In reply to Angus McStubbin (msg # 274):

"Fine. Angus, you and Linus take Blake and Ken. If you weld it we can always cut our way in later to unseal it.

"Or, before you seal it, maybe check out where it goes?"

"OK," said Linus, getting up.

"If we have a welding set I can operate it."

In reply to Linus Spruance (msg # 276):

"Yep, we sure have one of those."

Linus, Angus, Blake and Ken all took grav belts and made the hop to the hatch where the raiders had come through the day before yesterday to attack the village.

Slung on Blake's back was a laser rifle power pack with the rifle itself clipped to it. He'd traded it for his carbine so they could laser-weld the door shut if need be.

They landed a little ways away from the massive ventilation shaft grates on the forest floor where the hatch was located.

In reply to GM (msg # 278):

Reading his combat shotgun Ken said, "right, time for a little recce. let's see if those primitive buggers are still around." He then checked the forest using thermal goggles. "I see nothing. We're safe to move in."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 279):

Angus had his shotgun ready too. It was a fully loaded pump type loaded with buckshot, tear them up bad if they came.

It was midday in the massive 12-sided chamber that was home to Udam and his people. Udam's home was a village set in fields cleared from a forest that stretched kilometres in each direction. It was set on a mound that was made from the ruins of other ancient settlements.

Each of the 12-facets was teeming with plant and animal life. Thick forests, grassy fields, with scattered lakes fed by streams full of fish. Separating each of them were sheer mountain ranges several hundred metres high or more, with tunnels and passages through them. In the middle of the space burned a small sun which dimmed every 12 hours, then brightened, to provide a day-night cycle. By looking up, one could see the other facets, green and blue and dotted with white clouds. Beneath their feet the rich soil was honeycombed with other rooms and passages and long-empty storehouses, hundreds of metres down.

However, Udam and his people knew that this chamber was merely one of many that were hollowed out in their world. A world that, according to legend, was travelleing through a great and endless void on some journey. There were many other such chambers, some as large but most smaller. Connected to each other by other tunnels and passages. Also, gravity was different in other places. It was absent in the transit shafts that connected the different modules. In rooms and chambers that appeared to be damaged or non-functional gravity was also gone. In those places it was often very cold and the air was wrong, and these places were forbidden by custom.

The raiders that had attacked their village had come from outside the module. They had entered using a hatch at one of the many large vents that were set in the forest floor. This was not their first such raid, and they had been fought off before. But this time the village fought them off with help with some "outsiders", strangers not from this world, wielding weapons that resembled that of the old drawings and of legend.

Udam and another villager, Igar, were posted as sentries there to make sure the raiders didn't return before the hatch had been sealed or at least explored. Udam was in charge. They would be relieved at the end of the day. Four of the Outsiders arrived, flying (as was sometimes their habit). The Outsiders readied their weapons as if they were intending to enter the hatch. Udam and Igar were under instructions from the Elder Council to help them if they could.

In reply to GM (msg # 281):

There were two friendly villagers guarding the vent hatch the raiders had used. One was wearing a leather jerkin (Jack) and armed with a bow. A spear was leaning against a nearby tree. The other, who seemed to be the more senior and capable of the two, was wearing a mail hauberk and armed with a crossbow and broadsword.

At this time the Outsiders did not understand the language of the villagers. One spoke to the other.

Igar said, "Udam, it looks like the Outsiders are going to explore the hatch. Should we help them?"

Although much of the materials that adorned the local warriors were from natural sources, a few obviously synthetics materials had been cannibalized at some point in the past. Some of the braids in the warriors hair were held in place by blue wire insulation, and several of the links in his mail were in fact washers that had been repurposed.

His sword, resembling an ancient pattern called a "faussart" was a thick single edged affair about three feet long without a hilt...a fan blade ground down into a serviceable weapon and given a more comfortable grip. The wooden sheath at his hip had been decorated with fading paints.

The older warrior turned to Igar and nodded, with a gesture to the hatch. "Of course, even with so few they could make all the difference. I have not met them yet in any case, and I am curious to see them for myself"

Udam approached the Outsiders with a wave of his free hand, gestured between Igar and himself, then to the group. He then smiled, patted the uncocked crossbow, and gestured to the hatch in an inviting way.

In reply to Udam (msg # 283):

"I hear they awoke the Sleeping Man! The one who's been sleeping since before I was born, they say. Do you think they use the magic of the Old Loeskalth? Are they the Old Loeskalth, returned?" Igar was a sturdy fellow of 22, quick and full of stamina for a hard day's work. But he was a simple man.

Referee's Note: At this time you cannot understand the local language. This is just for RP.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:10, Thu 10 June 2021.

In reply to Igar (msg # 284):

Angus holds up an empty hand at their friendliness, and continues to advance. He points the shotgun at the ground.

In reply to Angus McStubbin (msg # 285):

Igar's eyes went wide, then he subtly motioned towards Angus. He whispered, "that's him! The Sleeping Man!"

In reply to Igar (msg # 286):

"Hello!" he said slowly, then he pointed at himself, "Me Angus!"

"I do not know..." Udam replied to Igar when asked about the origin of the Sleeping Man, these outlanders and their powers. "It would make sense that the Sleeping Man is one of the Old Loeskalth I think, but what magic they must have had to make a man sleep so long and so deeply. With no food and no water..." he trailed off in wonder and a sense of awe.

Then, as if summoned by speaking his name, he appeared. Igar's eyes went wide, and in turn Udam also looked surprised and a little wary. The whites of his eyes could be seen and he almost seemed to sway backwards on his feet. He shared a glance with Igar, slightly open mouthed, and stared openly at the Sleeping Man as his blue eyes roved head to foot, taking in the details.

And when the Sleeping Man spoke, Udam advanced half a step and cleared is throat. "Udam" he placed a hand on his chest, then gestured to the other man. "Igar"

What followed was a few moments of uncertainty before Udam bowed his head and averted his eyes for a few moments, occasionally glancing up warily. "How can we be of service?" he asked somewhat formally in his native tongue.

In reply to Udam (msg # 288):

Not understanding the man's language, Ken returned the gesture, bowing his head.

"Um, I fink 'es sayin' 'ello. No harm in being polite, innit?

"But without some way o' translatin', this is not going to be easy. 'Is name is Udam, the other bloke is Igar. I fink."

"Ken. My name is Ken. Ken."

This one of the strangers seemed to have been a warrior, once, perhaps when he was younger. He indicated the others' names by touching them.

"Angus.

"Linus.

"Blake"
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:28, Tue 15 June 2021.

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 289):

The language impasse was soon solved by the arrival of someone from the village.

They recognised Hanno, one of the expedition members. He landed and switched off his grav belt.

"Hello! Dr. Gildinkir sent some presents!" He opened his satchel and showed Angus, Linus, Ken and Blake he had translator devices for them. "The good doctor finished compiling his language matrix.

"He says there might be a few inaccuracies at first. But soon you'll forget you even have them on."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:20, Wed 16 June 2021.

"Excellent," said Linus, taking one and looking at it curiously.

Another member of the local tribe walks up. He is solidly muscled, and has on his belt a sword of the local style, an iron tube and a couple of pouches. From his neck dangles a piece of loosely woven cord, blackened at one end. The other locals will recognise him as Shukhunaar, a proven warrior of the tribe.

"Udam, Igar, do you need help? Who are these strangers?"

Udam turned to Shukhunaar as he approached, and the nodded to the question. "We do, if you are ready to be gone for some time." he replied. "The Outlanders seem to be going to close the hatch, and we are trying to offer out help. We are having trouble speaking with each other..." he shrugged.

"Hopefully they will let us come along anyway. are you ready to go?" he asked, and looked over the somewhat younger man.

As he spoke, Hanno got everyone's units booted up and set to translate automatically through their earpiece.

"It is. Dr. Gildinkur wants you to try them out. He's got them working for the people at the village but he wants a field test.

"Go on, talk to our friends here. Let's see if they work."

He gestured at the locals who were observing them, while also keeping an eye on the hatch near the vents set into the forest floor.

"OK, here goes..."

Linus spread a broad grin across his face and walked slowly towards the natives, hands in plain sight.

"Hello. My name is Linus. We have come a long way, from the stars. Can you understand my words?"

He spoke slowly and clearly, giving the translation software plenty of time to keep up.

Shukhunaar looks startled.
"How are they repeating what they say in our language, in a different voice?"

He looks at Udam and says "If they are going to go through the hatch, I suppose someone should keep an eye on them. I will gladly travel with you."

Udam was obviously shocked by the introduction. He backed up a step, his mouth hanging open and he glanced around in confusion.

"How do you know our language Linus?" he asked breathlessly. "For days we believed that you could not understand us." he glanced around to the other Loeskalth before he looked back to Linus. "We have so many questions."

In reply to Udam (msg # 297):

"The program works, we have communication! As I said, I'm Angus." he repeats.

"We do not know your language well... Udam. We have a device that helps us find the right words for what we want to say."

Linus struggled a bit finding a good way to explain a translation program to someone who probably had no idea what a computer was.

"But now we have the box that finds our words, you may ask your questions and we shall do our best to answer them. What would you like to know?"