---

(458) Demiurge: So, where were we? Completing work on the boats, right?
(470) Sarpedon: I think so.
(452) Imhotep: Yep!
(458) Demiurge: (Have you mentioned your suspicions about Bill to anyone else?)
(452) Imhotep: (Just Sarpedon)
(470) Sarpedon: (Keeping that one close to our hairy chests.)
(470) Sarpedon: (Actually, since we're in the classical hero genre, our bronze, chiseled chests.)
(458) Demiurge: (hehe)
(458) Demiurge: As the boats near completion, you realize that you have more volunteers than you have spaces on the boats. You will have to disappoint some people.
(458) Demiurge: And figure out a way to determine who goes.
(452) Imhotep: (Well, that cannot be helped. We will try to choose the best sailors, and the best with the spear.)
(458) Demiurge: If it comes down to it, you might have to draw straws. :)
(458) Demiurge: Some people say that if they are left behind, they will just start on another boat. They are enjoying having a project.
(470) Sarpedon: (That's not a bad thing if you think about it. We'll leave behind some skilled, adventurous people who can take care of the settlement. We don't want to strip it bare of talent.)
(470) Sarpedon: "Perhaps we have created a cult--voyagers into the unknown."
** (470) Sarpedon laughs. **
(452) Imhotep: (And they'll make more boats...)
(458) Demiurge: Okay, so you do the whole drawing straws thing. Some people are upset. Some decide to trade places with someone else, because they don't want to leave a friend or mate, in the cases where one person wins and another doesn't. In the end, it works out.
(470) Sarpedon: "We have our lieutenants. Let them choose some who are worthy as well. The remainder shall be chosen by chance. Any who remain who do not wish to stay can build another boat and catch up with us."
(452) Imhotep: (We're taking Bill, right?)
(458) Demiurge: (It was assumed you would take Bill. At least Bill assumed.)
** (470) Sarpedon addresses those who were selected and those who were not. He tells them that this vast realm has much to offer those who leave and those who stay. Those who wish to follow may do so--Imhotep leaves plans for a boat. **
(470) Sarpedon: (We're taking Bill and keeping an eye on him.)
(458) Demiurge: (keep your friends close and your enemies closer, eh?)
(470) Sarpedon: (We're also feeding him enough disinformation to keep our true plans obscure.)
(458) Demiurge: (That's not hard, since you aren't really sharing your true plans with anyone.)
(470) Sarpedon: (The main story is that we're just exploring.)
(458) Demiurge: (Everyone knows you are heading toward the head of the River, including Bill. But most people assume it's just a direction, or curiosity.)
(470) Sarpedon: (And righting wrongs as we go along! We're heroes, after all.)
(452) Imhotep: (Well, you're a hero...)
(458) Demiurge: All right, of course, everyone had been saving up their alcohol and marijuana from their grails for a big sendoff party. :)
(470) Sarpedon: "All rivers have beginnings. All have ends. I have a distaste for the sea as it brought the Greeks to my brother's kingdom, so I prefer to go in the other direction. Perhaps we shall find friends there."
(470) Sarpedon: (Heh, Imhotep is a hero to the brainy folks out there!)
(458) Demiurge: (The theory is that rivers flow downhill from mountains. But when you were sailing on the first part, you went through some areas where you swore the water was going uphill slightly.)
(458) Demiurge: There have been a few failed attempts to take down a dragonfish. It's got a tough-ass hide. It occurs to you that if you ever take one down, you could make some pretty effective armor from its hide.
(452) Imhotep: (Oh no, Imhotep cannot possibly resist trying now...)
(458) Demiurge: (Well, that was aimed mostly at Sarpedon, since he is the warrior, but hey...)
(452) Imhotep: (Figuring out a way to get one is an intellectual challenge...)
(470) Sarpedon: (That is puzzling--about the river defying gravity. Sarpedon is more interested, however, in the impossibly steep mountains. He's never seen anything like them. To him, they're proof that the gods had a hand in making this place.)
(470) Sarpedon: (To be eventually solved by Ape Dynamics!)
(458) Demiurge: (hehe)
(458) Demiurge: Bhattara begins moving into the central palace. He doesn't want to and thinks it's a bit flashy, but it's expected. He is at the party, and all the girls are especially interested in him. :)
(452) Imhotep: "I am pleased to be seeing so much merriment among the people as our departure draws near. Perhaps we will leave these people in better shape than we found them."
(470) Sarpedon: "I am pleased to see that Bhattara has been accepted as regent. I hope that he rules well. At least the women find him appealing."
(452) Imhotep: "Time will tell, surely. But will we ever see? Perhaps. Time is strange in the Underworld."
** Junko seems to have settled into the "humble wife" mode. She tends to follow Sarpedon quietly, a few paces behind him. **
(470) Sarpedon: "Better to be on our way, my friend. They can fend for themselves. They have known slavery and fought their oppressors. I think we should not fear too much."
** (470) Sarpedon makes an effort to draw Junko out of her silence. If she's going to come along, she'd better pull her weight, and not just with bed-bouncing." **
(452) Imhotep: (HA!)
(458) Demiurge: (She does her part. But she naturally is respectful and deferring to her "husband" It's part of her culture.)
(470) Sarpedon: "Junko, you come from a far land. We expect you to tell us when you recognize things that we do not."
Junko: "Of course I will. I am as curious about this place as you. I look forward to our journey."
** (470) Sarpedon muses. At least she's not like that scheming bitch that Paris stole from the Greeks. **
Junko: "I am nervous about heading toward the oni that live at the head of the river. But this time, I will not be alone."
(452) Imhotep: "There is little to truly fear here. Death cannot stop you now."
(470) Sarpedon: "Good. You are quiet. That is good. Just do not be too quiet. I value your thoughts, woman."
** Junko considers. "Death can steal me away from those that I love." **
(470) Sarpedon: "True. Only temporary pain and the trouble of waking up somewhere else."
** (470) Sarpedon caresses her. "You are a fine woman." **
** Junko smiles. **
** (452) Imhotep rolls his eyes. **
(458) Demiurge: On the other end of the quiet scale, there is Cookie Googleman, who won the random selection. She is not lazy, and she is willing to do her part. You have no logical reason to leave her behind. But... imagine Fran Drescher squared.
(452) Imhotep: (Argh!)
(452) Imhotep: "Perhaps some use can be made of her. On the days wind the wind does not blow, her mouth can be pointed at the sails."
** (470) Sarpedon stifles a laugh. "We have rope. She can be an anchor." **
(458) Demiurge: (Hmm. What is the basic design of the ships? How many levels? Are there cabins or berthings? Is there a cargo hold?)
(470) Sarpedon: (Heh, called your bluff, architect! Tell him it's the Love Boat.)
(452) Imhotep: (The ships have a decent cargo area in the bottom, so all the weight will help keep it steady. There is a level above that for sleeping, and above that is the main deck with the masts, tiller, and oars.)
(452) Imhotep: (Not overly comfortable, really.)
(470) Sarpedon: (Sort of like a bireme with a sail?)
(458) Demiurge: (The cargo area is good for keeping grails, though you don't have much other cargo. The unspoken use is that if couples want some privacy in their free time, they can use the cargo hold. Tie a red kilt-cloth to the door or something. :)
(452) Imhotep: (Have we launched and departed, then?)
(458) Demiurge: Sure. The party was fun. And everyone stands and waves as you leave upstream.
(452) Imhotep: (Quite a bit like a bireme with a sail, Sarpedon.)
(458) Demiurge: (What's a bireme?)
(452) Imhotep: (Only no big ramming horn on the front. Maybe we could make one out of ironwood... that would be quite a surprise if we meet up with some pirate types.)
(470) Sarpedon: (It's a ship design. Greek/Mediterranean. It dates from about 500BC. It's like a smaller trireme.)
Attempting to assign the role of GM to (452) Imhotep...
Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (452) Imhotep...
(452) Imhotep: http://scalemodel.net/pictures/Caesar_side.jpg
(458) Demiurge: Sw33t!
(458) Demiurge: Well, it's it's okay, we will now fast foward a bit. :)
(470) Sarpedon: (A trireme was 125-135' long, had a 10-13' beam, had a series of 14 foot oars, drew 3 feet in the water, and had three rowing decks, hence the tri of trireme. It had a crew of 62 upper rowers, 54 middle, and 54 lower rowers. The fighting crew consisted of 10 hoplites and 4 archers. Some had as many as 40 hoplites.)
(470) Sarpedon: (Basically, you sailed when there was wind and rowed when there wasn't. You rammed enemies or used your prow to shear off their oars, then the warriors would board and kick everyone's asses. Simple.)
(452) Imhotep: (Lots of them were made with a spiffy brass horn on the front, covering an extension of the central wooden beam, for punching hole in other ships by ramming.)
(470) Sarpedon: (A bireme simply had two rowing decks and a smaller crew.)
** (470) Sarpedon sails into a montage. **
(452) Imhotep: (HA!)
(458) Demiurge: hehe.
(458) Demiurge: So we will now fast forward a bit, if that's okay.
(470) Sarpedon: After many days on the river, Sarpedon and Imhotep quietly put down talk of tying Cookie to the front of the boat as a ram.
(452) Imhotep: (Fast forward away! When he's not steering the boat, or looking for improvements, Imhotep is trying to educate Gwynefra.)
** (458) Demiurge found the F11 macro key **
(458) Demiurge: (What are you teaching your adopted daughter?)
(452) Imhotep: (Educate as in architecture and primitive engineering, not like Sarpedon educating Junko.)
(458) Demiurge: (hehe.)
(470) Sarpedon: (Hey, I assume Junko knows ancient Asian erotic secrets. Sarpedon's smilin'.)
** (452) Imhotep rolls his eyes again. **
(458) Demiurge: Well, time passes. Things settle into a routine.
(458) Demiurge: You have various minor adventures. You get in some fights. People leave and are replaced.
(458) Demiurge: For a while Martin and Loghu break up, then get back together a few months later. Soap opera stuff like that,..
(470) Sarpedon: (Lol.)
(470) Sarpedon: (Do we make progress on the river? It's humongous, but still...)
(458) Demiurge: The Church of the Second Chance is spreading like kudzu. Partly due to their annoyingly preachy nature. They tend to get killed a lot. They are strangely proud of this. One Chancer tells you that murder has done more to spread the faith than anything else.
** (452) Imhotep considers them idiots. **
(458) Demiurge: One thing is that they are using Esperanto as their preferred language, and are teaching it wherever they go. Much to Martin's smugness, it is becoming a sort of lingua franca.
(458) Demiurge: (Hey, don't look at me. This happened in the books!)
(452) Imhotep: (Esperanto? Sheesh... Imhotep prefers Egyptian. At least, his own ancient dialect.)
** (470) Sarpedon considers these "prophets" to be potential spear targets. Imagine, defaming the gods! Sarpedon's bitter and considers himself betrayed by them, but he's still half-god and somewhat reverent. **
(458) Demiurge: They are not putting down any gods, to be fair. They are simply saying that whatever gods exist have recreated humanity to give them a second chance at virtue.
(470) Sarpedon: For some reason, the saga of Oedipus Rex is comforting to the Lycean king.
(458) Demiurge: They aren't good crew members, though. They have this credo of total pacifism.
(458) Demiurge: Anyway, it is now 7 AR. Gwenefra has grown into a very lovely 14 year old, and is noticing boys.
** (470) Sarpedon is highly skeptical of that belief. "Gods would not give us wine, tequila, and dreamgum if they wanted us to be virtuous." **
(452) Imhotep: (There probably aren't many of them on the ships, if any at all. No row, no go.)
** (470) Sarpedon tries to replace any die-hard Second-Chancers in the crew. If they won't fight, they won't be of too much use if we run into more Nazis and Romans. **
(458) Demiurge: Bill and Cookie seem to have gotten together. It started as a weird experiment born of loneliness and boredom, and kept going.
(452) Imhotep: (Maybe he'll keep her quiet, but I doubt it.)
(458) Demiurge: (There really weren't any to begin with. Occasionally, you find one who wants to travel and spread the faith, but they think you should park somewhere and meditate on the nature of your soul and stuff like that.
** (470) Sarpedon makes a rude joke (in private) to Imhotep about Bill finding the only way to shut Cookie's mouth--for a few minutes, anyway. **
(452) Imhotep: (Heh!)
(458) Demiurge: You can recognize them. The spinal disks of the hornfish have a distinctive spiral shape. They wear them on strings around their neck as a symbol of their faith.
** (470) Sarpedon hopes that Cookie will keep Bill occupied and vice versa. **
(458) Demiurge: (Unfortunately, that isn't 100% true, as you can always hear when Bill and Cookie are in the cargo hold. Cookie is... noisy.)
(470) Sarpedon: "Of course, now we have two spies to watch instead of one, but at least we will hear Cookie approaching from several miles off."
(452) Imhotep: "Quite right, Sarpedon. Now, I have been thinking about these dragonfish..."
(458) Demiurge: (Cookie died in 2002. She is not in the spy zone.).
** (470) Sarpedon begins to appreciate Junko's relative silence more and more. **
(452) Imhotep: "I think that if we prepare two large nets, we may subdue one of these beasts."
(470) Sarpedon: (True, but she might tell Bill things she sees and hears. Best to assume that if they're screwing, they're talking.)
(458) Demiurge: (You could subdue one. Probably Bill. Cookie would escape.)
(470) Sarpedon: (LOL!)
(470) Sarpedon: "You mean those two? They're idiots. Why subdue them? They make the crew laugh." He winks at Imhotep, enjoying his joke.
(458) Demiurge: (Anyway, you stop for a little while to do routine maintainence. Stuff need to be replaced or at least touched up now and them.)
(458) Demiurge: You meet a guy with a drawling american accent. He is wearing a rather absurd looking hat. It's made of straw, and is sun-bleached to be close to white. He calls it a 10-gallon hat.
(452) Imhotep: "We string the first net between two of the large boats, and spread them across a narrow area in the river. We spread the second net between two smaller boats, and use their speed to drive one of the big dragonfish into the net of the large boats. One large boat then goes to the other side of the river, and our oarsmen pull the net up, and the dragonfish with it."
(458) Demiurge: Some people have decided to leave and stay. This happens a lot, so you tend to recruit during the refits. :)
(458) Demiurge: (The dragonfish is the size of a sperm whale, remember.)
(452) Imhotep: (Yes, but with enough people pulling, we could get the thing onto shore, where we could spear it to death.)
** (470) Sarpedon considers the plan, and Imhotep's lack of humor on some subjects. "It would have to be a very large net, and very strong. I fear for the boats. Such a creature could damage one severely." **
(452) Imhotep: "We would need speed, so the wind would have to be with us. But I think we can do it."
(458) Demiurge: The man in the cowboy hat walks up. "Howdy. Are you guys looking for crew members?"
(452) Imhotep: "It would be a source of armor for your troops."
(452) Imhotep: "We can always use crew members. Can you use a spear?"
(458) Demiurge: "I picked up a bit of spear use during my stay here. I'm also pretty good with the lariat." He motions to a rope he has attatched to a belt. "My name's Tom Mix. Nice to meet you."
(458) Demiurge: "I'm a great shot with the pistol, and can ride a horse. But that's not something I can use here."
(470) Sarpedon: (Lol!)
** Tom Mix looks hopeful. "I don't suppose y'all have heard of me?" **
(452) Imhotep: "No, should I have?"
(470) Sarpedon: "Horses would be useful. They pull chariots effectively, though it would be difficult to train the others in such matters." Sarpedon ponders that scenario.
(470) Sarpedon: "I am Sarpedon. Have you heard of me?"
Tom Mix: "I agree. Horses are one of the best animals there are. I miss having them around."
(470) Sarpedon: (Heh, I actually know who Tom Mix was!)
(452) Imhotep: (Yeah, me too...)
Tom Mix: "Nope. Haven't heard of you either. Anyway, me and my two friends saw you guys and are looking for space on your ship."
(452) Imhotep: "If you can use a spear, and row when the wind does not favor us, then you may join us freely."
** Tom Mix says, "Well, I'm kind of a package deal. If you want me, you take my two friends. But don't worry. They'll pull their weight." **
(452) Imhotep: "If that is true, then welcome to the crew."
(452) Imhotep: "I am Imhotep, once advisor to Pharoah Djosser, now advisor to King Sarpedon."
** Tom Mix waves over his friends. A man and a woman. The man is a little darker than Tom, but otherwise they could be twins. The woman has straight black hair and eyes. **
(470) Sarpedon: "Who are they?"
** Tom Mix smiles. "King? Not Captain?" **
Tom Mix: "These are Bithniah and Yeshua. Don't be fooled by our looks. Ol' Yesh and I were born a few thousand years apart."
(470) Sarpedon: "My kingdom lies in the old world. Lycea, a beautiful land with a proud people. Alas, it is lost to me and to the sands of time."
(470) Sarpedon: "How well do you know them?"
(452) Imhotep: (Does Yeshua have a childhood friend named Biff, by chance?)
Tom Mix: "Now, I gotta warn ya. Yeshua is kind of a pacifist. But he's not one of those preachy chancers, and he's a hard worker. So, are you guys headed upRiver? Cause if not, I can tell you, I've been downriver, and it's not worth seeing."
(452) Imhotep: "What have you seen?"
(470) Sarpedon: "Yes, speak of this place."
(470) Sarpedon: *that place
(452) Imhotep: (the other place)
(452) Imhotep: (sorry, bad joke...)
(470) Sarpedon: "We wish to find the headwaters of this river. I have no interest in the sea for reasons that are known to history--forgotten history." Sarpedon smiles wryly.
Tom Mix: "Well, the weather got real cold, and the sun never got over the horizon. After the last grailstone, we went on for a while, living on dried stuff that we had ready. But then the river got more and more narrow and moved faster. Then we went into a dark cave. We were going so fast the boat broke apart, and we died. End of story."
Tom Mix: "So I'm guessing the end of the river is either at the north or south pole."
(458) Demiurge: (You guys know about "poles" from listening to Martin and Bill.)
** (452) Imhotep nods. **
(470) Sarpedon: "Then you know how to sail. Do you know how to fish? Pole? Oh, this orb shaped world. It sounds so silly."
** (452) Imhotep smirks at the idea of a round world. The water would simply run off. **
(458) Demiurge: "I fished a bit as a kid. And learned a bit more when I got here."
(458) Demiurge: "Yesh and Bithniah know more than I do."
(458) Demiurge: (You are eating lunch as you speak.)
(470) Sarpedon: "Where were they from in the old world? And when?"
** Yeshua looks up. "Do any of you want my meat?" **
(452) Imhotep: "What sort of meat?"
Tom Mix: "Dammit, Yesh. It's beef. It's kosher. We've been over this."
Yeshua: "How do you know it was prepared properly?"
** Yeshua and Tom are speaking Esperanto. I assume you have picked up a small amount at least. **
Tom Mix: "Look. It was created out of nothing. It's a copy. It's not a real cow you are eating."
Yeshua: "Yes, but it must have been copied from an original cow. And we can't know how it was prepared."
Yeshua: "Best not to risk it. I will just eat the bread and vegatables."
(470) Sarpedon: "Beef? I'll take it. It's good for you."
** Yeshua hands Sarpedon the beef. **
(452) Imhotep: "What do you mean, it is not a real cow?"
** (470) Sarpedon eats the beef heartily. "It's good food. You should not question the bounty of the gods, even if it comes in strange forms." **
** Tom Mix says he ain't even Jewish anymore, but he still follows all the old rules. **
Tom Mix: (Oops. Typo.)
(470) Sarpedon: "Cows are real. Explain. Is this some strange cult?"
Tom Mix: "Well, no. I mean the grails make meat and stuff out of thin air. They make it by turning the energy of the grailstones into stuff we can use."
(452) Imhotep: "You know how the magic works?"
Tom Mix: "You know? Whenever you get a loaf of bread, it's exactly the same as the last time you got that type of bread."
** (470) Sarpedon stops chewing his beef and stares hard at Mix. He's devouring the man's words. **
Tom Mix: "Well, I don't know for sure. But I haven't seen any slaughterhouses around."
** (452) Imhotep suspects that he knows more than he is telling. **
Tom Mix: "I've just heard a lot of those future people talk. I sailed with them for a while when we went down river."
Tom Mix: "One of them kept talking about how he thought the grails worked. He said that maybe there was some kind of code in the grail that told the energy what shape to take. We stopped talking after while, since there was no way to crack it open and look."
Tom Mix: "But all I know is whenever I get fried chicken, it looks like every other piece of fried chicked I've got."
(470) Sarpedon: "So the magic can be shaped."
** (452) Imhotep raises an eyebrow. **
(458) Demiurge: "I mean, haven't you noticed it? The food you get looks kind of... well, uniform?"
** (470) Sarpedon confesses he hasn't paid much attention to the shape of the bread he gets. **
(458) Demiurge: Anyway, the three are welcomed on board the ship.
(458) Demiurge: During the maintanence, Sarpedon goes for a walk one night during a bout of sleeplessness. He is in the field nearing the woods, and hears a voice muttering in the trees.
** (470) Sarpedon falls silent and listens. He approaches stealthily. **
(452) Imhotep: (Go, Zeus-Ninja!)
(458) Demiurge: (Sarpedon barely notices his distaste for sailing anymore. Except when they stop for some reason. He always gets that "oh, crap" feeling a night or two before you all set sail again.)
(458) Demiurge: You don't have the Stealth skill?
(452) Imhotep: (Bye bye, Zeus-Ninja!)
(458) Demiurge: It defaults to DX minus 5.
(470) Sarpedon: (Looking it up.)]
(458) Demiurge: Your DX is 13. So in lieu of a Stealth skill, you would have an effective skill level of 8.
(470) Sarpedon: (Nope. No stealth.)
(470) Sarpedon: What does Sarpedon hear, first of all?
(458) Demiurge: It's actually DX or IQ minus 5, but I was guessing you would prefer DX.
(470) Sarpedon: DX, definitely.
(458) Demiurge: Well, it sounds like a voice muttering in the woods.
(470) Sarpedon: [3d6] -> [2,5,4] = (11) Roll against DX13.
(470) Sarpedon: (Nuts.)
(458) Demiurge: (You don't understand the language.)
(470) Sarpedon: (Is there anyplace to hide? Trees, tall grass, etc.?)
(458) Demiurge: Well, you sneak around, and see Bill. He looks up and sees you. In that instant you see something odd. He has slid open the end of his grail, and appeared to be speaking into it in some unknown language. He hears your rustling, snaps the grail cover shut.and sees you. "Um, Hi, Sarpedon."
(458) Demiurge: (You know for a fact that your grail doesn't open like that.)
** (470) Sarpedon yawns and rubs his eyes. "Who's there?" **
** (470) Sarpedon rubs his eyes again. **
** (458) Demiurge smiles. "You couldn't sleep either, eh?" **
(470) Sarpedon: "My eyes grow heavy but Morpheus eludes me. Is that you, Bill?"
Bill: "Yeah. I was just out here thinking about stuff. I like the night, but I prefer to be under tree cover. Even after 7 years, that weird-ass sky gives me the willies, you know?"
(470) Sarpedon: "I hate this feeling. Weariness without relief. My eyes like hot coals. My limbs heavy with fatigue. Martin calls it 'insomnia.' A Greek (spit) word."
Bill: "It's fine during the day. Blue sky and sun. But the nights are bizarre. No moon. Glowing clouds."
(470) Sarpedon: "Yes. It is truly the Underworld. I imagine the clouds are the breath of Hades as he sits upon his throne beyond the mountains."
(470) Sarpedon: "I am glad you and Cookie are companions."
** Bill goes into a woven pouch, and produces a couple of joints and a lighter. "Join me? Maybe it'll relax us. And yeah. Cookie's a great girl. People don't get her like I do." **
Bill: "I never did this stuff on earth. But I guess whoever put us here decided that relaxing isn't that big a crime."
** (470) Sarpedon shakes his head. "The smoke makes my eyes worse. We will talk, though. Perhaps sleep will come with talk of women and their silly ways." **
(470) Sarpedon: "You . . . make a fine pair. From the noise, err, from appearances, you two seem to get on well."
Bill: "She's great."
(470) Sarpedon: "Of what do you speak? You are both from the future. You must have much more to discuss."
Bill: "I have a theory about the dreamgum. Maybe it's here for theraputic purposes. Like, maybe they wanted us to use it to gain insights."
(470) Sarpedon: "After watching Goering's lunatic ravings, I cannot see what insights he might have gained."
** (470) Sarpedon 's eyes begin to droop. **
Bill: "Yeah, that guy had some bad shit inside him."
Bill: "I guess I'll head back. Cookie starts to nag if I wander off. But I need some alone time."
(470) Sarpedon: "Hmmm? Oh, yes. An evil man. Aimless evil. Sheer malice toward others."
Bill: "Really? I thought he was just weak."
Bill: "Most evil people are, I think."
** (470) Sarpedon 's head begins to nod. "Huh? Oh, go then. I think that Morpheus has arrived for me. Until tomorrow, Bill. Sarpedon closes his eyes. **
** (470) Sarpedon 's head lolls to one side. **
** Bill sits down and enjoys his cigarette for a minute. Then he wanders off along the treeline. **
(470) Sarpedon: (Meanwhile, his mind is racing. What could the grails be? Obviously more than just lunchboxes.)
(458) Demiurge: (perhaps Bill has a special model.)
** (470) Sarpedon grumbles in feigned slumber. **
(470) Sarpedon: (Good point, GM.)
(470) Sarpedon: (But Sarpedon doesn't consider that. Imhotep would, though.)
(458) Demiurge: The next day, you are able to talk to Imhotep.
(470) Sarpedon: "Achilles...cursed...Greek."
(470) Sarpedon: "Leave your grail behind, my friend. We should speak of many things."
** (470) Sarpedon leads Imhotep off to a bit of high ground where they can see the river (and see anyone approaching them to eavesdrop). **
(458) Demiurge: (Sarpedon has learned that there is a body part named the Achilles tendon. They named a body part after his weakness. :p )
** (470) Sarpedon makes a mental note to stab Achilles in the ankle repeatedly if they happen to meet in the underworld. :) **
(470) Sarpedon: "I could not sleep last night."
(470) Sarpedon: "So I walked the fields."
(470) Sarpedon: "You would not believe what I discovered."
(458) Demiurge: (You have heard many tongues in your travels. Bill's language seemed similar to none of them. It was a strange lilting language.)
(470) Sarpedon: "Our friend from the end of time has many secrets. In my sleepless wandering I discovered one of them."
(458) Demiurge: (Is Ganse here?)
(470) Sarpedon: (I dunno. He's very quiet.)
** (470) Sarpedon pokes Ganse with a stick. **
** (470) Sarpedon pokes Ganse with a stick again. **
(458) Demiurge: (Oh no! He's dead!)
(458) Demiurge: (I figured he was quiet since it was a Sarpedon scene.)
(458) Demiurge: (Ironically, his last words were "Bye bye, Zeus-Ninja.")
** (470) Sarpedon pauses to consider how much Ganse has missed. **
(470) Sarpedon: (Not good. This is mission-critical stuff.) :(
(458) Demiurge: (No email from him.)
(470) Sarpedon: (Hang on. Going to feed the dog. Brb 2 minutes.)
(452) Imhotep: (ack... sorry about the away time.)
(458) Demiurge: (Oh, cool.)
(458) Demiurge: (You have been following the story?)
(452) Imhotep: (Yep!)
(458) Demiurge: (Just a thought. If you get enough, evidence, circumstantial or otherwise, you may be able to confront him about it.)
(452) Imhotep: (Yes, but what would that do? If we were important enought to be watched, then they'd put someone else on us, somebody we wouldn't know was a spy.)
(452) Imhotep: (We'll probably learn more by how he acts the further we get upriver.)
(470) Sarpedon: (My thoughts exactly. He's the Devil We Know. We watch him and they think we're clueless. Much better than a spy we don't know about.)
** (470) Sarpedon waits for Imhotep to make a remark. Failing to hear anything, he continues. **
(458) Demiurge: (Bear in mind he did see you. He might know you suspect something.)
(470) Sarpedon: "I heard a strange language from that clump of trees late last night." He points to the place where he found Bill.
(452) Imhotep: "What is this new strangeness you have discovered?"
(452) Imhotep: "Do not point. He may be watching, if he is suspicious of you."
(452) Imhotep: "Did you understand the speech?"
(470) Sarpedon: "My eagerness outweighed my good sense and I blundered forward instead of quietly waiting. I discovered our friend from the end of time. You know the one. The one we were warned about."
** (470) Sarpedon immediately drops his arm. " You are right. I think like a warrior, not a diplomat." He grins. "I could not understand it. Moreover, I had never heard it before or anything like it. It was a strange, singsong language. I came upon him speaking INTO his grail. The end was open and he was speaking into it. He heard me approach so I assume he suspects I saw something." **
(470) Sarpedon: "I attempted to put him at ease. I do not know if I succeeded."
(470) Sarpedon: "I believe he was reporting to his masters like a good little lapdog."
(452) Imhotep: "This is strange news. If he is suspicious, he will be more guarded around you."
(452) Imhotep: "And so, we must be even more careful."
(452) Imhotep: "If we are too eager to let him into our circle, then he will suspect that we know his purpose. So, we must treat him exactly as before, at arm's length."
(470) Sarpedon: "I agree. I think that I will keep my distance from him for a while. You must observe him in my stead since he suspects me. I fear that my discovery has imperiled our quest."
(452) Imhotep: "Since I am your advisor, he will be suspicious of me as well. I think perhaps it is time to employ another type of spy."
(470) Sarpedon: "But your visitor was correct. For all this time, I held doubts about what he said. Now I only have questions."
(470) Sarpedon: "Who do you recommend?"
(452) Imhotep: "If a woman were to gain his confidence, perhaps his grail might be examined while he rests or his attention is diverted.
(452) Imhotep: "How well do we know this Cookie?"
** (470) Sarpedon grins. "So we examine it when he is busy with Cookie. That should be easy enough. She could wake the dead with her noise. I know nothing of her save that she is loud." **
(458) Demiurge: (Bill tends to keep his grail close, but that isn't unusual. A man's grail is his lifeline. People are naturally paranoid about them.)
** (452) Imhotep snaps his fingers in sudden realization. **
(470) Sarpedon: "Bill would not talk of her, but he seems fond of her. They came together since few others in our band like either one."
(452) Imhotep: "The free grail. The one that does not require a certain person to open it. Do you think he would notice if we switched them?"
(458) Demiurge: (Most people like Bill well enough. At least he isn't disliked.)
(458) Demiurge: (Damn! That's clever! :D )
(470) Sarpedon: (That is VERY clever.)
(470) Sarpedon: "We would only need his grail for an hour at most. If we could exchange them, examine the one, and exchange them again, he might not notice the switch in such a short time."
(452) Imhotep: "We could get a good look at his, and switch them back before it was noticed if anything was different."
(452) Imhotep: (Snap!)
(470) Sarpedon: "The end opened. That is the part we should examine."
(470) Sarpedon: (Hah. We're in the zone.)
(452) Imhotep: (And you thought being the incarnation of Ptah only meant I could build pyramids! Ha!)
(452) Imhotep: "Is there someone in our troops who has been trained for more clandestine operations?"
(452) Imhotep: "Perhaps during one of their nightly ventures to the cargo hold would be the time to make the switch."
(470) Sarpedon: (Hehe, well, being a son of Zeus and half-immortal has only gotten Sarpedon a can of whoop-ass and a Chinese girlfriend.)
(458) Demiurge: (He tends to take it with him.)
(458) Demiurge: (Japanese, but whatever.)
(470) Sarpedon: "I might ask Kazz. I was also thinking of your student. She need not know our intent, but she might convince Bill to let her take his grail to the grailstone."
(470) Sarpedon: (Japanese? Hmm, sorry.)
(452) Imhotep: "Bill will have seen me instructing her. I do not he would trust her any more than myself."
(470) Sarpedon: (Duh, with a name like Junko, I should know. If she'd been Chinese, it would have been something more like Zying Min.)
** (470) Sarpedon considers. "Then it must be stealth. We need not do it immediately. Perhaps we can wait a few days for an opportune moment." **
(470) Sarpedon: "Time, it seems, is one asset we have in abundance."
(452) Imhotep: "We must establish his patterns. Set your spies to watch him carefully, and note his habits. Does he chew a lot of dreamgum?"
(458) Demiurge: (He doesn't touch the dreamgum. You've been sailing together for years now. You all know each others' habits pretty well.)
(452) Imhotep: "Does he drink overmuch of the tequila?"
(458) Demiurge: (Not often. He drinks and smokes to relax, but not to excess. He will indulge a bit more on special occasions, but never to the point of craziness."
(470) Sarpedon: "Not that I have noticed. He does like to smoke dope, as Martin calls it. Perhaps if he had enough..."
(452) Imhotep: "Wise man, to guard himself against such excesses. Still, if his weakness is Cookie, then we will have to exploit that."
(452) Imhotep: "I think our best chance will be from a spy in the cargo bay while he is otherwise occupied with Cookie."
(470) Sarpedon: "Perhaps we can combine the two. If they were provided with enough dope, privacy, and time, our task would be easier."
** (452) Imhotep cringes at the thought of someone having sex with Cookie. **
(470) Sarpedon: "Be calm, my friend. He is surely one of their best. No beginner could survive Cookie. We must lay our plans against this man carefully."
(458) Demiurge: (She actually fairly attractive, in a jewish princess kind of way.)
** (470) Sarpedon laughs expansively. **
(470) Sarpedon: (Didn't doubt that. It's just fun to pick on the celibate Egyptian.)
(452) Imhotep: (Ha!)
(452) Imhotep: (Celibate until he finds his wives...)
(458) Demiurge: (Is he celibate? He has had opportunities for flings in the past 7 years.)
(458) Demiurge: (And you can choose more wives.)
(452) Imhotep: (Or makes new wives...)
(458) Demiurge: (It could have been part of the soap opera crap I mentioned.)
(452) Imhotep: (Snap again...)
(458) Demiurge: You wander back to the ships. Yeshua is talking to some people. He is an odd one. He will talk about his ideas on philosophy, and people will nod and go "Wow. That's deep." Then he'll shut up. You get the impression that he is an incredible leader and statesman, but is deliberately suppressing it for some reason.
(470) Sarpedon: (Nefertiti 1, Nefertiti 2, etc.) :)
** (470) Sarpedon wonders how Mix got mixed up with that one. The woman he came with is also a puzzle. She seems to be like a shadow. No one knows anything about her. **
** (452) Imhotep keeps an eye out for likely spy types. **
(458) Demiurge: Bithniah is from the same region as Yeshua, but about 3,000 years earlier. Yeshua is always grilling her because she claimed to have travelled with a man she calls "Mosheh"
(458) Demiurge: Yeshua is fascinated by this.
(458) Demiurge: Apparently Mosheh took her and some other people in the same tribe on a quest across a desert or something. You don't know the details.
** (470) Sarpedon would like to hear how that story ended since he and Imhotep are sort of doing the same thing on a smaller, wetter scale. **
(452) Imhotep: (Any Egyptians involved in her tale?)
** (470) Sarpedon confers with Kazz about Bill's habits. **
(470) Sarpedon: (Lol.)
(470) Sarpedon: (No wonder she stays out of our hair!)
(452) Imhotep: (Ha!)
(458) Demiurge: You haven't heard the whole tale. Just that Mosheh was a dirty old man. Whereas Yeshua is the opposite, and can only get it up when she makes him chew dreamgum. They seem to have a rocky relationship.
(452) Imhotep: (It's a bit late, I'm afraid. We probably should save Bill's mysterious grail for next time.)
(458) Demiurge: (yeah, good plan)
(470) Sarpedon: (I agree. Major progress this game, though.)
(458) Demiurge: (Well, I will let you spend the 10xp I gave you.)