Stylus looked up at his peers, as the invisible form of Nic began to revive.
He seemed please with himself, as if he had achieved something outstanding.

With a smile, he waved the now empty canister at those nearby victoriously.

Nic bolts into an upright sitting position, and screams, "It's coming! Up ahead! It's going to kill us all!"

After a heartbeat of sheer pounding terror, he notices the giant metallic hulk on the ground, which Spot is currently leaping around, grabbing pieces that fit in his mouth and trying to shake it.

"Oh. I guess we're safe, for now."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:45, Thu 04 Feb 2021.

Nic, my friend, we are safe for now, but Frank didn't survive the encounter with this nightmare.

Mawr gave him a few minutes to recover his equilibrium, he then motions for everyone to follow him and starts moving down the path.

Stylus had been in the process of displaying his medical prowess, when Nic erupted up centimetres in front of him.
This scared Stylus so much he screamed, dropping the syringe as he scrambled backwards in an effort to RUN!
It was surprising that he didn't shat himself, to be honest.

Kaden walked about, recovering the arrows that he could find. Once he had the loose ones, he moved cautiously towards the 'dead' hulk to examine it and see if he could pry loose the arrows that stuck from its armor. The whole time he kept a suspicious eye on Nic.

The plant creature watches the fleshy beings with unmasked {PC note: get it?} curiosity. There's a constant muttering coming from it before a lemon sized chunk suddenly screams in its tiny voices as it falls from larger mass. Then the voices stop for a few moments, only to be picked back up in a more hushed somber tone. "We have decided to follow."

"Follow if you wish, but realize the path has already proved to be dangerous, even deadly."

Mawr walks on, listening intently, both to hear the others follow as well as to hear anything up ahead.

Nic appears both confused and distraught at the news of Frank's death.

"Wha...? But you all knew I passed out, right? Why didn't you take cover? Sometimes I go through things, kind of out of order, and the last time it hurt so bad that I pass out, it got real bad. Real, real bad. You guys remember when that giant carnivorous otter attacked the village?* That was the last time it hurt so bad, I passed out."


* : Just made that up. Feel free to add details.

"I remember that day, I was the one who chased the otter into the woods.  But, the otter was out for food, today, that creature was out for pleasure.  Big difference."

Solemn, Abbi stood by.  Then, after a moment, she raised a brow and said, "Hey.  Where's Freddy?"

Freddy had, in fact, run off during the combat and was nowhere to be seen.

Hearing about Freddy, Mawr stopped on the track.  He turned back to the group. "Do a quick search.  We don't want to lose another, but we don't want to give up on our task so soon, either.  We knew this would not be for everyone."

"I'll try to find him," offers Nic, whose nickname as The Red Canary might now make more sense to people.

Turning very seriously to his dog, Nic attempts to get Spot to track Freddy.


"What are we going to do with Frank's body? Should we bury him? And can somebody look at that alien monster and see if it offers any clues?"

OOC: I know we're not going to find him, but I am curious how one rolls for tracking in this system

Sheldon looks down from the tree, saying nothing. His subtle suggestions for disposing of that delicious turtle meat were roundly ignored, and he decides not to pursue the issue further.

Nic looked around, but between the mass trampling, the explosive gunfire, and the frost and explosions, there were only a few discernable tracks that he could think was Freddy.  They seemed to head back in the direction of the village.

OOC: No set system for tracking, I would call for a roll based on my judgement.  In this case, no roll needed, I've given you all the information available.

I think Freddy deserted the cause.  He has to deal with that decision.  I feel we should move on.

"We can't just leave Frank like this. Nor, I suppose, that hard-shelled alien thing. We need to get them off the path, at the very least. Collect Frank's things, to be given back to his family when we return, maybe say a few words over him. It would be great if we could bury him, or build a pyre, lest the forest dwellers eat him. And we need to study that eldritch terror for clues."

Nic proceeds to do all these things if no one else will help.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 23:52, Wed 10 Feb 2021.

Piecemeal's "face" turns into a look of horror as his two eyes emerge suddenly right next to each other looking at Tunic. "Why?" it says, "Is now food. Piecemeal does not know why you would do thing."

In reply to Piecemeal (msg # 203):

Sheldon drops down from the tree next to Piecemeal.

"Yes! Dead friends is food for friends, that what my grandma said! Maybe they worry metal thing poison the meat?"

Kaden walked back to the group, still keeping a wary eye on Nic, "No, he's not food. And Nic is right. But burning the body is dangerous. Let's just find a spot off the road to bury him. I'll help. In fact...maybe I should do that while you..." he glances up at Nic, "...you go look at that metal creature. I can do this."

He seems very uncomfortable, staring down at Frank's ravaged body as opposed to meeting anyone's eyes.

Stylus stood quietly nearby, somewhat white and shell-shocked at the blood, and violence, and talk of eating and bring the dead.

With others dealing with Frank, Nic walks over to the metal creature, pauses for a second, then walks over to Stylus, grabs him with his invisible hands, and drags him over to the metal creature to help him.

"Be useful. Now." he growls.

"Yes," the green mass says in unison, "It is good. Feed many. We will help." Piecemeal will help with burying the turtle man. "Your body makes dirt better," they mutter as they help.

Kaden uses his shield as a makeshift shovel, scooping out dirt at double-speed. He says nothing in response at first, and seems to be thinking it over. Finally, he nods, "Right. Food for the soil. Yeah, that's what happens. Poor Frank."

Of course Sheldon had a shovel in his bag. Wait, that's a full sized shovel! How did THAT fit in there?

No matter, he helps dig.

"You grow to big tree with lots of fruit and feeds us, Frank! We call you the turtle tree!"

One way or another, in Gamma Future, eventually, everyone is food for something.  In this case, poor Frank will sustain the mutant plants on the Far Lone Isle.  The party buries their comrade, and prepares to move on with their quest...

(OOC: Closing this one thread, starting a new one for the next chapter!)