was all coming to a head, however. The Screecher’s had built a caged enclosure for their young and then put the boar piglets inside with them. It was impossible to harm the chicks without harming a piglet. Even a piglet was dangerous to a Papoo, who, for all of their primal might, couldn’t match the ferocity of a full grown boar. And that was exactly who would come to call if one of their piglets were harmed. That was when Sebastian formed the perfect plan.

Why should a Papoo life be put at risk? Why not trick a Human into killing the problematic piglets for them? They were hunting the adult boars anyway! But a Human wasn’t going to kill a bunch of little piglets for nothing. Sebastian had to reveal that he could talk first. It surprised every Human at first. They’d come say hello to the cute, little Papoo, and then Sebastian would introduce himself and they would run away screaming. That was, until he started waving around rewards. At first he offered fruit, but that was no good, because he needed the fruit himself. Surely, though, fewer boar piglets meant fewer boars, and thus more fruit in the long term. Alas, he could not justify giving them fruit at this time. He thought hard. What do Human’s value, he pondered. Then the laboratory popped up in his mind’s eye. Technology! Of course! He knew he could get his hands on a nearly endless supply of tech chips at the old lab if he tried.

But the chips were big. Big and heavy. It would take him forever to gather enough for one Human by himself. He needed to employ people to move the chips. But the people were afraid of him, and even if they would work for him, he would need a reward for that as well! Who would work for free? He smacked himself in the face with his Papoo palm. His Papoo brothers! They could be encouraged to help, perhaps. Motivation. He needed a motivation. He frowned. The Papoo hated Humans. Perhaps he could unite the Papoo as a singular group against the Humans? Tell them that they needed to steal the chips to hurt the Humans, maybe? That could work.

Before too long, reports of a Papoo Mafia sprang up on the fringes of Next Island. Troupes of Papoo wandered far and wide stealing from helpless settlers. This was a start. Now Sebastian just had to direct them all to gather all of the Elysian Tech Chips from the lab and bring them to the staging area. The staging area was an ancient ruin in an area known as “Papoo Village”, conveniently right next to the enclosure the Screechers built to protect their young. Sebastian, dressed in his red ball cap and shades would stock pile them nearby and offer any bored Human passerby the chance to a shiny reward simply for taking out as many piglets as possible!

Finally, a hunter passed by and he hailed them. The usual surprise at a talking monkey happened, but then, a miracle! He convinced a hunter to kill 200 piglets in return for a thousand or so tech chips. The hunter loaded up the chips and dragged themselves away to the nearest storage terminal. He had duped the other Papoo and now he had duped his first Human. Many more would come to collect the chips, which he found out were pretty hard to get other ways. He had the perfect business transaction going on. He provided the Humans with something they desired, he provided the other Papoo with a way to get under the Humans’ skins, and best of all, he had plenty of fruit to eat now with less competition. He took a big bite out of a bombardo and munched on the savory flesh with relish. He was now the Don of the Papoo Mafia.

Oh, and that fat Human came by and did the mission too. Afterward, he asked Sebastian about his back story, not satisfied with the typical answer he gave anyone curious enough to ask. Seb spilled the whole thing to him on his word that he would tell nobody. As far as Sebastian knows, his secret is safe.

Submission for June #4
Our Savior Tommy – Fatty’s journey to Next Island
Short Story by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

The second he stepped off out of the cockpit of his Quad-wing, Fatteus was hit with a rush of humidity similar to what he had experienced in other tropical environments. He tasted the air, it was tangy and sweet with the pollen of tropical flowers. The sun played with his skin, bathing his face in warm waves of heat. A calming breeze blew through his long, silver hair. He smiled.

“Tommy be praised. Truly, the lord Tommy has blessed this paradise.”

He spent most of the day exploring the beaches and tropical rain forests of the Southeastern “gateway” of Next Island. He marveled at the wildlife and amazing plant life. He amused himself with a funny little monkey wearing a red ball cap and shades that offered him some Elysian tech chips for killing a couple hundred boar piglets. The locals were very welcoming. They offered him gifts and advice on how he could become a full-time citizen of this world.

Fatty was here on an adventure, to record the previously unknown and unrecorded, and most of all spread the good word of his lord Tommy, the first avatar, the giver of gifts and teacher of patience. Like with all other planets, he encountered the pagan followers of the deceiver, Lootius. For too long, Lootius was the only name worshiped. It would be Tommy’s time very soon. Tommy’s day was coming, and just maybe, he may return, Fatty thought. After all, no being has ruined more lives than Lootius. Promising all time highs, he lures his followers into spending every last dime they earn. Tommy teaches patience and responsibility. Tommy teaches us to risk only what we can afford to risk and to accept failure when it comes. Tommy teaches us that there will be harsh droughts, but there will also be times of plenty. Tommy teaches us that we should play smarter and not harder.

Fatty, the High Prophet of Tommy, would bless most of the settlers he ran into, telling them “May Tommy bless your hunt,” or something to that effect. Often times this would lead to people asking who Tommy was, and Fatty would be delighted to tell them.

He sat on the pier on the beach at the foot of Crystal Peak listening to the mad calls of birds and the play of nearby Screechers as the sun was swallowed by the western horizon. Dusk dimmed everything, casting shadows here and there. “Here now sets the sun on the time of Lootius the deceiver. A new dawn will come; the dawn of the hour of the Tommites. The church will grow here in the fertile soil of this world. I have planted the seeds on Calypso, and also here on Next Island, and it will grow. All hail Tommy.”

Submission for June #5
Through the Wormhole – Giving day in late May
Short Story by Fatteus “Fatty” Thorsson

It was a warm, placid morning. The birds were warbling, the waves of the nearby ocean were gently caressing the sand, sighing as the sea foam gathered, and just a little ways up the beach, a party was starting to form. Word of a great gifting had come, and his majesty Socrates was descending the televator, beaming onto the sandy coast at the foot of Crystal Peak. He was resplendent in the finest armor and it was impossible to see his face, but he gave off a warm, welcoming aura. He brought many gifts. The group began sweating a Screecher and were shocked when none other than the Desertcrawler King appeared in the center of the sweat circle! Some panicked, but most adjusted quickly and began to sweat the beast. It took a while, but they managed to dry him out, then a few brave souls began to bring him down. Everyone shared in the bounty.

The fun wasn’t over, however. Soon Socrates opened up a rift in the air behind the sweat circle. Everyone gazed in wonder at the rare sight. Wormholes were not something most people got to see every day. Socrates dared them to step into the rift. No one knew where it lead, and many were hesitant until a few got up the audacity to jump through it. What they learned was that it lead to a far-flung colony; an oasis in the middle of the badlands called Serpentine Village. It was gorgeous there! Verdant ferns and bamboo dotted the lush green lawns and a clear pool surrounded a teleporter pad. There were winding paths that wended their way around the grounds. This would be an interesting place for a race, some settlers thought. Some folks spent their afternoon soaking up the sun by the pond or laying in the grass and gazing at the clear, blue sky. Others quickly returned through the wormhole back to Crystal Bay and the sweat circle. Truly, it was a day to remember and I look forward to the next gifting day.

[isme]

Isme’s Journey

Isme’s Journal #15

I did it! I made it to Audrey Niles! Wowzers what a journey! She said that she was trying to learn more about the NEO, New Elysian Order, so she needed me to get some samples of things. One of the things she needed was biological samples of brown PAPOO!!! Yes!!! Perhaps she realizes that the papoo are trying to take over too!

She needed 20, I got that and then some. Evil papoo……She also needed some samples of ore. THAT was another matter. I started to head in the direction of the way point that she added to my map. Everything was all was good. Clear country for as far as I could see around me. Then I looked up. I saw the biggest freaking drakes I have ever seen! I am not sure how I am gonna get around those drakes… I mean they were so big! All it would take would be one wing swish and it would be bye bye Isme for sure! There is no time limit on getting these samples, so maybe I will scoot back to papoo village and swunt piglets and yellow papoo for a bit and figure this out. Maybe I will even take a crack at that sensor wave thing again. Maybe the practice will help a little and the drakes won’t be able to squash me before I can grab the samples. I’ll jot down some poems to help me focus and off I go!

PAPOO

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Perfect planning,

papoo popping,

progress!
_
All aerial adversaries,

air-born altercation,

Avoided Almost!
_
Paltry prowess possessed

proposed plan

popped!
_
Overhead opponents

out of options

over-n-out!
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Opportunity piglets

Option preferred

On-it!

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PIGLET

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Piglets plus papoo

piercing practice

pending!

_
Ignoring incidents

involving injuries

intense!

_
Good gracious,

gather goodies,

grand!

_
Levels lackluster,

lacerations likely,

living!?

_
Ever engaging

egress evading

Exciting!

_
Trim turning

Treasure touting

Triumph!

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Alright-y let the papoo/piglet hunt begin!!!