Hilda charged through the gate, as Kaspar hurried to catch up with her. As usual with the Tauri Stargate, it seemed to impart a bit of extra momentum to travelers, so Hilda came flying out the other side. Almost expecting it, though, she managed to stay on her feet running until she came up against the MALP.

Kaspar's 'creaky old bones' didn't fare so well, and the gate seemed to throw him out the other side, sending him sprawling and tumbling away from the gate.

The platform on which the stargate sat was only one step above the ground, though it was always possible that there was more to it that had become buried under the centuries of weather.

There was no visible threat, and nothing seemed to have changed from the pictures. The DHD was still there, set in the middle of a yellow brick road that led all the way up to the gate platform, splitting around the DHD, probably indicating that the road had been built long after the gate had been placed here.

FRED and Vasandra come through. The vehicle has a bit more speed, and Vasandra has to jump off the one step to keep from stumbling.

Gavin, at a more sedate pace to match FRED, must have made a misstep, led with his left foot instead of his right... or whatever, but he comes through as if pushed from behind, and goes tumbling to the ground as well.

While not the first to enter, or leave, the gate Vasandra is none the less the first to react to the new world on which she finds herself.  Settling her stride after a few quick steps the likes of which any dancer would be proud given the sudden and surprising acceleration from the slightly out of tune gate she reverts the FRED to a stationary waiting setting rather than it's automatic forward travel necessary to traverse the gate separately from the remote.  With the potential crisis of a multi ton cargo vehicle driving over some important person or object averted she takes a moment to make a brief manual inspection of the DHD.

”It looks like the MALP's analysis of the DHD matches with it's apparent condition, I will test dial it once we break the connection to the SGC to ensure it is working correctly but everything looks right.”

Coming through last, Gavin was expecting the worse, but that just turned out to be getting 'pushed' from behhind that sent him sprawling on the ground, mostly because he didn't see that first (and only) step until the last moment. As he quickly got to his feet, he looked around, didn't see any immediate threat, and just shrugged.

He saw Vasandra examining the DHD, and walked over to it as well.

"I believe our first priority is to secure the perimeter," he suggested to her, but he touched one of the 'buttons' on the device. If it lit up, that meant it had power, which was the first concern.

He was also looking around, particularly behind the stargate, since that was often a 'blind spot'.

Hilda laughed as she hurtled out of the gate and ran into the MALP. The Midgard Stargate might be out of alignment and dangerous, but that didn't mean she couldn't try to enjoy it. Having been thrown off a horse, pushed by a cow, and tripped by a pig, the Cimmerian was used to the rough-and-tumble.

She'd already moved far enough way from Vasandra and her precious FRED that she didn't have to worry about them running up behind her. Eagle-eyed and with bow raised, Hilda quickly scanned the area for any sign of danger, but found nothing immediate. Exiting a Stargate always left one vulnerable to ambush.

She went over to Kaspar and helped the elder to his feet. 'It is quite a ride, já?' She remembered the vision of the glittering blue tunnel through the stars, the wormhole or the branches of Yggdrasil. It was a mystical experience, to see the whole cosmos spread around you.

Using her radio, she called back to the SGC before the puddle faded away. 'We have arrived safely on Oz. May Thor grant us courage.'


OOC: Listen 13, Spot 25 (rolled a 20)
09:52, Today: Hilda rolled 13 using 1d20+5. listen.
09:51, Today: Hilda rolled 25 using 1d20+5. spot.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:07, Mon 09 Dec 2013.

Once SGC got Hilda's report, they went ahead and shut down the gate, presumably to allow other teams to return.

After helping Kaspar up, Hilda scouted around the area, listening and looking for anything suspicious.

Her first impression was that it was unnaturally still and quiet, but soon after the gate shut down, she could hear the birds and insects again. The gate activation had made sufficient sound, light or perhaps other energies to 'warn' the wildlife. It was like they'd been holding their breath waiting for something to happen.

There were no signs of footprints or scat anywhere around the stargate or on the yellow brick road. What she did find odd was that there were no weeds growing on the road. She could understand that the bricks were so tightly packed together that no dirt or weeds could get in, but it was fairly neat along the edges, too.

The grass in the area didn't seem to grow very high.

It was only after she made these observations that something else caught her eye: the very thing she'd wondered at the absence--weeds in the road. About 50 yards ahead, she spotted what appeared to be grass in the middle of the road. She had to move a bit closer to get a good look, but finally saw that their was a break in the road! It was a small crack that ran all the way across the road. The road past the break looked to be a 1/2 inch lower.

Hilda had another look around the horizon, then reported to her fellows 'It looks all clear.' The return of birdsong was a relief to the Cimmerian.

She began circling the Stargate, where the yellow brick road ringed it and the grassland beyond, staying ahead of the team. Keeping her eyes down, she looked for tracks and other spoor, anything to tell if people or animals had been moving around here. The hard brick road itself gave her few signs, but she had other ways of reading that. It seemed well cared for, the bricks kept together, no weeds between the bricks or at the edges, at least until she got to the crack running across it. What did that mean? 'Earthquake or subsidence, maybe. I don't think anyone's been here in a while.'

Testing the DHD as promised Vasandra reconnects to earth for the expected systems check offering a rather standardized radio broadcast once the gate is connected to ensure a minimum of confusion.

”SGC, The DHD works properly.”

With the last of the mission prep tasks on the checklist completed Vasandra turns her attention at last to the landscape the others have been inspecting for some time and comes quickly to the same conclusion they must have all made by now.

”Given the lack of available cover we may as well take advantage of the road, even though it is very likely to evolve into some sort of trap at least we will have some idea of where such a trap will be approaching from, until that happens however it may be wise to have the FRED follow along behind as it may spook any natives, particularly if they are unable to maintain the road.”.

"Hilda and Kaspar seem to have secured the perimeter," Gavin comments to Vasandra, as the two of them remain by the DHD for the moment.

When she activates the gate to verify its working status, he adds, "We can send the MALP back now. Its initial recon is done."

He also extracts his radiation sensor that came with his bundle. The MALP had detected faint radiation coming from the road, so he decided he'd check. He'd probably need to check for awhile as they moved along the road, in case the radiation started to increase.

"It does seem as if the road should lead somewhere, whether it's to the temple or not. I suppose it could lead nowhere. Any thoughts on who the road builders might be?"

"And I was worried about you!" Kaspar said, as Hilda helped him back to his feet and the gate shut down.

"I notice the road goes around the gate platform, here.  Does the road continue on, on the other side of the gate, or does it end here?  Or start here, for that matter!" Kaspar says with a grin -- in an accent that sounds much like all the Americans back at the SGC.

When Hilda reports about the 'crack' in the roadway, Kaspar heads that way.

"Does the crack run straight, or is it jagged?" he asks as he approaches, "Is there a gap between the bricks, or just the height difference?"

"It may just be simple ground subsidence, but it could also represent the edge of an energy barrier, or something like that, so be careful."

Hilda laughed and whacked Kaspar on the back, hard. 'If the Stargate is to spit me out, I should already be jumping in the air, já? I jump, so I am ready to land. You walk, so you fall.'

As Kaspar asked a lot of questions, she simply pointed for him to look for himself. When he suggested there might be some kind of energy barrier, she shrugged and scooped up a clod of earth and grass, then tossed it across the crack in the road.

Upon reaching the crack in the road, Hilda threw some loose dirt across the crack to see if there was some sort of energy field there. The dirt did not encounter anything.

The crack appears to be about a quarter inch wide, and, looking around, it can be seen that the crack in the ground continues off to the left and right. It looks like it goes maybe 100 feet to the left, and disappears into the woods on the right. It gets wider as it goes on the right, creating a gap in the trees.

Through the gap, maybe three- to four-hundred yards, buildings can be discerned.

Via binoculars, the temple, still a mile away, appears to be made of red bricks. The architecture doesn't match any known architecture from Earth. Some of the bricks are in unusual shapes... cylinders, half-circles, triangles and many shaped as animals or figures.


Gavin easily picks up the radiation from the road, and almost as easily identifies it as naquadah.

"Hmm. I suppose this could just be normal geological fault activity." Kaspar says, digging out his digital camera and taking a series of shots of the 'crack', starting from the left, crossing the road, then as it widens to the right.  The final couple of shots are of the buildings which can be seen through the trees.

"Okay, I know the mission is to investigate the so-called temple, but does anyone remember any mention in the briefing about those buildings in the woods, there?  Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember a mention of them."

Following along behind the others with the FRED Vasandra stops it well short of the crack in the road, not inclined to add more pressure to the situation than necessary without some investigation, and continues forward to share Kaspar's viewpoint on the crack through the forest.

”Nothing leaps to mind, if the buildings are overgrown and covered by the forest canopy it may be very hard to spot them without this particular vantage point.  We should not assume that such a conveniently located crack is purely accidental, for all we know it was caused by something in the buildings.  No matter how you look at it we really need to take a look at whatever they are before we move on, we can't really afford to leave something that unknown between us and the Stargate.”

"Exactly what I was thinking, Captain." Kaspar nodded to Vasandra, putting away his camera, and taking out his binoculars.

"Those buildings are closer than the temple.  Also, if we went straight to the temple. those buildings, and anything they may house, will be between us and the gate." Kaspar said, looking over the buildings through his binoculars.

"Can anyone tell if these buildings share any qualities with the temple?  Are those walls brick, like those of the temple?"

Kaspar lowers his binoculars, and turns his attention to the golden brick road.

"The terrain rolls a little bit, here.  This road looks like it heads towards the temple, but we can't actually see it arrive there, from here.  It could swing off and make its way around to those buildings.  Maybe.  However, it looks to be a shorter trip if we just cut through the forrest, here."

"Hilda?  What do you think? Should we approach on both sides of this little ravine..." Kaspar indicates the crack in the ground, "...and I point out that it appears to get wider as it gets nearer the buildings -- or should we all stay together on one side of the gap?  What's your thinking?"

'The MALP did not see these buildings, it did not roll far enough down the road to see this crack.' Hilda said, producing her binoculars and watching both the buildings to the side and the temple ahead, and also scanning over the surrounding landscape, trying to discern the lay of the land.

'Our mission is not just to study the temple. It is to find the people who live here and learn what kind of people they are. We should go there first, learn what rules they have on the temple. I do not want to trespass on holy ground.' she reflected.

'The road is long and open, and where we don't know where it goes.' She pointed to the ravine and cleft in the forest. 'This way is closer, we know where it goes, and may hide in the forest if we do not like the look of these people... But the FRED cannot follow, can it? It would have to go down the road.' Hilda asked, looking to Vasandra for an explanation and feeling the horseless cart was more trouble than it was worth.

She took out her magnetic compass and made some notes, following the Tau'ri practice of orienteering as she worked out their position and direction. But she was starting to feel hopelessly lost already.


OOC: Survival (forest) for navigation: 8, rolled a 1
13:54, Today: Hilda rolled 8 using 1d20+7. survival - forest.
Apparently that's an automatic failure, even if the DC could well be low enough for a success. That also risks a critical failure. Or I could just play it safe and Take 10 for 17.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:08, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

The yellow brick road didn't actually go around the stargate--it started (or ended) at the stargate foundation, but it did go around the DHD.

It would have required a bit of elevation that the MALP didn't have in order to see the crack in the road or to tell that the road didn't go in a straight line. It appeared to go in the general direction of the temple but curved around to the right around the edge of the forest, so it might possibly lead to the buildings.


The crevasse widened to maybe 3-4 feet at the far end near the buildings, with as much as 15" difference in height. The side to the left was lower.

Through the binoculars, at least two separate buildings can be seen. One seemed to be right in line with the crack, which appears to have caused a large gap in the building's side. Just to the right of that building is a corner of a second building. The buildings appear to be made of stone and timber, with thatched roofs.


Hilda quickly discovers that standing on the road affects her compass adversely. once she steps off the road and moves at least 3 feet away, it works normally.

Hilda watched her compass go wild, then stepped off the yellow brick road to see it settle down. 'This road contains lodestone.' she reported, puzzled to find that much lodestone buried under the yellow bricks. Feeling unable to rely on it, she exchanged it for her inertial compass. Standing at the DHD, she calibrated it to that location.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:17, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

"I'm still detecting the radiation that the MALP did," Gavin tells the others. "It is definitely coming from the road. I believe it's coming from a trace of naquadah in the bricks. That probably means naquadah is present on this planet."

"On the other hand, it's always possible that the bricks came from off-world."

He looks back at the road that leads either to or from the stargate.

"We should look for any deposits of yellow clay."

He smiled a bit at the slight paranoia that the others seemed to display. While hostile natives and ambushes were possible, there had been no indication anything like that was likely here.

"Kaspar, you should take a sample of the bricks while we've got the opportunity now. We might not have the time upon our exit," he suggested to the major.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:24, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

”We can just as easily park the FRED right in the middle of the road or conceal it a bit inside the tree line, there seems to be little enough traffic here that it is unlikely to make any difference.

Even if someone does come along and try to figure it out all the dangerous parts are locked away and it would give us a fairly good clue as to who lives here.”

Kaspar made an 'A-ha!' face, and proceeded to dig out his 'Evidence Kit'.

"Excellent idea, Gavin." Kaspar said, pulling on a pair of latex gloves, "And since the road bricks are aleady slightly damaged here, at the crack in the road, this is where I'll take my samples."

Kaspar produced a small hammer and a plastic sample bag from the kit, and started chipping off gravel-sized pieces of the brick from the higher-edge of the crack in the road.  Once he had a few ounces worth of sample, he sealed the bag, removed the latex gloves and shoved them in a pocket, then took a photo of the change/damage he'd done to the brickwork.  Then he carefully labelled and stored away the samples.

"Alright, then, here's how I believe we should proceed." Kaspar finally said, producing his pipe and pouch, and proceeding to fill the pipe while talking.

"The FRED stays right here.  We, as a single group, follow this fault-like terrain feature, staying on this, the left-side, or gate-side, if you will.  We will follow the feature towards those buildings in the woods, approaching cautiously, but not so stealthily that we would look suspicious or, God forbid, even dangerous, if we're spotted.  We will re-assess once we arrive at the buildings and determine if they are inhabited, or not."

Kaspar produces a pocket lighter and fires up his pipe.

"Any questions or suggestions?" Kaspar asks, clamping down his jaw on his pipe, and re-adjusting the hang of his P90 on his tac-vest.

"I believe you mean the 'right side' of the crevasse," Gavin points out, "as that's the side on which the gate lies."

"What approach do you want us to use, Kaspar?" asks Gavin. "Single file, two-by-two or skirmish line?"

Single file would be a nightmare in the making. Either Hilda or Kaspar should take the lead and the other bring up the rear. The problem with that, neither of them would want to be at the back. Neither of them should be either.

"I'll bring up the rear," he offered, even though he didn't have any scouting skills.

'That's a lot of bricks.' Hilda said, looking down the length of the yellow brick road as Gavin wondered if they came from off-world.

Leaving the FRED here by the Gate made it seem hardly worth bringing it along, Hilda thought, but didn't question the dark elf's choice. Instead, she fished a few things out of her backpack that she'd rather bring with her. At a stern look from Vasandra, she made sure it was strapped down tight again afterwards.

She listened as Kaspar and Gavin talked about how to approach, not particular concerned as Cimmerians didn't really go for that kind of fine detail in tactics. There was only one requirement for her. 'I'll walk in front. It'll save your big boots stepping on tracks.'

With that, Hilda started walking along the right side of the crevasse, letting the others follow as they will. Following the split, she imagined mighty Thor slamming his hammer into the earth, sending great cracks out in all directions. What had the people of this world done to offend the gods?


OOC: Use Track to find trails along the crevasse: Track (forest) 21
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:13, Thu 12 Dec 2013.

About half way to the buildings, Hilda spots an old animal trail. She guesses it was used by animals to cross the road between the two closest parts of the forest. However, it's pretty much overgrown, like it hasn't been used in years.

Just about ready to offer some advice Vasandra stops abruptly and nods in obvious satisfaction as Gavin offers the very same correction she was going to use, or near enough as it makes no difference.  Instead she busies herself with the otherwise unnecessary task of positioning the FRED perpendicular to the road with it's rear wheels just at the edge in order to facilitate a single quick turn in either direction just in case that choice needs to be made quickly when they return.

Hilda's demonstration of a learning curve acquires little more from her glare than a mild admonishment and an almost paranoid double check of all the fastening points as the group begins to head out.  Unburdened by any personal gear Vasandra quickly catches up and makes her way through the forest with the almost overly cautious precision of someone unfamiliar with difficult terrain, but not incapable of dealing with it.

Hilda almost didn't see it at first, it was just a faint depression running across the sea of grass. But she approached and parted the blades, seeing the line of pale, trampled-down grass that did not grow as high as the rest. But even that was growing up again. She didn't know how fast or how high grass grew on this world; it wasn't very high. She drew her survival knife and dug around a little among the stalks. 'Animal trail. Maybe the size of a wolf or small warg.' she reported. 'But few animals that big have come this way for years. I hear birds in the trees though.' Hilda was growing puzzled over the tracks and land-use around here: 'No big animals, no footprints of people. Someone keeps the road free of weeds, but they did not fix the crack... The animals could be scared off by people, I suppose, but the people don't wander much around the Stargate. They must keep to the road.'

"The road probably has a device built into it to keep itself clear." Kaspar says to Hilda, checking his pipe, "Though obviously it can't repair itself, the road seems to be able to keep itself clear and free of weeds.  The presence of naquada in the bricks sort of indicates this, though how it works I don't know. Our friends the Asgard are always putting technology into stone monuments, they might have an idea."

Kaspar puffed on his pipe, to get it going, again,

"However, that observation about lack of use supports what we see ahead -- that one building looks like it was damaged when this rift in the ground occurred, and it is not yet fixed.  However, this rift looks to have happened some time ago, though I am no Geologist. No, I think that we'll find these building abandoned; if someone lived here, they'd have tried to fix the building."

"But I could be wrong." Kaspar smiles, puffing on his pipe, "So let's continue with caution, shall we?."

Hilda accepted Kaspar's explanation with a shrug, not sure how the road weeded itself nor why, but taking it on faith for now.

'Or they were unable to fix the building. No time, no stone, no coin, or maybe no-one knows how any more.' Hilda suggested, looking ahead to the hole in the stone wall. Reminded of her own ruin, she muttered 'I never did rebuild my house.'

As they followed the line of the crevasse, approaching where it widened, Hilda peered inside, trying to discern how overgrown it was. If it had been there a long time, she'd expect it to be full of plants. If it was fresh, it would be all bare dirt and exposed roots.

When Hilda examines the crevasse, she sees mostly dirt and roots. There are a few sporadic weeds growing in there, but the exposed dirt appears to be dry. Not being that familiar with weeds, particular ones in alien soil, she has no idea how fast they might grow, but she thinks the crevasse may have occurred as recently as 2-3 days ago... probably not longer than a week.

Continuing on through the woods, the team comes within sight of the buildings such that they still have cover from a tree or two but can see pretty much the whole village. 'Village' may be too strong a word, as they see only 20-30 buildings.

The one directly in front of them has the crevasse running through the foundation. The wall has a significant split in it, as does the interior walls and the opposite wall. Some of the stone has fallen down, and the walls look ready to collapse at any moment.

Through the gap, other damaged buildings can be seen.

At first, there's no sign of life, but Hilda spots a bit of movement near one of the other buildings. As she watches, the movement resolves itself into a cat. It has the size and appearance of a normal house cat as it steps gingerly through the rubble.

Kaspar first looks around as they reach the edge of the village, or compound, or whatever this grouping of buildings may be, then he takes out his camera and snaps several shots of the buildings that can be seen from here.

"Okay, I change my assessment." Kaspar says quietly, as he puts his camera away, "The rift in the ground looks pretty fresh, here; hardly overgrown at all.  And the buildings, except for these damged by the rift, don't look too run down.  If they are abandoned, they may not have been for too long."

Kaspar pauses and frowns in thought, puffing away on his pipe, then turns to Gavin and Vasandra.

"Captain Tourmaline, Mister Gavin, I don't suppose either of you are familiar with any kind of weaponry that might leave something like this..." Kaspar indicates the rift in the ground, "I know it looks like minor fault-line shifting, a natural landquake, perhaps.  But could it be some trace of an attack, with some weapon we Terrans...sorry, I mean Tau'ri may be unaware of?"

"Of course," Kaspar continues thinking out loud, before either person can answer, "If this is evidence of some weaponry, we might also only be at the outer edges of the effect.  Perhaps it would be wise to continue following this rift into the site, as it appears the damage does continue on beyond this first building."

Taking her first close look at the rift and the level of damage caused around it and by it when the question is directly put forth Vasandra ponders for a few moments before offering something like a considered opinion.

”Any weapon with the kind of power needed to do this as part of a long range delivered payload would have left an enormous blast at it's epicenter along with quite a lot of thrown debris from that point, given how recent this is I would expect to see some indication of a blast or impact of that magnitude scattered over everything, possibly still precipitating out of the atmosphere.

I find it far more likely that this is the result of some carelessly constructed underground tunnel that has collapsed, or that it is in fact evidence of a natural disaster of some sort.”

Hilda climbed down into the crevasse to poke around, turning over a little soil with her knife. No weeds or grasses taking root, but she couldn't say how long that might take on this world. On Cimmeria, the trees grew very fast, with a small tree growing in a year; they were forever clearing the land around the Stargate. On this world, plants could well grow very slowly. No, it was the wild-life that told Hilda the date. The fresh soil was covered in fresh bird-prints. Soon after the soil had been exposed, they'd flown down from the trees to peck for worms, beetles, and grubs, left helplessly on or just below the new surface. 'Look at the bird-prints. This happened only a few days ago.' she pointed out, marvelling at the extraordinarily close timing of this event and them arriving in its aftermath.

'Maybe Thor slammed his hammer into the earth?' Hilda suggested as Kaspar and Vasandra discussed how the crack could have been made. Somehow, she didn't think her theory would be accepted.

Her attention was taken by the cat picking its way over the rubble. 'Well, there is something here.' she said, pointing to it.

'Should I go scout the village out before we walk in?'

"Yes, please, Miss Hilda, let's continue on." Kaspar says, "Keep a look out for a central gathering place, a plaza or maybe a communal well.  That, or a headman's house; a structure that's a little more ornate than the others."

Kaspar let Hilda take the lead, following at a sedate pace, a handful of meters behind her.

'Já, I know how a village is laid out.' Hilda returned, a little irritably, aware that the Tau'ri often lived clustered together in great hives like ants, far unlike what she was used to on her world. Though her people built more in wood than in stone, this village was the most familiar thing she'd seen since leaving Cimmeria. She felt she had a good feel for it.

Walking quickly ahead some distance, she ventured down into the village, but the cleared land around the settlement gave her little cover. If she was seen, she was seen, there was no helping it. Her path took her up to the building split in two. She intended to look inside, but would not dare enter the precarious ruins.


OOC: Moving stealthily up to the split building:
14:11, Today: Hilda rolled 11 using 1d20+6. hide.
14:10, Today: Hilda rolled 9 using 1d20+6. move silently.

Hilda has no problem reaching the building with the split, though she has no way of knowing if someone spotted her or not. She certainly doesn't get any 'vibe' as if she's being watched.

She peers inside first from one angle and then the other. Except for the rubble on the floor, it almost looks normal. To one side, she can see a carpet on the floor with a table and four chairs on top of it. To the other side, she can see that an interior wall has collapsed onto a bed, breaking the frame at the base. The bed still has bedcovers on it, along with dust and debris.

She even notices some footprints in the dust: human-like and sized, wearing boots or shoes. She can't be sure, but it looks like the footprints of just one person.

After circling around the building, she gets a sense of layout of the village. It was built in an 'L'-shape. One leg extends off to her right, and the other is straight ahead. She can see one building in the crook of the 'L' that is angled, and it looks a bit larger and fancier than the others.

Down to her right, she can see two buildings that were next to each other where the neighboring walls have collapsed. Another one's roof is missing.

Straight ahead, she can see that the crevasse isn't all that straight. It shifted to the left and cut through seven houses on the left side of the street. Five of the houses are missing the front wall now, and the last house completely collapsed into the crevasse. Two houses on the right side of the street are missing roofs.

Off to her left, there are two buildings beyond the one with the split wall.

Finally, she can see that the street that goes left and right actually leads to the yellow brick road on the left. It's about 75 feet from the last house to the road.

She still sees no sign of life, but there's a swatch of grassy ground in front of the angled house, now split in half by the crevasse, that could possibly be a 'town square'.

Hilda walked carefully about the ruined village, noting the scenes of devastation and destruction. She was uncomfortably reminded of the flaming ruin of her own village, blasted by Jaffa staff-weapons. People's homes and livelihoods destroyed, their memories and possessions lost. Family killed. There did not seem to be any enemy here though, just an earthquake, just bad fortune from the earth or the gods.

From the outskirts, Hilda decided to radio back to the others, fiddling with the device and trying to remember how it worked. The others heard a foul Norse curse before 'Is this thing working? You hear me? Ah. The crevasse goes right through, many houses destroyed. I see a village common, and a big house, maybe of the chief. No people, but some footprints. I will look closer.' She ended the call, then came back with 'Over.'

Though the settlement seemed deserted, Hilda figured people could be hiding in the intact buildings, if they'd heard the Stargate and feared some kind of attack. So, going around the outskirts of the village, she looked in on a few streets and buildings and approached the village common, keeping an eye out for fresh footprints or people in hiding.


OOC: Track: looking for prints and signs of people in the village. I'm not sure what to roll for inside the village. I'm not trained in urban terrain, but that doesn't seem right in a primitive village. Anyway, Spot 13 (for inside buildings) and Survival (untrained) 13
10:43, Today: Hilda rolled 13 using 1d20+5. spot - tracking.
10:55, Today: Hilda rolled 13 using 1d20+6. survival - tracking.
My Survival scores were lacking some bonuses from gear and feats. I've updated them now, hence the difference from the diceroller.

Spot 22 and Listen 6 (rolled a 1) for people hiding
11:05, Today: Hilda rolled 6 using 1d20+5. listen.
11:05, Today: Hilda rolled 22 using 1d20+5. spot.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:53, Wed 18 Dec 2013.

"Acknowledged, Hilda." Kaspar transmits back, "We will move forward to the village common, while you finish your scout.  We will meet you there, when you are finished. Gorski, out."

Kaspar turns to Vasandra and Gavin.

"Okay, we'll move to this village common she's found, and wait for her. Once she returns, we will, as a group, investigate the building she thinks might be a chiefs house.  So, unless either of you happen to have some off-world tech that can scan for hidden life forms, or detect hidden weapons pointed at our heads..." Kaspar smiles, "...then let us go get comfortable on the common, and wait for Hilda."

Kaspar starts moving forward, then suddenly stops, and again addresses his two companions, this time with a slight frown.

"I mean, unless either of you actually feel the need to search out any hostiles that might be lurking in these ruins...?"

Gavin didn't consider himself rash to act, so he took a few seconds to ponder Kaspar's questions. They were looking for life, particularly advanced technology that the Tau'ri could use to fight the Goa'uld, but there were no signs about these buildings that indicated anyone here had that.

On the other hand, there might be knowledge to be had, such as where Goa'uld could be found, or when the last time any of them were here, if ever.

Technically, of course, they weren't supposed to make contact with any peoples, just assess them and report back. Contact was the function of a diplomatic team.

"We have that kind of technology on Tollani," Gavin finally replied to Kaspar, "but the Council wouldn't let it off world. So, no, I don't have any way to scan for life signs in the buildings."

"What we do in the buildings depends on what Hilda finds. I do recommend that we move closer in case Hilda runs into any... difficulty."

"It sounds like the people have fled, due to the earthquake.

Clearly still having trouble with the idea that these shacks could be considered housing suitable for permanent habitation it takes Vasandra a while to pull her attention from the train wreck of a civilization she is being confronted with back to the conversation at hand.

”I could connect to any of the dwellings internal sensors and or bring up any census logs they had stored on almost any kind of data storage device, but from the looks of the place I doubt we will find either of those here, and I did not bring anything like a portable sensor system capable of doing that on it's own.”

There's really only one street, with a bend in the middle, so to speak. She doesn't find any people hiding in any of the building, but she does find a lot of footprints. A few she finds in the houses, though most of them are in the back behind the houses. She even finds a few barefoot prints... small, though, as if they might be children.

Fortunately, she doesn't find any bodies.

Eventually she looks on the path leading to the brick road. There she finds lots of prints, including cart tracks. They all seem to be heading toward the road. She can't be absolutely sure because she doesn't really know the weather patterns around here, but she guesses the tracks are maybe three days old, possibly four.


By the time the other three members of the team reach the village common, Hilda is down the path to the road. She spots them walking to the patch of grass that the major has designated the 'village common'.

After completing her recce of the village, Hilda made her way back to the village green, the common area likely used for meetings and other gatherings. She held up a hand to hail the rest of her team, then reported 'It looks like everyone has left, few days ago. Tracks of people and carts go to the yellow road; they may be taking refuge at the temple.'

She pointed to the angled house at the corner of the L-shaped village. It was bigger and fancier than the others. 'This is the big house. Maybe it is the chief's house?'

By the time Hilda returns to the group, Kaspar has once again produced his camera, as well as a notebook, and is taking pictures and making notes on the observable architecture, community layout, and sophistication of contruction techniques -- all of which will help him make an anthropological assessment of these people.  Hopefully before they show up.

After completing her recce of the village, Hilda made her way back to the village green, the common area likely used for meetings and other gatherings. She held up a hand to hail the rest of her team, then reported 'It looks like everyone has left, few days ago. Tracks of people and carts go to the yellow road; they may be taking refuge at the temple.'

She pointed to the angled house at the corner of the L-shaped village. It was bigger and fancier than the others. 'This is the big house. Maybe it is the chief's house?'

Kaspar nods in agreement, "In a great majority of Human cultures this would be the case.  Either as an expression of the leaders ego and personal power, or as an expression of the communitys satisfaction with a great leader."

Kaspar again grinned, as he put his now-cold pipe back in his mouth, "And, of course, to impress the hell out of visitors; to show off a communitys wealth and power."

"Okay.  I know our mission is to check out the so-called temple, and discover if there are any tech artifacts laying around, but we've pretty much just found proof of habitation around here.  I don't want to deviate too much from our primary mission, but I do think that it will be to our advantage to learn about these people, before we meet them.  So, let's do a quick check of the chiefs house, here, and learn what we can.  Then we'll head back to the FRED, and make our way on towards the temple."

"Sound good?  Any suggestions?  Please understand that, while I may have been wearing a military uniform when we met, my active Army days were many, many years ago.  And even then, I was a Staff Officer; I worked in a, well, I worked inside a building.  I'm just a pudgy old university professor, now, not some military hard-ass.  I appreciate input, and listen to suggestions."

Still somewhat taken aback by the apparent tech level of the locals Vasandra offers a version of the same strategy that will save time and effort.

”I will go back to the FRED and bring it around the long way on the road, that should give the rest of you time to do an inspection here and save us a lot of wasted time.”

"I believe I am in the same boat as you, Vasandra," Gavin says to the Netjerian. "I don't believe either of us have a history that allows us to evaluate this culture, so I suggest leaving that to those two. I shall accompany you back to the FRED. It is not that I think you need protection, but there is still safety in numbers."

"Besides, it will help make me feel like I am being useful."

"With your permission, Captain, we shall go fetch the FRED."

'Or it is a god's house.' Hilda added to Kaspar after some thought, realising there were more possibilities. 'A, uh, small church, temple or shrine. Or maybe a meeting house, or an inn or tavern... I don't know. This is a bit more... advanced than my world.' she ended with a shrug, finding the opposite problem to Gavin and Vasandra.

After listening to the others speak, Hilda agreed 'It's a good plan. We should know more before we meet these people.'


OOC: What kind of tech level are we looking at here anyway? It's not clear. From the descriptions, it could even be 20th century, but we're assuming old.

The tech level appears to be early medieval, but there is also a lack of... sophistication... or perhaps a low level of prosperity.

All construction is half-timber cruck-frame, with waddle-and-daub fill. Variations include only two houses with plaster, one is raised cruck on a short stone wall, and apparently the one that collapsed into the crevasse was also raised cruck.

The fancy building has crude brick fill.

What little ornamentation there is, is crude but not bad. All the wood is hand worked, although joining of woods is mostly mortise and tenon.

The other significant thing that Hilda figures out is that the village doesn't have any significant lifestock. There are no sign of horses, no sign of cattle, chickens or hogs. She finds a few antlers on walls, indicating that some sort of deer is probably hunted. In one house, she finds the carcass of a fairly large game bird, perhaps the equivalent of a pheasant or a goose.

There also appears to be no personal effects in any of the houses. No clothes, pins or anything like the that. Furniture, however, remains.

Kaspar is jotting down notes in a journal as he responds to Vasandra and Gavin, "Hmmm.  Yes, I suppose."

Kaspar finishes his notes, and closes the book.

"Um, I mean, yes, that does sound like a better use of our time.  Just do be careful, that yellow brick road may still swing past the temple on the way here -- with all the implied dangers that come with it -- plus the people from this village went somewhere.  According to Hilda they took everything portable that could be quickly packed up, leaving only heavy items like furniture.  Those folks could still be around, even at the temple.  So be careful.  And if you run into any hostiles, fall back to the gate -- Hilda and I can always cut through the forest, here, and join you there.  Even if you have to leave the FRED behind, do not get involved in a prolonged hostile engagement."

"Hopefully it won't take Hilda and I long to search this building for clues, and we might even be able to join-up with you at the temple."

'Or it is a god's house.' Hilda added to Kaspar after some thought, realising there were more possibilities. 'A, uh, small church, temple or shrine. Or maybe a meeting house, or an inn or tavern... I don't know. This is a bit more... advanced than my world.' she ended with a shrug.

"Always a possibility." Kaspar replied, nodding towards the building, "Let's find out, shall we?"

Kaspar -- and Hilda -- head up to whatever looks like it may be the main entry, and check to see if the door will open.

With the boss' permission Vasandra leads the way back to where they parked and gets the glorified wagon rolling down the road once the remote comes into range.  Sticking to the treeline she maintains at least a little bit of cover and an easy out if things get messy.

”I imagine there is something to be said for it's natural beauty but I doubt I will ever really become accustom to the messiness of planets, it seems like such a chaotic place to live.”

'No, this street goes right to the yellow road. It's not far, only seventy-odd steps from the last house.' Hilda explained, pointing to the road. 'We can meet you at the crossroad.'

She went with Kaspar to the door of the big house, but she put an arm in front of him to stop him trying the door. 'Let me, sir.' She raised her shield to cover herself, the better to stop something thrown through the door at her. Then she knocked on the door. 'Hail! Is anyone there?'


OOC: If no livestock is present, then are there pens for animals? Did they take the animals with them?
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:17, Fri 20 Dec 2013.

There were no pens anywhere in the village. In fact, now that she thinks about it, she didn't see any signs of cultivated fields. Every house did seem to have a small cultivated garden, though.

She knocks on the door and calls out. The knock sounds a bit more hollow than normal, but perhaps that's because of the overall silence in the village.

There is no answer.

Hilda didn't wonder long about the lack of extensive farmland or food animals. It was a small village, and the people could probably sustain themselves off hunting or foraging, or maybe trade along the yellow brick road.

She waited a bit for a response, from either inside the house or from Kaspar, but all was silent. It was quite unnerving to see a village so deserted, though the chasm running through it gave a ready explanation. 'No one home.' she told Kaspar. Still taking cover behind the shield, she reached around to try the doorknob...

As Hilda tries the doorknob, she realizes that there is no lock. Of course, that doesn't mean there might not be a bar across the inside. The door swings inward, though, with little effort.

The function of this building still isn't obvious, though it is starting to look like a multi-purpose structure. There appears to be a bar at one end, with two broken kegs on racks behind the bar. However, a dozen tables have all been pushed up against the walls while the chairs have been arranged in semi-circle rows facing the bar. There is a center aisle that passes through the rows of chairs.

Just in front of the first row of chairs, a 'wagon-wheel' style chandelier lies broken on the floor.

There is one incongruity, however: off to the right of the bar, in a corner of the room, is a Christmas tree. It is a typical pine tree, about six feet tall, and it is decorated with bits of bright green and red and silver. It also has dozens of small candles on the branches. None of them are lit. There is even a white and gold star atop the tree.


((Merry Christmas, SG-X1!))

P.S. A little Christmas present for SG-X1--a map under Game Map 1!
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:36, Tue 24 Dec 2013.

Once the room seemed safe, Hilda moved in and beckoned Kaspar to follow. 'This must have been the village tavern. They probably had meetings here too, probably about whatever caused the earthquake.' she surmised, speaking in her native Norse, knowing that this Tau'ri would understand, more-or-less. They could likely communicate more easily this way.

She looked around until she saw the decorated tree, eyes widening in surprise and wonder. 'This must be their sacred tree, like the oak of Thor or Yggdrasil the World-Tree. We have a similar custom of decorating sacred trees.'

Kaspar had his camera out, again, and was snapping images in a slow circuit around the room.

"Mm-hmm." Kaspar agreed distractedly, "Veneration of sacred groves and sacred trees is found throughout the history of the Germanic peoples; noteworthy examples are the Great Oak dedicated to Donar near Hesse, Germany, the Sacred Tree at Uppsala, Norway, and even the tree trunk-like Irminsul columns of the early Saxons. Dowden notes that these are most likely later incarnations of the earlier mythic prototype of the immense world tree Yggdrasil, described in Norse mythology.  While during the Christianization of the Germanic peoples these tree-like icons were targeted for destruction by Christian missionaries, the traditions of decorating certain types of trees was adopted by them as part of the propaganda program used to convert pagans."

Kaspar suddenly stopped and lowered the camera enough that he could look over it at Hilda -- a contrite look on his face.

"Uh, no offense meant, Miss Hilda.  That was just the Professor in me, babbling on."

Kaspar again looked around,

"Could this just be a roadside inn, and the purpose of this little community is to service the needs of travellers or pilgrims going to the temple?" Kaspar frowns, "Or maybe for travellers going to and from the Stargate?  After all, the gold brick road does start there..."

Hilda looked quizzically at Kaspar. 'What offence? I like to hear of the ancestors. Maybe you should come to Cimmeria and see the spring rites at Thor's Lightning Tree. We hang sacrifices from the branches and let their blood water the earth, bringing new life to the soil.' she explained, awe in her voice at the morbid festival. 'Of course, on Cimmeria, the trees grow very fast, shooting up out of the ground to full size within the year. It is wise to appease them...' she added ominously.

'But these "Krist-chens" sound like the ettins, the Goa'uld. I hope they do not come to Cimmeria. We will fight them like we did the ettins if they try to destroy our trees.' she promised firmly.

'Could be. But then no one really lives here. The temple and village must be supported by a larger community, beyond the temple or on another world.' Hilda began poking around the building, looking in other rooms, inside cupboards, under the sacred tree, generally searching for recent signs of occupation or anything interesting left laying around. In particular, she looked behind the bar to see if there was any drink left behind.


OOC: Searching the building, looking for signs of people, anything interesting, booze.
10:18, Today: Hilda rolled 19 using 1d20+5. spot (track)
10:17, Today: Hilda rolled 10 using 1d20+3. search

I watched the two Cimmeria episodes and found the land around the Stargate bare in the first and wooded in the second. Hence the fast-growing trees. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 03:14, Sat 28 Dec 2013.

Finding a roughly FRED sized dirt road that branches off from the wider yellow brick one Vasandra just keeps on driving the big wheeled drone on into the village, seeing no reason to abandon it again at the moment.  Once she arrives at the green outside the main building she heads in to confirm the status of her most recent task in person.

”There is nothing much of interest on the yellow road at the moment, if the village used it to evacuate after whatever event caused the fissure they left no obvious signs of which direction or how far they went.”

'But these "Krist-chens" sound like the ettins, the Goa'uld. I hope they do not come to Cimmeria. We will fight them like we did the ettins if they try to destroy our trees.' Hilda promised firmly.

"Uh, yes, yes. Let's hope that that particular, uh...scourge...never comes to Cimmeria." Kaspar, a devout catholic -- but one who was familiar with the history of his religion -- responded quietly, as he assisted Hilda in her search for clues.

OOC:00:46, Fri 27 Dec 2013: Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski rolled Natural 1 using 1d20+3 (4)

After several minutes of searching, Vasandra entered the hall.

”There is nothing much of interest on the yellow road at the moment, if the village used it to evacuate after whatever event caused the fissure they left no obvious signs of which direction or how far they went.”

"Then our next destination must be the so-called temple." Kaspar responded.

After spending some time looking for signs of life inside the building, Hilda and Kaspar can't find more hints than what they found outdoor.
It is clear that there were people here some days ago. But it's also sure that they have left the village for a reason that is still unclear.

However, there are some mugs here and there with what looks like vine, some wooden plate with the the leftovers of meals that can confirm them that the people living here have had to flee quickly.

As Vassandra and Gavin joined them in the inn, they decided that they may head to the temple. It could give them more informations about the recent events that have occurred on this planet.

Hilda finished her exploration, but didn't turn up anything special, nor any good spirits. She looked up from the bar as Vasandra returned, and listened to the exchange between her and Kaspar. 'Já, they've probably gone to the temple for refuge. It's most likely. If they've gone through the Stargate to another world, we may never tell where.' Hilda didn't know much the Stargate technology. She headed outside with the others, returning to the FRED and checking her things were still there.

Gavin had walked back to the FRED with Vasandra, without saying a word. The way she handled equipment, he got the distinct impression she was more comfortable talking through a communicator. And since she probably spent a lot of time alone in a spaceship, she was really used to chatting with other people.

He stayed alert as they walked, attempting to spot any threats or other item of significance in the surrounding woods.

He was not a geologist, so he had no knowledge of earthquakes and ground fissures, but he had a hard time imagining any weapon that could have this. It wasn't the power required, for even the Tau'ri had that capability now--it was the control necessary to shift that much earth without destroying everything around it.

His observations on the road fell into a similar train of thought. The yellow bricks were not high tech, despite the presence of naquadah in them, nor was the precision indicative of high tech. Yet, the overall result was... disturbing.

He'd studied a few Earth treatises about that world's various pyramids. Even if modern knowledge could not explain how they were built, there wasn't anything that suggested advanced technology. The fact that they had once been used by the Goa'uld as landing pads didn't alter that.

What was odd about the road was that there was no dirt on it... no dust, no debris, not even a tiny weed growing in the cracks.

The three of them headed down the road, and rounded a curve in the road that revealed a dirt road... perhaps only a track or trail... that led down to the abandoned hamlet that had been devasted by the earthquake.

He guessed Vasandra was as curious as he was, for she directed FRED down the track to the buildings.

He couldn't quite say why, but seeing the devastation first-hand gave him a feeling of sadness. On his world, such an event, had it been permitted to occur, would have been... annoying, but it wouldn't have been tragic. It would just have been fixed and life went on.

He really had no idea how much work went into building one of these houses, but he imagined it was significant.

"Does this remind you of Cimmeria in any way?" Gavin asked Hilda as they exited the large building.

It wasn't that he thought of Cimmeria as being primitive, only that they led a less complicated existence.

Hilda shrugged in response. 'Not really, just a few little things. The trees. But after the wonders of Midgard, this is more familiar. I know what things are.' she answered, looking around the ruined village. She could certainly understand the feeling of seeing one's village so devastated. 'Is this like your world?' she asked, but doubted it. The Tau'ri, the Tollan, and the Netjerian all came from such advanced worlds, with high crafts and good homes. The Cimmerian couldn't help but feel poor and backwards in comparison.

As if sensing that he may have made her uncomfortable with his question, Gavin hastened to answer her own question.

"No, this doesn't look like my world at all," he begins, "and yet, there's an underlying similarity. There are people on my world, and, as I understand it, among the Tau'ri as well, that claim to want a simpler life."

"This..." he gestures around with his hand, "was all made by hand. There are no machines, no pollution. None of those things are needed for a happy and satisfied life. The only thing that is important is that you strive to improve your life and condition, but it is always up to you to decide how it should be improved."

"There are still many that claim technology destroys your soul. While I can understand that, I've always felt that it's more like putting on a different coat."

"This hamlet puzzles me. It shows signs of being a retro-community, yet it is missing key elements, such as worked fields and domesticated animals."

Hilda looked at Gavin in surprise. 'These people want to live like this? To toil all day, by hand, in the dirt, until limbs ache, just to eat and live and do it all over again?' She snorted, contemptuous of the idea. Hermod and her time on Midgard had opened her eyes to better ways of living, in fine stone houses, not wooden huts, with amazing tools that bordered on magic. She couldn't imagine anyone wanting to go back from that. She couldn't imagine herself going back to her farm or hunting now. 'It is not all so... pleasant. The life is hard and rough and filthy. It is unending toil that destroys the soul.' she spoke with some bitterness, thinking of the family farm and her time there. She sighed. 'Only those who do not know what they have would dream of something worse.'

"Yes, I would consider it worse," he replies to Hilda. "But I am guessing that not everyone toils in the fields. The young, the old, the infirm... You've seen only the surface of the Tau'ri lifestyle. For every person that has the 'good life', as it is often called, there are at least two people that live in worse conditions than you feel your people do. Many go hungry, many even starve to death."

"The bounty that you see is not spread equally among all the people of the Tau'ri. Some have more bounty than they can ever use or ever need while others live in stick huts and suffer disease and starvation. Just as kings are wealthy while their peasants starve."

"My world was once like that. It is the price that is paid for technology. Eventually, one hopes that the Tau'ri will evolve past that stage. It is about helping those in need, not helping yourself."

Spending a few moments looking around the room Vasandra quickly realizes there is nothing of interest and picks up the conversation she was following but not fully engaged in all along as it comes to a point.

”I have enough trouble understanding why you would want to live on a planet, let alone a single one, at all.  Any civilization that lacks the ability to leave and travel of their own volition would be better served by advancing to that level of technology, which will only consume your soul if you believe in such superstitions and make the mistake of thinking your own choices are best guided or dictated by some external source such as a false God or even worse, greed.

Regardless we are done here and should continue on, if you want to maintain this discussion I suggest we take it on the road, and likely keep the volume down so we can avoid attracting to much attention.”

As they see no more interest in the village at the moment, the group decides to move in direction of the temple using the yellow brick road. All along the way, the road is still as clean as they had saw it before.

They can now see a moon that has raised from the horizon, previously hidden by a hill. Seen from the planet, it appears to be quite large. The group can also see that there is an atmosphere around the moon. Contrary to the Tauri's moon, this one has plants and water on its surface but it is impossible to say if there is animal life on it from here.

Hilda listened to Gavin explain, saddened as the illusion was shattered. 'Oh. So, the people of Amerika live like kings, and others toil like peasants. It is the same on every world after all.' she sighed, but realised her own people's strength in such things. 'On Cimmeria, we are not so layered. Chief Olaf is little different from any man. We have no kings unless we have the need. Goods are shared and traded. We are equal in our poverty, I guess.' As she talked, she walked along the trail to the yellow brick road, though not because Vasandra requested.

She looked to the dark elf and asked 'Where do you live if not on a planet? In Ginnungagap, the Yawning Void — in space? You would still need food and water from planets, wouldn't you?'

She looked up at the moon, finding it quite colourful with patches green and blue and brown, not at all like the drab grey moons of Cimmeria or Midgard. 'Or from moons.' she added to Vasandra.

Taking the direct question as a convenient way to avoid the question of politics Vasandra makes an attempt to answer it in a way it can be understood, although not a particularly good one.

”Almost any size ship can be designed to operate indefinitely but even then it is occasionally necessary to collect extra biomass from planets, or moons, that have life on them but with a properly functional reclamation system that is less common than the need to visit worlds for interaction and trade with local populations, or better yet trade with those who can leave their own worlds, but that need is hardly justification for living on one once another option becomes available.”

Gavin had to seriously restrain himself from laughing as Vasandra tried explaining her life style to Hilda. Any sufficiently advanced technology...

"If everyone on Cimmeria is equal, then you aren't as poor as you think. The Goa'uld do not wish their slaves to become technologically advanced, because that requires the ability to read and write, which in turn leads to them realizing that the Goa'uld aren't gods after all."


"Actually, living in the Void of space is not natural," Gavin tries to clarify, keeping his voice a bit low so it doesn't carry. "Any species that does so... it's because of necessity or an aberration. After the initial condition, though, it just becomes evolution."

"Survival... your very existence," he says to Hilda, "is about two things: matter and energy. Technology eventually teaches us that they are the same thing, just in two different forms. Energy is all around you, but you barely notice it. Fire is the obvious form, but heat and light and gravity are also forms of energy. The energy in gravity is what creates waterfalls and avalanches... and what makes you fall down."

"Gravity pulls you down with a tremendous amount of energy, so it takes even more than that to put you up into space."

"Plants convert minerals into something you can eat. It uses the light from the sun to do that. So as long as you can provide energy to plants in space, they will grow food for you."

"At higher technologies, machines can do it directly... convert energy into food and other materials."

'Yes, matter and energy are related by the square of the speed of light.' Hilda quoted, showing she knew too the secret magic of the world — and pleased to show it off to the two people of "advanced" societies. 'Hermod of the Asgard taught me these things. I know much about the world.' she said wisely.

She still didn't see what was so wrong with living on planets. 'But a ship may run out of food or fuel or energy. A ship may break and become stranded where repairs cannot be made, or become lost in the void. A planet is much more reliable.'

As they see no more interest in the village at the moment, the group decides to move in direction of the temple using the yellow brick road. All along the way, the road is still as clean as they had saw it before.

"Yes, and energy can also be expressed as more motive force." Kaspar said, gesturing down the road, "Let us, as the Americans so quaintly put it, haul ass to the temple.  Miss Hilda, I'd like you to take point ten meters ahead, on the road. Please watch for concealed traps.  When -- or maybe I should say if -- you get to one hundred meters of the temple, stop and wait for us to catch up.  Move out, please."

They can now see a moon that has risen from the horizon, previously hidden by a hill. Seen from the planet, it appears to be quite large. The group can also see that there is an atmosphere around the moon. Contrary to the Tauri's moon, this one has plants and water on its surface but it is impossible to say if there is animal life on it from here.

"That is a very large moon.  Captain Tourmaline, Mister Gavin, is that just an illusion, do you think; the result of atmospheric distortion, or is that a very large satellite?  Or...could we actually be on a double planet -- two planetary bodies orbiting a common center, which orbits the primary star?"

Following Kaspar's gaze up to the rather large moon Vasandra gives it a few moments thought while maintaining the brisk pace set forward for their approach to the temple, still thinking out loud a bit she answers the question.

”In order to have the gravity required to maintain an atmosphere and liquid water it would need to be at the minimum a fairly substantial satellite, to even consider going so far as to declare this as a binary planet pair I would have to go up and take a much closer look, which is not within the parameters of the initial investigation mission, but I expect it will be added to our list of goals before to long.”

Hilda looked ahead down the road. Things seemed too quiet to really worry about sending out a forward scout, but she couldn't see the harm. 'Alright.' The Cimmerian immediately went off-road, cutting across the curve of the yellow brick path and using the landscape, its dips and folds and the bushes to conceal her approach. She stayed roughly ten metres away from the team, but some further distance ahead relative to the road. The scout kept her eyes peeled for tracks, signs of movement, and lurking dangers as they approached the temple.


OOC: Scouting ahead; Listen 20, Spot 11
Tracking: Survival (forest/scrub) 26
16:18, Today: Hilda rolled 11 using 1d20+5. spot.
16:18, Today: Hilda rolled 20 using 1d20+5. listen.
16:17, Today: Hilda rolled 26 using 1d20+11. survival (forest/scrub) - track.

Hilda moves in front of the group and start to scan the area to find any sign of life or danger. All she can see is a group of what look like rabbits getting out of a hole in the hill and starting to graze.
There are also some group of birds flying at a distance but they are too far to be recognized.

All along the road, Hilda has found no evidences of traps or any sort of dangers. She has also found no track or sign of a recent activity. If people have gone to the temple, they have follow the yellow bricks road.

As the group is moving in the direction of the temple, it is now close enough to see more details about it. The building is placed on top of a grey stone plateau and there is a stair that allow visitors to join the top of this plateau.
It is made of red stones shaped in many forms and all the different shapes seem to have no other purpose than being purely decorative.
From what you can know, the temple seems to be rather large. It has a squared shape and each side seems to be 80 feet long.
In the middle of the side reached by the road, there is an opening. Probably a door. It has a round shape an it is approximatively 10 feet in diameter.

"That moon can certainly account for the earthquake," Gavin suggests. "That much mass that close is bound to cause havoc with this planet's mantle."

As they near the temple, he studies the designs on the walls. He sees that they appear to be mostly decorative. Nothing looks like a rainspout or coat hook or whatever. However, 'decorative' is not the same thing as meaningless.

What kind of decorations are there? Such things fall into three categories: representative, geometric or textual. Are there birds and animals and people represented, either crudely or more realistically? Are there circles and squares and loops and swirls? Are there symbols that could be script, whether ideograms, hieroglyphs, lettering or repetitive markings?

Is it all carving, or is there some painted areas as well?

He finds it peculiar that there is no sign of activity around this 'temple'. It doesn't seem reasonable that the people would all remain inside.

"If the people from the village fled here, it is possible that they did not remain. They may have been sent to another village."

"I'm inclined to agree that we won't find anyone here, Gavin." Kaspar says, as he pauses to take a few photos of the complex from this distance.

"From the number of buildings back in that village, or whatever, I would expect to be looking for at minimum a dozen people.  Most likely two or three times that.  And so far, I see no sign, or sound, of that many people, here.  No guards at what must obviously be the main enterance, no smell of cook fires, no cries of babies or mumble of multiple persons talking."

Kaspar pauses to gaze thoughtfully at the complex.

"No.  My guess is that, if anyone is in there, they are either silently watching our approach, or they are so deep into the complex, they don't care what's happening out here. Or, more likely, as Gavin suggests, they have moved on."

"Well," Kaspar shrugs and starts walking again, "let's go meet Miss Hilda at the one-hundred meter mark, shall we?"

OOC: just from casual observation, at @100 meters out, can we see if the gold brick road:
...leads straight up to the temple and ends?
...if it only swings near the temple?
...or if it leads to the temple, then moves on?

Hilda idly wondered if those rabbit-like animals would be good eating, but otherwise she found nothing of note. This world was, so far, eerily deserted. She was used to seeing people around, working, hunting, travelling, and at least leaving signs of their passing. These people seemed to have just cleaned up after themselves and walked away. The yellow brick road certainly left few signs of their passing.

She returned to the road and hailed the others. 'I can't see anything around here. Like all the people just walked away.' Staying ahead of the group, she kept a close eye on the road, for any small thing dropped there.


OOC: Tracking again, on the road itself.
15:24, Today: Hilda rolled 27 using 1d20+11. survival (forest) - track.

Keeping a watchful eye on the forest as the road has long since become a known entity Vasandra makes no particular effort to derail the conversations or provide insight she can not be sure of the usefulness of, instead just rolling the FRED down the center of the road.

If the shapes on the temple wall makes any sense, you cannot figure them. There are geometric forms and figures representing what could be animals. But without any reference, you can't know if all of this means something.

From what you can see, the yellow brick road ends straight at the bottom of the stairs leading to the top of the stone plateau. From what you know about it now, you can say that it's only purpose is to link the Stargate to the temple.

But Hilda can spot some kind of dirt path starting from the temple. From so far, she cannot say if this path has been made by humans or by animals thought and it is impossible to tell where it could lead without more exploration.

Just as SG-X1 is deciding what to do next, the gate activates. The surrounding area is relatively quiet--there's no background noise--so the sound of the gate carries to them without any problem. Then, too, when the event horizon appears, the light is bright enough to get the team's attention.

Fortunately, a radio message a moment later allays everyone's concerns.

"General Hammond to SG-X1. Do you copy, Major Gorski? We have a late arrival we would like to add to your team. If you are still within range of the gate and there are no problems, we will send him on through."

Kaspar casts a puzzled look around his team, then reaches up and activates his radio.

"Uh, Gorski, here. Vee haff moved to base uff dee temple." Kaspar responds in his thick Polish accent, "Gold brick road leads from Gate to Temple, but iz leetle bit vindink. Take notice, vee haff found strong evidence uff recent, apparently human habitation in ziss area, but haff seen no peeple, yet. Arri-fink personnel shood be on alert, joost in case."

"Um, how many did hyu say vas comink?"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:22, Fri 03 Jan 2014.

"Sergeant Rajip Mojdar will join you if everything is clear." answered Hammond throughout Kaspar's radio. "Considering your report Major, I would like that you wait Sergeant Mojdar before you enter inside the temple. Just secure the outer area and wait him." added the general.

"Yes. Uh, I mean roger!" Kaspar responds, "Vee vill holt pozition until dee Sargent arrives.  Um, SG-X1, Out."

"You heard the General." Kaspar says to the team, again speaking without the heavy accent, as he begins rooting through his vest pouches, producing his pipe and pouch, "We wait for this new guy. Smoke 'em if you got 'em."

Kaspar hummed tunelessly as he packed and lit his pipe.  Once it was going, he settled back against the FRED.

"Hmmm...Mojdar...Mojdar...I wonder if that's of Hindi derivation, or something offworld? Huh...."

Parking the quite but surely not silent FRED as soon as the first radio transmission comes through Vasandra causes the world to become silent again in a way that one tends to forget is possible in urban or military life to ensure that these low quality radios are able to do their job correctly.

When the exchange is over and a significant delay becomes apparent she to takes a seat on the side of the FRED, perched on one of the oddly conveniently placed softer bags directly over a wheel that serves as a nice foot rest to watch the pipe packing.

The retrieval of matches to light the pipe however draws a quick warning from her.  ”Sir it would be best if you not light any fires near the supplies, even some of the things that do not explode burn quickly enough to damage cause a problem, perhaps you had best be thirty or forty feet away before you do that.”

Hilda was contemplating the temple and plateau before them when she heard the Stargate activate, turning around in alarm. Would Goa'uld come marching out? But she was relieved to hear the radio message from Earl Hammond. She listened to the exchange with Kaspar with mounting curiosity. 'A new team member? Do they not trust us? Or think us capable?' she complained.

She took another look around, warily observing the trees, before she sat on the other side of the FRED. She took a swig of water from her canteen, followed by a few bites of a chocolate ration bar. But she watched Kaspar smoke his pipe, finally asking 'Can I try?'

After Kaspar acknowledged Hammond's orders, he heard the general once again. "Take care of yourself SG-X1. I want a report in 24 hours. Hammond, over".

A second after these last words, Hammond made a sign to Rajip : "You can join them Sergeant. Good luck." Then, the last member of SG-X1 past throughout the gate and appeared on Oz and a moment after, the door closed itself.

He certainly wasn't ready for the momentum the travel through the Stargat generates. Rajip tumbled and fell on the ground, stopping in mid-roll as the backpack slammed against the ground heavily. He hastened onto his knees and looked around in confusion. Some seconds later, he finally managed to regain his wits and slowly stood up, then inspected his immediate surroundings, more thoroughly this time. Some grass, woods the yellow paved road of sorts, which had to be the one mentioned by the general. And if it indeed was that, then... yes, there was a building there in the distance and something like human figures at its base.

Rajip tightened his grip on the gun and trotted along the road towards the distant shapes.



OOC: And with that, I'm joining your team guys. Hello again. BTW, I like your suspicioons, Hilda.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:44, Fri 03 Jan 2014.

The retrieval of matches to light the pipe however draws a quick warning from Vasandra.  ”Sir it would be best if you not light any fires near the supplies, even some of the things that do not explode burn quickly enough to damage cause a problem, perhaps you had best be thirty or forty feet away before you do that.”

"Hmm?  Oh, yes.  I suppose you're right." Kaspar responds distractedly, moving towards the steps leading up to the temple, where he can sit, "Better safe than sorry."

Hilda watched Kaspar smoke his pipe, finally asking 'Can I try?'

"Why, yes, I guess." Kaspar said, offering his briar pipe to Hilda, "Do you smoke?  This is Alsbo Black brand; a Scandinavian Tobacco blend.  It's quite mellow, with a fine aroma of vanilla and hazelnut; it's is never bitter on the tongue, and finishes well.  I find it helps me focus, when I'm deciphering a tricky linguistic puzzle."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:18, Sat 04 Jan 2014.

Hilda took the pipe, looking over the shape and sniffing the smoke curiously before sucking on the end, savouring the taste Kaspar described. 'Ah, that's nice.' She handed it back and answered 'A little. For visions or for battle.' She smiled, a little mischievously. 'But what I smoke is not allowed on base.'

She looked down to the Stargate on the horizon, and waved to the distant figure who'd stepped out. 'This must be our minder.'

Clearly not inclined to be anywhere near the intentional pollution of air, even if it causes fewer problems on a planet Vasandra stays perched on the FRED and watches the approach of the man jogging down the yellow road whom she will inevitably be the first to encounter as she is much closer to the gate and sitting on a giant drone.  ”Welcome to Oz Rajip, you may want to take a few clean breaths here to recover from your exertion before you risk approaching the others.”

Rajip stopped in front of the blue humanoid that had addressed him. He grimaced slightly, then tried to cover it up with what he felt was a far-from-natural grin. "You must be with SG-X1, then. I'm Staff Sergeant Mojdar, assigned to this team from now on," he said simply, still surprised by the stranger's looks. It certainly was his lack of familiarity with the races he could possibly encounter in the Stargate base as well as in related circumstances coming back to him.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:00, Sat 04 Jan 2014.

Seeing the new guy arrive, Hilda rose from the step and walked back to the FRED and the others. Hilda cut a strange figure as she approached. She wore the standard green BDU and tactical deployment vest. But in place of the conventional cap, she had a conical battle helm with eyeguards that covered the top half of her face, giving her a fierce appearance, as blonde hair flowed out behind. On her left arm, she carried a wooden round shield, painted with a ring design reminiscent of a Stargate. Her Winchester 1300 shotgun (with bayonet) shared places on her body with a Thracian-design composite bow, a quiver of arrows, and a big broad-bladed axe. A survival knife was strapped to one thigh, and she'd found places for throwing knives behind her shield and on her calf. 'Hail!'
This message was last edited by the player at 00:02, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

Kaspar tapped his pipe against the step he was sitting on, to clear the ash, then ground the ash with his boot as he stood up.  He had a small frown, as if he was pondering some puzzle, as he put away his pipe and walked over to Ranjip.  He had visibly made up his mind about something, as he stopped in front of Ranjip and turned the frown into a smile, and offered his hand.

"I'm Major Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski, Polish Land Forces, seconded to the SGC through NATO." Kaspar said in an American accent that came straight from South Chicago, "Welcome, Sargeant.  Allow me to introduce our little Team, here..."

"I am an Anthropologist by training, and a Linguist by nature. I was a soldier a very long time ago -- probably before you were born -- and when I was chosen for this program my country chose to re-activate my Commission." Kaspar winks and drops his voice to a stage whisper, "I'm really just an old Professor from the University of Silesia, so don't expect too much of a military hard-ass from me."

"Captain Vasandra Tourmaline, here, you've already met." Kaspar, barely suppressing a grin, gestures to the stunning purple woman sitting atop the FRED, "She is an Alien Tech Specialist and starship pilot.  She has already warned you about my nasty smoking habit."

"And this Valkyrie, is, of course, Hilda Eriksdóttir, Cimmerian Shield Maiden and our team scout and wilderness survival expert.  And, I'm told, one heck of a pasta cook."

"That quiet glass of water, over there," Kaspar gestures across the FRED at Gavin, "Is Mister Gavin, also an Alien Tech Specialist as well as an Observer from the Tollan peoples."

"So, Sargeant Mojdar, what are your bone fides?"

While the major was introducing the team members, Raijp's eyes slipped over aeach and every one of them in turn. The leader himself looked a bit old but he was certain that it was the man's face that made him have a few years extra. Besides that, he was a regular human so there shouldn't be problems in their mutual relations although his smoking... Rajip barely stopped himself from making a step back as the aura of burned tobacco reached him. On the other hand, who would put a civilian at the head of a military expedition. "Sir."

Captain. It looked like the blue alien outranked him and that certainly wasn't encouraging news. He just nodded and let his eyes to move further, then almost felt their pupils widened as they rested on the woman dressed up almost like a child with too many ideas for one Halloween party. In his astonishment, he nearly missed the bit of her being a scout. "Hi," he coughed out after a moment's hesitation, then his eyes run off to sweep over the last man.

As he took in the man, he realised that he didn't really stood out from an Earth-born human, which was a little unsettling since there was a significant technological advantage that race had over humans. He nodded and looked back at the commander:

"I've been with the Army for some years. Reconnaisance is my role, normally."

"I've been with the Army for some years. Reconnaisance is my role, normally."

Rajip can see Kaspars eyes shift to look at the places where unit patches would have been on his uniform -- except that SGC uniforms don't have those patches.

"American Army Reconnaisance -- Pathfinder, yes?  Maybe even a Ranger?" Kaspar asks.

"Yes, sir. The 75th Ranger Regiment," Rajip replied, then hesitated and added: "Until recenly, that is."

Smirking a very purple smile as the humans pound out the details of relevance only to those native to earth, and likely even then only military minds, once that is done she hops down off the FRED.  ”I suppose the break is over then, now that we all know each other, so will we be going around back or through the main entrance?  Either way we may as well leave the FRED parked here.”

"Speaking of which, what do you have back there?" Rajip's eyes shifted behind the team members and he began to analyze the building, identifying the main entrance and other possible points of entry as well as estimating his chances if it came to scale the walls and get inside through the roof.

Hilda nodded her head as she was introduced by Kaspar, then frowned as Rajip revealed himself to be a Tau'ri ranger. What in Hel? 'Recon-nay-sance? Ranger? Isn't that what I'm here for?' she asked, aggrieved and feeling like she was being replaced before she'd even completed her mission. 'Why have you come?' They already had a team, however briefly, and she felt protective of those already on it. Surprise arrivals had to be challenged and found worthy. She glared fiercely through the eye-guards of her helm at the newcomer. It usually wasn't a good idea to anger a Viking warrior, especially not one with so many weapons.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:14, Mon 06 Jan 2014.

"Perspective," interjected Gavin before Hilda could challenge the newcomer to a duel.

"Remember, this team was put together because of our different perspectives. What Rajip brings is not only a younger Tau'ri perspective, but yet another Tau'ri culture."

"From someone who does not venture into the wilderness very often, I can assure you, Hilda, that I appreciate all the scouts we can get! Also, if it matters, you are the... how do the Tau'ri put it? Ah, yes... the 'up front and in your face' kind of scout. I would much rather follow you into battle... if that has to be an option."

"Rajip strikes me as the stealthy sort. He's clearly not your replacement; if anything, he's your assistant. He's got the training to assess a situation in terms of modern weapons, while you are better suited to the older style of weapons. In that sense, you two represent the opposite sides of the same coin. You complement each other."

"I suspect he'll learn as much from you as you will from him."

"For instance, the temple looks somewhat primitive, but I suspect it is of more modern construction."

*...a different Tau'ri culture. indeed...* Kaspar thought with amusement, as Gavin tried to soothe Hilda by explaining the difference between scouting and Covert Operations -- without actually mentioning Covert ops, or any of its less savory applications.

"Uh, yes.  Quite right, Gavin" Kaspar added, "So.  I suppose a quick mission update for the Sargeant."

"We were sent here with the standard orders -- investigate this building complex for alien technologies that might help defend Earth from the Go'auld.  Avoid conflict, reconnoiter any locals, et cetera, et cetera."

"Upon arrival we discovered that this 'yellow brick road' posesses a mild radiation signature like that of naquada; naquada might even be a minor component of the bricks.  We then discovered evidence of some recent geological activity; a disruption in the ground surface that looked like some minor fault shifting. Observing that led us to discover the presence of some habitable structures that had been damaged by the ground shifting.  Evidence indicates the structures were built and lived in by Human..." Kaspar casts a quick, surreptitious glance towards Vasandra, "...oids.  Our investigation showed that the residents had left several days, if not weeks, earlier, and that while they did so in a hurry, they did not appear to be rushed."

Kaspar points back towards the gate, but off to the left of it, "You can see the cluster of building over there, just the other side of the stand of trees."

"From there we've come here, to continue the primary mission.  We're allowing the possibility that there may be some, or all, of the residents of that village taking shelter inside.  We were just about to walk the perrimeter of the building, before we try and enter." Kaspar gestures at the open doorway, at the top of the steps.

"In fact...Hilda, you said you saw what might be a trail, leading away from here.  Why don't you walk around the temple going that way -- but just observe that trail, don't follow it!  Sargeant, after you secure the majority of your gear to the FRED, I want you to walk around the complex in the opposite direction.  Both of you watch for other possible entrances into the complex, and come back here."

"Meanwhile, we science-types will point every scanner, sensor, detector, and machine that goes 'Ping!' at the building, and see what they tell us."

Kaspar grins at the two scouts, "And if either, or both, of you are not back in thirty minutes, then I shall start to panic uncontrollably."

"Questions?"

Already making space for more gear on the FRED by the time the new arrival can unburden himself Vasandra indicates which item to put where, each fitted into a neat little gap between other items very nearly it's size.

”How long do you intend to scan the place before we go inside, just in case we do not detect anything immediately?”

Rajip watched the Cimmerian woman while she spoke, tense yet silent, glad when Gavin's remark placated the situation in the end. He supposed it's a temporary solution, though. He was certain there'd be problems with the aliens on the team later on.

As he was listening to the commander's words something occured to him. Unfortunately, it seemed to be just a fleeting thought at the moment, nothing that he could really hang on to. Eventually, he just nodded in acknowledgement, then took his backpack off and tucked it onto the FRED.

"I'll be off then."

At Gavin's placating words, Hilda snorted 'Hmph.' Then she softened her stance and gave Rajip a crooked smile. 'And I'm sure he can speak for himself.' After all, she hadn't been entirely serious about her rough greeting. Still, she felt competitive for her Tau'ri counterpart on the team.

She listened through Kaspar's summary, having little to add to it, until he got to her:



'No, I didn't say that, but now that you mention it...' she interjected wryly.



Hilda nodded. 'Aha. And you want us to meet alone on the opposite side, já?' she inquired with a mischievous grin. 'Alright, but I should look for tracks on that trail. It is the only place to take a fresh print.'

'Alright. See you soon.' she said, and immediately set off for the temple, veering away to go around the base of the grey stone plateau in the indicated direction. With her bow ready, she looked around, though not too attentively for such a deserted landscape. Part of the journey she spent following the trail, largely from the side, and scanning the dirt for the prints of boots, hooves, or cart-wheels.


OOC: Listen 10, Spot 12
Track: Survival 29
19:42, Today: Hilda rolled 12 using 1d20+5. spot.
19:42, Today: Hilda rolled 10 using 1d20+5. listen.
19:42, Today: Hilda rolled 29 using 1d20+11. survival (forest) - track.

Hilda and Rajip both started to walk around the temple in the opposite directions.

Rajip was looking for any possible entrances. But there were no doors nor there were windows on this side of the temple. Only the same forms and figures were ornamenting the buildings wall.
He also tried to watch if it would have been possible to get on the roof of the temple but as it looked, there is no way to climb this wall without the help of a cord and there's no apparent attach point for that said cord so it looks like an impasse.
He was also looking for any sign of life but he could see nothing of interest.

On the opposite side, Hilda found that there were no entries too. Apparently, the only entrance was the main door but she would have to check the last side with Rajip.
She also focused on the trail that was around the temple. Starting close to the corner, it was not really long. Maybe 10 or 15 feet and it faded in the grass. But she was able to see some trace of this trail at a distance and she could say that it was going in the direction of another patch of forest running behind the temple.

She took a closer look at the trail turning around the temple and she was able to notice some prints going in the direction of the building. But they were not humans print. Instead, she saw animals tracks that were probably left by one or more large animals, something that could be between 4 and 6 feet long and weighting around 80 and 100 pounds. But she could not be more precise as the tracks were rather old and started to fade.

”How long do you intend to scan the place before we go inside, just in case we do not detect anything immediately?” Vasandra asked.

"Well," Kaspar responded, looking up at the temple, "we'll set up, and we'll scan until those two return or thirty minutes has passed -- just in case they make a quick job of their recon.  Hopefully that should give the equipment time enough to collect a useful amount of data."


OOC: I actually have no idea what kind of "devices" we have for this ^_^  Unless you two have some "Alien Tech" to do some scans with, we may be doing nothing more, here, than taking photos, notes on the weather, and a few radiation counter readings!  Did anyone pack a portable RADAR?  How about a Snooper Mic? Portable Mass Spectrometer? ^_^

Suddenly Rajip stopped dead in his tracks, as he finally realized what it was that had been hiding in the depths of his mind before. There were no windows. At all. Yet, if there was the possibility that someone could be hiding inside or even if it was a place of worship, there should be a way of looking outside without opening the only existing door. He took another, more careful look at the walls of the building, searching for any surfaces that behave differently in comparison to their once next to them. There could be anything: a different light reflection angle, a semi-transparent fragments of a wall or even small camera-like devices that did not match the rest of the structure.



OOC: Another look maybe if you allow me that.
21:52, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 14 using 1d20+5. Looking for hidden observation points. Spot.

Making use of the limited technology available to the SGC Vasandra packed a few items that could be potentially handy, among them is a Digital Camera, which she quickly retrieves from it's secure storage container on the FRED.  ”If you are familiar with the use of this you are welcome to make use of it, there is also a tripod if you prefer to set it up to continue monitoring for extended periods.”

OOC: I tried to find useful scanning or sensor package items but there do not appear to be any, if you find some let me know and we will make a point of bringing them next time.

OOC: You've got your games confused, Major. It's Star Trek that has all those jiggery-pokery devices! And Major Mass Spec was assigned elsewhere. Current Earth technology doesn't really have any (conveniently portable) scanning devices. Nearly everything is passive sensors. The two major exceptions are ground-penetrating radar and MRI... both rather large and inconvenient in the field.

I do find it amusing that the book has about 3 pages for all the miscellaneous equipment but 25 pages for weapons! It's like ignoring 90% of the show.


In Gavin's puzzle bundle, he has two science kits: life sciences and physics. Plus he has the radiation detector and the metal detector. The physics kit will let him sense energy readings, which he does. Both it and the metal detector can sense magnetic fields.

"I have several devices that might prove useful in that regard," Gavin states to the major as he works on breaking out the kits and operating them.

"Two other techniques we can try is to use the radio headphones to listen into the interior, and I might be able to use a digital camera with a strong light source to function as a makeshift spectrometer. It might give us an idea of what the temple is made of. Of course, if it's unobtainium, we won't be able to identify it, but at least we'll know it's... unusual."

"Someone should make a note that next mission... if we have one, we should request a thermal imaging device and a fibrescope."

"If someone else would examine the temple walls a bit closer, please... see if it is painted or otherwise coated in anyway. Are there any signs of weathering? Any dust, dirt or grime on the surface? Possibly take a scraping of the material... if you can."

23:01, Today: Gavin rolled 24 using 1d20+10 (includes +4 for science kit) to detect any other type of radiation coming from the temple (radio, microwave, ultraviolet, x-rays, etc.).

23:01, Today: Gavin rolled 29 using 1d20+10 (includes +4 for science kit) to detect any magnetic fields in the area, specifically from the temple walls (includes any electrical circuitry).

23:01, Today: Gavin rolled 22 using 1d20+10 (includes +4 for science kit) to get a reading from temple wall which the computer can analyze from his makeshift spectrometer.
This message was last updated by the GM at 13:53, Tue 07 Jan 2014.

OOC: Well that's what I said, isn't it? ^_^  I was asking, in a back-handed way, if any of our Aliens had "Alien Devices" they could use.  Good point about the thermal imager, though.  Damn!  I almost asked about that, too.


"Good idea, Gavin.  Let's see if we've got any white-light glo-sticks, and I'll toss a couple up against the walls, while you ka-jigger your imager."

"Another low-tech thing we can do is hit it with a hammer."  Kaspar pauses for expected chuckles, "Really, I'm serious.  Hit it with a hammer.  Is it metal, stone or ceramic?  On a subjective scale of one to ten, how hard does it feel?  Does it chip?  Does it produce a dull thudding sound, or does the whole damn place suddenly ring out like a bell?  There's a lot you can tell about an item, just by hitting it hard with a hammer."

Hilda looked over the tracks, brushing her fingers across the hard-packed dirt and crushed grass. Four legs, long but quite light, like a goat maybe. Did they take animals into their temple, as sacrifices or rescued beasts? But the tracks were old, perhaps older than the evacuation of the village.

Leaving the trail, Hilda moved back to the temple and continued her walk around it, heading out to the back of the structure, where she expected to meet Rajip. She didn't expect to find any people here. If the villagers had taken shelter here, then she'd see signs of their work and play here outside. If the priests were still, then they'd have confronted the team already. What had caused everything to be so deserted?

During his walk around the temple, Rajip tried to look for anything that could have let someone inside the building be able to see outside. Even when he paid all his attention to these kind of details, he was unable to find something.
The building had literally no opening other that the only door found on top of the stairs. At least on this side of the temple.
Soon, he arrived at the second corner and continued to walk around the temple. Once again, he was unable to find any opening.

On his road around the temple, Hilda was able to find new animal tracks. This time they were more recent and she was able to estimate that they were done around the same time than the village was deserted. They were maybe linked to the earthquake.
Finally, she reached her corner and spotted Rajip walking in her direction.

At the opposite side of the temple, Gavin was measuring all the thing he could with the tools he had with him. All the different scanners were working well but they had found no kind of major radiations or radio emissions that could prove that something was emitting a signal from the inside of the temple.

But Gavin was able to find that there was an energy source in the temple. In fact, there was more than one. Like the road, the temple bricks seemed to emit little radiations. This would explain why the temple was so clean. The bricks could contain the same system to clean themselves than they found on the yellow brick road.

Amongst all the little radiations, the instruments were telling to Gavin that there was a main energy source inside the temple. But he was unable to tell what was the purpose of such energy and all he could said was that it was stable and somewhat important.

At the same time Gavin finished his measures, Rajip and Hilda showed up, returning from their walk around the temple. On the last side of the temple, they had found no more opening or way to climb the temple. If they wanted to enter in the building, the group would have to use the main door that was in front of them.

Hilda waved to Rajip, almost friendly, as they passed on their course around the temple. Finishing up her scouting, she returned to Kaspar, Gavin, and Vasandra, where the wise craftsfolk were still hard at their arcane work, finding little of use about the temple. 'Hail!' she signalled as she approached.

Hilda reported what she'd found: 'It looks like the villagers went on past the temple, with their animals. They didn't stop... Can we go inside now?'

Rajip nodded in confirmation for Hilda's report.

"Exactly. The building should be abandoned. If we enter, however, we must have reliable light source. There'll be no natural light inside and we can not depend on possible artificial lighting supplied by the hosts."

"I'm not detecting anything definitive," Gavin informed the others. "The constructive material appears to have the same radiation as the road. I am guessing that it functions as some type of electrostatic charge that keeps dust and dirt and probably water off the building, since there is not sign of water erosion."

"There is also a power source within the structure. I think it's producing electricity, but I cannot be certain, as the structure's composition blocks some of the radiation. However, it seems to be a rather powerful energy source, so it could easily power a lighting system."

"I do believe that qualifies as 'alien technology'. Not that we needed an additional reason to inventigate the interior."

Looking up from her own palm top style computer Vasandra offers a confirming nod to Gavin's suppositions, along with a brief suggestion.  ”Even if the lights are not currently on for some reason we have plenty of flashlights, most of which can be attached to your weapons, lighting should not be a problem unless you forgot to bring yours.

On the subject of usefulness I am inclined to agree that it is clear the temple holds the only chance for either useful technology or information leading to it that we have seen within miles of here, some caution is likely warranted but not investigating simply because it may be dark in there seems to be a touch on the paranoid side”

'They might use burning torches, or lanterns. Or holes in the roof.' Hilda suggested. She drew her flashlight and peered at the bulb to see the light turn on, momentarily blinding herself. She turned it off again. 'I also have some these flares, if we need to light up an area.' She pulled her pack off the FRED and rummaged around inside for her flares, then packed them in spare pockets.

'Lucky for us, all the people have left, so we won't bother anybody. I just hope they don't come back and call us looters.'

"Right, then." nods Kaspar, "Nothing for it but to get inside."

"Sargeant Mojdar, you will take point, Hilda you will back him up.  Carefully proceed up these stairs and then enter the building if you deem it safe.  Secure whatever chamber or hallway you find just inside the doorway, and then call in the rest of us.  We'll follow along more slowly, keeping back, say four meters behind you."

Kaspar frowns, as he continues, "Also...Sargeant Mojdar, I know that no soldier in any army likes to hear the order I am about to give you, but, in accordance with SGC protocols, you will not, under any circumstances, initiate hostile contact.  You may return fire if fired upon, but you will not fire first!  And Hilda, that goes double for you.  You will not attack anyone unless they attack you first.  Even if you feel legitimately threatened.  Is this understood?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:52, Fri 10 Jan 2014.

'Yes, sir.' Hilda acknowledged, then listened as Kaspar told her not to start any fights. She scowled darkly. 'You sound like you don't trust me. I'm not a berserker... usually.' she added with a mischief. 'Don't worry, I understand.'

"The point it is," Rajip nodded. He grimaced upon the next remark of defensive proceeding yet relaxed visibly when the Cimmerian got her own warning. He then fished out his own flashlight and quickly checked if it worked before placing it, lit as it was, in a loop of his jacket available for quick removal if needed.

He turned towards the entrance.



OOC: GMs, don't forget to mention if it's dark inside or not. We're going in.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:07, Fri 10 Jan 2014.

Hilda and Rajip approached the temple's main door. They had not the time to look for any mechanism that could be used to open it that it had already started to rise.
There was probably some kind of sensors that commanded the door opening when someone was close to it.

Once the door was completely open, they entered inside the temple side by side. The first thing they noticed was the light. The temple's inside was lit by an whitish artificial light that make them feel like if they were inside the SGC.
They both felt eased to know that they would be able to clearly see what's inside.

Right after the entrance, there was a 15 feet corridor. It then divided itself in two opposite directions for 15 more feet before bending a little to the North. From their position, they were unable to see how long were the corridors after these turns.

The walls were all finely decorated with all sort of abstract fresco. Hilda noticed that the overall look of the inside was completely different from the main building they visited in the village. She felt like this building was not constructed by the same people than the village builders.

From what they could see, there was no threat around the entrance but they staid alerted in case something was showing itself.

---

Map: https://docs.google.com/drawin...2ZngDiGZ0bzSwes/edit

Hilda and Rajip: Place yourself inside the blue rectangle and roll initiative.
Rest of the team: Once you enter inside the temple, also place yourself inside the blue rectangle and roll initiative.

Notice: There's no need to play by turn at the moment but move yourself on the map each time it's relevant. The initiative is rolled so you are ready if an encounter happens.
Also, tell me if you wish to use the fluid initiative system or a static initiative system.

Rajip approached the end of the entrance corridor and began sweeping farther fragments with his gun pointed always in the direction he was looking. Only once did he get let his guard down to turn the flashlight off.



OOC: 20:45, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 6 using 1d20+3. initiative. Poor me. What does the place look like? Thanks.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:56, Fri 10 Jan 2014.

Rajip moved at the end of the corridor, just before the intersection. From here, he is able to see that the two corridors continue in the same direction after the first bend.

The walls are still covered with fine details but they look like nothing that he has seen before.

On the ground, he can spot some dry dirt but there is no visible tracks. It could have been dropped by everything so Rajip stay on his guard.

As the great doors opened by themselves, Hilda stood before them, looking up at them with a faint sense of awe. Although she'd encountered automatic doors on Midgard, she couldn't help feeling like a god was opening them instead. Maybe that was the point. The electric lighting and the strange, abstract murals probably helped the effect.

As instructed, she walked beside Rajip, following his lead, her bow at the ready. As he looked down one branch of the T-intersection, she looked down the other. 'Which way? Should we split up?'


OOC: I moved myself beside Rajip, top of the blue rectangle.

Initiative 8
08:38, Today: Hilda rolled 8 using 1d20+4. init.

Four meters behind Hilda and Rajip, (probably) halfway up the steps, Kaspar stands waiting for the all clear...or the sounds of mischief...from within the building.

Not wanting to be heard within the structure by either friend or foe Vasandra stops on a step above Kaspar and turns to face him, much closer to eye level than normal with the advantage of the raised step, and asks him a quiet question.  ”How long do we risk leaving them in there alone before the risk of the entire structure being blown up before we learn anything from it exceeds the potential personal risk of going in?”

"No," replied Rajip. "We'll check one out first." He then moved down the right-hand corridor.



OOC: And so he moves till next to the door in the middle.

OOC: I had not realised that Vasandra was shorter than Kaspar -- even though it is the very first thing you describe about Vasandra!! ^_^  Now, Kaspar is only 5-foot-7, so Vasandra is, what, 5-foot-five?  Shorter?

”How long do we risk leaving them in there alone before the risk of the entire structure being blown up before we learn anything from it exceeds the potential personal risk of going in?” Vasandra asked.

"That's another good point you've made, Captain. As I've said, I'm not a Field Officer, so keep them coming." Kaspar answers, raising his right arm, uncovering his watch, and starting a timer function.

"We'll give them exactly two minutes from now, and then, if we've neither seen or heard from them, we'll go up to the doorway and look in.  However, if, when we get there, we find to trace of them, I will not authorize an entry! If they disappear, we will withdraw to the SGC, and let General Hammond send a rescue team."

Hilda followed after Rajip, taking a position beside him where she could cover the other half of the temple's inner sanctum. She had a bow and arrow in hand, half-expecting Jaffa to come charging out, but keeping it low so as not to appear much more threatening than she already was.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:40, Fri 17 Jan 2014.

Hilda and Rajip had reached a door. This one did not open itself automatically but there was a button next to it so it was possible to open it if it was not locked.
From here, the corridor was bedding again to the left. It was easily imaginable that it formed a close ring. In this corridor, there was no sound or shadow. It looked like Hilda and Rajip were alone.

At the entrance, the main door suddenly closed itself. Kaspar tried to contact them by radio but the signal was crappy and no communications were possible. He stepped in front of the door and it opened again, allowing communication again.
After a moment, the door closed again. If he wanted to maintain a radio link, the group would have to enter inside the temple all together.

Rajip listened to the silence of the corridor for a short while, then looked at Hilda in silent question.



OOC: Go in or give up?

OOC: Read "Relaxation Room" first.

Standing halfway uop the stairs leading to the open doorway into the building complex, Kaspar is looking at his watch, waiting for a two minute deadline to expire, when suddenly he hears a light sound of stone-on-stone. Looking towards the doorway, he sees that it is now more than halfway closed.

Kaspar starts running up the remaining stairs, toward the closing door, while at the same time reaching for the microphone hanging from his tacvest.

"Hilda!  Sargeant! The temple door is closing! The door is closing!"

The door has fully closed before Kaspar -- huffing and puffing -- reaches the top of the stairs, an approaches.

No response has come back from his radio call.

"Dammit!" Kaspar whispers, slapping his right hand upon the door and bowing his head.  However, just a few heartbeats after Kaspar touches the door, he feels the large slab start to vibrate, and it begins to quickly and quietly slide open.

Kaspar crouches, to look under the rising door, but sees no trace of either Hilda or Sargeant Mojdar.  Kaspar stands as the door fully opens, but does not step inside.

Kaspar is puzzled and concerned by not finding his two compatriots inside the door.  For Hilda, Kaspar might believe she'd let her excitement carry her away from the door, but from everything Kaspar had ever heard about US Rangers, they were more solid stuff.  Kaspar couldn't imagine the Sargeant violating his order to secure the inside of the doorway, and just go wandering off without a reason.

So, imagining all kinds of scenarios where Hilda and the Sargeant are trapped or captured, Kaspar again reaches for the microphone on his vest.

"Gorski to Hilda and Sargeant Mokda...no...Sargeant Mohar...Sargeant Mokkar?  Dammit, Sargeant, just respond!  Over!"

Watching the door go down then back up, like any good blast door should, as she calmly follows Kaspar up the stairs to wait while he radios the advance scouts.  Once that is done and the door is back up she offers a suggestion.  ”Someone should see if it opens automatically from the inside as well, at least once before the last person goes in.”

Hilda heard the big front door close, the noise echoing down the curving corridor. Moments later, she heard Kaspar's wild shouting and tried to respond, but found she couldn't get a signal. Finally, as the door opened again, she responded calmly 'It's just one of those auto-matic doors. We're exploring this corridor.'

She ended the call and looked to Rajip. 'Let's head back and make them feel safe again.'

The sound of the outer door closing seemed much louder now that they were inside than it appeared from the outside. He shuddered at the realization that there was no chance any living being inside the building would still be unaware of their presence. He acknowledged Hilda's decision.

"You first," he said, letting the Cimmerian lead the way, while he walked backwards to keep an eye on the corridor ahead.

Hilda's calm response came back quickly, "It's just one of those auto-matic doors. We're exploring this corridor."

Kaspars relief was a weight lifted from his shoulders, "Roger that.  Please return to the entrance. Over."

Kaspar then turns to Vasandra, "Now that we know there isn't some kind of trap behind the door, I believe that's a worthwile experiment, Captain.  Would you care to test your theory?  Gavin and I shall step back, while you step inside."

'Okay.' Hilda shrugged and started walking back to the entrance, not sure what all the worry was about.

Good ideas, and safe ideas being distinctly different Vasandra offers another way around it.  ”As we have already requested the advance team return would it not be more efficient, and less confusing to simply step away from the door on this side and allow it to open for them when they return, if that takes to long we can approach from this side, and know if either side activates the door at no additional risk.”

"That works, too." Kaspar responds with a grin, then opens his mic,

"Gorski to advance team.  We're going to back away from the door and let it close, to test if it will open for you, from the inside.  So far, we've been able to open it from outside, so if it doesn't open for you, we'll be able to open it.  See you in a minute.  Gorski out."

With that done, Kaspar steps a few feet away from the doorway, and watches.

'Alright... Um, Hilda out.' Hilda returned, remembering some of the radio protocols. She kept walking back to the big doors at the entrance.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 07:51, Sat 18 Jan 2014.

Hilda and Rajip were now close to the entrance. As they get closer to the door, it started to open in a loud noise.

It appears that this temple is not a trap. You can go in and out without any problems and you don't need some kind of key device to open the door. It is safe to explore without getting stuck in it.

The door opened with a rumble and daylight fell on the heavily armed and armoured figure of Hilda, glinting off sharp steel. 'On Midgard I was told to stop playing around with these doors.' she said, a little annoyed for the interruption. She thought all Tau'ri knew these things. 'Just put the FRED under it to stop it closing all the way.' Who said the Cimmerian warrior wasn't practical?

Rajip appeared a moment after, still focused on the corridor. Only in the daylight did he relax a little and turned towards the rest of the team.

"Look, unless there's something really unexpected we shall be in and out in just several minutes. We've made enough noise to alert everyone and everything inside and outside and yet still have no clue as to what we can find there. So let's leave someone on watch here and be done with it, can we?" he said to no one in particular but his tone revealed irritation that was slowly building up in him.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 09:30, Sat 18 Jan 2014.

Keeping her focus clearly on Kaspar and what passes for a discussion about the specific nature of the temple's door Vasandra presses on to the next obvious conclusion.  ”Now that we are quite sure the temple's default state is one of welcome and shelter rather than security or defense we can assume that anyone who is inside it now does not know how to switch modes, or has no interest in doing so.  Even if they do switch modes we can be fairly sure it can be switched back eventually so it should be safe enough to risk a full scale inspection to determine it's usefulness, although we will likely not want to go touching anything that could be a button just yet.”

Kaspar steps into the temple, looking around as he does.

"Hmm.  The outside seems more artistic, while the inside seems more functional, more advanced."

Kaspar stops near Rajip, leans in a little, and speaks in a low, calm voice.

"Sargeant, we've only just met a little while ago, and we're both from different military organizations -- hell, by your definitions I barely qualify as being 'military'.  But, I think there's a few things you need to realize, about your promotion into the SGC."

"We..." Kaspar indicates himself, Vasandra and Gavin, "...are Tech Geeks.  As I've said often enough, I am not a Field Officer.  I've had only a little Field training -- twenty years ago -- and I've read a few of the Field Manuals.  Other than that, my 'field experience' is restricted to weekend camping in the mountains of Silesia."

"What all this means is that your 'promotion' to the SGC was what you Americans call a 'lateral' promotion -- you have been promoted from being a forward infiltrator and terrorist terminator...to being our babysitter.  If, God forbid, we get into combat trouble, it would be your job to rescue us.  And you being a US Ranger, I feel really comfortable with that."

"But now consider, as difficult as it may seem, that it is you who gets into a bind.  And it will be us..." again Kaspar indicates himself, Vasandra and Gavin, "...who will need to come rescue you.  Of course, I'll try my best, but ask yourself, are you comfortable with that idea?"

"As a US Ranger, you are used to taking a forward position and operating independently.  But if you get too far ahead of us, how are you effectively protecting us?  I know that this will -- how do you say? -- put a crimp in your style?  But if the Tech Geeks..." and again, Kaspar indicates himself, Vasandra and Gavin, "...get wiped out while you are scouting too far ahead, then it won't matter what you learn up there, and your mission will have failed."

"Now, maybe I didn't make myself clear enough, when I tasked you to secure this door, and then call us forward when that was accomplished -- not to penetrate the facility and perform a scout, while the rest of us stood outside and paniced while the door closed behind you.  You were out of sight and out of communication.  Can you understand my concern?"

"I'm not planning on running this team as a tight military unit -- I'm really just a University Professor in a funny uniform.  It's my intention to, pretty much, let you run wild, militarilly.  But just remember what I've said -- your job is to keep this team alive -- and that'll be really hard to do, if you're a hundred meters away from us."

"Do we understand each other?"

So far, Gavin felt like a fifth wheel, to use a Tau'ri expression. He wasn't used to this 'adventuring' even though the idea intrigued him. He had no suggestions to offer on how to proceed as it no longer had any technical or scientific aspect.

He listened to the major and captain, thought that they were probably both right, which meant that no matter what either one did or said, they'd both be wrong.

"I suspect," he offered, "that the walls are made of trinium, which would block our radio transmissions. It could also explain why we couldn't detect any electrical currents. I do not know of any way the door could work the way it did without electrical current and circuits, but I am also not inclined to rule out an alternate."

"Also, I have a Tollani phase device, so it is possible I could phase through the wall if necessary. I am reluctant to try it unless it is necessary in case doing so shorts out the device."

Rajip just opened his moth to reply when the Tollan spoke up. He waited it out, then addressed the major: "We do, we do... Sir. You've just said you guys should keep closer to my back... Now, do we come in?"

"Yes, we do.  There's just a few things to resolve, first." Kaspar answered, then turned to Vasandra, "Captain, as you know more about its capabilities than I do, do you think we should leave the FRED out there, or do you think it can climb the stairs and get in here?"

"Gavin, is the -- Trinium, you say? -- in the walls blocking radio penetration, or is it absorbing it?  What I mean to ask is, will we be able to recieve radio transmissions from each other inside the building, just as long as there isn't a barrier between us?"

"Hilda, Sargeant, while you were inside here, did you find anything significant?"

Hilda listened to the arguing, not entirely sure what the problem was. Cimmerian raiding parties didn't go for all this fine planning. They just gathered up and barged right in, and dealt with problems as they happened.

'We found the hallway probably goes around the whole building. You said secure the hallway, so we had to go down a ways. We were looking at a door when you called us back.' Hilda reported. 'I thought you were going to follow us? Let's just all stay close together, so no-one gets lost behind.'

Taking a closer look at the doorway Vasandra pauses for a moment, clearly thinking something thorough, before replying.  ”Even if the FRED will fit through the doorway it will not do so quickly, and will take up a lot of space in any hallways we find in there, eventually we will get to an interior doorway or corner it can not pass and will be required to leave it.

As we have not yet seen anything even remotely threatening outside I would suggest leaving the FRED concealed at the treeline or parked outside at the bottom of the stairs as it is far more likely that we will need to exit quickly than be able to make effective use of it inside and it will make our own exit slower even if we do opt to abandon it inside to do so.”

'We found the hallway probably goes around the whole building. You said secure the hallway, so we had to go down a ways. We were looking at a door when you called us back.' Hilda reported. 'I thought you were going to follow us? Let's just all stay close together, so no-one gets lost behind.'

Kaspar pauses a moment, as he tries to remember exactly what he did order.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Kaspar chuckled, "I did say to secure the hallway just beyond the door, and not simply the spot behind the door.  I shall endeavour to be more precise, in the future.  And we were following close!  We were only four meters behind you -- ah, I think that would be just a little over two favners, or maybe you use fathoms?  That's why I paniced when the door closed -- because we were halfway down the stairs, we didn't see that you had walked safely down the hallway.  I'm still thinking that four meters is a good interval -- is that good for you Sargeant?  Is four meters too close or too far?"

Taking a closer look at the doorway Vasandra pauses for a moment, clearly thinking something thorough, before replying.  ”Even if the FRED will fit through the doorway it will not do so quickly, and will take up a lot of space in any hallways we find in there, eventually we will get to an interior doorway or corner it can not pass and will be required to leave it.

As we have not yet seen anything even remotely threatening outside I would suggest leaving the FRED concealed at the treeline or parked outside at the bottom of the stairs as it is far more likely that we will need to exit quickly than be able to make effective use of it inside and it will make our own exit slower even if we do opt to abandon it inside to do so.”

"Very well, the FRED can stay outside, at the bottom of the stairs." Kaspar agreed, "Unless we find something better in here, we should plan on setting up camp out there, too.  But for now, let's go and investigate this door that Hilda and the Sargeant have found."

Once again, start by placing yourself somewhere in the blue rectangle and roll initiative (Hilda and Rajip, roll initiative a new time please).

Once you are all placed, you can start moving inside the temple.

Map: https://docs.google.com/drawin...2ZngDiGZ0bzSwes/edit

Gavin has been bringing up the rear so far, so his reaction/initiative will probably be dictated by what the others do.

For the record, he rolled a 7 for his initiative.

09:12, Mon 20 Jan 2014: Gavin rolled 7 using 1d20+3 ((4)).

'Two fæðms.' Hilda agreed, converting Kaspar's measurement to a unit she knew. 'The hallway curves around, front to back. That is hard to "secure". How about the same plan as outside: I go one way, Rajip goes the other way? You stay here behind us. We check the doors, see what lays on the other side of the temple, then come back. Hallway secured, then we look inside the doors. Sound good, já?'


OOC: Initiative 21
19:50, Today: Hilda rolled 21 using 1d20+4. initiative.

Very clearly not inclined to argue the point of someone else going first Vasandra keeps an eye on the path the first two travel and mimics it rather closely, going so far as to step in the same footprints more often than not.  ”Just try not to trigger any automated defenses, just because the place looks harmless does not mean its creators were completely guileless.”

OOC: 04:00, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 24 using 1d20+6. Initiative.

"Four meters. This way, we should at least maintain visual contact if need be," Rajip with agreed major's suggestion, at the same time fighting the emotions that were filling him back.

"Hilda, you'll take the other corridor and, if our assumptions are correct, we should see each other soon enough on the other end of the building. Then we come back together and check out the door," he added, then just turned back to enter the building. Once inside, he moved swiftly to the end of the entrance corridor and took his position right after the bend, weapon trained forward, ready to react at even the slightest hint of danger.



OOC: 17:31, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 16 using 1d20+3. Initiative.

Just to remind you, so far we know nothing of the other pair of inner doors. We can share the info when we meet in the back.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:15, Tue 21 Jan 2014.

All those silly -- to him -- military decisions out of the way, Kaspar pulls out his digital camera, to take pictures.

And, since he now believes that Rajip and himself are on the same page, Kaspar decides to follow his original muse -- and potential loose cannon -- and follows four meters behind Hilda, in the direction she's going.


OOC: sorry, I don't seem to be able to manipulate my icon on the map -- heck, I can barely see all of the map.

Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski rolled 14 using 1d20+2 (+1 DEX, +1 Specialty) for Initiative

As the group started to progress inside the building, there was still no sign of life other than the team itself. There was also no sign of activity as the temple did not seem to react to the presence of SG-X1.

Returning to the scouting expedition, Hilda advanced down the curving corridor, looking back occasionally to see that Kaspar and others were following. She attempted to move stealthily, but after the earlier fooling around, there didn't seem much point now.

Finding another door about a quarter of the way around, the Cimmerian scout paused, crouched, and put her ear to it, listening to see if anyone was moving about within. Having seen strange armoured warriors with terrible thunder weapons invade her world, she could well understand if the people of this world were hiding from their strange, armed visitors.


OOC: I've moved Kaspar on the map to 15 feet behind Hilda (nearest to 4 metres). Hilda has advanced to the east door.

Stealth: Move Silently 11
Listening at the door: Listen 20
19:29, Today: Hilda rolled 20 using 1d20+5. listen.
19:28, Today: Hilda rolled 11 using 1d20+6. move silently.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:35, Tue 21 Jan 2014.

OOC: So, if no one is following Rajip...



Rajip retraced his steps to the door in the right-hand part of the corridor, getting slightly more tense as he was passing them by, and moved on fast but carefully. Soon after did he notice Hilda examining a door.

Another door, he thought to himself, at the same approaching the Cimmerian slowly.

Hilda was looking for noise or voices behind the door but all she could find was silence.

Hearing nothing, Hilda rose and shook her head to Rajip. 'Nothing. Should we go in?' she whispered questioningly to the Tau'ri scout, letting him take the lead indoors, as Kaspar had suggested. 'I could knock.' Despite finding nothing all around, she still half-expected to find people hiding in here, if only one. If she knocked and there was no one, then she would do no harm. If there was someone, then they'd likely already heard the noise at the door, but they wouldn't be surprised when they came in.

"Okay," Kaspar says quietly, "Obviously these doors do not open on approach, so there must be a latch, or a trigger, or something.  Let's all search for a means to open the door -- without actually opening it!  Once we figure that out, then we can follow the Sargeant's idea, and attempt to open both sets of doors at the same time.  So, everyone, begin the examination of the door!"


OOC: Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski rolled 10 using 1d20+3 to Search for Door Release.

Rajip face brightened slightly as he saw the like-minded decision of major Gorski. He gave the door a brief look.

"I'll not be disturbing you here," he remarked. "It'd better keep an eye on the other one. Let me know if you find anything."

With that he left the rest of the team and moved back and found himself a spot on a bend of the corridor from which he could simultaneously observe both the inner door and the entrance corridor, or at least the so much of it that he would notice any unexpected visitors.



OOC: You might edit your post to cut out the part that Rajip suggested entering the inner part from both directions, Kaspar. I've never said that IC, and can't see a way to do it now. Also, I suppose the now-absent players would follow your suggestion so someone should be watching your backs.

edit: Deleting those now-silly references to the lack of open-door button :)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:57, Fri 24 Jan 2014.

Hilda rolled her ice-blue eyes. 'Or you could press the button, já?' she said, gesturing to said button beside the door. Hermod's lessons in wits and problem-solving were really paying off.

"Or we could press the...?" Kaspar looked from Hilda to the button on the wall that she was indicating.

Yep, there it was, clear as day, on the wall next to the door. Kaspar looked back to Hilda.

"Well.  As a defector I once interrogated used to say quite often -- butter my buns and call me a biscuit.  I honestly did not see that there."

Kaspar turns to Gavin,

"Gavin, please go catch up to the Sargeant and tell him we're ready to open our door, here, but we'll wait for the two of you to get in position.  When you are both ready, tell the Sargeant to give us two clicks, then open your door.  We'll open ours at the same time."

As Gavin stood there by the door, he couldn't help thinking that something better happen soon because it seemed like they were starting to get on each others nerves.

When Vasandra decided to follow Rajip, that left Gavin with a choice to make: which way to go? Should he follow Vasandra and stay with Rajip, or should he follow Kaspar and Hilda?

It was a quick process to decide, since his forte was technology, which was also Vasandra's best skills, so there was no point in putting all their techno eggs in one basket. He shuffled after Kaspar.

Hilda waited by the door with her bow and arrow, ready for battle in case enemies lay in wait behind the door. She let Kaspar or Gavin open the door, since she needed to have both hands ready on her bow, and figuring the craftsfolk and wizards of the team could best handle the vital task of pressing a button.

Following along behind Rajip until he stops Vasandra decides the forward advance team is going to take it's jolly time in this investigation and returns to Kaspar's side of the room to check on their progress just in time to see the now uncovered door and presumed locking mechanism.  Replying in Gavin's place to Kaspar's request she simplifies the game of telephone a bit, if in a slightly less disciplined manner than most military minds would expect.  ”I will let him know when he eventually gets to the door, or I will do so myself if I get there first.”

Not waiting for a reply or confirmation of her version of the plan Vasandra walks back around to the eastern side and explains the plan to Rajip ”We are to click the radio twice as we open the door, feel free to threaten it however you like.”  Clicks her radio twice, and triggers the door, stepping back to clear a line of fire directly into the room.

As soon as Vasandra pressed the button, Rajip gave up on watching the entrance and took a position at the other edge of the door, weapon ready, prepared to take a look at the room behind the door and then to move in and secure it behind the Netjerian and possibly the rest of the team join him.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:15, Fri 24 Jan 2014.

Immediately upon receipt of the 'two clicks' on his radio, Kaspar firmly but gently presses the button which will, hopefully, open the door in front of them.  He presses the button with his right hand, while his left rests on the grip of his still-holstered sidearm -- instinctively reaching for the familiar feel of the old pistol, over the more effective P90 hanging from his tacvest.

As both group pushed the buttons, the two doors opened almost simultaneously. They were now able to see each other throughout the only room that was behind the doors as there were no middle wall.

The room was about 50 feet long from North to South and 40 feet from West to East. At each corner, there was a big pillar going from the ground to the ceiling. They had all the same kind of decoration than the rest of the temple, simple and abstract.

In the middle of the room, there was a big circle written on the ground. From your position, you could see that it may be writing that formed this circle but you would need to be closer to be sure.

Finally, there was a big altar in front of the circle. On this altar, you were able to see many writings and some drawing. There was also a big crystal like stone on top of the altar. It was red and round.

Despite all the expectations of the team, the room was empty and you were unable to find signs of life. But a better exploration could maybe give you hints about human presence here.

Map: https://docs.google.com/drawin...2ZngDiGZ0bzSwes/edit
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:08, Sat 25 Jan 2014.

As the doors slid open, Hilda was tense and ready to dodge to the side or shoot her bow if anything attacked out of the temple's inner sanctum. But nothing did, and the Cimmerian relaxed, thinking all the fuss had been for nothing. She stepped a few paces in for a better look around and to make sure there were no surprises. 'Clear.' she reported, lowering her bow. 'And this is their holy place.' With that done, she waited for Kaspar and the other wizards to take charge.

Rajip entered the chamber after a cursory glance, which revealed that Hilda was faster, maybe even too fast, to enter the unknown place. Rajip was inside just as her short "Clear" resounded. As he looked around, he could easily agree with her assessment. Just as easily, though, he could give several different possible theories as to the chamber's role. For now, however, they could easily stay with that particular interpretation.

"Clear," he confirmed shortly, although the situation was already obvious enough to avoid that. He approached the circle on the floor and got down on one knee to take a better look at what seemed to be letters of a kind.



OOC: I'm not able to identify it, obviously, cause Rajip's no linguist or anything similar. I just want to know what it looks like.

However, since everyone has Education checks... Here you go. Nothing fancy, though.
20:47, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 10 using 1d20+1. education.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:51, Sat 25 Jan 2014.

Rajip was now close enough of the circle to be able to identify the text. From what he knew, it looked like something written in Latin.

Rajip blinked, finding it difficult to believe. If he was right and the text was indeed Latin or even just closely resembling it, it seemed that an earth-originating text could ever be found here, who-knows-how far away from the Earth. What's more, it was now hardly used in the world, so most likely it was old. Very old.

He reached out and touched the letters, to make sure the they really are there and that they are what he took them for. "Major, we've got somethinng interesting here," he called as he did so.

Gavin had no expectations for what he would see once the doors opened, but even so, he was mildly surprised... or perhaps curious was a better word... at what he saw.

As soon as Hilda and Rajip announced it was clear, Gavin walked in and immediately headed behind the nearest column. While it was a precaution in case something suddenly happened, he was also interested in what might be behind them.

He wasn't expecting goblins or anything of the sort, but there might be hidden buttons, control panels or just symbols.

He was also looking to see if there was anything else on the walls.

More disappointed than surprised by the lack of early success in finding someone to ask questions of Vasandra recovers quickly and slips into the room behind Rajip.  Drawn to the altar and it's crystal like a moth to flame she disregards the other potentially interesting aspects of the room to inspect what could easily be decoration, or a computer of some sort.  Checking the structure for some sort of connection to it's surroundings or port through which temporary connection can be made.

OOC: 17:30, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 15,22 using 1d20+2,1d20+11. Education, Computers.

Hilda drifted behind the others as they entered the temple, not really finding anything to interest her and a little superstitious of a place holy to some foreign god. The writings and symbols meant nothing to the Cimmerian. She ventured through the room, peered into the corners and behind the pillars, kept an eye out for signs of recent habitation, but didn't notice anything in particular. 'I should go keep watch outside?' she asked. Her role in this mission seemed done, for now, while the craftsfolk and wise-ones did their thing.


OOC:
13:04, Today: Hilda rolled 7 using 1d20+5. spot.
13:03, Today: Hilda rolled 11 using 1d20+3. search.

Kaspar entered the room after both Hilda and Rajip gave their all clears, and started snapping photos.  He also looked up to take note of the height of the room.

"Classic...classic..." Kaspar was mumbling to himself, "I know what I'm tempted to think it is...but is it really?..."

Rajip reached out and touched the letters, to make sure the they really are there and that they are what he took them for. "Major, we've got somethinng interesting here," he called as he did so.

Kaspar stepped over to stand next to Rajip, looking down at the lettering embedded in the floor.

"You should be careful about touching such stuff, Sargeant.  Remember, in Latin 'Jesus' starts with an 'I'..." Kaspar smiled broadly at the only other Earther in the room who would get the reference.

"But that certainly does look like Latin, doesn't it?" Kaspar suddenly frowned, "Too bad I specialized in Scandinavian languages.  Still, I am Polish Orthodox, and my Choir Boy days are only...fourty years ago.  I suppose I can try to see if I can make any sense of this."

Kaspar first takes a few snapshots of the circle of letters, then puts away his camera, and pulls out a notebook.

"Energy readings, please, before we start touching things!" Kaspar calls out to the room, just before he starts taking notes and trying to remember what little Latin he learned as a catholic choir boy, so many years ago.


OOC:
Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski rolled 20 using 1d20+4 ((16)) for an Education roll to remember his boyhood Latin lessons.

Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski rolled 17 using 1d20+6 ((11)) for a Xeno-linguistics roll to analyze the alien language.

After taking his shots, Kaspar started to look at the text. He was able to identify some words like "royal family" or "moon" but it was hard. In fact, the text was not written in the Latin that he was used to. It was a bit different and it would need more work to completely identify the text.

As Vasandra approached the altar, the red crystal started to glow faintly. A panel started to move and what looked like a dialing device with 8 buttons appeared. On each button, there was a symbol glowing with the same red light than the crystal. Vasandra was able to identify some of the symbols on the drawing that was on the altar and she thought they could be linked.

The drawings seemed to tell a story. On the first one, the planet and the Moon were visible. Some kind of structures were drawn in both of them.
The next drawing was showing the room where the team was. The altar was pictured with some of the buttons shown more than the others.
The third one was similar to the first drawing but there was now a light ray linking both structure.
Finally, the last picture was showing another room different from when they were and in the middle of this room, there were two thrones.

Taking in the puzzle at a glance Vasandra scans the symbols on the red crystal into her wrist computer and sets them as a new type of parameter for the dialing program on it, ready for use later if a combination is discovered.

”This room is most likely a central nexus for something like the ring transport devices with multiple settings for multiple locations within the system, or more likely just the planet and the inhabited portions of the moon, you should keep an eye out for sets of symbols in the text of a uniform length, likely closer to three or four characters than the typical seven as it uses a much smaller number of total addresses.”

Hilda had suggested she go keep watch outside, but no one had responded to that idea and she kind of wanted to stay to see what happened, like if they all blew themselves up with ettin crafts. So she lingered around the room, eyeing things curiously and listening to the talk, not understanding the writings or advanced technology but feeling she better understood the purpose of all this, especially after seeing the decorated pine tree. 'It is a sacred path, a golden road from the Ring of Stars to this ring of the moon. They probably walked in processions from one to the other.'

She pointed to the highlighted symbols in the drawing of this very room. 'Are these the symbols?'

"Wait a minute," began Rajip, getting up. "Are you saying we've got another Stargate here?"

He's caught a glimpse of what was happening at the altar. "Did you activate that or is it someone incoming?" he asked Vasandra in an urgent tone, gripping his weapon firmly and placing the finger on the trigger.

”This room is most likely a central nexus for something like the ring transport devices with multiple settings for multiple locations within the system, or more likely just the planet and the inhabited portions of the moon, you should keep an eye out for sets of symbols in the text of a uniform length, likely closer to three or four characters than the typical seven as it uses a much smaller number of total addresses.” Vasandra said -- as she approached the altar, the red crystal started to glow faintly.

"Yes, yes, I think so, too." Kaspar nodded in agreement, "I thought that that's what this looked like, but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions."

'It is a sacred path, a golden road from the Ring of Stars to this ring of the moon. They probably walked in processions from one to the other.' Hilda said.

"Oh, that's very good! Fits with what's written here, too.  I must write that down..." Kaspar enthused, scribbling down Hilda's observation in the notebook he'd been writing in.

Hilda pointed at the altar. 'Are these the symbols?'

"Wait a minute," began Rajip, getting up. "Are you saying we've got another Stargate here?"

"Well, yes, something like another..." Kaspar started.

Noting the now-glowing crystal above the alter, Rajip interrupts, "Did you activate that or is it someone incoming?" he asked Vasandra in an urgent tone, gripping his weapon firmly and placing the finger on the trigger.

Still clearly focused on the alter itself and the glowing crystals, or more importantly the symbols associated with them Vasandra does spare a glance at the weapon being readied before returning to her important task of sorting out what is going on.

”It is more likely just a proximity sensor bringing the system's interface online, something like motion sensitive lights or computer monitors back on your world but less archaic, if there is someone on their way here they will arrive through the ring transport which is nothing like a stargate any more than one of your skate boards is like an airplane, which would place them inside the circle.  Pointing a gun at the alter or myself will have no influence on their arrival or their reaction to finding the room occupied.”

Hilda beamed brightly as Kaspar liked her theory.

'But we can shoot them as they arrive.' Hilda surmised, standing to face the circle with her bow ready, just in case any Jaffa appeared. 'Maybe all the villagers went to the moon?'

"Let's just hope you're right, Netjerian," Rajip replied, relaxing visibly although Hilda's apparent vigilance did little to help it.

He turned his attention to Hilda "We've already agreed they went past this building, haven't we?"

Hilda shrugged. 'The tracks are faint and old, and the road cleans itself. I can say they did not stay here long, and I found trails leading away, but,' She waved a hand, trying to think of the right Tau'ri phrase. 'It is... inconclusive.'

"No recent tracks nearby, and the road - if anyone took it, they would be either here or through the Stargate... I think, I'll take a look outside, major."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Sat 01 Feb 2014.

"Well, I can't say with any certainty that the resident's of that little village did or didn't make use of this...whatever it is, here." Kaspar said, "But I think we're on the right track in believing that it is some form of matter transmitter up to that big moon they have here."

Kaspar points at the ring of writing on the floor,

"My Latin is quite rusty -- assuming that the resemblance this language bears to Latin is actual, and not some great mistake on my part.  But, if this is related to Latin, then the few words I can make out are 'Royal' and 'Family' and 'Moon'.  I'm not even sure I've got the relational context correct.  I think that this may be a portal to some kind of Royal Family Reserve up on that moon."

"But, if that's true, I have serious doubts that that little village was the residence of the builders of this device. In fact, I suspect that this language may even be the language of the Ancients, or at least, like Latin on Earth, it's derivative of that older tongue."

"Vasandra, do you have anything up on that control panel, or alter, or whatever, that might confirm my assessment?"

After listening to the discussion, and since he found nothing of interest where he was looking, AND hordes of rabid Jaffa didn't suddenly appear, Gavin ventures out from behind the column and cautiously steps over to the circle on the floor.

"If this is a ring transport device that can go all the way to the moon, there has to be a rather powerful energy source here to power it... probably underneath," Gavin suggests.

He attempts to read the words written around the ring; he speaks and reads Ancient.

Then he goes over to the altar and attempts to read it, as well.

"The crystal glows to indicate that the device has power... the same thing as equipment on Earth with a power-on light. If it didn't glow when touched, it would mean that there was no power any more."

'More rings of power, and a smaller branch of Yggdrasil stretching between worlds.' Hilda described, impressed but at a loss as to what more she could do here. She felt a little uncomfortable being in the strange temple.



Hilda interrupted Rajip, walking to the door instead. 'I'll go. I can watch better outside. You can shoot that gun if Jaffa come out of the rings.' It seemed to better suit their apparent skill-sets, and she'd suggested it earlier.

After a last look around, she left the inner sanctum, going back around the curving passage and back to the entrance. Hilda stood before the doors, expecting them to open again and allow her to pass.

Hilda started to leave the room. When she reached one of the opened door, preparing to go in the direction of the temple's entrance, she stopped when she made her first step in the corridor.

In the hallway, she found two animals in the corner. They looked like no animals that she knew from Cimmeria. They were around one meter long and 50 centimetres in shoulder height. Each of their foot had five toes with long claw and they had two little tusk in the mouth.

When they saw Hilda, their hairs started to erect on their back and they both emitted a grunt. They are going to attack you !

---

Map: https://docs.google.com/drawin...2ZngDiGZ0bzSwes/edit
Combat Tracker: https://docs.google.com/spread...;usp=drive_web#gid=1

DM NOTES
You are now in an encounter. It is divided in stage. Each people in the same stage need to play before we go to the next stage but during the same stage, each player can play when they want.
This mean that both Hilda and Vasandra need to play before the first Ratel can play but they can Hilda can play first if she wants even if her initiative is lower. This is done to make encounter run smoothly.

INITIATIVE : ROUND 1
Stage 1: Vasandra Tourmaline, Hilda <-- Current
Stage 2: Ratel 2
Stage 3: Rajip Mojdar, Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski
Stage 4: Ratel 1
Stage 5: Gavin

Slipping though the room with the sort of liquid grace very few, if any, humans can ever hope to manage.  Drawing her Zat on the way she fires over Hilda's shoulder at the badgerboar about to charge them.  Sparking it with what will hopefully be at least a somewhat distracting bolt of energy, much of the charge dissipating into the temple's floor.

OOC: 10:43, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 13 using 1d20+6. Zat Attack.
10:48, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 2 using 1d4. Action Die. = total 15 VS Ratel 2's AC
10:49, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 4 using 3d6. Zat Damage.  Fort Save DC 14
This message was last edited by the player at 18:52, Fri 31 Jan 2014.

Hilda stared at the beasts, not in surprise but wondering if they meant harm. Most animals knew to avoid humans, and those that didn't usually didn't want to get in the way of a creature they didn't know, unless they had no choice.

Or, she thought as the beasts raised their bristles, grunted, and pawed the floor, some animals were just mean.

Already with her bow out and arrow ready, she raised her arms, drew back the arrow, and let it fly at the nearest badger.. boar... thing. But it was too hasty a shot, and did little more than annoy them. Quickly, she tossed aside her bow and drew her shield, ready to take one of the beasts on the heavy wooden war-board. 'There are beasts here!' she cried to her teammates.


OOC:
Standard: shoot bow @ Ratel #1, attack 12, damage 6, presume that's a miss
Free: drop bow
Move: draw shield

Sidestep: +1 dodge Defense vs all foes, raising Defense to effectively 16

13:52, Today: Hilda rolled 12 using 1d20+3. attack, shoot bow.
14:03, Today: Hilda rolled 6 using 1d6+1. damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:17, Sat 01 Feb 2014.

As Vasandra shoots one of the Ratel with her Zat, she hits it. The Ratel is a bit shocked by the shot but he does not fall unconscious. However, it is afraid and start to flee.

When Hilda tries to shot at the second Ratel, he somehow manage to dodge the arrow and starts to run in her direction. He then tries to scratch her with his claw but Hilda's leather boots are a good protection.

20:32, Today: The Keeper rolled 9 using 1d20+4. Ratel 2 - Fort vs Zat.
20:39, Today: The Keeper rolled 10 using 1d20+4. Ratel 1 - Atk Roll.

---

Map: https://docs.google.com/drawin...2ZngDiGZ0bzSwes/edit
Combat Tracker: https://docs.google.com/spread...;usp=drive_web#gid=1

DM NOTES
You are now in an encounter. It is divided in stage. Each people in the same stage need to play before we go to the next stage but during the same stage, each player can play when they want.
This mean that both Hilda and Vasandra need to play before the first Ratel can play but they can Hilda can play first if she wants even if her initiative is lower. This is done to make encounter run smoothly.

INITIATIVE : ROUND 1
Stage 1: Vasandra Tourmaline, Hilda
Stage 2: Ratel1, Ratel 2
Stage 3: Rajip Mojdar, Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski, Gavin <-- Current
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:11, Sun 02 Feb 2014.

Upon hearing Hilda's alerting cry, Rajip sprang into action, running straight for the door. As he approached, he cought a glimpse of a furry something reaching for the Cimmerian's legs. He didn't wast time: in an instant, he lifted his P90 and, while almost at point-blank range, pulled the trigger.



23:45, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 17 using 1d20+3. Ranged attack at ratel 1.
00:07, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 5 using 1d10.  Damage roll.

GM, verify if I got the rolls correctly, please. BTW, P90 does offer the single-shot mode, right?

As Rajip starts for the door where the fighting is going on, Kaspar raises an arm and points in that direction,

"Sargeant, take charge at the door." Kaspar orders, "Close it if you have to, but don't let anything inside here. And protect Captain Tourmaline."

As he's speaking, Kaspar heads towards the other door; specifically, he heads to the button inside this chamber that will close the door -- which, after a quick look out into that hallway, he presses.

"Gavin," Kaspar calls over his shoulder, "just in case we need it as an escape route, try and figure out how to operate this transit device.  Just don't activate it, yet.  If you can..."

((Way to go, Rajip! You just shot the family dog! They just want to play!))


Gavin was having a hard time reading the script around the floor circle. It possibly had to do with the embellishments on the lettering, since it seemed to change the form of letter somehow.

08:58, Sun 02 Feb 2014: Gavin rolled 10 using 1d20+6 ((4)) for Gavin's language check (Ancient) on the floor.

Moving over to the 'altar', he seemed to have a bit more luck, but with the sudden appearance of some furballs in the hall, the major suddenly wanted a miracle!

08:59, Sun 02 Feb 2014: Gavin rolled 16 using 1d20+6 ((9)) for Gavin's language check (Ancient) on the altar.
09:00, Sun 02 Feb 2014: Gavin rolled 1 using 1d4 ((1)) for spending one Action Die for a quicker read.


"This appears to be a ring transporter, Major, not a full-blown stargate," Gavin answers to the major's back as he moves away. "If it just goes to the moon, then we shouldn't have to tap in any address. We just hit the button and it works. Maybe."

Hilda snarled at the badger-boar with just as much viciousness, kicking it off her boot and quick-drawing her axe. She flashed the blade past its head, but couldn't get the angle right. Nevertheless, she was enjoying this. 'I think we've found dinner!' she crowed, and side-stepped around the beast to let the others shoot it while its attention was focused on her. She was fully into a defensive stance now.


OOC:
Move: draw axe
Standard: attack 6, miss
Free: 5-ft-step left
22:41, Today: Hilda rolled 6 using 1d20+3. axe attack.

Sidestep: +2 dodge Defence vs Ratel #1, raising Defence to effectively 17
This message was last edited by the player at 11:36, Sat 08 Feb 2014.

Trying her best to avoid hitting an ally with the often surprisingly deadly Zat gun Vasandra misses wide when firing two quick shots at the still active badger thing, likely startling it more than harming it.

OOC: 09:22, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 8 using 1d20+6. Zat Attack.
09:22, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 8 using 1d20+6. Zat Attack.

Rajip succesfully shot at one of the ratel, inflicting many damages. The ratel growled and started to enrage. The creature was now so angry that both Hilda and Vasandra were unable to hit him. It was like if his skin was now made of rock.

Inside the room, Kaspar was able to easily close the door, offering some protection to the team.
Because of all the noise around him, Gavin had a hard time to read the Latin text. On top of the Major deduction, he was able to identify two new words. "All-Mighty" and "Sakar". The last one sounded familiar.

At the altar, Gavin was now sure that the device could send them to the Moon. But even if there was no need to write an address, they would at least have to use a combination of symbols to get up to the Moon, these symbols acting like some sort of password.

During his research on the altar, he noticed that a message was now appearing, flashing repeatedly. But he was not able to describe it at the moment as he was focused on the altar's symbols.

In the hallway, the ratel bited Hilda at the leg. The other animal was now out of sight.

11:32, Today: The Keeper rolled 19 using 1d20+4. Ratel 1 - Atk Roll.
11:33, Today: The Keeper rolled 2 using 1d3-1. Ratel 1 - Dmg Roll.

---

Map: https://docs.google.com/drawin...2ZngDiGZ0bzSwes/edit
Combat Tracker: https://docs.google.com/spread...;usp=drive_web#gid=1

DM NOTES
@Rajip : the P90 have a single-shot position. And the damage rolls are 1d10+1. :)
Rajip, Kaspar and Gavin, you are up to play.

INITIATIVE : ROUND 1
Stage 1: Vasandra Tourmaline, Hilda
Stage 2: Ratel1, Ratel 2
Stage 3: Rajip Mojdar, Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski, Gavin <-- Current

The beast was enraged, and so too was Hilda, wide-eyed with a savage grin, baring her teeth and snarling at it like a berserker. She was enjoying this! She kicked the badger-boar off her leg, then slapped axe against shield. 'Come on!' she roared.


OOC: The DR 3 granted by the tactical deployment vest should reduce that damage to 0.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:36, Sat 08 Feb 2014.

Kaspar started across the chamber, heading towards the combat.  In his haste he unthinkingly placed a foot into the circle on the floor -- then suddenly hopped backwards with a shout of "Shiesse!".

Turning and walking around the circle, Kaspar raised his voice to be heard over the gunfire at the doorway.

"Dammit, either put down whatever is out there, right now, or get back in here and shut the door!  I will not have anyone on this team injured by some kind of animal attack!  So kill it, or drive it away, but do it now!"

Kaspar finally comes to a stop just behind the battling group, craning his neck in several directions to get a glimpse of whatever it is that they are fighting.

"Holy Mother of God, it's taking this much effort to kill a freaking dog!?  Sargeant Mohar, kill that thing, now! Use a grenade, if you think you need to; I authorize the use!"

Rajip had heard the major shouting out orders but it they were too close to the ferocious creature to change strategies now. This time, however, he had the chance to bring the gun closer to the animal's head  and pull the trigger again.



OOC: I seem to be hitting harder now, is it enough to bring it down?

18:49, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 7 using 1d10+1. damage.
18:48, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 17 using 1d20+3. Ranged attack at ratel 1.

Once again, Rajip hitted the ratel, hurting it badly. The animal was now losing a lot of blood and was almost dead. One last hit should finish him.

---

Map: https://docs.google.com/drawin...2ZngDiGZ0bzSwes/edit
Combat Tracker: https://docs.google.com/spread...;usp=drive_web#gid=1

DM NOTES
Gavin, it's your turn. :)

INITIATIVE : ROUND 1
Stage 1: Vasandra Tourmaline, Hilda
Stage 2: Ratel1, Ratel 2
Stage 3: Rajip Mojdar, Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski, Gavin <-- Current

Gavin couldn't see the creatures, but they almost sounded like some vermin on his world. With Rajip and Vasandra blocking the doorway, there wasn't much he could do anyway, so he decide to move around behind the altar. That way, he'd have some sort of obstacle between them and him, if they broke through the others.

That was when he noticed the message. Even as he focused on what it said, he hoped it wasn't a countdown!

Imminent Earthquake

The two words were clear enough so Gavin had no difficulties to translate them.

Gavin couldn't recall if there had been some sort of protocol for such an event, but he was pretty sure the trainers hadn't offered any way to announce it! He hesitated for a moment before he thought of something.

"INCOMING! EARTHQUAKE!" he shouted out even as he wondered if the people who created the device meant the same thing by the word 'imminent' as he did. After all, if they live to be a thousand years old, then 'imminent' might mean any time in the next decade.

Since the major was fairly close, Gavin offered an explanation.

"The altar just displayed an 'imminent earthquake' message."

Hilda ignored Gavin's wild cry, instead leaping past the wounded badger-boar to get behind it, to get it between herself and Rajip. It didn't know which way to turn. She swung her axe at the beast, but even wounded it quickly moved away. Or maybe she had little combat experience against animals much lower down. Yeah, that was it. She certainly wasn't just a crappy warrior.


OOC: Hey, yeah, I can tumble. Tumbling past Ratel #1 to move to a flanking position opposite Rajip. Tumble 18 vs DC 15, success!
19:21, Today: Hilda rolled 18 using 1d20+6. tumble.

Attack Ratel #1: attack 10, presumably a miss.
19:26, Today: Hilda rolled 10 using 1d20+5. axe attack, flanking.

Sidestep: +2 dodge Defence vs Ratel #1, raising Defence to effectively 17
This message was last edited by the player at 11:37, Sat 08 Feb 2014.

Despite her efforts, Hilda was unable to hit the ratel. The creature, although badly injured, was still quick enough to dodge the attacks. But he had now lost to much blood and his last dodge achieved him. The ratel was now dead.

As soon as his last breath was heard, the ground started to tremble. The team could feel all the shaking under its feet and as time passes, the earthquake was stronger and stronger.

---

DM NOTE
I will update the tracker as soon as I'm back at home. Ratel 1 is dead and Ratel 2 is out of sight so you are not considered in an encounter anymore. You can play freely at the moment.
Also, you have to all make a balance check DC 10 to see if you fall or not.

Just as he was going the enjoy the vicory over the vicious attacker, the ground was beginning to move even more violently. Keeping his his balance with ease due to hours and hours of travelling through across the most difficult surfaces in the worst conditions one could imagine, he didn't need to worry about himself yet the sitation was likely to get much worse soon enough. And he knew that an unknown construction was not the one he'd like to stay in.

"Everybody out! We're leaving the building!" he shouted, motioning towards the exit so that the Cimmerian in front of him could see, then looking back and repeating the command.



19:42, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 23 using 1d20+4. Balance roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:03, Sat 08 Feb 2014.

Hilda watched the badger-boar finally collapse from its wounds, disappointed she didn't get to inflict any. Coming down from the high of battle, she was about to examine the beast, to find out why it had become so vicious, when the ground began to shake under her feet. The sturdy Cimmerian remained firm and stable. 'Thor pounds his hammer!' she exclaimed in awe.

She knelt and snatched up her dropped bow, passing her axe to her shield-hand. 'I'll guard the big door! Watch out for the other beast!' she said, then hurried around the curving hall, keeping an eye out for the fleeing zatted beast. Fear of the earthquake could make it dangerous again.


OOC: Balance 19
13:16, Today: Hilda rolled 19 using 1d20+5. balance.
Move 30 feet toward the entrance

"Ta misja była oczywiście zaplanowana Moscva!"^* Kaspar bemoaned in Polish, as the ground started shaking.

"Everybody out! We're leaving the building!" Rajip shouted, motioning towards the exit so that the Cimmerian in front of him could see, then looking back and repeating the command, "Everybody out! We're leaving the building!"

"Uh, yes.  Yes!  As the Sargeant says!" Kaspar shouted in agreement -- then his blood turned cold with a sudden thought.

"Back to the Stargate!" Kaspar literally screamed, "Back to the Gate! Now-now-now!! There's a bloody fault line over by the Gate, and we're on the wrong side of it!! Go-go-go!!"



^* = "This mission was obviously planned in Moscow!"

Despite riding out the shaking ground rather easily Vasandra is clearly taken aback by both the response of fear and the strength of it from what seems to be a relatively small amount of actual shaking.  Not really having anything else of an overly pressing nature to do and not wanting to be left behind she does however tag along as everyone else flees the temple.  As she passes by the FRED she toggles it over to follow mode so it will tag along behind her at as she jogs down the road at an easy loping pace.

OOC: 12:09, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 24 using 1d20+9. Balance.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:10, Sun 09 Feb 2014.

Gavin wasn't really concerned about the building collapsing. His initial sensor readings indicated that it was more than what it appeared. Also, if it had the capability of alerting people about an earthquake, it probably had ability to survive one, else what good would a one-shot alert really be? Plus, it was probably a link from the moon to the stargate.

Speaking of the stargate, though, the major had a reasonable caution. He didn't think they could get back to it before the quake hit, but he supposed they had to try.

He quickly started to run out of the building with the others.


19:04, Sun 09 Feb 2014: Gavin rolled 14 using 1d20+5 ((9)) Balance check.

Kaspar heads for the exit, trying to maintain his footing as the ground shakes.  He knows that this may just be a single tremor -- or it may be the start of several tremors and aftershocks.  He just doesn't know enough Geology!


OOC: Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski rolled 11 using 1d20 for Balance check.

Hilda was first to the big doors leading out, pausing there to make sure the others got out and that the stunned badger-boar wasn't a threat. She slung her bow over her shoulder, and raised her shield over her head in case rocks started to fall. 'Run!' she bellowed. Earthquakes were rare on Cimmeria, and known only as a time when Thor slew giants in the mountains and slammed his hammer Mjölnir into the earth, so the Cimmerian was extra worried and awestruck by the sudden seismic event.

The team managed to get out of the temple without any problems. The tremor was a little one and everyone was still on its feet. As soon as they were outdoor, another tremor, more powerful, put the team on the ground.
A few second later, they were all on there feet again, running in the direction of the Stargate, the FRED following them. When they arrived, something was blindingly obvious: the DHD was missing ! In place of it, there was a little rift and nothing else.

Walking up to the edge of the Rift Vasandra retrieves a small flashlight likely intended to stick on the barrel of a gun she does not carry and points it down the rift, just on the off chance that the DHD is still visible.

”Well I think we can just about confirm that the rifts in the ground are being made by some kind of weapon, in which case we may want to find whomever is aiming the thing before we make any attempt to use the gate, as we would not want to push them so far as to bury the whole gate.”

Last out of the temple, Hilda stumbled as the Oz-quake grew more violent, and she grew increasingly worried about what all this meant. Once they'd jogged back to the Ring of Stars, she knew why. The crack in the road had widened to a gaping rift, and the runestone of the Ring of Stars was missing. We need that, right?

The Cimmerian walked to the edge of the rift, staring across at the Ring of Stars. It might as well be miles away across a chasm, with the DHD lost. Hilda came to a terrible realisation, her heart plummeting and growing as cold as winter snows. 'We've angered Thor. Those beasts are sacred to him, fierce fighters. We slew one and he struck this world in his rage, took away the runestone to punish us. Now we're doomed.' The warrior dropped to her knees, staring into the pit, whispering  'We didn't know. We defended ourselves as you would have us.' But the gods were fickle.

Upon reaching the stargate, Gavin saw the disaster that had befallen them. The quake had opened a rift near, if not right under, the DHD and it was gone. While he was as concerned as they others, he had to smile at the instant reactions from Vasandra and Hilda.

Unfortunately, he couldn't just as instantly refute Vasandra's hypothesis. The stargate builders would never have put the stargate on a fault line, for just this reason. That didn't mean that someone else couldn't have moved the stargate like the Tau'ri had done. Whoever had moved it, though, either had no knowledge of seismology and tectonics, or disregarded that knowledge for convenience.

In either case, sG-X1 was now paying for it.

Until they confirmed it, there was no guarantee that the DHD was down in the chasm. Even if it was and they could retrieve it, it was highly likely that the crystals that powered it were probably damaged. It was the only part of the DHDs that were vulnerable.

"You may be right, Vasandra," Gavin said to the Netjerian pilot. "I'm not sure any weapon could generate such a chasm if there wasn't a fault line here. It's certainly not where I would have placed the stargate. If there is a fault line, then it could just be coincidence that the latest fracturing took out the DHD."

He then turned to Hilda.

"Those beasts are vermin; they are not sacred to Thor, but if he did send them, then it was as a challenge for us. This is not the work of Thor; he would not punish us in such a manner. He know we have warrior hearts, and even if we made a mistake, he would give us a chance to redeem ourselves. No, this smacks of the work of Loki."

"We certainly would do disservice to Thor if we were to give up at every obstacle, no matter how great they are. This isn't that great... yet. We can still manually rotate the gate, and there should be sufficient power left in it for one more dialing."

"Besides, the gate is still there, so General Hammond will check on us if we don't report back. We can then inform him of the situation and he will send a rescue team."

At that point, Gavin began searching around the area. He called up images of the area that they'd taken and attempted to determine just where the DHD had been. Then he looked for any indications that the DHD might have been taken, and any signs of where it had been. There should have been some sort of foundation that made it hard to just pick up and walk away with. It wasn't connected by wire to the stargate; power was beamed to it, but there might be some other indication... a hole, partial indentation.

After that, he went over to the chasm and examined it. How far across did it go? Would it be possible to cut down some trees to form a bridge? He looked left and right, seeing how far it went in both directions. Even if it was several miles, they'd be able to walk around it. Climbing down one side and up the other, however, was probably not feasible.

The rift was not really large. In fact, it was just its end that swallowed the DHD. It was about 15 feet large and was running for something like 50 feet after the gate so it would be easy to get around it. It was more a matter of bad luck than anything else that it hit the DHD.

When Vasandra used her flashlight to try to find the DHD, she was able to see a red reflection. It could have been the DHD but someone would have to go down the rift to be sure. She could estimate that the red reflection came from around 65 feet in the rift and the gap was large enough so someone could climb down to check.

As he stood there alongside the others, Rajip couldn't help but shake his head with a mix of disbelief and irritation on his face.

"Of all the space round here, it had to happen exactly here. Why not just several feet farther to the east, ah? Damn it! Are we now to just keep waiting for the Command Center to call upon us? Manual operation that you suggested isn't probably something any of us should actually attempt, even less so if it still stores the amount of power necessary for one dialing."

Going on like this, he approached Vasandra and peeked down the rift following her gaze.



OOC: Just curious if I can see the refection.

As Rajip approached the rift, he also saw the red reflection when Vasandra moved her flashlight. There was definitively something here and it was probably the DHD.

Taking a few steps back from the edge Vasandra finds herself some more stable footing on which to think and plan, not wanting to join the DHD in it's unfortunate fate.

”I would not suggest trying to operate the Gate manually unless all other efforts fail, and power supply should not be a problem as we did not travel here without a backup plan.  The DHDs are however quite resilient and in all likelihood the one down there will work just fine, should someone be inclined to hop down and test it, the gravity is however a bit high for me to be able to do so myself with any reliable chance of success let alone returning.”

Gavin's words reassured Hilda, and once she got over her shock, she rose to her feet again, brushing dirt off the knees of her uniform. 'You're right. The beasts came into the temple as a challenge, or were its guardians. It was some other god then. The Goa'uld maybe.' she muttered, still holding to her theory of divine wrath. For the quake to start as soon as the badger-boar breathed its last, and to swallow the DHD so specifically, was too much of a coincidence for her to ignore.

Hilda peered down into the gaping fissure, seeing the red glimmer of the central orb. She crumbled the side of the rift with the toe of boot, testing the sturdiness of the dirt wall. 'I could climb down there... And maybe we could use the FRED to pull it out! We should find rope and a shovel at the village.'

If one of you want to climb down, a rope will be necessary (There are some in your survival kits). You will have to make 3 climbing check during the descent (One every 20 feet). The DC will be 10, 15 and 20 as they scale with the difficulty. Each failed check will inflict a loss of 2 vitality points as you fall a bit and hurt yourself on the rift wall.

Once you will be down, I will give you more instruction.

"I believe I have some rope in my survival kit," Rajip staightened on hearing the Cimmerian's words. "Let me check that."

He hastened back to the FRED behind them and began shuffling through his backpack.

"Ahh, here it is," the man announced after a while, lifting a coil of rope triumphantly into the air. Then, checking the legth printed out on the tag, nodded satisfied with what he had read. After that, he began acting methodically as he had had many times over in the past. He freed the end of the rope and fastened it securely to the construction of the vehicle, then trotted back up to the brink of the fissure, peered down to make sure if th the rope was likely to catch onto any obstacle above the desired location and tossed it in, watching it unfold on the way down.

"Your ride is ready, ma'am," he said with a grin, handing it over to Hilda, then turned towards the others. "Now, people! Go get me more ropes. We're gonna need at least two of them to pull the thing up and an additional one for Hilda to make certain it comes back up in one piece. Go on, move it!"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Wed 12 Feb 2014.

Kaspar is carefully leaning over the edge of the rift and looking down into the Stygian darkness, when he hears Gavin mention Loki.

"Back when I was at university," Kaspar mumbles distractedly, "I always held the opinion that God Loki was the victim of bad press by the Christian Missionaries.  In the original Sagas he just wasn't that evil.  Treacherous, maybe even a little malevolent, but not actively evil."

Kaspar shook himself, and turned to listen to the discussion of his team mates.

"While I would rather send down Gavin, to make an assessment of the damage, if any, done to the DHD; to determine if it's even worth the effort to drag it back up here.  I have to admit that Miss Hilda is more...limber...and thus stands a better chance of success in recovering the device."

"Okay, Sargeant, I'm going to assume you have more climbing experience than me, so this is your show.  Tell us what you want, and how you want it done."

Retrieving the rope from each of the survival kits packed into the FRED's storage space as well as an extra fifty foot long coil from her own selection of gear Vasandra brings them back to the staging ground at the top of the cleft in the ground to make them available to those more comfortable with the use of such things.

”By my count we should have well over two hundred feet of rope in total, and given any sort of leverage advantage the FRED should be able to haul the DHD up easily once it is properly secured.  Even if the device is not fully operational it's component parts should make any effort to rig another dialing mechanism into place significantly easier, but that will not make for easy travel back and forth should later missions decide to come here for a more in depth investigation of the temple's ring device.”

'Hmm? Oh, me too.' Hilda added to Rajip, having not yet looked in her survival kit. Returning to the FRED, she took her own kit out and hauled out the rope, adding it the collection. They had a lot of rope, but little else one might use for climbing or excavation. 'I still want a shovel to dig the DHD out with. And I almost ordered a folding shovel from Fred. We'll have to go to the village, look for some things.'

Hilda tried to work out how to do this, and started thinking of the problems. It could be a dangerous expedition. Thor appreciated bravery, not foolishness. 'I've climbed trees and big rocks back home, but this is different. There are few good places to grab but roots and stones, the rocks are sharp, and the earth is still loose. The sides could fall down... You should be ready to pull me out fast if they do, so I'm not buried.' Being buried alive would be a terrible fate, and her companions would not be able to dig her out.

Then she remembered something. 'Gavin, you have a "Tollani phase device", to walk through walls? Could you walk through earth and stone, to see the DHD.'

"Yes, I have such a device," Gavin replies to Hilda, "but, alas, it does not work that way. There is no way to vary its altitude, and if I tried to walk through that much stone, I would have no way of seeing where I was going."

Rajip nodded to once, seemingly in response to every bit of information that could had been said, yet his eyes were fixed at those of Hilda's. Once she concentrated on him again, he began in a quiet, reasurring tone:

"Look, you wanted to go down," he reminded, "but if you want to stay here, I'll go. Besides, as long as the DHD isn't at the very bottom, you should be all right if only you manage keep keep hold of the rope should the walls indeed crumble. And don't worry about emergency lift, we'll provide that."

While the ropes are prepared for use as a climbing harness Vasanrda returns to the FRED parked well back from the presumably fragile cliff edge and digs around a little more to retrieve a pair of unused cargo nets that unfold to be twenty feet on a side and square.

”Securing the DHD should not be a problem assuming you know a few simple and effective knots to secure rope to a net and have access to the underside of the DHD, if it is indeed on the bottom you may need to be a bit more creative to get it onto one of the nets, but they will still provide a significant advantage in security once we begin lifting the DHD out.  While you are down there we will work on a pulley system of some sort.”

'I'm not afraid.' Hilda answered Rajip defensively. 'I only think we should take care, be ready, if I should risk my neck. Now, I'm going to find a shovel.' The Cimmerian would not be denied her shovel.

With that she walked off, following the widened crevice through the trees to the ruined village. After all, it was only a few minutes walk away. Once there, she hunted around in barns and sheds for tools: a shovel, a pick, even a trowel. She also found an old skin, so the rope wouldn't rub through the dirt. Hermod had taught her to think things through, to be prepared, and she felt this was quite reasonable.

OOC: Search 14, or Take 20 for 24. I'm going to assume success, since they're common items for the age.
16:18, Today: Hilda rolled 14 using 1d20+3. search.

Hilda returned to the Stargate site with a collection of digging tools and a rolled animal skin. She laid the skin over the edge of the crevice, under the rope Rajip had already hung down, and secured it with loose gold bricks. Laying on the furry side of the skin, the ropes would not rub or wear against the gold brick of the broken road. She pulled the rope up to tie a shovel and pick on the end, then lowered it again; the tools would weigh it down and keep it from swaying too much.

Next, Hilda stripped off much of her gear, to reduce weight and bulkiness as she climbed; much of it wasn't needed down in the pit anyway. She only made sure she took her radio, flares and flashlight, as well as a borrowed trowel. She kept on her BDU, vest, boots, gloves, and her Viking helm.

Taking a second rope, she looped it around her body in a crude harness, hoping it wouldn't cut into her anywhere uncomfortable.

She listened to Vasandra outline the means of hauling the DHD up. 'Okay, you work on that while I climb down. Be ready to pull me back up.'

Thus prepared, as much as she could be, Hilda ventured back to the edge of the crevice, peering down into the dark. It was a long way down. Being buried alive was no fate for a warrior, but doing so bravely was. It still seemed no place for people. Would she encounter dwarves down there? The dark elf, at least, was already here. 'By Thor, this isn't how I want to go down on a crevice.' With those potential last words, she clambered over the edge and climbed down, holding and lowering herself down on the first rope and bracing her boots against the sides of the crevice. So far, so safe.


OOC: First check, Climb 19 vs DC 10, looks like a success.
17:04, Today: Hilda rolled 19 using 1d20+5. climb.

Just leaving it here in case anything comes up. Can I Take 10?

After successfully retrieving some tools in the village, Hilda joined her group back and prepared herself to climb down the rift.

Once she was ready, she started the descent and she reached the first 20 feet without any problems. Already, the light started to fade a bit and it will soon be impossible to see Hilda for someone that don't get a bit over the cliff.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:21, Fri 14 Feb 2014.

"You're doing good so far, Hilda. Keep it this way," Rajip anonouced while peering over the edge of the fissure, watchful for anything that coulld endanger the Cimmerian teammate. Once in a while, he checked out the condition of the rope working directly on the edge. He didn't expect any problems but that couldn't hurt either.



OCC: 16:02, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 13 using 1d20+5. Climbing - Just in case Rajip could foresee any problems with the climb. Seems pretty useless with the result, though.

As much as Rajip could see, everything was fine with the ropes installation.

'Alright.' Hilda called to Rajip. Hilda dug her boot into the rough soil wall, forming a ledge to support herself against as she continued scaling down the rope. Hand over hand, foot by foot. So far, so good, by Thor. The crevice hadn't collapsed, and rocks weren't falling on her head, though the steady trickle of dirt on her head was a worry. Fortunately, her bronze and leather helm was more than just for show. And her strong arms and legs were more than able to support her weight.

But now she was getting close to the bottom, past the soil layer and into the freshly rent stone. It was getting harder to find a toehold here, and the rocks were loose and jagged. She pushed her boot firmly against the side, tried to lower herself down — only for a sheet of broken rock to slip loose beneath her foot. Hilda was suddenly left dangling, swinging on her rope. She collided hard with the rough stone wall, pain shooting up her side. Fortunately, her vest and the thick cloth of her BDU muffled it; she might find some bruises later. 'I'm fine!' she shouted back up the crack at the sky above.

Hilda lowered herself the rest of the way to the bottom of the crevice, touching down carefully on the loose rubble.


OOC:
Climb #2 vs DC 15: 19 - success
Climb #3 vs DC 20: 18 - fail
12:57, Today: Hilda rolled 19 using 1d20+5. climb.
13:14, Today: Hilda rolled 18 using 1d20+5. climb #3.
Take 2 vitality points in damage, but this is negated by DR 3 from the vest.

Hilda had now climb down all the way to the DHD, but not without little hurts. When she reached the DHD, she had to use her flashlight to be able to see something. The place was dark as the rift had shrank as Hilda was getting deeper.

The good point was that the DHD was here, resting upon a larger piece of rock that was looking more stable than its surrounding. There was even enough place for Hilda to place her tools here.

She lit a flare and planted it on the rocky wall only to see that the globe on top of the DHD was broken. Fortunately, all the control crystal seems to be in place and they all looked in perfect condition.

Now, she would have to strap the DHD with the nets and ropes that she had at her disposal but this should be fairly easy as it was lying on this rocky platform.

OOC : these damages could not be reduced. Two of your vitality points are now gone Hilda. :p

As she touched down, Hilda shined her flashlight up and down the crevice, wary of dwarves or kobolds or worse things emerging from the walls to grab her. But all was clear. She lit a flare and wedged it in the rock to make a more stable light source, like a wall-mounted torch.

With the area secure, Hilda radioed her findings to her teammates. 'I've got down safely and and found the DHD. It's not even buried. But the red orb is broken. I'll look closer.' She picked her way over the rocks to the DHD, then peered inside the rune-carved altar at the magical treasures within. 'The other crystals and gems and sir-cut-tree do not look broken... Should I get it ready to pull up, or should I try using it? We can tell Earl Hammond about this, get him to send help.'
This message was last edited by the player at 11:55, Sat 15 Feb 2014.

"Roger that," Rajip acknowledged the report, then turned to the others. "So we've got the offer of trying to activating the gate from down below. Would that be safe to our Cimmerian friend and more importantly, would that work?" he asked looking specifically at Gavin.

While not having been much use for the physical part of the rope climbing Vasandra now pipes up as things bend a little closer to her area of expertize.

”Even a minor amount of damage can cause serious problems without running any diagnostics to determine the nature of the problem, with a broken orb it is very likely that something is wrong internally which would make dialing now unwise.  As we are not particularly pressed for time I would suggest at least making an attempt at retrieval so we can repair the DHD before we use it.”

Rajip's attention turned to Vasandra, whose advice seemed sound. He's gaze then moved to Gavin once more to eventually rest upon the major's face.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:30, Sat 15 Feb 2014.

"It has to come up sometime." Kaspar said with a shrug, "We're in place, now, to do so, so we might as well.  Even if it takes us a long time, eventually Stargate Command will open the gate for a routine check-in, and we can have them send more technicians, as well as a MALP with our portable dialing device.  We're not trapped here, yet."

"So, yeah, we might as well pull the sucker up here."

"OK, how do we get to that? Any specific advice or do you let us handle this?" this time Rajip's question was given to Vasandra yet his gaze run briefly towards Gavin once or twice.

"What Vasandra said is mostly true," Gavin replied after thinking about it for a bit. "There are so many safeguards built into the device that it takes considerably talent, intelligence and effort to actually damage or sabotage it to that degree, though."

"I cannot guarantee that it will work from down there. It is connected to the gate on a subspace level, not through normal radio frequencies. In theory, it should activate the gate from down there, but without knowing the composition of these cliffs, I cannot say for certain."

"Bringing the DHD up is only necessary for two reasons: repairing it or salvaging it for parts. Hammond may not be willing to send technicians through unless there is a high probability that they can return. We are hardly experts on the stargate yet, so there is no assurance that the gate will work."

Down in the pit, Hilda yawned and shuffled her feet, waiting for a response from her teammates up above. She shined her torch again; still no kobolds or dwarves or dragons. Growing bored, she tapped one of the buttons on the DHD, seeing if it would light up.

As Hilda tapped the DHD's button, it did not lit. The DHD had probably no energy remaining.

'No lights on the DHD.' Hilda reported.

"We're here to find some bits of technology and, as far as I know, we have little to show upon arrival. But we're already prepared to drag it out so why not just do it. If anything, it could help us get back home sooner. And if we have the means of returning upon request, we can think about getting back to the temple and maybe recover something from the the inside."

"Okay, Hilda," Gavin says over the radio, "secure the DHD with the net and ropes. We're bringing it back up."

'Roger.' Hilda acknowledged, and carried the dangling net tied to the remaining ropes over to the stricken DHD. Now, how to do this? She debated trying to roll the DHD off the big rock and onto the net, but it looked heavy and if it slipped, she could well break it further. She thought about getting the net under the altar part, but there was no way to do so without cutting a hole in the net or lifting it anywhere.

In the end, she tied her safety rope around the DHD to steady it and hold it up. Next, she picked up all the shattered parts of the red orb that she could find, pocketing them in case they were needed. She then laid the net outside the DHD, picking her path and how to work it. Then, working very carefully, she tipped and rolled and manoeuvred the DHD off the rock and laid it down on the net.


OOC: Taking 20, Strength check 23

After putting some time and effort to secure the DHD, Hilda finally got something convincing enough so the team could bring it up to the surface.
This will not be an easy task and it will require some coordinations between the members but it can be done.

OOC :
Bringing the DHD to the surface will be done with two thresholds and will require at least three people.
One of them, Hilda, will guide the DHD from the rift.
One of them will drive the FRED that will help to get the DHD up.
The last one will help Hilda to guide the DHD from the surface.

You will have to decide who the two other people will be. One this is done, you can start getting the DHD out of the rift and I will intervene when the first threshold will be reached.

Once the Netting is secure around the DHD, and the rope attacked to the FRED's tow hitch Vasandra starts off with a very careful slow pace, something that will neither damage the DHD nor unbalance the guiding process taking place closer to the edge.  Clearly practiced at making large powerful vehicles behave in a steady and predictable manner her control never falters, and never guides the FRED over anything but the most reliable of available ground for the task.

”Take things nice and slow, we are in no particular rush and want this done right the first time around.”

OOC: 02:51, Today: Vasandra Tourmaline rolled 30 using 1d20+10. Pilot.

Hilda had used both nets for extra strength; if one or more ropes snapped under the weight, they wouldn't soon lose the whole load. With some huffing and grunting, she manhandled the DHD into position, then gently as she could laid it down on the ground over the nets, right in the centre. Once it sat smoothly, she pulled up the nets and tied them firmly to the ropes. 'I have the DHD, all ready.'

She kept one rope dangling down, which she could hold and tug on to steady the DHD if it started swinging too much as Vasandra winched it up. She also radioed back any guidance she needed to make, such as to halt to steady the DHD, or move it to avoid an outcrop of stone. 'Halt... Left a bit.'


OOC: I'm not sure what to roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:34, Tue 18 Feb 2014.

Gavin acted as the surface guide for raising the DHD. That left the two military men to act as guards.

"It went down a lot easier than it's coming up," he commented.

He worried about how they were going to get it up over the edge, though. He quickly realized that some sort of hoist would have worked better so that once the DHD cleared the edge, it could be swung over to the ground. Maybe they could use something as a brace, so that as it neared the top, the brace would pivot in such a way that it would clear the edge and could be pivoted back onto ground. It would be tricky to keep it from falling to the ground, but it had the added advantage of using a fulcrum, thus reducing the strength necessary to hold it.

Or maybe he was over-thinking it. The three of them should be able to wrangle it over the edge. Was there enough extra rope to secure each of them, though?

"Very well. You can take care of it from now on. I'll just watch your back." Rajip said, partly to himself, partly to the rest of the team as he saw they get to the task of raising the device. After that, he walked back several paces yet still remaining close enough to provide assistance should any be called upon.

"We're here to find some bits of technology and, as far as I know, we have little to show upon arrival. But we're already prepared to drag it out so why not just do it. If anything, it could help us get back home sooner. And if we have the means of returning upon request, we can think about getting back to the temple and maybe recover something from the the inside."

"Actually, that's not quite true, Sargeant," Kaspar says, then frowns, "By the way, and please forgive my tardyness in this matter -- but, while I am rather good with languages, I have mostly focussed on English, Slavic and Scandinavian languages.  I've been assuming your name is of Hindi derivation; have I been pronouncing it correctly -- you said it was Mohar, yes?"

Everything was fine so far. The team was able to get the DHD out of the pit slowly, but surely. Until they faced a problem.

Some kind of rocky growth was on the path of the DHD. It looked to hard to be mined by Hilda and it was impossible to make it explode as the consequences would be unknown. The only thing to do was to get around it and it would require the best coordination between the members of SG-X1.

OOC
To bypass the rocky growth, Hilda, Gavin and Vasandra will have to work together to get the DHD out of this situation without problems and damages.

• Hilda will have to perform a STR and a DEX check. This symbolizes her work to move the DHD around the growth.
• Vasandra will have to perform a Driver check as she is driving the FRED to pull the DHD.
• Gavin will have to perform a Listen and a Spot check. As a watchman of the climb, he need to stay alert.

I will not tell you the DC that you have to beat to keep the surprise. :D

Hilda glared hatefully at the rock outcrop, a sudden obstacle in the path of the DHD. Trolls! 'We have to keep moving it left... No, left! ...Uh, my left, your right.' she argued over the radio until they were on the same runestone. She grabbed her guide-rope and marched down the rift, slowly hauling the heavy DHD away from the outcrop, further, further, until she had the whole rope and load moving at an angle past the outcrop. The Cimmerian warrior wrapped the rope around her wrist and pulled hard to keep it in place, powerful muscles bulging and straining under the load, her tough sinews like steel cables. 'Rargh! Inch by inch, she let the rope slip and feed out, the rope scraping her uniform sleeves.


OOC: Strength 21, Dexterity 17
21:31, Today: Hilda rolled 21 using 1d20+3. strength - heave!
21:31, Today: Hilda rolled 17 using 1d20+3. dexterity - ho!
This message was last edited by the player at 08:06, Mon 24 Feb 2014.

Gavin couldn't help smiling when Hilda's comments came over the radio. The shadows in the cleft had played tricks with their vision, and they hadn't seen the outcropping when they set up the ropes. Now it was in the way. Even though he couldn't see all that well, he was able to augment that with his ears... listening for any unexpected sounds.


18:12, Fri 21 Feb 2014: Gavin rolled 23 using 1d20+3 ((20)) Spot check.
18:12, Fri 21 Feb 2014: Gavin rolled 10 using 1d20+3 ((7)) Listen check.

Keeping up a steady pressure on the FRED's slowest speed setting Vasandra makes sure that at least one aspect of the effort is predictable, so the others can take it into account easily.

”Let me know if you need to stop the line for any reason.”

OOC: I did not realize that Driver was a separate skill from Pilot, that will change my bonus a bit and make the total roll only a 25.

That was not an easy task but the team performed an excellent job. They have been able to put the DHD around the growth without much trouble and the rise could continue.

However, Gavin was able to see that one of the rope was starting to break of a bit but he was unable to what it was attached. They will have to go fast if they want to get the DHD and Hilda out in time.

Rjip eyed the major thoughtfully. Often had he been asked to repeat his name to people except of those of Indian origin. It was the first time, however, that anyone did it in so an elaborate way.

"Not exactly so, major. The best approximation I can give you is Moj-dar. Just like that. I hope that'll help."

"Moj-dar?  Mojdar.  Ah, yes, I see.  My mistake; I do appologize." Kaspar said.

"Anyways, as I was saying, this mission cannot be described as being any kind of failure.  True, we didn't find warehouses filled portable plasma weapons.  But we did find evidence of the possible presence of Ancients on this planet.  And that means that there could be Ancient ruins all over -- a planet is a big place.

"We know that, from what we've found of it, Ancient tech is usually better than Go'auld tech -- though we often have to retro-engineer it.  We found in that temple a transit device probably built by Ancients.  Whether it works or not, just studying it will advance our knowledge, and thus give us an edge over the Go'auld.  And, it looks pretty good that that moon, up there, was inhabited by the same Ancients who built the temple and the transit device.

"So that's one transit device and two entire worlds filled with possible Ancient settlement sites on them.

"I don't count going back to report that as any kind of failure, Sargeant Mojdar.  I count that as a success." Kaspar finished, doing a reasonable job of pronouncing Rajip's name....for Slav from Silesia.


OOC: Kaspar Radoslaw Gorski rolled 10 using 1d20+6. Straight Languages roll; to properly pronounce a Hindi surname.

"And who are these 'Ancients' you're talking about. I know of the Goa'uld and several other races and species we can possibly encounter... or we already have," Rajip said, lowering his voice almost to a conspiratorial whisper and motioning his head meanigfully towards the three figures behind the major's back. "I've never heard of any ancients other than those in normal our own history. I've heard nothing of that during the briefing or ever before it, for thath matter."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:09, Sat 01 Mar 2014.

"You haven't heard of the Ancients?" Gavin responded to Rajip in surprise.

"We believe they are our ancestors, though we have no idea how far back they go, possibly to your Age of Atlantis. We think they are the gate builders. There were four great races that achieved interstellar travel: the Ancients, the Asgard, the Nox, and the Furlings."

"The Asgard and Nox are still around, but the Ancients have long since disappeared. Other than the name, we don't know a thing about the Furlings."

Hilda grunted as the effort of bearing the load took its toll, but the Cimmerian would never yield. 'What is going on up there?' she growled over the radio.

"One of the ropes is starting to fray," Gavin says over the radio in response to Hilda. "We're doing the best we can."

Gavin goes over to the rope that is fraying. If he can reach it, he'll cut a piece of spare rope off and tie a double sheep-shank knot over the fray.

"That should do," he explains. "The double rope should take up the stress, and if it breaks, the sheep-shank knot gets tighter the more stress is put on it."

As the team was pulling the DHD from the pit, they felt a small tremor. It was probably an aftershock but it cut the rope a bit more.

"Yes, the Ancients pre-date Ra finding Earth thousands of years ago. They pre-date the Go'auld even getting into space, for that matter." Kaspar adds, "As Gavin said, we're pretty sure that the Ancients built the Stargates; the Asgard have dropped comments that pretty much confirm that -- though the Asgard could, and probably have, built their own gates.  But they don't confirm or deny that."

"The Ancients pre-date Humanity, although the current thinking is that they may have looked just like us. That Earth was some kind of colony or outpost of theirs, and that they somehow encouraged the early lifeforms of Earth into organisms amenable to their wants and needs.  In other words, us."

"They rose to a high level of civilization over a million years ago, and then they just...left.  As far as I know, the Asgard are silent on this subject, while Doctor Jackson has put forward a very...outside the box theory that they transferred to some 'higher plane'." Kaspar shrugged, "Myself, I think it more likely they found a more interesting corner of the universe, and just moved away."

Kaspar looked around, after the tremor, and decided that this was taking too long. Confident that Sargeant Mojdar could handle the security needs of the moment, Kaspar walked over to Gavin, at the edge of the crevasse.

"What can I do to help move this along?" Kaspar asked.

The ground shuddered beneath Hilda's boots, but the Cimmerian remained firm and stable. Even so, she was growing increasingly uncomfortable standing at the bottom of a very deep and narrow hole in the ground. Sand trickled down. A stone bounced off her helmet. 'Please tell me we are nearly finished?' she begged over the radio, feeding some more rope around her straining arms as Vasandra pulled the DHD up, achingly slow. 'Maybe you can go faster, Vasandra?' I must say that to all the girls.

Not expecting something as simple and indestructible as a proper carbon nano-fiber rope to come apart as easily as this it takes Vasandra a few moments to realize the rope is very likely constructed out of something completely different if it is coming apart so easily that it is causing the disruption behind her as the slow moving FRED continues to plod along at the speed most likely to succeed without causing more problems than it fixes..

”If you could place something durable but with a low surface friction under the rope where it passes over the edge of the cliff it would make it less likely for even this substandard line to fray.”

The major's walking over to the others left Rajip nodding slowly while he was still absorbing the information the two had given him.

"So that basically makes us having just left the God's, or maybe gods', building..." he told himself. "Looks like the Cimmerian can be actually right about what she had said," he finished with a smirk, then turned back to look at the team at work, only to begin watching the surroundings again after a moment.



OOC: Just some guard duty rolls (in case they're needed):
20:08, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 18 using 1d20+3. Listen.
20:07, Today: Rajip Mojdar rolled 7 using 1d20+3. Spot.

Rajip was focused on the rope. He had a great surprised when he finally saw the DHD from the top of the cliff. He started to pull the rope by hand and when the DHD was close enough, he grabed it to secure it.

Right after that, Kaspar grabbed Hilda's arm to help her reach the surface and they took the DHD away from the cliff.

"Outstanding job, everyone." Kaspar says, remembering his long-ago Leadership training.

"Now we see just how damaged this thing is, yes?" he says, looking at Vasandra and Gavin.

Alas, there was probably no 'safe' spot to situate the DHD, since they were clearly in some sort of fault line area.

Moving it far enough away to be reasonable, Gavin began examining it, taking it apart as necessary.


19:37, Thu 06 Mar 2014: Gavin rolled 16 using 1d20+6 ((10)) skill check.

That's good for Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (hyperphysics), and Knowledge (physics), but add another 3 for Electronics.

At first look, there was no broken crystals inside the DHD. But there was also no power.

Before the team could made a better diagnosis of the device, it will have to find a suitable power source to turn it on.