Unspeakable Journeys

[gwangi32]

No problem with the equipment addons. Thanks for your patience.

 

The group leaves as planned. Until you are actually at the mound the plan works quite well. The mound is a man made hill it rises about 100 feet above the river floodplain. Unlike most of the area there are no fields planted within miles of the mound. You follow a trail through the brush and trees. The snow and ice and leafless trees, the overcast sky, make the trip grey and gloomy.

 

You arrive at the camp at the base of the mound. Three tents have been set up. Large field tents from WWI, twenty or so people are there. Waiting for you it seems. Arthur doesn't seem at all surprised but this was never discussed.

 

A tall, athletically built man approaches Arthur as your group enters the camp site. "I've set up the gateway and I'll be assigning five men to this station. You will be well supported if you have need. An emergency signal can be sent from here that will get to me anywhere." The man smiles and continues, "Good luck!" He turns to the whole group and says, "Good luck to all of you." Not waiting any longer the man and the majority of the people depart the way you just entered.

 

The exploration party enters the center tent of the three and finds it to be warm. Here you shift out of winter coats and into all of your explorer gear. At the back of the tent is a tunnel excavated into the mound.

 

"Well shall we get going?" says Arthur.

 

I've attached a rough site map. The blue trail goes back to Arthur's home. I pause here in case you have questions.

[gwangi32]

The journey from the Mound Basecamp to the Jungle Campsite takes about an hour. It is a surreal but comfortable walk. Only a slight tingle in the darkness of the tunnel indicated anything had changed until you wlked out of a cave and looked out on a new world. Jungle Campsite is not in the jungle which fills the valleys and ravines of the stange world you look upon. Instead there are small plateau formations, mesas which rise up over the trees and they are relatively dry and free of large trees. Your camp is divided into four areas. Five tents for sleeping, one for eating, two for working and an area for showers and such. Apparently there is a fair amount of money involved as all of the equipent is high quality.

 

"The current diurnal-nocturnal cycle is roughly 13 hours and 12 hours respectively," says the camp boss, Goodrich Furse, after introductions. Dr. Furse is a scientist with the SEFR, a philanthropic research group. "I'll be gathering data here as you do your esoteric search. And I may provide some assistance."

 

You settle in, changing in to clothing specific for the climate and getting a quick brief from Grange Carson, the "Great White Hunter" assigned to camp protection. "We've seen some big fella's off in the thick trees and a couple flying things of note. Keep a pistol and knife with ya always and don't leave camp without your rifle."

 

The evening routine is to eat, clean dishes and share stories. You awaken to a chilly morning and clear skys. All of the areas between the palteaus is filled with fog. "It has never covered the plateau but that must be seasonal," says Dr. Furse. The fog lifts not long after breakfast. You can go on a scout into the valleys or on the plateau, look into the work tent for research, or go talk to one of the fifteen people besides yourself at the camp.

[Outkast Samurai]

Ray scans out over the valley and ponders scouting about a bit. "Better get a better sight of what is really out here," he mumbles to himself seeking out Grange Carson.

"Grange," Ray says smiling to the hunter. "Can you tell me a bit more about what kind of creatures you've seen here. I like to know a bit about my environment before starting any 'dig'. At least that way it narrows down the list of unexpected."

[Unglef]

When they first get to the camp, Toth is much impressed. He comments to his companions that he did not expect everything to be so well planned. He spends most of the evening at the camp cleaning and oiling his weapons, and making sure that all his gear is in working order. In the morning, he spots Ray and Carson speaking and walks over. He hears Ray inquiring about the local fauna and stops, an interested look on his face.

 

"By all means sir," he says. "Tell us what we shall be facing."

[gwangi32]

Grange Carson smiles and sips from a cup of coffee. "Ay yes I kin tell you of the few I've seen so far as will be a worry. They seem to be big flightless birds. And I do mean big fellows. They hunt two legged lizards about the size of a deer. One of the scientists says these beasties are like dinosaurs. Though I never heard of lizards with feathers." He pauses to sip coffee again. And then there are some people out there. We haven't made contact but just stared mean at each other so far. They look pretty healthy and have some nice looking weapons of steel, not the normal primitive natives. So far that's what we've got but you can hear alot more going on in the valleys. Nothing much has come after us up here but we've seen some big flying beasties in the distance."

[Unglef]

Toth listens intently as the man describes the dangers. He is silent for several moments as he considers the information, a look of concentration on his face. "And how far out from the camp have you explored so far?" he finally asks.

[gwangi32]

"Well now I've been five or more miles in each direction, mainly in the valley bottoms. Out toward the west the hills we are in fade into a plain the runs toward a sea or real big lake. I didn't get to close to the shoreline, the beasts get big in that direction. (On arrival you noticed that there is a diurnal/nocturnal cycle very similar to earth with a compass showing north the same as home you are well oriented for directions.)

[Unglef]

"Well, I'd like to go and explore that plateau. Perhaps we can see something interesting from up there," Toth says. "If no one has any objections, I'll go get my gear and meet you back here in a bit."

[Outkast Samurai]

"No objection at all," Ray says looking to Toth. "I do think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to tag along though. Each set of eyes increases the chance of catching anything of importance."

[Unglef]

"You're right, Ray," Toth says. "Another person also increases the chance that at least one person won't be eaten by a giant mutant lizard-bird."

 

He goes back to his tent, checks the load in his shotgun and pistol, pockets a few extra rounds for each, shoulders his pack, and heads back to where the others are.

[gwangi32]

You leave the bustle of the camp behind rapidly. The tops of the mesas are not flat and you find the going a bit rough. That is until you find a worn pathway. Many feet have used it and there in the dust you see a very human footprint. This path runs at right angles to the direction you were heading. You can push on toward a high point on the plateau or you can follow the trail either in the direction of the footprints (one set) or in the opposite direction.

[Unglef]

"What does anyone else think? I would like to continue on the way we're going. I do not think it would be a good idea to meet whatever these footprints belong to until we get a good look from up there," Toth says.

[gwangi32]

As you stand contemplating the footpath you here gunfire erupt behind you, in the direction of camp. It sounds as if a battle is being fought. You are approximately a mile from camp about fifteen minutes at a run or thirty minutes if you walk carefully. You can ignore the gunfire and continue on as well.

[Unglef]

At the sound of the gunfire, Toth immediately brings his shotgun up to firing position and takes one step off the path to his left. He then turns toward the firing and drops to one knee. All of this seems to be one smooth motion as old reflexes slam themselves forward in his brain and take control of his actions. He is no longer thinking as a federal agent on an investigation, he is now a WWI Marine Sergeant. he swings his weapon in a 180 degree arc, looking for a target. Not seeing one, he then realizes that the fire is not directed at him, but at a distant target.

 

"The camp," he mutters under his breath, as he rises to his feet. "Ray! Take position ten feet behind me, on my left flank. I hope you're in shape, soldier, because we're gonna quick-time it back to the camp and help those people! Move!" Toth shouts orders at Ray as if they are somewhere in Belgium facing a German attack. Then he begins to run, not looking back to see if Ray is following him.

[gwangi32]

It's been awhile, we had some family issues to deal with and a sickness.

 

Before you are half way there you sense something in the woods between you and the camp. It makes you feel sick in the pit of your stomach. Half glimpsed through the trees you see a figure, humanoid but not human. It wasn't looking at you but the short time you could see it shook your sanity. Stopped in the trees, only the sounds of gunfire come to your ears. You are alone, save some monstrous hairy thing, moving between you and the camp. Shaking your head and taking a hard grip on the rifle you come back to yourself. Now what? you think.