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You are a young cuttlefish. So young you have not left the egg yet. A voice sings to you, the voice of you mother. She is speaking directly to you, mind to mind. “You are my child and you are a child of He-Who-Hungers. I will tell you the story of life. When the world was young it was nothing but water and rock. Water would pound away at the rock and turn it to rubble. Rock would surge forth, boiling the water and casting it aside. The water would rain back down and they would fight like this for eons.  One day land grew enraged after water had crushed his latest growth and pulled a rock from the sky. The rock split upon the earth and both titans we stunned as something crawled free. This new thing, life began to spread and feast upon both land and water. They were stunned and decided to rest and let this new curiosity grow and spread. The world changed, oceans calmed, the sky opened and the ground became firm. The child from above had pacified the world. Eons of strife and change were quieted in an instant.  This was no good, at least for The Watcher Above. Some say it was he who cast down life to the earth, but when he came this time he brought Change and cast it into the sea. Change crystallized and was taken by He-Who-Hungers . That day he set himself against his own kind and devoured them all. Pleased, the Watcher retreated and waited. He-Who-Hungers, like all predators, consumed too far and in the end there was little else but his mass. He learned patience that day and waited for the few brothers he missed to repopulate the world. Eons passed and only small changes in life occurred with each feeding. He-Who-Hungers grew enraged and bored. Screaming into the heavens he cursed the world for giving him life, only to trap him in this prison. Far above, the Watcher laughed and told him to tear out the Change he had stolen and neglected, shatter it, cast it into the water and wait.  He-Who-Hungers did so and watched in wonder how his brethren began to change in ways he had never imagined. New forms rose, devoured the weak as Change had become as hunger in the long eons in His gullet. Some even at their apex sought to challenge the Great Hunger and consume Him. They were devoured, the strong and weak and all save the few missed in the following feast and their forms became His own. He-Who-Hungers would then sleep and let new forms grow back. Some forms fled to the land, some rebuked the Laws and took up forms to spite his hunger. Our people have lived through His feedings and we will live through them again. Tonight I bless you with my blood, the blood of the strong. May our blood shine through when your flesh is weak so that you may live to one day escape His jaws. Now sleep little one.” You drift back into the haze of memory.  Years pass. You hatch, learn the secrets of hiding in plain sight and how to charm a delicious crab from its burrow using nothing but your colors. More stories are told of He-Who-Hungers and the laws your people have learned at his knee. Life is calm, your people grow when eggs hatch on the rising full moon and your numbers shrink when the weak die or are devoured. The shallow warm sea your people hunt in are idyllic. You have grown strong, avoiding death many times. You are close to your mother. She is many times your size and has a few missing tentacles and scars on her back. Together you study the mysteries of He-Who-Hungers and tend to your tribe. One day you are out gathering shells to arrange near your den. The moon is rising and full and you are ready for your first mating. It is an exciting time. Not for that reason. You are thrown down into the sand as the water surges back, leaving you flopping in the above. Just as quickly you are thrown far as the water surges forward. The world spins and whips as you are stuck in the vortex of the wave. Your vision goes black and you sleep. Your mother’s voice creeps into your mind. “Save Us”. The world snaps back into focus. You are out far, hanging over the cold depths. Looking down you see pairs of eyes glowing up at you before winking out as something impossibly large surfaces. The world spins again and you pass out for the second time.  After an eternity you startle awake in warm water. The sun is beating down through the surface and dances upon your skin. Tentacles stretch and skin ripples. You’re all in one piece where ever here is. You are Christine the Cuttlefish of the Shifting Sands tribe. You have been alive for 20 lunar cycles and have been recently displaced from your pod by not one but two enormous tidal waves. The sunlight dances along the pale sandy ground around you and you are unsure of where to go. You are hungry but not overly so. The smell of the currents tells you that you have been washed into a small lagoon that opens up to the Great Reef. There doesn't seem to be any predators nearby, at least you think. That wave must have shaken you pretty hard. Chromatophores pulse as your unusually developed cephalopod mind churns away, thinking of what to do next. You decided to...  A) Explore the Lagoon B) Dig in the sand for tasty meat C) Head out to the Great Reef D) Bypass the Reef and head to The Deeps E) Call out to a higher power for aid F) Call out for your Pod G) Squirt some ink H) Write In Welcome to the thread. We've already had a few votes before this became its own thread. Read on to see Christie the Cuttlefish's adventures so far and join in! Arkanomen fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Mar 28, 2015 |
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Nov 20, 2014 03:43
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Nov 20, 2014 03:43
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Voting Closed. F+G Win. Your mind races. From before you hatched from the egg cluster of the mother you never knew until the saw the waves took you far from home the thoughts of your pod have always kept you company. Comfort was never more than a tentacles reach away. Together you had dodged the spears of the things-from-above, gnashing jaws of the hunger's-chosen, even the threats of rival tribes. The quiet of the lagoon was too much to bear. In a panic your mind reached out for any to hear, calling out in fear and desperation. Nothing. You try the secret words of your tribe, hoping to feel the appropriate return, but none comes. Color dances across your mantle as emotions race. They are not here. In the haze of loss you loose control and ink the water around you.  The black cloud billows around your limp body, tentacles languishing in the gentle current. For a moment you feel entirely alone. No one to flash colors with. No one to play find the shell. None to sing the hidden praises of He-Who-Hungers and the Great Law of Life. No one to hold under the moonlight and make an egg clutch with. A sudden coughing and clicking breaks through the despair and calls your attention to a crevice under a nearby rock. Some of your ink has drifted into the opening. A pair of white hairs dart around. "Excuse me, but do you mind not inking near my home? What ever is the matter?" You... A) Hide yourself in the ink cloud B) Shift to match the sand and wait C) Shift to match the rock over the hole and wait D) Go to the crevice and introduce yourself E) Give into despair F) Leave for the Great Reef G) Leave for the Deeps H) Write In
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Nov 20, 2014 03:44
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Voting is closed. B+D tied. The voice coming from the crevice startles you out of your depression. For an instant your skin blanches white before you decide to quickly burrow into a patch of sand. With a shiver you texture your back to look like the soft tan material. Like the quickly dissipating ink, you dissolve away. Faint arcs of white dance over your back to mimic the sun dancing overhead. Without stirring up too much sediment, you slowly inch towards the voice and darting whiskers. You think for a moment to introduce yourself, but you are too worried about what may be speaking to you so you wait for it to speak first. After some more coughing and clicking, a small pair of eyes followed by a tiny, blue and crystal like body ambles to the entrance.  You recognize it as a cleaner. Many do not eat these small beings, dwarfed by yourself many times over, as they clean away the filth of life in exchange for exemption from the Great Law. Those who try often are met with terrible stings from the plants they live in. You have coaxed a few in the past to cleanse your skin from various nasty parasites. You have eaten some of its kin when they have finished left the protection of its nest and you were hungry. This one does not leave its nest. "I know you're there. You are a skilled hider, but you cannot hide from these eyes." It taps its eye-stalks with a fore claw. It may be bluffing but you are trying very hard to stay hidden. You continue to listen. "I heard you calling for your pod. They are not here. Many things arrived in this lagoon, but you were the only one of your kind to wash in here when He-Who-Hungers stirred from the Depths. You should seek my brothers in the Reef. They might be able to help you. Strange things have been occurring and I will not leave this lagoon alone." Your heart soars for a moment and you almost lose your disguise. You... (Question time works the same as in the thread.) A)Stay in the sand and wait for someone else to swim by B)Rise up and flash colors to lure the cleaner out for a quick meal C)Simply leave for the Great Reef D)Invite the cleaner to travel with you E)Dart your hunting tentacles into the hole and pull the cleaner out and eat him F)Swim around the Lagoon searching for something G)Make the Lagoon your home, abandon your pod and begin to make a life here. Some other cuttlefish may arrive soon. I)Write in
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Nov 20, 2014 03:45
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Voting is closed: D is the clear winner. You decided a friend is much better than a meal, for the moment. No one else seems to be crawling out and offering a claw so you decided to extend a tentacle in return. You lift from the sediment, taking care to make no sudden movements nor advance on the small cleaner. Normally you would begin to cycle colors to confuse your prey but not this time. "I am Christie the Cuttlefish, of the Shifting Sands tribe. If you permit me, I can take you to the Great Reef or anywhere else." The cleaner is apprehensive.  "And what is there to keep you from eating me? I have been safe and well fed here for a long time. I have many mates to choose from. There is only one reason I would leave my den is to visit the great Feeds-from-Sand, as we must all do once in our lives. If you take me, I will vouch for you and he can help you find your pod?" The blue cleaner inches out from its den, a few stinging tendrils drifting behind it. You could reach out with your attack tentacles if you wanted to eat him, but the stinging tendrils are nearby. You... A)Agree and pick up the cleaner gently and head out to the Great Reef B)Agree and pick up the cleaner and head out the Depths C)A, but eat him first D)B, but eat him first E)Ignore him, and explore the Lagoon F)Eat him and explore the Lagoon G)Ink him first then eat him H)Use your colors to distract the cleaner then eat him I)Write In
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Nov 20, 2014 03:45
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Voting is closed A won. You flash green in agreement, promising on your honor to take him to Feeds-from-Sand and not to devour him. Cleaner dips into his burrow for a moment, rummaging around and stirring up a small dust cloud. He quickly pops back out carrying a tiny, but perfectly formed spiral shell to his chest. "A gift for Eats-From-Sand. All of his children must bring a token when the take the pilgrimage." Scuttling out across the sand to where you are hovering you have trouble watching where Cleaner actually is. His body being mostly clear, you follow the blue streaks as he draws in. You gave your word, despite the grumbling in your gut, and you gently scoop Cleaner into your arms. His little antenna poke out in front of you and swish about in the water.  "Quick boss, we better get a move on. You made quite a racket crying earlier. The lagoon isn't the safest place when you're out in the open." He quickly flicks his feelers towards the smell of salt. "Out that way there is a swim-through. It leads to the sand wastes that ring the Great Reef. Only Us-that-Crawl know the way through, in case you got hungry ha ha haaaa." You feel cleaner tuck in deeper and shiver. "Time to go boss." Something ripples through the lagoon but only faintly. Something that might be far off. You... A) Head towards Cleaner's passageway B) Eat Cleaner and head towards Cleaner's passage way and try to navigate it on your own C) Hide and wait for whatever Cleaner is warning you for. D) Wait for whatever Cleaner is warning you about and attack E) Ignore Cleaner and head deeper into the Lagoon F) A + Ink G) D + Ink H) E + Ink I) Baptiste cleaner in you religion with blood as your mother did. J) Write In
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Nov 20, 2014 03:47
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You consider heading out to the Great Reef under the direction of Cleaner and away from the vague feeling coming from deep in the lagoon. You know when danger lurks and this doesn't feel too close. You drift along the seabed in the general direction of the swim-through, searching for a sharp bit of shell. Not that one, too jagged. This one is no good either, it isn't the right color. After a few moments you find the correct shell. You tell Cleaner to hold still for a moment. You have taken him up as a charge and must now induct him as a neophyte to the mysteries of He-Who-Hungers. Cleaner clicks a few times in hesitation but you feel him nod. "You're going on my pilgrimage, I can at least listen to yours. This doesn't involve eating me does it? Because you promised and the swim through is the only way out of the lagoon." You chuckle a bit, deep waves of purple ripple across your tentacles. You reach one of your tentacles out and draw it across the sharp shell. Blue-green blood smokes from your limb, dissipating into the water. Raising it to the tiny forehead of Cleaner you cry out the words you first heard your mother speak when you were still in the egg. "He-Who-Hungers! You were the first to swim through the depths. With none to sate your hunger you reached into your own flesh and filled the sea with your great children. Many grew, filled the ocean with life and you devoured them all to fill the hole you had inflicted. They were soft and weak and you devoured them. The survivors grew tough and armored. Those too you cracked under your mighty teeth. Myriad forms rose. Some ran, some fought back with tooth and stinger, but in the end you devoured them all. In your wake you have granted the survivors wisdom and the Great Law of Life. The strong will devour the weak. Our line is one of the ancients and we follow the Lessons of He-Who-Hungers. Today we mark this one with our blood. Blood is life and the blood that flows in our people is strong. If our flesh weakens may our blood shine through and our flesh devoured another day, until He-Who-Hungers rises to consume all. " You close your eyes for a moment, letting the words wash over you. "That's neat boss. We should get a move on." The newly baptized Cleaner squeaks, before a loud splashing sound shakes the placid lagoon. A green figure looms behind you, closing in quickly. You have never see such a thing but those teeth tell you its a predator, and its smells blood. Your blood. You are a good 200 body lengths away from the swim through. The beast is 150 behind you. You...  A) Cloak and hope it hasn't spotted you, then slowly drift to the swim-through B) Cloak and dart to the swim-through C) Ink and dart to the swim-through (Your ink sack has only one shot left and wont refill for another day, unless you feed) D) Attack the creature, hoping to scare it off E) Burrow into the sand and wait for the creature to pass F) Pray to He-Who-Hungers and hope a larger predator arrives to eat this foe G) Toss Cleaner into the water, hoping to distract the creature H) Write-in
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Nov 20, 2014 03:48
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You tell cleaner, or Roscoe as he asked you to call him, to hold on tight as you throw up a standard mid-water camouflage and wheel to face the encroaching predator. Normally you wouldn't worry about a threat at this distance, but you've spilled your blood and are marked. It also didn't help that you reopened your wound slightly, leaking another bit of blood in the water. For a moment the predator, at least 10 body lengths in size, is disoriented from jumping into the sense rich water and takes a moment to lock onto your blood. You however are already jetting away at a full clip. At this speed it is hard to maintain your cloak and you catch yourself blanching white at spots. You pulse water as fast as you can and are halfway to the swim through before the predator begins to chase. It knows where you are. Your three hearts thunder as the beast draws in. Sharp needle like teeth menace from its gaping jaw as it cuts through the water like one of hunger's chosen. Green scales glint in the sun as it's yellow eyes lock with yours. It is nearly upon you, maybe 10 or 15 lengths away. You are maybe half that from the swim through. With you back turned to the entrance you are unsure of how far it can peruse you in. A voice crawls into your head, old and thick. "I see you prey. It is over, submit and I will be quick. Aren't you tired? You cannot win, why struggle?" Your jet is screaming and your gut is on fire. You.... A) Drop the cloak, dump everything you have into jetting faster and go deep into the swim through B) Stay hidden and jet into the swim through, hoping it was a bluff C) Ink the predator and then jet into the swim through D) Ink the predator but fully cloak and drift into the swim through E) Attack the predator (explanation yields a better chance of success) F) Submit and be eaten. None escape The Great Law of Life. G) Dive into the sand and hope you can wait the predator out H) Toss Roscoe to the predator and jet away. I) Charm, tame or otherwise convince the predator into being your new steed (explain how) J) Write in
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Nov 20, 2014 03:48
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Voting is closed. Roscoe is yelling. It's hard to hear him under the tight grip of your tentacles. Even harder over the pounding of your hearts. You can't keep your cloak up and maintain this pace. Deciding that speed is more helpful now than maintaining a failed disguise. You let your skin relax and it goes completely white in fear. The reduced strain on your concentration let's you jet forward just a tiny fraction faster. Just in time to avoid the first snap of the predators jaws. You can feel the smooth enamel graze your trailing tentacles. Another flash of toothy death follows you into the swim through. The hole is a worn passage through a wall of battered coral ringing the lagoon and sealing it from the ocean. The passage way is wide enough for you to fit, and unfortunately wide enough for the predator's jaws. As your body cross the threshold into the dim cave, one last snap of the predator's teeth snags a tentacle on one of its front most teeth. The predator cannot fit it's whole body through but enough of its jaws made it barely catch you. The beast begins to pull you out by your pierced limb. Your other arms find rocky hand holds to brace against. It only takes a quick tug before the arm is ripped free. The savageness of the tear makes the flesh on the stump constrict, minimizing the loss of blood. As the jaw pulls out you quickly head deeper into the cave, and away from the cursing predator you avoided. A quick check reveals the lost limb wasn't vital and that Roscoe is safe. "Hoo, thought you almost ate it. Good thing you didn't let me go! That looks nasty, let me clean it up for you before we go deeper. We have a bit of a trek and not everyone is nice like that long-tail." He chuckles to himself before extricating himself and picking dead bits from the quickly healing stump. In 2 moon's time it should regrow. You rest for a moment, the pain beginning to bloom from the stump, having burned though quite a bit of energy running that far. The water is calm here and you drift off into sleep while Roscoe cleans up. . . . You feel images and cold. Somewhere dark with little light, cold, colder than you've ever felt. There are screams. Whose? Maybe your own. A pair of yellow eyes drift into focus, then another, and two more. They glow and stare. You want to run but it is so cold. Something large moves behind you and the eyes all disappear with a snapping of shells. You turn to face the thing behind you. A single eye, impossibly large, fills your vision. You are yourself, but you are not you. You recognize yourself as a member of of your pod. The world goes dark and you fall through darkness, save for a single feeling. Hungry. . . . You awaken to the moonlight filtering into the swim trough. The predator is long gone and Roscoe is perched on your head, absently cleaning himself. You go to stir and a pain shoots through your missing limb. At least you are alive, you think. Before you go to pick the cleaner off your head your stomach grumbles. You are hungry, very hungry. Eating soon would be very advisable. You... A) Return to the Lagoon to hunt. B) Rip off another tentacle to eat C) Hunt as you travel the swim through D) Eat Roscoe E) Ignore your hunger and press on F) Write In
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Nov 20, 2014 03:48
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a question posted:Ask Roscoe about the eyes. You tell you dream to Roscoe. He picks away at few worms wriggling their way towards your stump before chuckling. " What has big eyes? Boss, you've got eyes almost as big as me. Bigger eyes means a bigger fish and that's always trouble. Could have been one of the Gentle-Ones but those guys aren't here for at least a season." After adding that you felt cold and dark Roscoe grew very quiet. "Sounds like you are dreaming of something from the Depths. Everything down there's either blind or has eyes two sizes too big. No thank you, I like it up here in the sun. Least you can see what's going to eat you before it does, haha ey boss?!" Unamused at his quip about nearly being lunch you slap Roscoe with a tentacle. He giggles and skitters back up onto your back to grab at the bits of fluff floating by.
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Nov 20, 2014 03:49
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Voting is closed. You decide to hunt along the way instead of eating your new found friend. Roscoe is pleased as, "This whole dam tunnel is crawling with crabs. Biggest assholes in the Reef. Kick you out of your home and don't even let you share a dead fish. Think we're brothers on account of our hard shells but I think they fell out of Feeds-From-Sand's backside." The swim through is tight. Rocky bits of coral reach out and try to scrape at your skin as squirrelfish dart into small crevices. Once or twice Roscoe had you make a sharp turn or seemingly backtrack through an opening you had missed. The lack of sunlight didn't help either. You stomach was twisting but you refused to devour your friend. After a time your sense of smell picks up blood in the water. Crab blood. "You smell it too boss. I know where he is. Lets get dinner." Antenna flicking and tentacle grasping you slowly inch towards a little tucked away pocket of craggy basalt. A single crab leg rests on the sand below.  Rising up you are able to being your hypnotic flashing of colors aimed at the entrance of the hiding spot. Even Roscoe begins twitching less as he watches your display. The low light of the cave makes the technique take a while longer than usual but eventually a fat crab, missing a limb, clambers out onto the ledge of the alcove. You take no time in trowing your attack tentacles forward, bashing the crab into the rock and then drawing it back in where you rip it apart with your beak. Roscoe snaps out of it when a bit a crab meat floats past his head. The two of you feast. You can feel life begin to surge back into your limb and your ink sack refills. The screaming hunger is gone, for now. You press on until you come to a fork in the road. Roscoe explains, "There are two ways to go. The upper path leads us over the reef. Its quite exposed but we might be lucky. If its midday nothing nasty will be out. We could also go down. That leads to a narrow canyon. It's quiet but many say if you travel quickly its safe." You ask about what those who don't move quickly say. Roscoe is silent. "Your choice boss" he adds. You... A) Take the Upper Path B) Take the Lower Path C) Explore the Caves. Roscoe can help guide you back here later D) Ignore the cleaner and forge your own path E) Devour the cleaner and forge your own path F) Rest and try to contact your pod mate again G) Pray to He-Who-Hungers H) Pray to Eat-From-Sand I) Write in
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Nov 20, 2014 03:50
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Canuck Errant posted:Is there a gate, and if so do I hold it? 1d100, High is yes: 68 http://orokos.com/roll/233083 Voting is closed. You are Canuck-Errant. You have lived in this cave since you were a hatchling. Your claws know every inch of the winding and twisting caverns of this swim-through you call home. You have bested many challenges in your long life. Avoided being devoured by your own kind, battled for many mates, even evaded the lying-whispers when you had to molt your shell in the canyon. Life is more peaceful now. You have found an excellent grotto to lie in. The current is just right, bringing bits of food endlessly flowing past the entrance. A protected entrance, even. A flap of fan coral grew to cover the entrance, protecting anything from getting into your little home.  So there you were, sitting comfortably in your little him, picking at a bit of dead fish when a strange light began to flicker outside your grotto. "What is this?" you think. Curiously you inch toward the entrance, gazing at dancing lights now even brighter. They almost whisper to you. "....gat...hol..dth.." Its like something is asking a question, no declaring something. You get closer, almost against the coral. "hold...the...gate". Yes, the lights want you to open you door, hold the gate so to speak. Well sure. The lights may have been a little suspicious, but the way they flickered. you could hear it,now commanding "HOLD THE GATE". You scrabble over and fling the door open! The light is exhilarating now, bright and glorious. You must go to it. You take one step out of the cave and then the light disappears. Well, rather you disappear. Darkness and a sharp tearing feeling accompany the last thing you hear. "Good shot boss. Told you they like to steal dens. Oh hand me that piece." The world fades... But not for Christie! You are currently enjoying the third crab of the day. The prey here is easy and you are eating your fill. Another would stuff your gullet to bursting. You give Roscoe a celebratory pat and scoop him up into your arms. You decided to take the lower path. You cannot see the sky and have no idea what time it is, though the top of the reef is never a good place to be. He directs you down deeper and through a tiny passageway. You have to wiggle a bit to get your full belly through the soft sand, but with a grunt and a squeeze you pop through. The passage opens up to a sand filled channel several hundred body lengths long. Crevices and holes pockmark the walls as a moon flecked, sandy path lead out to the Sand Wastes. You pause for a moment and consider the best way to head down the path. You swear, for a moment, you could hear chanting. You..  A) Wait by the entrance and survey the channel B) Dart full throttle through, stopping for nothing C) Call out and see who answers D) Cloak and Drift through the channel E) Swim up and over top of the channel F) E+Cloak G) Head back and take the other route H) Write in...
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Nov 20, 2014 03:52
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You decide to gun the channel, ignoring cloak and the stray whispers that dance at the edge of perception. This is going to be a speed run. Roscoe wriggles deep under your hood and nestles safely near your beak. You take special care to tuck in you tentacles and flatten the texture on your back. A quick test of your siphon and you are ready to go. The voices are louder now, confirming that someone or something is watching from the pockmarks along the walls. Roscoe whispers to you "remember, keep low and don't stop." You pivot your eyes behind you to plot a course. Right down the center where the sand has formed a long divot. You ignore the sounds rising in a low and steady hum, a word catches here or there but you are too distracted to understand. A big gulp of water and you are off. Coral speeds by as you blast towards the exit. You make a mistake of looking down and see not sand covering the ground but hundreds upon hundreds of skeletons in various states of decay. The channel is a graveyard and for a moment your fear slows your pace. Roscoe cries out for you to keep moving but you are already dodging something striking from the wall.  A jaw snaps just inches behind your tentacles, knocking you from your center path and up against the right wall. You record just in time to dodge two more eels striking out at you. Correcting your trajectory back to the center you pick up enough speed to dodge a strike from below as another eel slithers from a turtle shell. The chanting is now oppressive, coming from all directions at once and growing louder. The eels that attacked withdraw into the walls and the sound grows louder. It thunders in your head but you have only one thing on your mind. Speed and you keep pushing towards the exit. Several more eels snap at you as you travel but are either too far away or a second too late. Under the din of the hum you can hear Roscoe mumbling to himself. Nearing the end of the channel the chanting dies away and with a few more jets you are free. You look back in time to see a few sad eels glare at you before receding into rock face. One lucky eel is able to pluck a stray crab from the pile of bones. Ahead of you lies the sand wastes. A flat area of sand and not much else.  Roscoe excited clambers onto your back and cheers. "Nice swimming boss! Though you were a goner when that singer popped out of that shell! Welcome to the sand wastes. Now let's get going so we can leave it behind." He points out few ways you can travel but each will take a full day. The Gardens are a large patch of Eel Grass stretching far. Many creatures live there and most are friendly, though there is little cover. Tarpin Caves are a long swim through like the one you just exited. The path is larger and bigger fish swim there. The largest are the Tarpin. Gentle fish that swim in packs. The last option are the Moon Flats. Long ago something large came through and smashed the young coral to pieces and it never regrew. In the wastes many tiny creatures pick through the rock but most things avoid the area. It is exposed and low in food but devoid of life so it should be safe. You should reach the Great reef by sunrise tomorrow, barring any distractions. You...  A)Head to The Gardens B)Head to Tarpin Caves C)Head to the Moon Flats D)Forge your own path and explore forward E)Forget Roscoe and head out to the Depths F)Eat Roscoe and A G)Eat Roscoe and B H)Eat Roscoe and C I)Eat Roscoe and D J)Eat Roscoe and E K)Explore the area here H)Write In Question Time is active so feel free to ask anything you want to anyone. Welcome to Hunger Rising. We've had a few votes before this became its own thread. Please jump back to the OP and read from there or feel free to jump right in! Arkanomen fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Nov 20, 2014 |
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Nov 20, 2014 03:53
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"Roscoe, what is the safest path there?"
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Nov 20, 2014 04:27
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A Lets head to the Gardens it's closer to the Great Reef and that has Great in the name there can't be anything bad out that way!
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Nov 20, 2014 04:31
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A Darker Porpoise posted:A Lets head to the Gardens it's closer to the Great Reef and that has Great in the name there can't be anything bad out that way! Sounds fishy to me. Let's do it!
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Nov 20, 2014 04:33
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C, Moon Flats. We have lots of food in our belly and should be able to survive without finding much more for a day. Plus it'd be neat to see what a post-apocalyptic coral reef is like, maybe we can join a biker gang.
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Nov 20, 2014 04:37
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Diogines posted:"Roscoe, what is the safest path there?" Still excited from your mad-dash, Roscoe clambers up and over on top of your forehead. Speaking with his claws he lays it on the table for you. "We'll be traveling mostly at night. Most of the larger guys like to hunt at night so each path will have its dangers. The Moon Flats are well lit but have few places to hide for someone as big as you but you could use that cloaking trick. Least you can see whats going to eat you from a mile away if you're spotted. The Gardens are filled with grass we can swim through, though young Hunger's Chosen like to come in from the Reef and grab a ray or sand-eater. Eels too, like the ones we just avoided but in far less numbers. Tarpin Caves are dark and winding, darker at night but none of the heavy hitters go there. There's a giant one of your eight-arm cousins that hides in one of the caves. Good chance we might wander into it. Choice is yours, boss!" You know of the Eight-arm that lives in the caves. It is much, much larger than you and known to eat anything that strays into its den. You may be able to parlay with her, if she isn't too hungry. A Darker Porpoise posted:A Lets head to the Gardens it's closer to the Great Reef and that has Great in the name there can't be anything bad out that way! Each location is about the same distance between where you are now and the Great Reef. The moon is full so darkness is not an issue, save for the Tarpin Caves. Gardens is a bit shorter of a journey, but only by half an hour or so. Baring impediment, you will reach the Great Reef in time for sunrise. Arkanomen fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Nov 20, 2014 |
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Nov 20, 2014 04:42
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 Parlay!
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Nov 20, 2014 04:53
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Arkanomen posted:"Tarpin Caves are dark and winding, darker at night but none of the heavy hitters go there. There's a giant one of your eight-arm cousins that hides in one of the caves. Good chance we might wander into it. Choice is yours, boss!" Arkanomen posted:B)Head to Tarpin Caves
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Nov 20, 2014 04:56
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B Dark caves with a giant who may or may not be hungry. Sounds fun!
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Nov 20, 2014 05:01
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B, let's meet Uncle Octopus!
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Nov 20, 2014 05:54
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A
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Nov 20, 2014 06:45
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B
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Nov 20, 2014 07:03
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Here's a nice 5 minute cuttlefish education video for those if, like me you are confused about Chrisie and her abilities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDwOi7HpHtQ
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Nov 20, 2014 07:10
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B) Tarpin caves. lets lure in some food and make a friend.
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Nov 20, 2014 08:33
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B
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Nov 20, 2014 10:16
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The moon is shiny, and we all know that cuttlefish like shiny things. C
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Nov 20, 2014 12:25
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C
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Nov 20, 2014 18:31
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B
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Nov 20, 2014 23:08
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B Maybe he'll be friendly! Or challenge us to answer complex cephalapod riddles.
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Nov 20, 2014 23:12
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B Octopuses are smart! Maybe it can tell us what happened!
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Nov 20, 2014 23:56
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Voting is Closed
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Nov 21, 2014 00:42
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You set off towards Tarpon Alley. The field of sand slopes down slightly, the water below the thermocline slightly chilly despite the strong moonlight. Keeping low to the sand you cloak yourself to avoid anything spotting you. Once or twice you hear a snapping of jaws in the distance or a quick yelp but you steer away and keep a low profile. You see why they call this land the Sand Wastes. Nothing but a few coral heads and a stray plant pockmark an otherwise uninteresting landscape. A few times Roscoe tells you to dive into the sand you see nothing but your pal's shuddering tells you all you need to know. After a few hours of swimming you see lines of silver flash in the dark. The streaks grow sharper and brighter, resolving into large fish as you swim closer. You can hear elderly grumbling. The tarpon are several lengths larger than you, sparking a twinge of fear. "Eh they're harmless. Mostly grump at you. Don't worry". You approach a giant opening in the ground. A large cavernous maw rises from the sandy floor. Several smaller openings branch off from the sides. A group of 10 or so Tarpon swim lazily in and out of the various entrances. The whole time they complain. They argue. And they Harrumph. They are old. You know, they won't shut up about how much this fin aches or who's scales are thinning. You sneak in a little closer, confident that they pose no threat and listen to a pair picking at bloodworms near a giant clam close to the main entrance.  "You think Barry's coming back?" "No you old git, the Waves tookem. Good riddance too. Always swimming clockwise like some crazed wrasse." "You swim clockwise, Barry didn't swim at all because Barry was a sponge" "A lying sponge. You been back there lately, big mess. You know who's behind it of course." "She better not. Silverside season is coming up and we get our fill first. That's how it's always been." "Yep, how its always been. Speaking of, You seen Barry? Their conversation repeats, aided by the duo's senility. Roscoe pokes out from your tentacles. "Buncha codgers. We going in?" The fish, though aged can still hear pretty well. "Who you calling codger, you sneak. Get over here and say that to my gills!" You don't think they can see you but Roscoe was kind of loud. You... A) Introduce yourself to the old fish B) Sneak past and leave them to their meal C) Sneak Attack and feed D) Change your mind and head to the Moon Flats E) Change your mind and head to the Gardens F) Head directly to the depths G) Write in
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Nov 21, 2014 01:34
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Edit:Arkanomen posted:B) Sneak past and leave them to their meal ....also I did not realize that it was the same group of fish described in the first half of the post. They are larger than us. Pass! Diogines fucked around with this message at 02:00 on Nov 21, 2014 |
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Nov 21, 2014 01:45
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C
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Nov 21, 2014 01:52
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Diogines posted:Never pass up a chance to sleep, to gently caress or to eat! C +1 Also, we should say Barry sent us.
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Nov 21, 2014 01:59
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C If they aren't Roscoe, then all are prey before us!
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Nov 21, 2014 02:06
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C- We are pretty drat hungry at this point in time.
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Nov 21, 2014 02:08
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 21:34 |
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B
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Nov 21, 2014 02:13
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