Log for November 2, 2004

::the hopper rockets into the stratosphere, breaking Grail's gravity well with a teeth-chattering force. You drift in the light gravity for a moment before dropping like a metal box full of people down towards a spot where Lan and Martel agreed you could probably meet Etyri after a hasty discussion as to what to look into first...

So, what should we look into first?

a couple seconds after Budi presses the button to fire the landing thrusters they actually kick in, and you land with only a slight jolt in a large forest clearing near the northern mountains::

Hey, uh. Do you actually speak any Etyri? It always impresses them when humans try and fail miserably.

Nope. never bothered to pick it up.

Here we go. A bit sluggish, but not bad for a rust bucket

Left Grail too early.

Please secure your tables and return your seats to their upright position.

::peers out the window:: Yeah, me neither.

::Vasili tries to stretch in cramped quarters as he rises, but eventually decides it would be easier outside::

::sits up in his seat:: I hate these things. ::gets up and goes to make his way outside::

::piles out and looks around::

::gets out and looks at the sky as he streatches his back::

Please take care as you exit. Soemone going to scout around?

::over here the sun has just risen.. you must have crossed a few time zones.. and the view is beautiful as the morning light spills across the massive mountains onto the rocky soil you stand on...

((any etyri immidiately visible?))

((Put away the flamethrower.))

the large-leafed plants littering the clearing outside of the burn radius left by your landing tilt slightly towards the dawn light::

::is off looking at plants right away::

::standard grail fare. a few have medicinal uses, but you probably have a number stocked up back at your closed-down practice::

::has been thinking about what it might be like to go looking for something in the posession of people with precognitive powers, and has fixed it in his mind to find that legend, no matter what. You know, eventually.::

::still, loves the plants here. Foraging, as it were. Munch munch::

So, how dos one find Etyri?

::Packs his pistol in his pocket and climbs out on top of the hopper.::

Well, I mean. We'll wander? I've been meaning to do more research into Etyri medicine, so.

::Starts looking around, but the dense jungle hinders his vision::

::yes.. to the south your vision is a bit hindered.. it's more hindered by the massive mountains to the north, however.. to the east and west, there's just clear rocky soil and giant ivy as far as the horizon::

We could always just yell really loudly...

No, I think, wander. Also known as hiking. So? ::bobs his head toward the mountains::

::Looks toward the mountains:: Any of you have any connections with the Etyri?

::sigh:: well, lets get some hiking equipment togeather.

::starts rummaging for some rations, and a hiking stick::

Well, no, no connections.

::gets together a pack, because of course they brought all that kinda stuff::

::maria helps everyone assemble packs with stuff that will be needed for this terrain, since she's all survival-conscious and all::

::Vasili looks down at his pack. Of course they did.::

::shouldering the pack somehow with a flamer around the back:: Well, lets get started. ::spot checks everyone to make sure all have decent survival gear::

::budi, meanwhile, is completely clueless about what will be needed to survive in the wild::

Yeah, we don't need that much. We'll be fine.

::makes sure Budi has appropriate equipment:: Better safe than sorry.

::picks a likely diretion up toward the mountains-- is good at this stuff, having stumbled around wilderness more than you'd expect::

I'm a driver, not a pack animal.

You take your own stuff, because it'll save your ass if you get lost. ::finished checking people, and heads off after lan::

::Shoulders the pack and heads out after the croud.::Everyone, remember where we parked.

::points out anything tasty to eat they pass on the way::

::Stops and takes readings off the mountain peaks, so he can later triangulate the hopper's location::

::runs his hands over his head:: You know 2 years ago I would have collapsed under the weight of a pack.

Don't gloat, we filled it with feathers.

It would have only been an overly-dramatic form of protest ::grins fondly::

::Sigh:: two years ago I would have still been hiking. One of these day I need to hir someone to do this for me.

Oh... well nevermind then. ::drops the pack:: I"M NOT CARRYING It. ::looks around overly dramatically:: Do you know who I am?

Conceited? ::grins::

::looks at his pack and then Vasilli:: Manservent? ::laughs and scoops down to pick up his pack and put it back on::

::Vasili picks An up and turns to Maria:: Where do you want him?

Maybe we should have brought herd beasts?

Hey... :: mock struggles for a moment then lays calmly::

Wherever you think he won't get too banged up during the move

I could get used to this.

I correct myself. I don't need someone to walk my pack up. I need someone to walk ME up.

Hmph. Alright. ::Lets him down:: Don't get any ideas.

::grins:: wouldnt dream of it.

Sorry. ::laughs:: ::looks to maria:: won't get too banged up?

Give her a break. You do bruise easily. She has to be realistic.

Well.. you know movers... you can't expect too much

::crushes a large nut in the palm of his hand, with only a slight whimper at the exceptional effort it costs him, and picks at it::

::nods:: good point..

::continues the climb in bemused silence::

::the rising of the sun indicates that you have been wandering the foothills for a couple of hours when you see a vaguely avian-looking humanoid wandering up towards you on the ground of a nearby valley::

::Waves, keeping his hands visible and empty::

::Stops and signals the others::

::spots the fellow too, tries to scope out breed-- chirikiti?:: Hallo there!

::mutters:: You know there are some Etyri who blame medical science for overpopulating them here in places...

::Vasili scans the surrounding area, worried about ambush in a quite paranoid way::

::it's hard to tell until he gets closer, but you do notice that he seems to not be at all interested in flying towards you::

::waves his arms trying to get attention::

::continues towards the Etyri, following him if not catching up::

::the presumed etyri just continues to wander towards you by land, not hurrying::

::look to see signs of a village or settlement::

((ahhh towards us. duh. cool.))

Well, let's go see if this fellow knows his way about better than us. ::heads down::

I mean, he must, yeah?

::finally you can see him clearly... a somewhat hunched figure wearing a backpack, a longspear strapped across his back, and a beaked face surrounded by scraggly sand-colored feathers::

Hallo! Hallo. Urthish? ::Lan suddenly sounds a little more countrified than you'd expect out of anybody except a grail native::

::the figure calls back in a high pitched avian voice:: HALLO URTHISH!

Well at least we've determined that everyone thinks everyone elses name is "Urthish"

I mean, do you speak it, good sir?

::he stalks towards you with a slightly faster pace, his head bobbing, probably from the weight of his gigantic beak::

Not named "good sir!", named NaqNaq!

Ah. Of course! I'm Lan. A doctor. Are there many of your people near? I'd like to speak with healers, and that sort of thing.

::comes to a strangely coordinated stop in front of you:: Hello Urthishlan and friends!

My name is Martel. ::bows slightly::

Hello. Say, are you fond of these sort of nuts? I find them difficult to crack. ::holds out three or four:: Born with no beak, you know. ::smiles amicably::

Urthishlan and friends, including Martel, are you warriors?

::glances at most of the others::

::it was a "they are" kind of glance::

::cocks his head sideways, obviously not up on human body language::

Hello NaqNaq. I am a pilot, a flier.

Oh, beg your pardon, yes, they are. I'm not.

Some of us are warriors, to insure our safety.

::stalks around budi and prods at his pack:: Wings bound in bag?

Ah. No. I fly metal vessels.

Perhaps you saw the hopper jetting across the sky earlier.

Ah.. yess... hopper... big frog

So you are warriors? I also am a warrior! ::voice lowers conspiratorialy:: I hunt demons

A rocket ship, not frog. I am a charioteer.

::looks to NaqNaq:: Hello. I am An. You hunt demons eh?

Rocket frog is charioteer. I see. Yes... DEMONS!

Where do you find demons?

In the darkness! Demons hide in the deeps where they cannot be found by most.. but I find them! They are dangerous foes, demons

::Mutters to himself::

Indeed they are. I fight demons too on occasion.

Aha! I knew that about you Matress! You seem burly!

::blinks:: Do you work with a unit? Or are you by yourself?

I hunt the demons like a real demon hunter... alone.. so alone!

Would you like to help?

Where are these demons?

Could be very near.. they are tricky, demons

... ::cocks his head to the side:: ... sure.

Dangerous to fight demons alone, NaqNaq. I would think.

Well, yes... you are not brave warrior, though, are you Urthishlan? We demon hunters know not fear!

It's true, I'm not the bravest. But are you really alone?

::turns to the others:: You know if he has found real demons, I have to try to help him against them.

NaqNaq, how long will it take you to find these demons?

The demons you are hunting.

::Vasili rolls his eyes::

::looks at Martel:: Are you two related?

Well then I wish you the best of luck. It is a noble endevor.

Could you tell us where we can find some Etyri historians?

NaqNaq, where is your village?

I have no village.. it was destroyed... wait for it... by demons!!

We are seeking trade in both commerse and knowledge

Now, NaqNaq wanders Grail in search of evil to vanquish for the Etyri nation!

Many, they say, "NaqNaq, you are silly Ghek'daz.. there are no more demons" ... but they have not seen the horrors that I have seen... oh no

Then where is the nearest village where they may wish to trade?

What are you trading?

Where WAS your village NaqNaq?

Ummm.. village was on islands far south

Ahh. thank you. Do you know where any Etyri would be near here?

Other than yourself, he means.

errr.. what are you asking?

Not invaders are you correct?

We are not invaders. We seek knowledge.

We hunt our own demons. We seek a way to fight them.

Your wise people might be able to help us.

Now you are just patronizing NaqNaq

::leers at An and Vasili:: Why you two so quiet?

No I'm not. We think there might be something here on this world that could help us fight demons elsewhere.

Just a good listener.

More can be learnt from listening than speaking.

::his head is still cocked::

::cocks his head the other way:: I'm sorry...

::rolls eyes again, with style::

Right. ::puts his head up right:: Where are you going?

Yes, there arte demons every where and we must gain weapons and knowledge to defeat them on other planets.

Demons aren't on other planets

::looks at Budi:: No they aren't.

They are beyond the protective gate, in the darkness beyond...

::mutters to budi:: demons are a sort of native predator.

::gives him the just agree eyebrow and grins::

Describe to me the deamon that you fight?

Does it look like a big lozard?

Demons how have protective gate? Why? Did you bring it here on metal frog? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!?!?

Demon takes many forms, all more horrible than the last.. but yes.. very lizardlike, most demon forms.. somewhat unimaginative if you ask NaqNaq

That is not the deamon of which I speak. I am sorry for the confusion.

::turns to the others:: He's referring to a race of lizards here. probably killed his hometown.

Not, necessarily....

I mean, I'm sure NaqNaq knows the difference between, those, and demons. Hmm? The, uh, Zuil.. never could say their name right.

Plus, I don't think any of those have been seen in quite a while.

But he seems to blame them for this incident. Regardless, he's from far south of here. he might not even KNOW where the local Etyri live.

NaqNaq is standing right here

((Any theology shed light on Naqquie's thought process aside from "deranged?" ))

((I'm leaning more towards "wackjob"))

((I think that we need to start walking.))

((well, the etyri have a very interesting religion that ascribes holiness to flight ability.. in theory things that hide underground could be extropolated as demonic))

When was the last time you saw another Etyri NaqNaq? ::starts walking in the direction we were going::

Another Etyri named NaqNaq?

Another.... NaqNaq... called... Etyri?

Sorry we only speak urthish, NaqNaq. We're clumsy like that.

Etyri... Another... Called... NaqNaq... ?

When was the last time you saw an Etyri that was not NaqNaq?

Where did you see him?

Where did you see her?

Where is Etyri Village?

Or more specifically, where is Etyri village within 1 days walk?

Now I'm just confused

Let's just go there. Eh? The Etyri village?

NaqNaq will lead you!

Please take us to the Etyri village.

Follow NaqNaq! I knows the way!

Alright! Hey. Don't you like these kind of nuts, Naqnaq?

::Under his breath:: Yes, please, take us to more like you.

::follows NaqNaq, fingers twitching as if they held a flamegun::

Eh.. nuts... NaqNaq not big nut-eater... two day old varmint just getting ripe.. mmm mmm

::you travel for a few hours up the mountain, taking switchback trails that seem rarely used and which you would probably have missed. Just about when it looks like he really has no idea, you crest a rise into the thin mountain air beneath the noon sun and see what must be an etyri village.. large wooden houses with obviously high roofing are spread loosly out amongst small, open gardens::

::sigh with gratitude:: let's go greet the natives eh?

Hey vasili, your sarcasm is showing. ::grins, and heads towards the village::

::shuffles into town with the crew, and looks for local headman type dwellingplace. The race=class distinction thing making this easier::

Is it now? Thought I'd tucked it in a bit better.

::well, you get about a hundred yards further up the hill before a half dozen figures detach from the nearby mountaintops and plummet swiftly towards you, their wings catching the breeze as they land on all sides of you, rifles at the ready... Their brilliant plumage and hooked beaks catch the noon light::

::again making sure my hands are empty and in the open::

::doubtless the types Lan was looking for::

::Make sure that my Charioteer symnbol is visible::

::not without a bit of cringing::

::likewise, but a bit shorter::

::the Huar'raughq guards engage in a stream of clicks, whisles, and other strange noises with your Ghek guide::

::finally the one that appears to be the leader notes:: So.. you are trader warrior demon hunter doctors?

I'm the doctor. ::volunteers::

Demon Hunter myself.

::Shrugs:: That about sums me up.

So.. why are you here?

We seek an artifact we believe to be on this world. We hope your people might know more about it than we suspect ours do.

We're lost and need to know the future, sir.

We fear interstellar invasion. The artifact could help us.

Prevent the invasion. Save lives. We are not sure, but we think it is supposed to help.