For newspaper photographer Kacey Barbara, being attached to an expedition into the depths of the African jungle was far different that taking pictures at the local Elks lodge for the Daily Outlook back in Detweiler, Maine. As if the location weren't exotic enough already, the expedition had uncovered ancient Roman ruins, encountered some crazed necromancer and his undead minions, plus, who ever heard of a jungle yeti? And still the lead archeologist decided to travel further into the unknown, navigating a makeshift raft down a river that went inside a mountain?
That was enough to make her considering going back to Maine and finding a fine, upstanding fella to settle down with. But that dream disappeared as she coughed up some water. Either Heaven or Hell looked a lot like the African jungle, or she survived the plunge down the waterfall.
Camera? Check! Small backpack with a day's worth of supplies? Check! Time to go see if anyone else made it, or if there was anyway of getting out of here, besides the sheer cliff face the now-distant waterfall cascaded down.
She trudged through the jungle, looking for any clues as to the fate of her party. Each step grew more treacherous, as the muddy underbrush began sinking further, like a bog, but there was also some noise off in the distance. Small, scurrying, fearful.
The worries of the odd noise disappeared as Nigel, their hired help, came crashing through the brush, fighting off a giant snake!
Nigel had lost his rifle, but was hacking at the huge beast with his machete. Even with the help of Kacey, the snake quickly overpowered the man and it disappeared under the muck and mire.
Wary that there could be more oversized denizens in the swamp, he headed back towards the river. She was happy to discover some of the expeditions supplies washed up on the shore. Most of the provisions were ruined, but she did recover a large safari tent and some of the excavating tools. She set up the tent quite proficiently and started a fire.
Realizing that she needed to find her bearings, she travelled to a hill that towered over the trees. The red sun poking through the mid-afternoon haze made things difficult, but she could see a large lake quite some distance downriver, and the tired figure of archeologist Maja Mille climbing up the hill!
Like the photographer, she too survived the waterfall, but she remained conscious and swam to shore. She had gotten lost, but upon smelling the campfire went to the hill to try and locate it.
Just then, a gunshot rang out, sending dozens of birds flying in to the air. The pair decided to investigate.
Just outside a clearing stood Lord Jon-Smyth Cuppenbrush, reloading Nigel's missing rifle. The adventurer hushed the ladies abruptly, and as they got into a better position, they spied a deer in the clearing, a massive creature at least 12 foot high.
"If you ladies haven't found supplies either, we're going to need nourishment. I'm not familiar with the fruits in these trees, but I am familiar with field dressing this animal, no matter how big it is..."
A lone shot rang out, and amazingly, the deer fell to the ground.
"We need to be quick with this, so as not to attract predat..."
The trio had yet to locate the sun through the clouds, but the light was blocked out by something falling to earth. A winged creature swooped down and snatched the deer carcass from the field.
It was a giant butterfly???
"I'm not an Entomologist," Lord Cuppenbrush gasped, 'but shouldn't butterflies like flowers, rather than meat???"
The group ventured back to the camp and settled in for a night... that never completely came. Although the reddish sky darkened, it stayed at a perpetual twilight until it lightened again when the dawn was supposed to occur.
As a scant breakfast was prepared, one of the party's new neighbors came to introduce themselves. Standing on the other side of the river was a dinosaur?
Depsite its non-threatening attitude, Kacey Barbara had had enough, fainting on the spot...
It was going to be a new adventure in this strange new world.
The party has entered this new world, completely unprepared for what strange wonders soon face them! Tonight's game had three minor objectives to visit. Each success would give a bonus the starting character (supplies, reuniting with additional party members, etc) while failure meant combat (and death for Nigel unfortunately). Once all three were accomplished, Lord Cuppenbrush and his overblown expertise on these matters would be introduced.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have not have approved of a carnivorous butterfly, but I'll use what I have in a house with and a game for two little girls, thank you very much.
And where, oh where, is Nils Lingonberry?
Next: #2.4 For Once I was a hero!
That was enough to make her considering going back to Maine and finding a fine, upstanding fella to settle down with. But that dream disappeared as she coughed up some water. Either Heaven or Hell looked a lot like the African jungle, or she survived the plunge down the waterfall.
 |
| Kacey Barbara washes up on the riverbank |
She trudged through the jungle, looking for any clues as to the fate of her party. Each step grew more treacherous, as the muddy underbrush began sinking further, like a bog, but there was also some noise off in the distance. Small, scurrying, fearful.
The worries of the odd noise disappeared as Nigel, their hired help, came crashing through the brush, fighting off a giant snake!
Nigel had lost his rifle, but was hacking at the huge beast with his machete. Even with the help of Kacey, the snake quickly overpowered the man and it disappeared under the muck and mire.
 |
| RIP Nigel |
 |
| Tent may not be to scale.... |
 |
| Top of the World! |
Just then, a gunshot rang out, sending dozens of birds flying in to the air. The pair decided to investigate.
Just outside a clearing stood Lord Jon-Smyth Cuppenbrush, reloading Nigel's missing rifle. The adventurer hushed the ladies abruptly, and as they got into a better position, they spied a deer in the clearing, a massive creature at least 12 foot high.
 |
| Lord Cuppenbrush and his quarry |
A lone shot rang out, and amazingly, the deer fell to the ground.
"We need to be quick with this, so as not to attract predat..."
The trio had yet to locate the sun through the clouds, but the light was blocked out by something falling to earth. A winged creature swooped down and snatched the deer carcass from the field.
It was a giant butterfly???
The group ventured back to the camp and settled in for a night... that never completely came. Although the reddish sky darkened, it stayed at a perpetual twilight until it lightened again when the dawn was supposed to occur.
 |
| Kacey Barbara rudely faints.... |
Depsite its non-threatening attitude, Kacey Barbara had had enough, fainting on the spot...
It was going to be a new adventure in this strange new world.
The party has entered this new world, completely unprepared for what strange wonders soon face them! Tonight's game had three minor objectives to visit. Each success would give a bonus the starting character (supplies, reuniting with additional party members, etc) while failure meant combat (and death for Nigel unfortunately). Once all three were accomplished, Lord Cuppenbrush and his overblown expertise on these matters would be introduced.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have not have approved of a carnivorous butterfly, but I'll use what I have in a house with and a game for two little girls, thank you very much.
And where, oh where, is Nils Lingonberry?
Next: #2.4 For Once I was a hero!
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