Total length: 42782 words / 182 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the +
Total length: 43487 words / 185 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not just the story.)
-There have been 155 messages posted over 160 days since the first -post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .96.
+There have been 159 messages posted over 162 days since the first +post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .98.
This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over email.
@@ -4903,6 +4904,77 @@ stowaway!WHAT DO YOU DO
+++As the blankets draw back from the bloody mass, a cute little +hemogoblin appears. “Aww little fellas just scared.” Alex lowers the +dagger, but otherwise ignores the hemogoblin. Best to leave it be for +now, there’s more important things.
+As the balloon gets within range of the ship Alex begins to scan the +deck for Cyberplasms. At the same time he checks his bug to track the +location of the cyberplasms more acutely. It looks like there may be an +opporunity to jump from the balloon to the ship. After that cutting the +zip lines would give me the opporunity to steal the ship, leaving the +cyberplasms trapped at the top of the hotel.
+
Just a few Cyberplasms remain on the deck of the airship. The vast +majority of them have zipped into the hotel tower.
+You check your bug’s feed. It has gone almost entirely unnoticed in +the fracas, and you are able to piece together a clear picture of the +inside of the tower. It is indeed a grand library, its galleries +spanning each floor of the tower. One of the largest collections in all +of Basmentaria.
+The Cyberplasms have breached the tower near its base and are pouring +into the Great Hall. You tune in just in time to see a rail-thin, bald +and mustachioed man standing defensively in front of a display case. +“No! You can’t!” he exclaims as a disembodied sickle approaches him in a +cloud of electricity and ectoplasm.
+Behind the glass in the display case is a bluish hunk of rock the +size of a melon, with gently pulsing gold veins.
+++Inky puts away the papers they caught in passing or picked up along +the path up to read later, including a number that from a cursory glance +appear to be from a culinary collection and a few from some moth-eaten +but finely illustrated botanical tome, among others.
+Eventually arriving at the hotel entrance, Inky enters and manages to +catch a frantic-looking attendant near the reception to ask the +whereabouts of the hotelier, indicating they had a business appointment +with said manager.
+
You walk in through the hotel’s main entrance. The grandeur would +take your breath away were it not for the shouting and the smoke and the +explosions coming from down the hall to your right.
+You wave down a passing hotel clerk and inquire after the hotelier. +They are hauling a large bucket of hot water, and carrying an oversized +bundle of clean towels under one arm. They pause for a moment to look at +you incredulously before running off in the opposite direction.
+A cry rings out nearby and a Cyberplasm flies through an open door +down the hallway. It lands in a heap of crackling energy, smears of +ectoplasm streaking the floor as though it were bleeding heavily. It +seems to be barely held together by the energy stored in its cybernetic +leg and a metal skull plate.
+It scoots backwards on its hands and its butt, trying to stand up. +Two toques leap out of the door after it. You recognize Bread and +Confidence right away.
+Bread has obviously been to the kitchens. They are wearing tin baking +sheets and an oversized pot on their heard as makeshift armor, and have +a couple of dangerous looking kitchen knives hanging from their belt. At +the moment they are swinging a large meat tenderizer over their head as +though it were a war hammer.
+Confidence, meanwhile, has been to the gardener’s shed. They are +wearing a heavy leather apron and thick leather gloves, and have a +trowel in each hand, and a large hoe or rake strapped to their back.
+Bread lowers their hammer on Cyberplasms head, denting the skull +plate. And Confidence darts in and stabs with both hands at the leg. As +soon as the prosthetics go offline and the plasmic arcs cease firing, +there is nothing left holding the ectoplasm together and the ghost kind +of dissipates into the air with a soft wail.
+They look up and notice you at the same time, relaxing their +offensive stances. “Oh!” cries Bread. “It’s you!”
+“You don’t happen,” asks Confidence, “to need a guide, do you?”
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria
++As Alex spots the sunspoke valve he grabs it and cranks it + up to the 2/3 mark. “Sorry little friend, we’re going to need + a little bit more juice”. The baloon lurches upwards as air + rushes in feeding the sunspoke, causing it to burn more + intensely. After setting the sunspoke ablaze and shouting back + to the balloon’s owner Alex takes account of his surroundings. + It’s during this time he spots the bloodied, moving blankets. + They seem to writhe, as though something beneath them is + injured.
+Gripping the dagger firmly in one hand Alex grabs the + blankets from the corner of the balloon basket revealing + whatever lay beneath.
+
The sunspoke stretches its little arms and wriggles its + little fingers. It sighs happily, luxuriating in the extra + fuel. It burns twice as bright, shooting a hot jet of bright + yellow flame up into the parachute. The sunspoke starts to + glow a molten red, and you start to rise faster.
+As you rise up over the peak, you can finally spot the + Runesocesius. The grand hotel is draped over the top of the + mountain, clinging to it like a dragon resting on its + hoard.
+The “cyberplasms” as Confidence called them have docked to + the side of a tower on the other side of the peak from you. + They have shot a large hole in the side of the tower, and you + can see them now starting to zipline into the building. A + thick plume of black smoke billows out of the side of the + tower, carrying pages and pages of loose paper into the air + with it. They rain down like snow. The tower must house an + extensive library.
+You cautiously pull back a corner of the bloody blankets, + jeweled dagger raised and ready to strike. You reveal a small + bloody furry blob. You see two big round eyes, a short-snouted + face, and enormous pointed ears. It quickly looks away from + you, chirps pathetically, and trembles as it cowers in place. + You have found a frightened hemogoblin stowaway!
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+ + ]]> +--As Alex spots the sunspoke valve he grabs it and cranks it - up to the 2/3 mark. “Sorry little friend, we’re going to need - a little bit more juice”. The baloon lurches upwards as air - rushes in feeding the sunspoke, causing it to burn more - intensely. After setting the sunspoke ablaze and shouting back - to the balloon’s owner Alex takes account of his surroundings. - It’s during this time he spots the bloodied, moving blankets. - They seem to writhe, as though something beneath them is - injured.
-Gripping the dagger firmly in one hand Alex grabs the - blankets from the corner of the balloon basket revealing - whatever lay beneath.
-
The sunspoke stretches its little arms and wriggles its - little fingers. It sighs happily, luxuriating in the extra - fuel. It burns twice as bright, shooting a hot jet of bright - yellow flame up into the parachute. The sunspoke starts to - glow a molten red, and you start to rise faster.
-As you rise up over the peak, you can finally spot the - Runesocesius. The grand hotel is draped over the top of the - mountain, clinging to it like a dragon resting on its - hoard.
-The “cyberplasms” as Confidence called them have docked to - the side of a tower on the other side of the peak from you. - They have shot a large hole in the side of the tower, and you - can see them now starting to zipline into the building. A - thick plume of black smoke billows out of the side of the - tower, carrying pages and pages of loose paper into the air - with it. They rain down like snow. The tower must house an - extensive library.
-You cautiously pull back a corner of the bloody blankets, - jeweled dagger raised and ready to strike. You reveal a small - bloody furry blob. You see two big round eyes, a short-snouted - face, and enormous pointed ears. It quickly looks away from - you, chirps pathetically, and trembles as it cowers in place. - You have found a frightened hemogoblin stowaway!
-WHAT DO YOU DO
- - ]]> -++As the blankets draw back from the bloody mass, a cute + little hemogoblin appears. “Aww little fellas just scared.” + Alex lowers the dagger, but otherwise ignores the hemogoblin. + Best to leave it be for now, there’s more important + things.
+As the balloon gets within range of the ship Alex begins to + scan the deck for Cyberplasms. At the same time he checks his + bug to track the location of the cyberplasms more acutely. It + looks like there may be an opporunity to jump from the balloon + to the ship. After that cutting the zip lines would give me + the opporunity to steal the ship, leaving the cyberplasms + trapped at the top of the hotel.
+
Just a few Cyberplasms remain on the deck of the airship. + The vast majority of them have zipped into the hotel + tower.
+You check your bug’s feed. It has gone almost entirely + unnoticed in the fracas, and you are able to piece together a + clear picture of the inside of the tower. It is indeed a grand + library, its galleries spanning each floor of the tower. One + of the largest collections in all of Basmentaria.
+The Cyberplasms have breached the tower near its base and + are pouring into the Great Hall. You tune in just in time to + see a rail-thin, bald and mustachioed man standing defensively + in front of a display case. “No! You can’t!” he exclaims as a + disembodied sickle approaches him in a cloud of electricity + and ectoplasm.
+Behind the glass in the display case is a bluish hunk of + rock the size of a melon, with gently pulsing gold veins.
+++Inky puts away the papers they caught in passing or picked + up along the path up to read later, including a number that + from a cursory glance appear to be from a culinary collection + and a few from some moth-eaten but finely illustrated + botanical tome, among others.
+Eventually arriving at the hotel entrance, Inky enters and + manages to catch a frantic-looking attendant near the + reception to ask the whereabouts of the hotelier, indicating + they had a business appointment with said manager.
+
You walk in through the hotel’s main entrance. The grandeur + would take your breath away were it not for the shouting and + the smoke and the explosions coming from down the hall to your + right.
+You wave down a passing hotel clerk and inquire after the + hotelier. They are hauling a large bucket of hot water, and + carrying an oversized bundle of clean towels under one arm. + They pause for a moment to look at you incredulously before + running off in the opposite direction.
+A cry rings out nearby and a Cyberplasm flies through an + open door down the hallway. It lands in a heap of crackling + energy, smears of ectoplasm streaking the floor as though it + were bleeding heavily. It seems to be barely held together by + the energy stored in its cybernetic leg and a metal skull + plate.
+It scoots backwards on its hands and its butt, trying to + stand up. Two toques leap out of the door after it. You + recognize Bread and Confidence right away.
+Bread has obviously been to the kitchens. They are wearing + tin baking sheets and an oversized pot on their heard as + makeshift armor, and have a couple of dangerous looking + kitchen knives hanging from their belt. At the moment they are + swinging a large meat tenderizer over their head as though it + were a war hammer.
+Confidence, meanwhile, has been to the gardener’s shed. + They are wearing a heavy leather apron and thick leather + gloves, and have a trowel in each hand, and a large hoe or + rake strapped to their back.
+Bread lowers their hammer on Cyberplasms head, denting the + skull plate. And Confidence darts in and stabs with both hands + at the leg. As soon as the prosthetics go offline and the + plasmic arcs cease firing, there is nothing left holding the + ectoplasm together and the ghost kind of dissipates into the + air with a soft wail.
+They look up and notice you at the same time, relaxing + their offensive stances. “Oh!” cries Bread. “It’s you!”
+“You don’t happen,” asks Confidence, “to need a guide, do + you?”
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+ + ]]> +Total length: 42782 words / 182 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the +
Total length: 43487 words / 185 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not just the story.)
-There have been 155 messages posted over 160 days since the first -post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .96.
+There have been 159 messages posted over 162 days since the first +post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .98.
This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over email.
@@ -4906,6 +4907,77 @@ stowaway!WHAT DO YOU DO
+++As the blankets draw back from the bloody mass, a cute little +hemogoblin appears. “Aww little fellas just scared.” Alex lowers the +dagger, but otherwise ignores the hemogoblin. Best to leave it be for +now, there’s more important things.
+As the balloon gets within range of the ship Alex begins to scan the +deck for Cyberplasms. At the same time he checks his bug to track the +location of the cyberplasms more acutely. It looks like there may be an +opporunity to jump from the balloon to the ship. After that cutting the +zip lines would give me the opporunity to steal the ship, leaving the +cyberplasms trapped at the top of the hotel.
+
Just a few Cyberplasms remain on the deck of the airship. The vast +majority of them have zipped into the hotel tower.
+You check your bug’s feed. It has gone almost entirely unnoticed in +the fracas, and you are able to piece together a clear picture of the +inside of the tower. It is indeed a grand library, its galleries +spanning each floor of the tower. One of the largest collections in all +of Basmentaria.
+The Cyberplasms have breached the tower near its base and are pouring +into the Great Hall. You tune in just in time to see a rail-thin, bald +and mustachioed man standing defensively in front of a display case. +“No! You can’t!” he exclaims as a disembodied sickle approaches him in a +cloud of electricity and ectoplasm.
+Behind the glass in the display case is a bluish hunk of rock the +size of a melon, with gently pulsing gold veins.
+++Inky puts away the papers they caught in passing or picked up along +the path up to read later, including a number that from a cursory glance +appear to be from a culinary collection and a few from some moth-eaten +but finely illustrated botanical tome, among others.
+Eventually arriving at the hotel entrance, Inky enters and manages to +catch a frantic-looking attendant near the reception to ask the +whereabouts of the hotelier, indicating they had a business appointment +with said manager.
+
You walk in through the hotel’s main entrance. The grandeur would +take your breath away were it not for the shouting and the smoke and the +explosions coming from down the hall to your right.
+You wave down a passing hotel clerk and inquire after the hotelier. +They are hauling a large bucket of hot water, and carrying an oversized +bundle of clean towels under one arm. They pause for a moment to look at +you incredulously before running off in the opposite direction.
+A cry rings out nearby and a Cyberplasm flies through an open door +down the hallway. It lands in a heap of crackling energy, smears of +ectoplasm streaking the floor as though it were bleeding heavily. It +seems to be barely held together by the energy stored in its cybernetic +leg and a metal skull plate.
+It scoots backwards on its hands and its butt, trying to stand up. +Two toques leap out of the door after it. You recognize Bread and +Confidence right away.
+Bread has obviously been to the kitchens. They are wearing tin baking +sheets and an oversized pot on their heard as makeshift armor, and have +a couple of dangerous looking kitchen knives hanging from their belt. At +the moment they are swinging a large meat tenderizer over their head as +though it were a war hammer.
+Confidence, meanwhile, has been to the gardener’s shed. They are +wearing a heavy leather apron and thick leather gloves, and have a +trowel in each hand, and a large hoe or rake strapped to their back.
+Bread lowers their hammer on Cyberplasms head, denting the skull +plate. And Confidence darts in and stabs with both hands at the leg. As +soon as the prosthetics go offline and the plasmic arcs cease firing, +there is nothing left holding the ectoplasm together and the ghost kind +of dissipates into the air with a soft wail.
+They look up and notice you at the same time, relaxing their +offensive stances. “Oh!” cries Bread. “It’s you!”
+“You don’t happen,” asks Confidence, “to need a guide, do you?”
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria