Iron Stars - parnika-woods

@Solace Sinensis , @Gurk Samson | Glaikit | Gilbert and @Thulee Blue , all members of the United Nations of worlds have interests on parnika and with Solace’s farm being a friendly enclave, two shuttles land at the edge of the property. Hopping down from his tractor , Solace cannot hear anything but the engines winding down from the strain of orbital re entry.

After the engines wind down, Thulee disembarks one of the craft. He’s weathered, wiry and has a sandy mop of hair. He walks over to Solace with a smile. “Hey there, I’m Thulee Blue, nice to meet you” He glances around at the farm... “You arrive here recently?”

Solace is human, he looks young and despite the wispy white hair beneath his farmer's hat. Straightening from the tractor, he cleans his hands with a rag and shakes Thulee's hand. "Nice to meet you Thulee. Quite recently yes, just don't let any of the locals know. To their knowledge I'm the last of a long line of Parnikan farmers and the rightful heir of Sunfleck Forest, Mistwood Pond and Serenity Farm. You're my first visitor, well, ever. What brings you to my doorstep?"

Thulee’s eyes widen as Solace finishes… “Ok, right, riiiight… gee sounds like we’ve all got some stories to tell!   I was here a month or two ago, helping the Psychic Authority recover lost knowledge… discretely. I grabbed some materials used in a dangerous ritual from a local community around here. Long story short I’m now back to try help the very community I… ah… kinda ‘stole’ the ritual materials from.   I’m hoping to get, let’s call it Medican’s community - flourishing, and make a connection with the people. There is knowledge of bio editing… psionic gene editing of a sorts… to be re-discovered there. As to why I’m here on your doorstep - I am hoping to find something helpful to Medican’s community in the countryside… maybe plants or potions or locations - things which are helpful for farming. I figure this might soften the blow when I ‘fess up to stealing the ritual materials.”

Gurk, a middle-aged human male, walks down the ramp weighed down by an enormous backpack and several additional sacks, all stained and misshapen. Over his back is slung a flop rifle, with almost all the Wolf Beetle slaverings cleaned off of it. “Good morning,” he says. “I’m looking for wildlife. All shapes and sizes.”

"Good morning," Solace waves to Gurk. "Regretfully I haven't been far from the homestead yet, so I'm eager to begin exploring as well. It seems our goals are aligned. My aim is to recover potential crop plant species and anything I can use on the farm. Do you have a destination in mind?"

"Hello Gurk, nice to meet you! Thats a lotta gear... you need a hand?" At that point a waist high cat starts strolling from the gravflyer over to the group. She walks right up to Solace and Gurk and starts sniffing around... She's particularly interested in Gurk's sacks. "Oh yes, can't forget, here's some wildlife... my bonded companion, Mushk. She's an archaic Caracal (the cats the Egyptians used to worship). We do everything together, she's friendly and generally helpful." (Thulee & Mushk look something like this... https://discord.com/channels/345912178072879106/526585531103051777/911406777558511647) (edited)

"Why hello Mushk!" Solace greets the animal just as warmly as his other guests. "Yes, let me take some baggage for you too. Would you like to come in and discuss the expedition over some tea?"

Gurk immediately lifts each sack as high above his head as possible and rotates away from the cat. “No eat, is poisonous,” he explains to the cat. Gurk follows Solace.

"As you can see, I've only had time to patch the worst of the leaks and fix the essential plumbing and wiring. I'm thinking of keeping some of the moss though, I like the way it looks" Solace takes the kettle off the warming unit. "This is etherfruit leaf tea. Here you go."

"I like the moss, it's nice... and organic. Oh, thanks for the tea" Thulee says as he takes the cup offered by Solace. Mushk backs off from the sacks after Gurk's warning and gets comfortable in a corner of the room. "So... regarding plans... I don't have anything specific yet. Do you have any ideas?"

Solace sips his tea and pulls up the map. "Very little of the planet has been recently explored. This farm is just past the northern edge of development. I propose we venture north overland, into the northern forest. These woods appear to be the largest unbroken wilderness on the map, aside from the sea floor."

"Of course, many of the old megafarms are abandoned and overgrown. With your flyer we could investigate one of those. I'll go wherever you two prefer."

(I'm good with either, see what Gurk wants to do. Just a thought Solace - If we do go to the forest we could always do the megafarms farms separately, sounds a good idea for both of us)

“Why not tackle the wilderness first?” Gurk says. “As we get started I’d like to know as much as possible about the region - anything you’ve picked up from farmers, common threats, poisons, that sort of thing.”

"Sure, Mushk and I would love to get into the wilderness. Unfortunately I have no local knowledge... yet." he cracks a smile "...that said, I can get a feel for things quickly once we're out"

(Good idea!) "Honestly I haven't been here long enough to know any of that," Solace confesses, "and asking directly could threaten my cover story. I'm hoping to discover some of those things for myself on this trip." "What about transportation? I'm afraid all I have is this tractor, but it barely runs... and I think it might scare away any wildlife smaller than a tyranid"

(Foot is fine. Foot is probably best honestly )

10:24 AM

(The woods are pretty dense

“Alright,” says Gurk. I have quite a lot of kit with me. If you think we might need a full pressure tent I can bring it along. If not - or you have your own - I can leave it. I’m happy to get started whenever we’re ready.”

11:46 AM

(I have 3 days of rations with me. If that’s a very low number for this kind of expedition and living off the land is hard I’d like to try to grab a few more)

(We don’t know if it is or isn’t but there’s a lot of people living here so foraging must be working for some people )

(I am happy to try foraging if it comes to it then)

"Everything I need is prepared. Let us venture into the unknown."

(If someone wants to shoot me a d10 when they can we will get a hex generated ) (edited)

(7)

Heading west of the farmstead the forest is dense and the trees here are old growth. This close to the property the animals have stayed somewhat away and some of the undergrowth has been cleared- managed in the past by the farmers that used to live here. Rocks and moss covered fallen trees dot the area and serve as homes for only small forest rodents, insects, and occasionally the things that prefer to eat both.

(PS Thulee has nothing more than survival rations, so will have to forage or hunt at some point)

Mushk - who has been a few metres in front of the party - pads up to the closest fallen tree and has a sniff around its perimeter. She then pokes her nose closer in at the trunk. Thulee grabs his Survey Scanner and takes a quick reading of the Moss on the tree. Explaining himself to the others... "I'm going to take chemical composition readings as we go. I'd like to get a databank of the ecology of the area setup, it will feed the learning models I use for farming. Realising that might have sounded pretty random, he clears his throat and continues "...Oh yeah, so I'm actually a farmer by trade, large scale tech farming" (edited)

Gurk runs the bio scanner over rodent burrows, droppings, dead insects and webs. This close to inhabited lands, any pests that might pose a serious threat to local farming will probably have already been identified. But the species may be still unrecorded, and any of them might pose a serious threat if they hitched a ride to another region - or world. He samples as he goes. “If we combine the wildlife analysis with the other data we will get a fuller picture,” Gurk says. “Please keep an eye out for fur fragments, scales - anything from a larger creature.”

"Good idea Gurk" Thulee glances at Mushk. She pauses as she shares a brief connection with Thulee, turns & starts to sniff around for animal remains in the immediate surroundings, as per Gurk's request.

The bones of squirrel like creatures are found here in plentiful capacity. Most look to have died from being eaten or partially eaten, you can see places where small beaks and claws had dug into bones through either the act of making them a meal, or holding onto it while eating later.

Gurk logs everything, and makes a note to prepare some small traps when they halt.

Solace watches Thulee's work with interest. "I wish I had that experience. I sort of fell into farming accidentally, but now it's become the entirety of my mission here."

“What are you focusing on right now?” Gurk asks.

"I'm working on convincing the landowners and decision makers of Parnika City to join the UNW by showing them we don't need megafarms to grow all the food we need. This old growth forest must be a rare remnant indeed to have survived the Remnant'."

"So the Parnikan's specifically don't like the Megafarms? Suppose they are an extreme solution... you'd think we could grow all the food we need here with a lighter touch on the land."

"Exactly. The whole reason the UNW was turned away recently was the fear of outsiders buying or taking all the land. I have some ideas to incentivize landowners to produce more while keeping their lands and profits. I'm beginning to understand the right approach, but I could certainly use an expert's help with the actual farming. Maybe we can help each other."

Thulee nods at Solace... "Yes, maybe we can. How about - after our visit to the forest here - I show you what I've done previously on Alcibiades farming wise? Talking it through might give us both some ideas." He turns to Gurk "Hey Gurk... would you like to go up the food chain... I mean... would you like to have Mushk look for what ate the squirrels here? She might be able to track them."

“That seems like a good idea. If the larger predators are wary of settlers they may be deeper in the woods.”

Thulee directs Muskh to Track by Scent the killers of the squirrel like creatures (not birds!). Mushk pauses then makes an extremely excited meoraaaauh noise before Thulee raises his hand... "Heey, whoa... yes Mushk... yes, quietly... yes, slowly... not more than 5 minutes from here... show me if you see anything. No attacking, only sneaking" Mushk gives a playful little head flick and gets sniffing. (edited)

(Gaiapsionics Core Technique Animal Companion. Level-2: The psychic and their beast can now see in perfect darkness, hear perfectly any noise within a hundred meters, and track by scent.)

(Nothing stands out right now, this is an old hunting ground ,but we'll remember it's up as we move forward)

(I am happy to push on if everyone else is)

(Sounds good) "These bones are picked clean of marrow and we have not seen any other prey. Whatever ate these animals might have moved deeper into the forest where greater game is available, or to avoid the firewood gatherers, the picnic-goers, and people like ourselves near the city's edge. When you're ready, let us see what else we can find." (2)

(notice/wis before we go Thulee since you've got the animal senses)

(7)

(yeah happy to move on deeper into the forest!)

Deeper into the woods the undergrowth fades away and gives rise to thick trunks that send trees tens of meters into the sky. The wide boughs shade the forest floor and you can see more evidence of animals here. Many cross crossing scents carpet the region. Some are the familiar rodents from earlier. Others are new , belonging to the creatures that eat them.

Solace admires the stately giants. "This place reminds me of the mushroom forests of Acastus. The shade creates pockets of darkness where anything could hide. The rich air instills a heightened alertness. Never have I seen trees so magnificent." Solace hunts for living things around the base of the trees with a glowbug and bioscanner.

Gurk listens for animal calls as he focuses on the tracks. He tries to gauge predator size, gait, and other information. Periodically he checks the lowest branches, seeing if any are snapped off. “We should keep an eye out for any fallen trees,” he says. “At this size a fallen tree might make for a large forest clearing - could make good sites to camp in.”

“I’m a big fan of fungus,” he adds, to Solace. “If you see any let me know.” With some faffing he gets his glowbug and low light goggles organised, and moves off.

Thulee, gazes up at the enormous trunks as they fade into the sky. “Wow, these trees must be so old… timeless. Imagine what they’ve felt over their years.” He walks close to the foot of one of the trunks, kneels and feels the ground delicately with a hand. He becomes completely still. A feint wave of movement, a leaning outwards… in the grass, in the bushes and other organic matter…emanates from his location. Like a wave. He speaks with the flow of nature. (Can we do the The Whispering Wind…? Also interested in what’s edible)

6:20 AM

(1/4 effort committed... that one is for the scene)

(We can do that yes. I’ll get you a summary shortly )

(Getting on a plane will be out until midnight ish UK time)

(no worries!)

8:34 AM

There is an edible species of berry and a herb that can be used as a seasoning in the region. The wreck of an old survey helicopter is also in this region of the woods to your east. Natural pack hunting predators here the size of a dog and less common larger versions the size of a gorilla also inhabit the region.

(back briefly - happy to follow any of these threads. If we go for the helicopter I have no skills in fix/program, though)

(Happy to go with consensus here. Thulee would like to check out the berries and herbs first, then look at the predators - maybe tracking them? The helicopter is interesting but not top of the list)

(sounds good)

After the whispering wind settles and the sounds of the forest return to normal, Thulee and Mushk move in the direction of the berries. “So it looks like we have some edible berries here… and maybe a herb for seasoning. Condiments really… but a good start. I wonder what they taste like..?” After scanning and examining the composition, size and density of the plants in the area with a mind to farming - Thulee has a small taste, his first Parnikan delicacy. (edited)

"These are a great start!" Solace pockets some berries, herbs, seeds and root cuttings from the plants, then stealthily approaches the helicopter, circling around to peer into the cockpit, making sure everything seems safe before venturing closer.

Gurk hangs back, keeping an eye out for any unexpected difficulties. The local wildlife may be nervous of them - or still just sizing them up.

He wonders what caused the crash, and how old the helicopter is.

(We have to find the plants and whatnot, we just know they're in the area. I wouldn't make this a mission and tie everyone up to hand it over in one scene) (edited)

1

7:11 AM

(whispering wind tells you what's in the region, doesn't teleport it to you)

The group elects to make for the helicopter now that they know what might be in the region. Roots have overgrown the cockpit and crew compartment and the rotor blades have been slumped by the steady advance of rust. It is evident that animals have been sleeping in the breached crew compartment and have made nests here over the years. A large camera and sensor bulb has been cracked upon hitting the ground, but still sits on the chin of the helicopter.

Gurk advances warily towards the vehicle, looking for tracks as he goes. Many animals are wary of artificial structures - the fact this vehicle has seen use may imply a lack of fear in the native life that could be challenging for the locals in the future. While trying to avoid contaminating the site, he looks into the crew compartment to evaluate the nesting material, and look for any biological samples he might be able to analyse. Most importantly, he tries to gauge whether the nests have been occupied very recently.

While Gurk is examining the crew compartment, Thulee takes a look at the camera and sensor bulb at the front of the chopper. Talking out loud to the others, and partially himself "I wonder if we can recover any footage from this.. If it's not too old to be useful...? These setups are usually ruggedised and built to last." He examines the connections and electronics that he can see, looking for damage and access points. He's wondering if he can quickly recover data.

The nests were occupied within the last few days. The creatures look to be roughly dog sized and the number of nests here indicate there are between four and six of them that lived here. The camera drive can be ejected with some work. You’ll need tools and time to do it but it should be intact once you get the casing off.

(Gurk is unskilled in this but if we have the kit would like to assist if possible: carrying objects, holding things steady, handing tools etc. If we don't have the proper kit Gurk may have some things that could be repurposed if there's nothing in the helicopter that could help us)

(I think Thulee could do it... lets see what happens!)

5:02 AM

"I'd like to try recover this drive... hopefully it won't take too long." Thulee says as he sets down his backpack and gets stuck into the camera's deeper mechanisms with his Metatool.

(Fix/int Thule )

(9)

(Thule will get the drive out after a bit of time working. Gurk has a -1 so can't really help here, what would he be doing instead while that's going on)

(are we talking like an hour, or quite a long period?)

(a couple hours)

Gurk decides to explore the rest of the clearing. He's particularly looking for defensible positions in the event of the creatures returning, and any signs of the crew. If they died on impact some of their bones and equipment might be scattered nearby, and if not, they might have left the remains of a makeshift camp. Gurk can't tell if the helicopter is associated with the current locals on Parnika, but if so they might want to know what happened to the people inside.

5:29 PM

"Thulee," Gurk says as he leaves, "if I warn Mushk of danger, can he then warn you?"

Mushk, decidedly unexcited in the mechanical machinations of Thulee's work, tags on with Gurk to explore. She accompanies him, sniffing around. "Yes Gurk, she can communicate with me, I can also look through her senses. We can kind of stay in touch through her..."

5:34 PM

"you can also direct her a bit... she is quite intelligent on her own"

(Seen, just didn't want to interrupt this)

After the helicopter is secured Solace stays with Gurk and Mushk to scour the ground for plants. "So Gurk, what is your goal regarding the wildlife here? Is this a scientific mission, or perhaps part of earning the Parnikans' trust?"

"It's kind of a proof of concept. We're developing a zoo - partly to give people a chance to see wildlife they'd otherwise never get near, and partly to serve as a scientific resource and biobank. We want to help make life easier by reducing conflict with local wildlife, and ensuring the ecosystem remains stable. Thereby minimising famine, pest disease, ravenous giant beasts swarming out of the hills and so on. "This type of activity works best as a partnership. There's usually no money in studying dangerous wildlife, so hopefully there will be less worry among local people that we are somehow trying to exploit them. By devoting resources to such goals we show we are interested in working together in the long term. "So in short - if there is any wildlife that is likely to seriously help or hinder the local people, I want to learn about it, share the information with the locals, and use the results as an example of what we can do in the future."

5:39 PM

Gurk thinks for several more seconds. "Another goal regarding the wildlife is not to get eaten. So far, about two thirds of all the wildlife I have encountered have attempted to eat me."

1

Solace laughs. "Well said. I feel better knowing you've survived this sort of encounter in the past. I would love to visit your xenobank sometime."

Gurk nods vigorously. "If there's any way we can help you, or the farmers, we'd be happy to. "Could the helicopter survey data be useful to them? Could the locals have known the crew?"

As the conversation between Solace and Gurk continues, Mushk pads along a little ahead of them, occasionally circling back and around to keep a loose perimeter. She keeps her senses focused on any predators, or edibles, in the immediate vicinity.

"I'll ping you straight away if any interesting creatures should arrive on my farm. This bird? Unlikely, but I know so so little about this place. My best guess, given the age, would be Remnant. As a former intelligence operative I am quite interested in this black box data."

As Mushk gets close and pads past you, the creature gets low and begins prowling through the low vines and bushes. it has caught the scent of something- something it is going to need to be silent in order to hunt.

Gurk retreats a few steps back into the clearing, as quietly as possible. He lets Mushk work, but readies his flop rifle and listens carefully - either for animal calls, or the sound of something large cutting through the vegetation.

To your trained ear, something large is cutting through the vegetation here with the uncaring gait of a creature that has no or very few predators. You cannot see it yet, but you and the cat sense you are getting close

Gurk focuses on the positives: they're about to have an exciting encounter with a new life form which won't necessarily try to kill them all. He moves slightly away from Solace, raising a hand to indicate potential danger, but saying nothing. If there is a single, large creature, spreading out might force it to waste time deciding on a target. He quietly rearranges his gear, laying a hand on one of the wildlife repellent bombs.

(if we need to ready/stow nything, w can do that now so we dont need to burn a main action in combat)

(seem to be having a bit of trouble connecting to roll20, but I think I am all sorted - other than getting the bombs no other work to do right now)

Whilst working away on removing the disk, Thulee notices Mushk has moved into hunting mode. He feels her excitement and energy flow as she tracks the scent. He looks up and tries to locate her in the vicinity. (How far away is this happening from Thulee...?)

(Too far for you to get there quickly. You're working on getting the helicopter data, but you can control Mushk for any fights if one occurs)(

(

)

Solace crouches into a silent Stance. (Fade, 1 effort while committed) He nods to Muhsk and circles around behind the creature, moving with the caracal to cut off the creature's escape, while maintaining his distance in case it has a strong sense of smell (edited)

9:35 PM

To the others his clothes and skin appear to blend with the shadows, disappearing whenever ones gaze slips away.

9:35 PM

(Stealth check to hide from the creature?)

(You don’t need it since you’re using Fade. To mushk and Gurk this kind of hunt fits into their background so they don’t need it either )

5:47 AM

The creature is chewing loudly , snacking up some of the rodents unfortunate enough to cross its path.

3

(if it is nearly in visual range, Gurk would like to try to make contact non-violently while others remain hidden)

(How do you plan to do that?)

(I am going to try to make noise in a way that doesn't alarm it, I'm just checking with the others that they're happy for me to, since it is a risk)

(I'm curious to see how it reacts but it's up to you, Solace is too focused on hiding quietly to influence your decision)

(Sure Gurk. Mushk will be very still watching the beast)

Gurk takes a deep breath. As usual, he won't open fire on a creature until it has demonstrated hostile intent. He has taken a careful note of the ground around him should he need to roll away from a kick, or a bite. He lowers his weapon slightly. Quietly, he calls out to the animal, keeping his voice soft, and low. "Hey there," he says. He looks towards it, but keeps direct eye contact brief and avoids showing his teeth. This may - or may not - show it he is not hostile. He keeps up a stream of gentle, calming noises, mostly nonsense. "Hey big fella. Hello there." He can't help but notice the animal has an awful lot of sharp bits. He stays still, but keeps his body loose, and tries to look relaxed and unthreatened.

(survive/wis)

(6)

The creature perks up, and goes down onto its forelimbs. It growls in a low tone and remains low, not moving from its meal

Internally, Gurk recalibrates. If the creature's primary diet is the tiny rodent-things, it may not be interested in eating them. It might, instead, be worried they are thieves - or rivals for territory. He will have to try to convince it he is not interested in stealing its dinner.

7:53 AM

(have we confirmed if there are any of the edible berries in the clearing? Is there anything near Gurk's feet he can be fairly confident won't instantly poison him?)

(There are some within arms reach)

Gurk, after thinking very carefully, rests the weapon on the ground. He picks up several large berry clusters and proceeds to slowly eat them. He stays as calm as possible, and acts unconcerned as to the creature's presence, as though indifferent to it.

The creature continues to stay low and growl, but it doesn't seem inclined to leave its guard position over the meal it has for the moment.

Gurk continues to eat, in an unhurried fashion. After finishing his brief meal, he slowly collects his weapon, taking care not to point it anywhere near the creature, and begins to move slowly towards the nearest log or big rock, planning to sit down. If he gets there unmaimed, he'll try to get some rations from his pack and offer them to the creature. He hopes that, wherever Solace is, he is not crouched in a position that is likely to give him back pain.

1

Solace comfortably watches the professional wildlife wrangler do his thing. He is settled into a martial arts stance and looks like he could hold it for hours, or jump to subdue the creature with his bare hands the moment it attacks.

(Morale check passes, so it’s not going to spring just yet ) The creature is keeping a wary eye out, and continues chomping on its meal. It’s face fur is red with the blood of its meal.

Gurk lifts one of his ration packs out of the bag and unwraps it: the main part is preserved, slightly salted meat. With luck, it will be appealing. He breaks it into a number of chunks, and eats one, as the smell of the food wafts through the clearing. Slowly, he stands up, and takes a chunk in hand. He holds it out in the direction of the creature, so it can see it, and perhaps smell it. With a very cautious under-arm lob, he tosses the food chunk halfway between himself and the animal. Hopefully, it will not interpret this as attempted murder.

(since this is more dangerous and the situation is changing somewhat, lets get another survive/wis here, and the creature is going to take another morale check)

(8)

(7) The creature springs forward, preparing to attack- its mind overcome by the thoughts of securing a much larger meal

3:09 PM

(initiative)

(8, rolled twice for alert)

(8)

(3)

(Mushk, Gurk, beast, solace)

Mushk springs into action as she sees Gurk threatened at close range. She charges towards the beast rapidly (move up to 20m), trying to attack from side. She wants to get the beats off balance, and hopefully away from Gurk. (just gotta work out these rolls for Mushk, all manual.. no sheet for her) (edited)

5:29 PM

(6/5)

5:29 PM

(I rolled 1d20 + 2 for Mushk's hit bonus... that sound right?)

(before I go I'd like to know roughly how close Mushk is to it)

(Muskh is in melee with it, there is no space between them)

Gurk sighs inwardly, and opens fire.

8:03 PM

(22/13)

The flop shot impacts the beasts middle, and it roars as it claws into Mushk with claw and jaw. (2 shock and 2 shock, Solace is up)

Solace dashes into the whirlwind of claws, madly dodging and blocking until the perfect opportunity for a counter. (Tempter's Hand Master, Defensive Stance)

8:33 PM

(Trying to draw the creature's aggression away from Mushk)

(Mushk up, new round)

Mushk winces with a "meaoooorrrwww" as she tangles with the beast. Seeing Solace as well as guns involved, she lashes out (15/2) before bolting away (move, 20m) from the fray. She spins around, head low, snarling... looking a little wobbly and shaken.

(Mushk HP 9/13)

(16/8 on Mushk for the attack of opportunity )

2

9:56 PM

The creature manages and powerful slash with its foreclaws as Mushk tries to escape the fight (Gurk )

(Mushk is AC 17... does she get 2 shock again?)

(Yes)

Gurk grits his teeth. If either companion goes down, he'll have to risk a repellent bomb. He squeezes the trigger.

6:53 AM

(18/9)

The creature falls onto its side, mid spring, and convulses gently as the flop field plays over its body. It is stunned for the moment but will shake off the worst of the effects soon.

(is there likely enough time to analyse it with a bio scanner or are we looking at a minute or two?)

(we have ten minutes before it wears off. The bioscanner can give basic facts but the database doesnt have this animal so you wont get much info)

Solace steps back. "Nice shooting, Gurk. Thulee, is Mushk alright?"

Mushk, seeing the beast down, cautiously moves forward and starts to sniff around its feet. She wobbles a little but manages to give a little grunt in appreciation to Solace & Gurk. Thulee, who is still in the 'chopper dismantling the recorder, gets a bit frantic as he realises Mushk has just been attacked. He bangs his head... "oohwwww", and rushes off to where the action is. (Not sure how far away Thulee is but he's running over to the others. Mushk HP 7/13)

(Thulee will be there soon, and I think by now would have the recorder )

Gurk quickly checks that Mushk’s wounds are not fatal, then runs his bio scanner over the prone creature, looking glum. “Usual procedure for animals that attack people is to put them down. They’ve shown they are dangerous, may now have a taste for doing it again, and may pursue on recovery. As a predator willing to attack human-sized prey, this creature type may be dangerous to locals. Strictly speaking, we should euthanise it, do a quick field autopsy to check whether any parts are useful and then move on. But…”

4:59 PM

“The contact procedure wasn’t an immediate failure. There is a small possibility the animal won’t pursue us, and might be more peaceful in future knowing we could have killed it but didn’t. But if we choose to let it go we will probably need to move on very, very soon, and we might be having this fight all over again in a couple of hours.” He looks at Solace. “This is your home, and if this one causes more trouble it is most likely to be for you or your neighbours. What do you think?” (edited)

Mushk rubs up to Gurk's legs as he checks her wounds, making a little "mrrrrrrr" sound. She then faces the beast and growls quietly in a low tone, watching.

"It could certainly be an annoyance. I haven't heard anything about these creatures from the locals, but I would assume they would take livestock if they could. What about taking it offworld with you? This is an animal unknown to modern science, and there must be more to learn from its behaviors. We have seen its habitat and diet."

“We would need to restrain it, and get it back to civilisation. I doubt a shuttle could transport it. It might be possible to arrange some sort of pickup, but we would need to keep it safe until it arrived.” Gurk tries to think through their options.

"There is a UNW ship arriving to meet me in a few days, and I happen to have some building materials left over from the farmhouse repairs... If we can engineer some kind of cage perhaps they could carry it back to Gudrun? In the meantime we could learn more about this creature from the locals and start cultivating the berries you found? I've already got a head start on collecting" Solace jokingly lifts a jam-caked bootsole. "Or we could always try cramming it into the shuttle regardless"

(If it’s caged we can transport it. The shuttle would have room. )

7:49 PM

(It’s just a matter of making one and I guess learning what we can so the crew and eventual zoo handlers knows how to take care of it)

7:49 PM

There are also berries in this cleaning that upon scanning look to be Terran standard raspberry. Two missions nominally completed as the encounter comes to a quiet conclusion

Solace is overjoyed to find this first specimen of Old Terra. "Raspberries?! I can hardly believe my eyes seeing them growing here! This is more than I could have hoped for. Once we have the creature secure, I happen to know a charming local tavern in the city where someone may be able to tell us more about these beasts."

Thulee arrives in a hurry but slows as he makes out Solace, Gurk Mushk all upright and the beast on the ground. Mushk trots over to Thulee, making all sorts of little grunts... seems she has plenty to tell. "Heeeeey, geee... You all ok? I caught some of what was going on. He takes a closer look at Mushk's injuries and gives her some attention. "So what are we going to do with.... oh..." he pauses, completely sidetracked by the berries "wow... are they... are they... Raspberries?"

"Yes I know! Incredible right? Exactly what I've been looking for too." Solace gushes. "Would you like to be the first to try one and tell us what you think?"

Thulee's eyes widen as he takes a berry and brings it very close. He has a close look and deep smell, then munches down the berry. "Oooooh. Yes... mmmmm. Mouth watering, very full flavour, bit of tang. I'm not exactly sure what they are meant to taste like but gee its very good. Very. Good. These are an absolute delicacy!" he pronounces as he has another.

"So they are real raspberries? These leaves will make a divine tea" Solace gathers seeds, leaves and rootstock of the plants and shares some of each with Thulee. "Oh, we should probably restrain the beast before it awakens... Do you need any help with that Gurk?"

"Thanks Solace!" Thulee takes the seeds and other organic effects. Yes, yes... lets deal with the beast." He has a look in his backpack for Rope and other items which might help restrain the beast and offers his help to Gurk.

Gurk is relieved to hear all of this. He roots out his own survival kit, gathers more rope, and accepts the help gratefully. If they can bind the limbs sufficiently well that the creature cannot spring, and keep it pitched onto its side for now, it will hopefully be kept in place while they assemble a functional cage. Gathering food and water for it in the meantime should not be a problem, and they can better learn its ways and habits while awaiting pickup. "If there's plenty of raspberries, I'd like some," he says, as they work. "I wonder if we could open an Earth garden in the zoo at some point." He wonders what is on the recorder Thulee has acquired.

The recorder is on Thulee's mind as well "So I did end up managing to remove the recorder from the helicopter. I'm interested in checking it out... although maybe we should when we are back at the farm?" He gives the beast who attacked Mushk a friendly stroke as he finishes securing some limbs.

(We would need a computer to access the drive , compads aren’t going to be compatable )

(could we use something in one of the shuttles?)

(Yes we have comm servers in them)

"Here, some raspberries for you, Gurk. Is it time to return or is there anything else we should investigate here?"

(If we intend to keep what we have caught I don’t think there’s time for more )

(Ready to move on)

(likewise)

(same)

(hey PS Thulee has a comms server stored in his Gravflyer... bought it as part of a setup for Medican's community. Could we use that at the farm instead of waiting for the shuttle?)

(The shuttles are also here. Honestly it doesn’t matter I’m just trying to end the mission

2

1

7:24 PM

(3xp, 5000 credits. You did the mission. ) Returning to the farm with the creature restrained, the berries gathered and the data drive safely in Thulee’s bag, you make it out of the woods just as the sun is beginning to set.

Gurk is tired, but happy. If he can help further here he will stay; otherwise he will spend his time recording and sampling the less exciting wildlife nearby until the shuttle arrives to take him home.

The data is analyzed upon a return to the farm. The deep woods you had been exploring was marked as a dangerous area by the locals and the predators like the one you just encountered kept much exploring from happening there. They were known to be man eaters if given the chance and efforts into raising livestock in the area were quickly abandoned as too few of the herd lived to make it to market. The mining in the region was thought to be poor. Most of the planet indeed does not seem to have much in the way of mineral wealth on an industrial scale. Boglands go even deeper into the region you explored, and no official information about them has been collected at all. Local peat cutters were known to sometimes enter when closer stocks depleted themselves but kept their errands quick, as it is dangerous country.

Solace makes raspberry leaf tea and a simple dinner of farmer's market meats and veggies for the party. "I'm glad you came; this beast could have gotten the better of me if I had gone wandering alone." He offers his materials and help in building a wheeled cage to hold the creature and loads it onto the shuttle with the tractor. "Thulee, I would love to discuss more about farming with you, as I still know... practically nothing about it. Gurk, you'll be the first I call when I encounter new creatures. I'm sure it will happen as my search for relics of the plant kingdom may take me to the furthest reaches of distant worlds. You are both welcome to rest here any time."

Gurk beams. "Once we know more about the creature, I'll send a full report. Thanks so much for all of your help." He nods to Thulee, pets Mushk, and heads up the ramp.

Thulee turns to Gurk "I'd love to hear more about the beast, keep us posted. Thanks for your tight shooting out there - Mushk and I are very thankful." Thulee gives Gurk a warm smile and loose salute as goodbye. (edited)

10:12 PM

"Solace, I'm always happy to talk farming - maybe another cup of Raspberry tea?" he says with a gleam in his eye. (edited)

"Don't have to ask me twice," Solace grins, pouring two more steaming mugfuls. "I have just five acres here, overgrown, nothing planted yet but a handful of mint. The UNW will be here any day to help get things started, and I'd like to sound like I know what I'm doing." He takes a seat.

Thulee sits back and gets comfortable with his exotic cuppa. "So when I first joined the UNW, I spent some time on Alcibiades helping setup a new growing operation to help feed the population there. There are some easy bits and some hard bits. Finding appropriate land, something to germinate or transplant, getting fields ploughed and sown... so starting a farm... that is the easy bit... I think. The harder bit is cultivating what you grow to bear rewards... keeping on top of sunlight, soil and nutrients, getting the most out of the crop. Accepting that sometimes you have to change tack - not everything pans out as expected. This part takes more experience and finesse." He takes another slurp "What are you looking to grow on the farm here? Do you have some specifics, or a goal in mind?"

(your backstory says Rawhani, are you obfuscating your past on purpose? )

4:11 PM

(if you are that's fine, I don't think Solace would have reason to suspect anyway, but I wasn't sure if it was a choice or if you forgot the planet name)

(no Neko, just thought I'd keep it recent and short. I actually typed something longer with Rawhani in it then cut it down)

(ooooh, gotcha)

4:12 PM

( get you now)

Solace nods thoughtfully. "I'd like to find more plants with character. Parnika's soil would be wasted on metawheat. With modern techniques I think it's possible to transform this plot into a garden full of variety. Ultimately I hope to gain the trust of other smallholders and promote farming in a way that keeps the soil rich and creates food ecosystems like the mushroom forests of Acastus. I know the UNW would be happy with rice, flour, and black tea, but I would feel I was betraying this beautiful planet and this vision of what it could be." He sips his tea resignedly. "I've spent most of my life in the shadows; it feels good to make plans for sunny days. I now find myself wishing I had found a way to avoid lying to the town about my origins."

"I feel for you with the lying bit, I have kinda done the same with a community further south. That's another story altogether. I really like your thinking about promoting sustainable practices for farming. I understand that there may be a need for megafarms... like what I grew up with on Rawhani... but really I believe that we should be closer to the land. On Alcibiades I setup a system where we used technology to monitor, model and advise on sustainable growing actions - but the actual work on the land was still quite personal." He sits back pondering... "You've really got me thinking Solace, I just wonder if there is a way that we could help Parnika gain some form of eco protection, its a special place. I can relate to the locals reticence of megafarming."

"Ecoprotection..." Solace's brow furrows in thought. "What the people here seem to want is more control over their land, not restrictions. An agreement with the UNW to limit extensive, intensive farming could go a long way to helping get the xenophobes on board, but that wouldn't be palatable to those looking to farm without measures to lower the barriers to entry. Perhaps I could draft something up to present to the town council that the UNW will also accept. The best I can do is offer the compromises they are unable to find themselves."

"Yes - it's all about compromise, I suppose. Limiting intensive farming that exploits and degrades the land by non Parnikan's could be a start..? I like your idea of drafting something for the town council, good idea."

"Thanks for the advice. I should visit Alcibiades some time, see your systems for myself."

"Maybe you won't have to go so far to see my work... I'm hoping to setup something similar just south of here on Parnika, just over the water from Parnika City. I want to help a community there, if they don't arrest me first." He clears his throat, looking a little strained, then continues... "Its the community I re-appropriated - they would say stole - psionic ritual materials from when I first arrived here a couple of months ago. It's a bit of a tale."

"Oh my" Solace chuckles. "We truly are in a similar pickle. I am trying to put the thieving life behind me, but if you need any help with that sort of thing I could make an exception."

Thulee laughs and even Mushk drops a little snort "Aren't we a right pair! You never know, you never know... I'll keep it in mind. I want to continue my search for Psychic Academy secrets here on Parnika... maybe you can help if the right opportunity presents."

"Certainly. That's something else it seems we have in common, though my abilities are currently limited to being ignored at will... That sixth sense for life seems particularly useful." Solace drains the last of his tea and stands. "I wish you the best of luck with your future quests, and Mushk," he addresses the caracal, "It was an honor to fight by your side. I hope to meet the both of you again soon."

"Likewise Solace, I'm sure we'll cross paths again soon." Leaving the house, Thulee and Mushk give the farm and Solace a last wave as they board the Gravflyer.