The Unknown: A Game of Fear, Ignorance, and Adventure

[Zemalac]

"Are you sure that's the continent?"

"It's got mountains. It's a continent, at least."

"That island had mountains, too. One of 'em was a volcano."

"It didn't have a mountain range, idiot. Use yer eyes."

The sailors talked, some muttering and some yammering excitedly as their personalities dictated. The Captain was lurking beside the wheel, talking in low tones, tasting the wind with a finger every couple of minutes as the helmsman brought the Cepolada towards a likely looking bay. Deslock was alternating between bouncing around the deck like an overexcited dog, shouting for the Expedition to make ready, and peering through his prized spyglass at the landmass as they approached.

"We should start getting the longboat ready," he said, appearing at Grummond's elbow.

"Not yet," said the Captain. "We're not in quite yet."

"Just start," said the Explorer impatiently. "Untie the ropes and all that." Without waiting for a response he was off, dropping down to the deck and calling for the longboat.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted, "we're here! No staying on the ship now, this is the end of the line! Welcome to the Continent! Start taking notes and making maps, everyone!"

_____________________________​

Eyes gleamed atop the cliff as the longboat left the ship, sailors heaving at the oars. The eyes did not know what they were seeing--strange creatures, pale and dark skinned men and a boat with wings that had flown to this calm harbor.

The longboat cut through the waves towards the shore, and with a flutter the eyes were gone.

 

[ThePuzzldPirate]

The amount of people that were in the longboat was crazy, Rhee tried to keep to herself but with the amount of arms flailing, booze spilling, and spit...spitting, the task was failing. When they finally reached the beach, Rhee's pace seemed slow compared to the others. She almost seemed lost in the stuff to do, but she was smiling, maybe she was just happily confused.

 

[Yorgmiester]

While Prithis seemed on the outside to have been little affected by their long estrangement from land, it was on him that the voyage had probably taken the deepest toll. He was a creature of the forest, mountain and plain; the sea was not his realm, and he disliked ships. When the Unknown Continent was finally spotted he wasted no time with silly, awkward boats. Over the Cepolada's starboard bow he leaped, diving into the deep blue water with little care for what may lurk beneath. He swam for the shore with incredible speed, undoubtedly aided in no small part by magic.

Finally the satyr's hooves touched bottom, and he stood. Salty water sloshed and foamed around his waist and snaked down his body in tiny rivers as his chest and arms emerged from the surf. Droplets sprung and flew from his horns and beard as he strode forwards, towards the beach and dry land. His deep, wizened eyes seemed for a moment almost child-like as he gazed in wonder at this brave new world. He could feel the life teeming in the forests before him and the rippling features of landscape stretching far beyond his feet. The sensation of connecting with a wholly new and unseen place was exhilarating.

At last the water receded around his ankles and his steps landed upon dry sand, hot and radiant under the sun. He stopped and shook himself dry, and reveled in the warm touch of a new breeze. He breathed deeply of the unblemished air. Stooping to the ground for a moment he took up a handful of sand and let it slowly drain through his fingers.

"Sem..." the satyr muttered softly to himself. Then he stood. With a green flash his staff appeared in his hand, and he strode onward into the trees. The longboats would reach the shore soon, and he wanted to do some exploring on his own before the others began colonizing the beach.

 

[Lost In The Void]

Cid looked at the expanse of land ahead of him and a small grin crept over his face; this was the beginning of a new enterprise, he could feel it. He could take this and monopolize it...for the Ice Elves of course. He stepped down just as Deslock called them into a longboat. This is where he sat now, maintaining his balance in the boat as it headed towards the continent they had discovered. All the while he was thinking about the money that could be made with a monopoly on this land. He would have to talk to Deslock about altering his deal somewhat, he was sure he could get the first hands on the maps created.

His thoughts were interupted by the satyr's splash near him as the beast swam towards the land. The fool, he didn't know what lurked under these waters. That recklessness would get him killed one day. Cid then looked at his clothes, he had changed into something nice and already it was ruined by the water. How disgusting. The cooler water had felt nice though.

 

[Zemalac]

Deslock watched the satyr shaking water off himself on shore and smiled. He was in a good mood, for the first time in quite a while, and he was willing to forgive more quirks than he usually was.

"Advance scouts out," he said to no one in particular, and chuckled. They were here. He couldn't really believe it.

The boat hit sand with a crunch.

Deslock stepped out, splashing through the water, sending spray up his coat. He didn't care. He was here, the first one to step on the continent--

Wait, no, the satyr had gotten here before he had. And there was that other expedition--Van Tombas' one, a few years back, the one that had vanished. So maybe not the first one.

The Explorer grinned delightedly at the jungle. He didn't care.

"All right people, let's get things set up," he said. "Tents and palisades and huts and shit, the whole thing. We need a source of fresh water and a base camp above the tideline. Let's move."

The air smelled like earth.

 

[MintyNinja]

Rokya was on the first longboat, as he was wont to do, and he took Deslock's advice to heart. As soon as the longboat was sufficiently grounded he hopped out and began packing supplies up the beach. He set them down with the other barrels and crates but did not return as most of the sailors did. The merchant began unpacking and setting up one of the tents, making minimal progress on his own.

 

[Sporky111]

Kadeam lingered in the water for a few moments as the others started to climb ashore. He just looked upon the continent. It was untouched by civilization, and it just seemed . . . new. For a moment it felt like stepping ashore would be like staining a white sheet, but he shrugged off that thought. There would be plenty of time for exploring and admiring. They wouldn't be colonizing it any time soon.

The ice elf finally sloshed up onto the shore, dragging his feet a few steps as the water slowly drained from his boots.

"Advance scouts out!" Deslock shouted.

"I'll start looking around." Kadeam said noncommittally as he started crossing the beach toward the forest. It was what he'd intended to do anyway, so "scouting" was easy enough to take on.

 

[Zemalac]

Deslock hummed as he sketched. He'd gotten a small table set up and was busily filling in papers with maps of what he saw. This bay here, and then the mountains in the distance there, and in between...he chuckled. In between was what he was here to find out, he supposed. Delightful.

_______________​

When the Doctor stepped off the boat onto the sand he was in utter awe. This was the peak of discovery. The exploration of lands with a completely unrecorded selection of specimens. His name would go down through all of recoded history for the contributions he would be making to biological research. Back at the University old Darwin had always been getting one up on him, but now...what Nex uncovered here would blow Charles' simple theories out of the gene pool.

Taking a deep breath the Doctor dragged his cages out of the boat, careful not to get them wet. Once on land he approached Deslock; "Sir, what is our base plan going to be? Will be setting up camp here for the night or should we wait in the hopes that somebody finds fresh water and make camp there?"

"Well, that would depend entirely on how close to shore said fresh water is," said Deslock in reply. "We want to be able to retreat to the ship if necessary, but we also don't want to have to send people out of the camp to fetch water--far too much risk of running afoul of the jungle with that." He grinned. "Of course, that's more a problem for whoever's staying behind to maintain the base camp for us, hey? We'll set up camp here for tonight, get a good idea of the land and then figure out where the more permanent base shall be located."

 

[Peteron]

Tulrgog jumped from his boat into the shallow area beneath him. He pushed through the seawater with unmatched speed, racing for the continent. Once on shore, the Orc looked around. Many people would never see such a beautiful sight in their lives. An unexplored continent, filled with treasure and riches for those who dared to explore it. Not to mention Tulgrog is one of the few who would ever get to witness it.

"So...this is the unknown continent huh? Looks like every other shitty rock we have landed on..wheres the food? I am hungry.."

He made his way towards the forest, finding a suitable spot to rest beneath a palm tree. He rested his back against it, his arms crossed behind his head.

 

[Bluedemon322]

John stumbled off the boat and into the shallows before him. The journey had been long; far longer then any other he had ever attempted. In distance, at least. There was that one mission, with the Illarym Church and the Orcish assassins...that was a good time. Shaking the memory from his head, John looked forward at the bay before him. While others may see a potential profit or unexplored land, he saw power here. Who knew what mystical and powerful artifacts were left to be uncovered in this unknown land? Ancient ruins, forgotten for centuries, were just begging to be found.

And it wasn't just that. Everything emanated power. The trees, the ground, mountains, everything seemed to be teeming with untapped magical energy. Until now, that is. The things that could be learned here could change everything, and potentially bring about a new golden age of knowledge and prosperity for those learned and powerful enough to understand it all.

But all that was for the future. Now, plans had to be plotted. Enemies had to be sabotaged. Destroyers of knowledge had to be eradicated. Ignorance had to be...

"Advance scouts out!"

John was rudely shaken from his inner thoughts by Deslock's orders. That one in particular may make an important weapon at some point in the future. But now, it was better to play the peon.

He walked towards the wilderness ahead, lost in his own thoughts.

 

[ThePuzzldPirate]

Rhee took out her compass and found her position while replacing a piece of paper that was in the lid with a fresh one. With that being done, She quickly caught up with Kadeam before he traveled in to deep.

"Hi, me go?"

 

[MintyNinja]

By the time that the majority of the supplies had been brought to what they hoped was a dry spot, Rokya had finished setting up the large tent. With the help of a sailor or two they gathered all the food and drinks into the one tent. Congratulating themselves on a job well done the three of them popped the top off of a cracked bottle of rum and took a well deserved break.

Filling his wineskin before passing the bottle to the other two, Rokya sipped slowly as he glanced a large form passing by the tent. With sudden inspiration he took a large loaf of not too moldy bread and followed the new orc into the wilderness.

 

[Sporky111]

Kadeam looked over his shoulder as he heard someone following him. He raised an eyebrow as he saw the human woman. Yes he'd seen her around on many occasions, as one is bound to while spending a long period of time on a small vessel. But he still wasn't sure if she was unable to speak correctly or if she was just not fluent in their language. She certainly wasn't stupid, as his original thought was.

"Umm . . . yes, you can come along." he said to her, slowing his speech marginally. The ice elf didn't wait up though, as he immediately started walking into the jungle the same direction he had intended. He wasn't really planning any direction, but he didn't much want to meander aimlessly through the foliage and get lost.

It was a surprisingly short walk before they heard water gurgling ahead. Kadeam stepped out of the jungle and onto the rocks, making his way towards the creek. He dipped his hands in the water and splashed it over his sweaty face, then cupped his hands and took a small sip. It looked clear, it didn't taste unhealthy from what he could tell. It might be a good spot for a camp.

"What do you think of this?" he asked his companion, unsure of the kind of answer he should expect.

 

[ThePuzzldPirate]

Rhee slipped off her thick gloves before washing and taking a sip herself, her eyes focused on the surrounding area. She did find smaller game trails that went to and trough the creek which did ease her a bit.

"Good...hot...heat be safe," she said in a nod, "find...open, off beach be good too."

 

[Sporky111]

For a moment Kadeam just looked at her blankly, trying to figure out what she said. "Good", I understand that. "Heat be safe"? Maybe for her . . .

He glanced up and down the river, musing about whether or not she had the same trouble understanding him. Then he realized what she meant at the end. Find opening, and a beach. Right, can't set up camp on rocks like these.

"Hmm . . . upstream or downstream?" he asked, almost rhetorically. He looked at the ground again and noticed a lot of the wildlife footprints seemed to be moving upstream.

Works for them, works for us. he figured, then looked at Rhee and pointed upstream. "Good?" he asked, starting to walk in the direction he pointed.

 

[Zemalac]

Deslock was happy. It was an unusual feeling, especially after the last few weeks of the voyage. He'd shouted "Scouts out" and the scouts had gone out. He'd shouted "Tents up" and the tents had gone up. He'd shouted "Who's getting us food?" and someone had handed him a sandwich. The sandwich was mostly hardtack, admittedly, but there was fresh fish in there too, and to him it tasted like success.

"This'll just be temporary," he was saying, "we'll set up a good palisade around the actual camp..."

And then the flare went up. A bright speck of light shot from the trees to the north and burst in a cloud of green light. Deslock squinted at it.

"Did we send anyone out with fireworks?" he asked rhetorically. "Looks like magic. Someone go take a look. Multiple someones. Armed. Either someone is signaling to all their friends that we're easy pickings, or one of the scouts found something. Either way..."

 

[Bluedemon322]

John is startled from his thoughts by a green explosion in the sky directly to his north. He instinctively pulls out his emberlock and carefully walks toward the north, determined not to be ambushed by whatever the green flare may have been signaling.

What in the hell was capable of sending a flare out here?

 

[Zemalac]

The Doctor shot his attention toward the flare. He didn't think a scout had headed out in that direction, but maybe one circled around and found something interesting.

Which reminded him. He really ought to get out there before everyone else to scout out a nice place to set up his station, before the rest of the Expedition claimed all the good vantage points.

Deslock noticed Nexaddo walking into the forest just after the last moment in which he would have been able to stop the Doctor from leaving. "Wait," said the Explorer, "I said 'multiple armed people,' not 'the Doctor, alone.' Why's he going out?"

_____________________​

John Piercefield didn't get very far before he found an X carved into the trunk of a tree. Fresh, too, and at about waist height. Not far away was another X, and beyond that another. He moved forward carefully, pistol at the ready, eyes peeled for any sign of whoever had left the marks, and was thus entirely unprepared for the Doctor's appearance at his elbow.

"Wonderful!" said the gnome, causing John to start. The Doctor waved his hunting knife, with which he'd been marking the trees. "A second pair of eyes. Good to see you."

After a short, confused conversation in which they sorted out that John had been following the Doctor's marks on the trees and that yes, despite that the Doctor had somehow gotten behind John, they proceeded towards the flare.

When they broke from the trees the first thing they noticed was the cliffs. They loomed over this side of the bay like a fortress, dividing the land and the sea with all the abrupt solidity of a castle wall.

The second thing they noticed was the stairs.

The third thing was only noticed by the Doctor.

And the fourth was only noticed by John.

 

[Shapsters]

Derlan had been lingering on the beach. The word linger here is used rather loosely as most people would not describe rolling around in sand for 5 minutes as 'lingering'.

Upon seeing the flare he jumped up, his eyes were wide with wonder.

"I said 'multiple armed people,' not 'the Doctor, alone.' Why's he going out?"

"I'll keep an eye on him!" Derlan declared, going into a sprint and quickly making ground on the doctors small steps.

 

[Yorgmiester]

Prithis finished the final step and gazed proudly up at his handiwork, a massive stone staircase arching up from where he stood to the top of the cliffs above. A bridge to The Unknown Continent. Forged from the very rock beneath it. As much a part of the land as any boulder or cliff face they would find, and conveniently manicured for the comfort of humanoid trespassing. He felt for a moment a pang of guilt; for allowing all these hairless imps into such a beautifully primordial world; but the feeling passed with the aspect of finally being able to explore this place fully.

Prithis said to himself as he heard someone approaching. Presently Doctor Nexaddo and the blandish human known as 'John' appeared through the trees, and stopped to stare. Derlan was close behind them. Prithis stood and grinned at them, then waved his arms in a sweeping fashion towards the staircase.

"Brij to world! Magik is best! Haha!"