Taking this to be an invitation to follow, although not entirely trusting of her I try to see if the door will open from the inside.

(pock and jerry)

When you reach the door you find a verticle groove shaped into the door, you use the groove as a hand-hold and open the door (it swings inward).

The sun outside is brilliantly bright and it takes a bit of looking before you are able to see clearly. You stand at the door and look out.

You are high up, there is a path of wooden planks that go along the branch of a tree. Rope hand holds are on either side of the path. The plank path leads along the branch to another one which crosses underneath. All around you are thick branches of large trees, each lined with planks that form a labrynth-like series of roads.

Several feet ahead of you a woman stands. She is beautiful, the vision of perfection. Jet black hair rests on her bare olive shoulders. A moment later you realize that she is unclothed, her full breasts topped by dark nipples.

She is waiting for you, a blank expression on her face.

Jerry is moving behind you, complaining about how bright it is outside.

Blinking in the sunlight and also at the beautiful topless woman.

I assess the situation as follows - I've spent some hours in a featureless room with Jerry and feel I've pretty much explored all the possibilities of that scenario.

The topless woman could be a trap it's true, but my worst day being led into a trap by a beautiful topless woman is probably better than my best day trapped in a featureless room with Jerry (No offence, Jerry, but I'm sure you'd say the same in reverse).

Nothing ventured, nothing gained I step out of the cell and walk along the plant towards the foody-booby tree lady.

"There is still some hope yet. The book did not mention specifically on what these monsters are, but it did mention there were more of them, smaller versions. So that's one clue we've unraveled. There are more."

I look up at the group surrounding the firepit. "We need to split ourselves into 2 groups. The first group will stay here and work on building fences and reenforce some of the houses that are here. The second group will gather as many weapons as possible and look for our missing friends. I shall also attend to the funeral rite of our fallen sister. Once I am done, I will help with the construction."

I put down my knitting and join MHA to prepare Xia for her proper farewell.

Fint bye meg søster fint bye

*sees the nude woman*

Woah. Food indeed.

Rambo remarks at Suebe's amazingly fast knitting skills and asks "Why does the nice bunad you made look like a roast chicken?"

Pock and Jerry

Pocksucket begins walking along the blank covered branch towards the woman, his head is a little dizzy from the impact with the ground, and his neck is a rather stiff.

When he gets about half way there, she turns around and begins walking, leading him along a series of connected branches; her bare ass swaying with each step.

She soon reaches another wooden structure, this one with "windows" that are propped up by sticks. She stops before this structure and turns to face Pock and Jerry.

"Food" she says, gesturing within. She then turns and walks in, leaving Pock and Jerry out on the plank-path.

Jerry involuntarily wonders "Does she mean food is in there NOW, or that food will be in there AFTER we go in?"

He is about to mention it to Pocksucket, but then decides, eh maybe not.

*walks into the room and tries hard not to stare*

"So, where is the food? I think I speak for Pock and myself when I say we're famished...as well as grateful."

Well I've come this far and see no reason not to go further.

And so I enter the building.

pock and jerry

When you walk in the room, stepping past PockSucket, you see a large leathery rug spread out on the ground. Pocksucket follows you inside. Upon that rug are wooden bowls filled with some wet green... stuff. It looks to you as though someone chewed up some leaves and spit them out in a bowl.

Two men are within, both bare-ass naked. They are muscled though slender; one looks to be in his twenties and the other is much older. The woman sits as well. She reaches into the bowl and pinches a bit of the green stuff between her fingers, bringing it to her mouth and chewing.

"Sit, eat." the younger of the two says in a heavy accent, though somewhat more clear than the woman.

*sits down and begins eating*

"Thank you for your hospitality."

MHA, Maven and I have taken what's left of Xia's body, and have cleansed it in preparation for her journey to Valhalla.

We start building the funeral pyre, and chant
Pengeskap reise å himmelen våre søster
and raise glasses of mead to the gods.

I begin reciting the same rite as I did the day Suebesdottir died. After finishing the final verse. I nod for Suebe to light the pyre on fire.

I begin singing a song, long forgotten by many

Bani koma fram til ver
Bani koma nema varr vinr
Gefa kona fjoor til fjuka
Fjuka har yfir de lopt

Bani koma
Bani koma
Gefa ver van
Til ofolr nott framar

I light Xia's pyre on fire and sing along with MHA and Maven, hoping the men will join in our song to honor Xia's passing to Valhalla.
Xia har passert himmelen utleie oss synge henne praises

Bani koma fram til ver
Bani koma nema varr vinr
Gefa kona fjoor til fjuka
Fjuka har yfir de lopt

Bani koma
Bani koma
Gefa ver van
Til ofolr nott framar

I stop and contemplate the losses...Bornbad, Suebesdottir, Xia, Dovregruden....life will not be easy here.
Livet ville ikke være lett her over

I turn to Suebe and say, "I have a horrible feeling sister. There are going to be more deaths. And I feel that mine may be coming as well. Which is why I want you to do something for me, just in case my life passes from this world. I want you to take this necklace from me and keep it with you. It was given to me by my husband, who too has passed on. He and my children wait for me in Valhalla. It will bring you luck and good fortune."

I take the necklace off of my neck and hand it to her. It has 8 stones on it. One stone representing my fallen husband, and 7 smller stones representing every child I had lost.

"These stones represent all those I have lost that were dear to me. They have guided and protected for as long as they could. When I pass, you will add another stone to it and wear it. Never take it off, no matter what."

So this is my last post this evening.



Somewhere Up in the Trees

As the two of you eat the food (which tastes like someone chewed up some leaves and spit them into a bowl) you attempt to converse with the people in the room with you. The older man does not seem to understand anything that is being said, the women understands next to nothing, and the younger man seems to "get" a few things you say. You know that he is picking up some of what you're saying because he immediatley translates it to the older man and the woman.

The younger man is far from fluent at speaking your language, but he is able to string a few thoughts out clearly.

For instance, when you ask him how he learned to speak your language (through many words that were clearly not understood and a whole lot of gesturing) he explains (primarily through gestures) that he watched (fingers cirle eyes as though looking through) the original Viking settlers (hands mime big beards) and picked up some of what they said (hands held to his ears).

From what you gather, he is capable of saying "sit" "eat" "hunt" "kill" "run" "dragon" "lizard" and "mead"; though after offering you mead you realize that he means "water".

Perhaps he knows more, but that's all you've discerned thus far.

Once the bowl is emptied of food, the three of them stand up; motioning for you to stay where you are. They step outside and a moment later the younger man who is able to speak motions that (at least you think this is what he's motioning) someone is coming to look after your head wounds.

He stands in the doorway for a moment, as if waiting to see if you have any questions; which is ironic because answering them should be a blast. But hey, maybe he'll learn more of the language and become a fine interpretor... if those big lizards don't eat him first.



The Village People

Aggie passes her necklace on to Suebe and the rest of the camp sort of chills out by the fire for a while. Very few of them are doing anything. Rambo and Sparkley bring wood from one of the huts and put them in the fire, keeping it going. Stomachs growl, but there doesn't appear to be anything to eat right now as no one has done any hunting.

Then the sound of a chicken can be heard from one of the huts. Chez is standing near the door to the hut, appearing not to have heard anything.





It is 5:00pm in the game. What happens next?

As the necklace leaves MHA's hands, there is a very loud shriek that comes from above. Suebe, MHA, Rambo, SEG, DL and Chez run out toward the path to see what it is.

There is another piercing cry and as you all look on in horror, a huge leather winged bird-dragon swoops down with its claws open wide.

You scatter instinctively. The creature makes a lunge at DL, but he is fortunately quick to the draw, and he strikes at the beast with his axe. His blow lands true, it hits on the beak, and while it does not draw blood, the demonspawn is thrown to the ground. It struggles to stand again, it cannot move very well on the ground, but when in the air, it had the grace of a dolphin at sea. If it were not trying to eat your heads, it would look comical.

Perhaps it is the near crippled walk the thing has that gave her confidence. Perhaps it was simply good berserk Viking blood. But MHA gives a battle cry that would make Chuck Norris proud, draws her Claymore and rushes the thing.

What happens next amazes you. Even though it looked as though a child could overtake it, the creature raises up on its legs and swipes at MHA with a wing. The wings have claws at the ends, and it tears a deep wound across her thigh. MHA stumbles and the bird-dragon raises up even more. It lets out a cry that make your ears ring, and jumps easily 20 feet into the air.

When it comes down, it lands directly on top of MHA and sinks its feet claws deep into her body. Another jump and the beast is away high above the buildings.

As it flies off over where you landed the boats, it begins to rip MHA to pieces, throwing increasingly large and disturbing chunks hither and yon, catching and devouring some of them on the way. Her screams of agony go on longer than you thought possible, and are something that is burned into your soul, never to be forgotten.

The large animal turns once again toward town, flies ever higher up and disappears into the treetops. As you stare blankly upwards, you become aware that some hunks of meat and a fine red mist are falling from the sky. Some of the hunks have bits of shredded armor attached to them. Those that ran out after the bird-dragon look like they have a case of the measles. Suddenly, half of a heart lands next to the fire with a loud wet thud that raises a small cloud of dust and startles you back into reality.