Located in the shadow of Mount Marcella at it's northern end and the mouth of the river Elata river to the south. The Western beach is known for it's decent surf and ocean breezes. Currently it has become home to the Island's dedicated surfers. The Surfers ride the waves and fish all day. At night they are known to have gatherings where people enjoy music and fresh seafood.

Cassandra watched the water, analysing the breaks, and curls to work out where the impact zone was. Wouldn't be good to thought of as a barney.
Implicitly she knew that the stick she had with her was the over-gunned for the waves here. It was designed for flat seas and strong winds, not for riding barrels, tubes, or point breaks.
Maybe she would be able to borrow a suitable stick. There was only one way to find out.

She walked out across the beach towards the fire pit. No bro would go surfing without somewhere to return to warm up, and grab a beer or two.

Trina had been trying to get a 'feel' for the surf trying to read the breaks and identify the impact zone for the reefs and the sea shelf of the island... but these shores were different from the gentle basin of the inland seas of Keyhole Bay she was use to surfing back in Ytarria.  The waves were more violent and sudden than the gentle roll of the seas she was use to.  She kept loosing her footing on the board that was... strangely too light to her feel.  She had been swept out to sea still in sight of land but drifting further than she had intended and now found the shore unfamiliar.

So she made her way to the beach in hopes of finding some beech beech comber's that could give her directions.



So it was a somewhat bedraggled young elfen woman who approached the grouping around the bonfire her tanned skin still somewhat pale to theirs clad in a two-piece top and sari waist wrap of white and pale green.  She was lovely of face and figure, not a supermodel perhaps but pleasing to watch her graceful dignified walk nonetheless!  Her hair was a honey golden hue with highlights of fiery red, her eyes an eerily enchanting pale emerald her ears slightly pointed and slender.  She stood about 5 and half feet tall slender in a athletic build but her body was lightly criss-crossed with old battle injuries none unsightly seeming all healed with very minor scaring... but clearly she was a fighter of some sort to have collected such a collection of 'battle-trophies'.  But the most miraculous thing about her skin was the fabulously colorful red, orange and fiery yellow ornate almost Asian-style Pheonix Tattoo that covered her back upper thighs and shoulders of her arms.  It was stunningly beautiful to behold and so ornate.. one could almost think it moved but certainly that must be trick of the light... right?  The who effect of this elven beauty was... nothing short of magical.



Strapped to her slender waist was a folded balisong knife subtle enough to have been missed.  Hanging from a leather thong at her neck was the flickering glint of a bright sunstone that hung in the valley of her breasts and at her hourglass waist was a triple golden waist chain with a ankh hanging in center.



She carried a surfboard made of the local palm tree wood and as she approached a fiery red feathered eagle swooped up and perched upon her shoulder... which she casually took its weight as if it were nothing out of the ordinary and the winged hunter was clearly trying to be careful with its powerful talons not to harm her flesh.

Her voice was soft and tingled with a exotic Anglish accent that said she was ... certainly foreign, "Hello and good evenings, I'm 'aheh' somewhat lost... my name is Trinaephalaryeth "Gilderleaf"... Trina will do. Could I warm myself by your fire?  And get some directions back to the Northern resort area of Princess Aanandita's estate?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:50, Wed 12 July 2023.

There seems to be a gathering around a rather well made fire ring. It's about the size for a campfire and on one side it has a metal grill set up for cooking. Under a palm frond canopy is a cooler full of drinks. a number of people are on towels around the firepit and the cooler. off to one side is a lifeguard tower. On it a guy is watching the waves with a pair of binoculars. It would seem to be a normal surfing scene except that the lifeguard has what looks like rocket launchers hanging next to the ladder on his tower.

The people on the beach are mostly humans with a couple of Orcs out. Still at the sight of visitors with boards there is a raising of fists with the thumb and pinkie extended.

In reply to Island Spirit (msg # 4):

When Trina departed, Teruo went with her, watching the scene. Those with boards were rather unfamiliar to him though.

Cassandra crosses the beach towards the group responding in kind to the greeting.

"I'd take a beer but it's against my philosophy, so if you've anything else I'll take that. I'm also new here, like woke up this morning on the beach, new, so what's with the sniper on the stool? Now if you want me to carve up a barrel then you're going have to borrow me a stick as mine's outgunned."

She also notes the arrival of the slim female from the waves.
"Nice Ink, but I'd be wearing a suit out there unless that's bath water."

Trina smiles returning their strange hand signals with a simple modest wave of her hand, "Hi!"

Carrying her 'native' surf-board she was loaned back at her beach she will nod accepting a drink from their... chest of coldness that she recognizes as technology even if its workings fathom her.  She nods stepping close to the firepit closer than anyone else and explains, "I.. guess I get swept further down the shore than I'm familiar with...", she grins and gestures at the firepit waving her hand through the flames as she casts a spell of Shape Fire...

23:38, Today: Trina rolled 6 using 3d6.  Trina - Cast Shape Fire [13-]. – 6

Suddenly the flames become more red then natural though the heat is no great ... but the flames twist into images of the island like a maps made of dancing flames the details as if seen from a bird's eye view in blueish and green flames showing terrain features as she explains where she started showing a brief view in sculpted flames of the Princess' estate and the shore bungalows she remembers.  "Could you tell me in which direction from the image in the flames in what direction the estate beach of the Princess is?"

To any looking at her there is no doubt now with her magic in use that the ornate tattoos upon her body writhe and twist like something alive under her skin...

As she tries to explain.. her attention on the spell and her explanation... she doe snot notice Teruo approaching in the distance as yet...



Trina smiles shyly and brushes her hair away from her face... a nervous gesture that inadvertently shows her ears to be pointed, "aheh.. thanks... the tattoos are... kind of new and magical Not sure what they are or why their there... the Island Spirit put them on me.. I guess.  Uhm.. well the world I come from 'Surfing' was an interesting sport I discovered in my travels."

She ponders her advice, casting a glance at the roiling surf,"I .. suppose some kind of special swim-ware.. might be more comfortable and protective?  Oh.. the beech sniper is for the island security... there are large dangerous sea monsters out in the water of the island shelf sometimes mere firearms are not always enough.. and well Pirate raiders as well.  He probably has a RADO to call the military defense soldiers to report any threats.  I didn't know the surfing sport was known on other worlds but the waters I learned to surf in were more calm than here.  But I saw people surfing here.. and hoped it would be the same.. it was not.  I kind of got lost."

"Oh.. forgive me, my name is Trinaephalaryeth "Gilderleaf" ~ but 'Trina' will suffice... nice to meet you.  I see you have a surf board as well.. but of a different.. make? Is it of better technology as well? You look like you come from a world with technology..."

Having turned to speak to Cassandra in conversation ... the red feathered Eagle, 'Kyrie', perched upon Trina's shoulder does notice Teruo's approach and with a silent mental urging to his mistress brings Terou's arrival to Trina's notice. Her expression suddenly brightens to a beaming smile as she waves at someone behind Cassandra approaching.. relief filling her expression as she relaxes that perhaps she had not drifted as far as she first thought...
This message was last edited by the player at 04:14, Sat 29 July 2023.

"Ah, you have found others. I was a little...concerned...when I awoke from meditation and you were gone. Well, not gone, but some distance away. I trust you are ok then? And your friend?"

"Given everything else since I woke up on the beach this morning, why not sea monsters, and magical mobile tattoos."
"I'm Cassandra, not Cassie, Cass, or any other abusement of my name. "
"Now as to technology, I've no idea what people here class as technology. Remi and Bathild talked about World War Two, but that ended nearly 70 years ago. We've put men on the moon since then, had a sort of functional space station for a couple of decades, and a few disasters thrown in to boot. Some over ego'd Corp guy is even talking about sending someone to Mars in the next 30 years.
We're well into what people are calling the computer age or the space age, with the internet and mobile phones that are supposed to connect everyone but just seem to make most peoples life a misery, although Yellowstone has reset people's priority as to what's important to a great extent. It's been both a trial and a blessing."

In reply to Cassandra Troy (msg # 9):

"Actually the great war of the Empire of japan was still going when I left. We have fought bravely for the last 35 years...but I am told by others that we eventually lost. What is Yellowstone, and the internet? Do you still need a truck for a mobile phone? Why would they call it the computer or space age? Do people lack space?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:46, Tue 01 Aug 2023.

In reply to Cassandra Troy (msg # 9):

Trina listened to Cassandra with a rapt attention her eyes wide with ... fascination... perhaps the hair was distracting but her gaze never wavered on Cassandra's eyes.  She briefly got a shocked .. or perhaps horrified expression when she hear the word World War II, but faded fast as it was clear she was trying real hard to parse the words and concepts Cassandra was espousing to her.. again her emerald gaze quickly shifting to the moon in the sky as if wondering at its nature then back to Cassandra.  She looked confused for a moment at the mention of Mars.. then her expression shifted to serious solemnity as she nodded in understanding.. {probably a better description might be UTTER misunderstanding ~ truth to be told} not shifting her attention again but her hand unconsciously touched the yellow sunstone hanging in the leather thong at her neck at Cassandra's mention of 'Yellowstone'.

"How.. fascinating and .. strangely terrible.. I can only hope your 'over egoed' guy is dissuaded away from going to meet Mars! Your entire world was engulfed in a World War.. twice in 70 years! That is so short.. you would think everyone would know better than to turn back to the Olympian War God Mars for certainly he must have had a hand in your world's sorrows with warmongering divine inspirations to bloodshed! Travel to the moon is quite an accomplishment my world's moon is hostile and overrun with Djinn and barbarian tribes.. it takes powerful magics to get there! I've heard of com-poo-ters but never seen one.. not sure what kind of math would be so complicated that a machine would be needed to think for a person?  I'm sorry but many terms you spoke are unknown to me.. space station... space that ages? Is Enter-net or Mo-Bull Foon the name of a religion or a political movement teaching connectivity... its a shame such causes misery.. why would people follow such philosophies?  Is Yellow-Stone some new deity that grants guidance, relief or blessings to the suffering people of your lands? I'm not familiar with Clerical power .. I'm a Fire Wizard and adventurer mercenary by profession.  My world has not discovered elect-i-city or firearms.. but that's more the case of the Megalosian Wizard Hegemony forcefully suppressing any new technology brought by travelers swept to our world through the Banestorm. The Wizard Counsel is foolish.. such a policy is not sustainable. Neither is supremacy of the monotheistic Christ as clearly other deities exist and exert power.  The Islamics are just plain hypocritical and violent... but at least more honest than the corrupt Christians of Megalos; who only use the Megalosian Empire's greed to serve their own ends with a laughable veneer of 'righteousness'."

At Teruo's arrival and question she smiles at him, and introduces him, "Oh.. yes, this is Teruo Nakamura a warrior of Imperial Japan, he is my wizard apprentice.. I'm trying to teach him the basics of magic.  Its a change from being a warrior to a spellcaster and he lacks the natural magical talent my Elven Bloodline and heritage gifts me with but I'm patient."

"Teruo this is Cassandra, and no shortening her name she does not like that.. she comes from a Very strange and troubled world..."

She suddenly glances at the red feathered eagle preening upon her shoulder having received a rather curt mental reminder with a sour expression, "..and this vain red feathered annoyance here is Kyrie.. my familiar."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:19, Tue 01 Aug 2023.

In reply to Teruo Nakamura (msg # 10):

At Teruo's speaking up Trina get's some clearer understanding, "OH..do you mean Casandra is referring to the same World War of your world and time Terou...? It never occurred to me she was meaning the same conflict in your Imperial Japan.  I feel foolish."

In reply to Trina (msg # 12):

"Perhaps. Maybe not though, as Imperial Japan would never surrender, nor could it be be forced to. Perhaps is was a similar world..."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:05, Tue 01 Aug 2023.

Bowing to Teuro, Cassandra says"Meaning no disrespect you are incorrect."
"After the second nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, completely levelling the city within a mile of the detonation point and igniting everything in the thermonuclear blast within 3 miles, the Emperor was left with pretty much no choice, surrender or face the complete destruction of Japan. Japan surrendered 6 days later."
"Nuclear weapons have never been used in anger since, although the stockpiles held by the Americans, Russian, and Chinese could destroy the planet 3 times over."
"Nature is however far more powerful and destructive. The Yellowstone super volcano eruption lasted for 3 weeks and covered most of North America in ash. The further away from the 40mile diameter crater, the less dense the ash. Everything with in 50 miles of the crater was covered in more than 10 feet of ash in the first week. The ash cloud from the eruption took 6 weeks to totally envelop the whole of the planet, and blocked out 90% of the sunlight for over a year. The estimated death toll was about 70% of the worlds 6.5billion population at the time."

She then turns back to Trina.
"I think we are suffering a language barrier. Mars is a planet not a god, the fourth planet out from the sun, the Earth being the third. Don't know the distances but I think the estimate is about a year to get from Earth to Mars. Both the moon and Mars are nominally airless rocks, but the colonising the moon is seen as a stepping stone in getting to Mars."
"Not sure I can explain the Internet or how mobile phones work, but I've got mine here"
She pulls her phone from her pack and turns it on fully expecting it to say "No Service".
"According to the geeks, there's 50 times more computing power in this phone than in the spacecraft  that took the first astronaut to land on the moon. I mostly use it for taking photographs as a reference to draw from later. I read a book once where the author postulated than a sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic, and there are loads of myths relating to magic, most ending with the female practitioner being tied to wooden stake and being burned alive. That's the Christian religion for you."

In reply to Cassandra Troy (msg # 14):

"What...are these new clear weapons, that could cause even the Emperor to concede defeat? Perhaps Yellowstone volcano was the heavens way of setting things right for their use, but how could a volcano in America cause destruction in Japan?

As for religion, it has nothing to do with God. After all, even the Christians say that religious people killed Gods son. That is why the Emperor, in his wisdon, tried to ban religious 'missionaries'. But he does not ban god, he is one."

Teruo is dismissive of the talk about religion.