Forsaken: A Survival Island Quest

[Akatsunami]

[x] Explore: I decided to go searching for food, water, shelter, and maybe something to help with the pod.
-[x] further inland

I have no idea on whats going on. Cool.

 

[tri2]

[jk] Hold your breath underwater till you fall asleep, best place for a nap.

 

[veekie]

[x] Explore: I decided to go searching for food, water, shelter, and maybe something to help with the pod.
-[x] further inland

 

[RhapsodyOfLife]

I took me a while to figure out what had happened. It seemed the waves had pushed the pod over, slamming the door shut and jamming it in the sand. Thankfully, there shouldn't have been any spillage from the liquid inside, but trying to right the pod is beyond my capabilities right now. And then I would have to pry it open. Although I doubt I need the liquid right now, it's a valuable tool for emergencies but-

Wait.

If I couldn't push the pod back up, how could the waves have pushed it down? I have no illusions about my strength, but still...

I pressed my ear up against the pod door. Nothing. But the beach still looked ominous. Now that I think about it, the waves couldn't have reached all the way the the end of the beach to deposit those junk piles.

Click to shrink...

Oh god we are not alone...


[x] Explore: I decided to go searching for food, water, shelter, and maybe something to help with the pod.
-[x] further inland

We can always go back to the beach for coconuts, which provide us with food and water, as well as access to the pod, so our priority should be finding a shelter, ideally one that is safe and will protect us from the elements, as well as the wildlife. While making a hammock on the beach would be nice, I don't want to take my chances with something out there that we know visits the beach, so minus well get a bit of distance between us and whatever is there, before setting up shop.

 

[Akatsunami]

Oh god we are not alone

We can always go back to the beach for coconuts, which provide us with food and water, as well as access to the pod, so our priority should be finding a shelter, ideally one that is safe and will protect us from the elements, as well as the wildlife. While making a hammock on the beach would be nice, I don't want to take my chances with something out there that we know visits the beach, so minus well get a bit of distance between us and whatever is there, before setting up shop.

Click to shrink...

Yup, also usually beaches are pretty much open areas, staying around or just walking where whatever it is can see us doesn't sound good, further in land is hopefully less open, and thus safer to explore until we get a better hand at whatever is going on.

 

[tri2]

[X] Knock on the pod with the butt of your machete three times

 

[Nevill]

[x] Explore: I decided to go searching for food, water, shelter, and maybe something to help with the pod.
-[x] further inland

It would be nice to find a place for a base. But we also need to know what do we have to work with.

Maybe there is some kind of vantage point that would let us observe the island as a whole.

 

[Pyran]

[x] Explore: I decided to go searching for food, water, shelter, and maybe something to help with the pod.
-[x] further inland

 

[Zhade]

Alright, can someone roll a d10 for me?

 

[Lydia]

Yes

Lydia threw 1 10-faced dice. Reason: this Total: 2

 

[Zhade]

...Fun stuff.

Update likely tonight or early tomorrow.

 

[BBBence1111]

This seems quite interesting. I like the format.

Agreed with shelter being the first priority, but finding out what's in the pod is a close second.

 

[Zhade]

If there are gods, then they must hate me.

It took a few hours into my trek inland before I realized I was hopelessly lost. It didn't happen all at once of course.

I had assumed that my machete and I would leave a blatant enough trail for me to backtrack along, but the thick jungle and a few wrong turns corrected that notion. Finding my way back to the beach would take time, far too much right now, so I continued to press further. I at least needed to secure a good base. Can't be sleeping in trees every night like some sort of overgrown squirrel.

I mean, it's not like I had anything left at the beach. Sure there was the pod, but I can't drag it with me and I don't have anything to carry the serum in. Another thing I should be looking for, unless I wanted to string some cut coconuts together.

The air is steadily growing heavier and wetter as I head further in. There's a whirring sound as some large bird flies over my head, and the hum of insects is constant. Mindful of how last night went, I'm cautious of any strange lights I see. And even though I'm hilariously bad at it, I still try to sneak through the jungle, cautious of anything that may sneak up on me in return.

Currently, I am looking for some higher elevation, something that could give me the lay of the land and help fill out my map. From there, I could hopefully see if there any sites of notes, maybe even signs of civilization if I was lucky. If there was a port or an airbase on the other side of this island, I am going to feel incredibly foolish.

Food and water is also important things on my shopping list. I'm not stupid enough to eat any of the berries or mushrooms I see, but if my eyes are peeled for any small rodents I can roast or ponds I can drink from. I can't live on coconuts forever, the beach wouldn't be able to support me for a week. I needed more sustainable sources.

So far, no luck. I was making slow progress through the jungle, trying to keep an eye out for anything useful while trying not to make enough noise to alert every animal in my vicinity. Not that there were many animals. I see some insects here and there, some harmless ants and wasps, but nothing bigger than my hand. For a while, at least.

The one good thing about my slow progress was that I saw the spiderweb before I walked into it. It was huge, hanging like a tapestry of glittering stars between two trees. It was taller than me by half and wider than twice my height. Smaller, supporting structures spiraled off above and below, attaching to other vegetation. The strands themselves were thrice as thick as regular silk and faintly dappled with dew, which the only reason why I noticed it. The architect was nowhere to be found (and neither were any cocoons), so I cautiously picked up a largish looking stone and tossed it into the web. Just to see if it could take the weight. The strands may be useful.

It did and a huge fucking spider spring up out of the ground and started scrambling up it's web. This thing was the twice the size of my outstretched hand, and that wasn't counting the legs. Needless to say, I ran away as fast as my legs would let me, heedless of the noise I was making and desiring only to get as far away as possible from that spawn of Satan.

I ran full tilt for a good bit, by which I was completely lost. But on the bright side, I could hear running water! That was one thing on the list down.

The river was wide, but not enough that I couldn't see the other side. It seemed rather shallow as well, so I should be able to easily swim across if I ever needed to. It was also gentle, easy to access and when I cupped my hand in it, clear. Tasted great too; no weird aftertaste or feel, just cool, crisp water. Probably runoff from the mountains I keep glimpsing east whenever there's a break in the canopy. It was pretty much perfect.

Of course, this meant that something was wrong and the gods were about to fuck me over again. So, with my machete in hand, I continued my search for shelter and food. This time, I kept careful track of where I was. Losing an entire river would be rather embarrassing.

It took a few more hours, but I found something. A small cave, really more a hollow than an actual cave, formed by erosion into a hill creating a natural little nook. Big enough for me to stand in, but small enough to feel cozy. And within shouting range of the river too.

I peered inside. It was actually really nice once I got a closer look. Once I got some vines and leaves, I could cover the entrance for camouflage and cover, have some room for any stuff I find that I can't carry with me. Hell, I could even bring the pod here, once I figure out how to move it.

That's when I noticed that the soft, loomish floor of the hollow was peppered with small white sticks. I pulled one out.

It was a broken femur.

At that moment, I heard a snuffling sound and turned around to met the eyes of a wild pig.

[] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[] Face it head on! I know of bullfighting, and while I don't have a cape, I thought I could trick it into impaling itself on my machete...
-[] Lead it to the River: The rushing water and the riverbank should provide some opportunities to fell the beast. I ran the risk of losing the corpse though...
-[] Lead it into the Forest: Feeling a bit reckless, I smashed through the undergrowth, leading the enraged pig into some interesting terrain I saw earlier...
-[] Writein: I went for something different...
[] Flight: I, of course, decided to flee immediately. There will be other shelters, preferably ones that aren't inhabited by man-eating cattle. Just needed to shake this pig...

 

[Pyran]

[X] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[X] Face it head on! I know of bullfighting, and while I don't have a cape, I thought I could trick it into impaling itself on my machete...

 

[BBBence1111]

It did and a huge fucking spider spring up out of the ground and started scrambling up it's web. This thing was the twice the size of my outstretched hand, and that wasn't counting the legs. Needless to say, I ran away as fast as my legs would let me, heedless of the noise I was making and desiring only to get as far away as possible from that spawn of Satan.

Click to shrink...

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope

[X] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[X] Face it head on! I know of bullfighting, and while I don't have a cape, I thought I could trick it into impaling itself on my machete...

We aren't going to win a race against it.

 

[Nevill]

[X] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[X] Lead it to the River: The rushing water and the riverbank should provide some opportunities to fell the beast. I ran the risk of losing the corpse though...

Eh, as for the possibility of losing the corpse, there will be more of them. And our stats are not very fight-y.

Shame we didn't smash the spider with a rock, a rope would be invaluable.

 

[Hykal94]

[X] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[X] Lead it to the River: The rushing water and the riverbank should provide some opportunities to fell the beast. I ran the risk of losing the corpse though...

 

[veekie]

[X] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[X] Face it head on! I know of bullfighting, and while I don't have a cape, I thought I could trick it into impaling itself on my machete...

 

[RhapsodyOfLife]

[X] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[X] Lead it to the River: The rushing water and the riverbank should provide some opportunities to fell the beast. I ran the risk of losing the corpse though...

Click to shrink...

Let the Pig Wrestling Begin!


Seriously though, wild pigs are pretty dangerous, considering the fact that their tusks can gore people. I don't want to face it head on, without some kind of advantage when it can just charge us and stab us with its tusks if we are too slow. While we could lose the corpse in the river, it would also be unable to maneuver as well by the water which cuts down a lot on the risk we'd face.

EDIT: Added vote because I forgot. Thanks @Nevill
[X] Fight: I doubted that I would be able to run from an animal in it's own territory, so I stood my ground and fought.
-[X] Lead it to the River: The rushing water and the riverbank should provide some opportunities to fell the beast. I ran the risk of losing the corpse though...

 

[Nevill]

We have Vitality 10, so we are ungore-able.

We'd also need to run to the river, and we'd be vulnerable on the way there. I'd still rate our chances better, though.

Why not vote, though?

 

[Zhade]

I carefully shifted my stance so I was facing the pig, twirling my machete threateningly as I did so. Well, trying to really, it was a wonder I didn't drop it. I carefully leveled it at the beast, moving my weight to the balls of my feet. I had weight on it, but that was it. It was likely stronger and faster than me, and could rip out entire goblets of flesh if I moved wrong.

But I was smarter. I could think ahead and trap it. Facing it head on was a no go, but what about leading it to the river? There had to be something I could use there, even if I ended up just drowning the thing in it.

My decision made, I shifted my weight to the balls of my feet. The beast hadn't moved towards me, it just stood there stock still. From what I can remember through the adrenaline fog, it's back reached higher than my chest. It's entire body rippled with muscle, and two small tusks glinted out from it's snout. It pawed the ground, as if getting ready to charge.

I thought that was my cue. My subconscious plan was to dodge the instant it moved, zigzagging my way through the trees towards the river. The beast may be faster than me, but hopefully it wasn't agile too. At least I was thinner and could probably jump higher.

And thus, I tensed my legs in preparation for the leap and the pig promptly ran away, squealing.

I was...a bit perturbed at this to be honest, unable to really grasp what had happened for a few seconds. I stood there, staring dumbly at the direction my nemesis had fled, unable to comprehend that the fight had ended so unsatisfactorily.

I checked behind me once my brain started working again, but thankfully the pig hadn't run because a bear had sneaked up behind me or something of the like. From what I could tell, it had run from...me. Needless to say, my confidence rose a few notches at that line of thought. At least until I started searching the hollow more thoroughly.

I was still unsure if I should claim the hollow as my new home, so at that moment, I investigated it to make sure it proved adequate. With my luck, I would spend two nights sleeping in it only to have the roof collapse on the third.

It took a few hours, but searching through it didn't unveil any structural defects. The roof and walls were sturdy, enough to support my entire weight, and surprisingly free of holes. No need to worry about leakage during a storm. The floor however...

I knew there was bones there, but I didn't realize just how much there was. Small bones and larges bones, crushed and broken, bird bones and mammal bones. Thankfully all old. It seemed that the hollow was once the den of rather prolific and messy carnivore. Not anymore, given the age of them. The bones were trampled into the ground, almost as if the carnivore tried to make a nest of out the bones. It was rather comfortable once you tried sleeping in it. The detritus had turned into a floor that was surprisingly soft in places.

But the most surprising find was a massive skull that had been lodged into the side of the hollow. I didn't see it initially because it blended in with the stone, but it was obvious once my eyes adjusted to the dimmer light.

The head was enormous, almost as long as I was tall. It was shaped like a right-angled triangle, with a broad flattened forehead and two long, curving tusks that almost reached up to it's eyes (although one had snapped off). It's teeth were...flat and shaped for crushing.

It didn't take long for me to realize that I was looking at the skull of a pig, one massive enough to look down on me. And it didn't take long after that to realize that the pig I saw earlier was probably this thing's offspring.

The confidence I had gained earlier vanished like the morning dew. Well. At least I know I'm terrifying to young-

~~~
​

As I finished writing that last section, an unearthly roar shook the ground. It was bestial and primal, and my very bones hummed in tune. Besides scaring the shit out of me, the white noise of the forest around me stilled, bird and insect song quietening.

I myself hid in my hollow, wondering if this was how my caveman ancestors felt eons ago. The roars continued, alternating in pitch and volume, until I was unsure if there was one creature roaring or four. ​

I did muster up some courage to take a peek outside my shelter. The sounds were clearer, if no less frightening, and I was able to discern that they were coming from far away. Deeper in the island, east and away from the shore. They were savage, loud roars but I couldn't place from what creature they came from. Definitely not from a tiger, but my knowledge there stopped. It was didn't have that distinctive, sustained growl, but instead was composed of quick bursts of sound, interspersed with silence. Like barks but longer, and sometimes they would last for minutes without any ceasing or volume change. Furthermore, the sound was constant, almost like a musical tone rather than something organic. The only hint that there was something more were the brief warbles before and after each roar.

As an aside, the human brain is surprisingly adaptable. It's only been half an hour since the racket started and already I've grown tired of it. There hasn't been any hint of the demonic creatures coming to eat me, so I've instead decided to plan my next steps. I still have some time before the sun sets.

After some thought, I have decided to...

Pick two. The order matters, as the first one you pick will be what you do before bed, the next the one you do when you wake up.
[] Explore and Map my Surroundings: I'd rather I didn't get lost again.
[] Abandon my Hollow: The roars aren't helping. Best to find someplace else, even if it's substandard
[] Find some Food: My water situation is fine right now (unless I start bleeding), but I can't say the same about food.
[] Craft the Skull: I have a machete and some sharp rocks. I could make the skull into a rudimentary pot.
[] Find my Beach and Pod: I need to find and secure that serum as soon as possible.

 

[Zhade]

Sidenote: Vitality doesn't make you ungoreable. Ferocity dictates how strong your skin is; Vitality dictates how quickly you heal and how well you deal with existing wounds.

Also, I have a test next Tuesday so updates may be spotty. Well at least try to get an update out everyday for this week, but no promises.

 

[veekie]

[X] Find some Food: My water situation is fine right now (unless I start bleeding), but I can't say the same about food.
[X] Craft the Skull: I have a machete and some sharp rocks. I could make the skull into a rudimentary pot.

 

[tri2]

[X] Find some Food: My water situation is fine right now (unless I start bleeding), but I can't say the same about food.
[X] Craft the Skull: I have a machete and some sharp rocks. I could make the skull into a rudimentary pot.

 

[RhapsodyOfLife]

As I finished writing that last section, an unearthly roar shook the ground. It was bestial and primal, and my very bones hummed in tune. Besides scaring the shit out of me, the white noise of the forest around me stilled, bird and insect song quietening.

I myself hid in my hollow, wondering if this was how my caveman ancestors felt eons ago. The roars continued, alternating in pitch and volume, until I was unsure if there was one creature roaring or four. ​

Click to shrink...

... Send Help


[X] Find some Food: My water situation is fine right now (unless I start bleeding), but I can't say the same about food.
[X] Craft the Skull: I have a machete and some sharp rocks. I could make the skull into a rudimentary pot.

Because like it or not, we need food to survive and being able to carry food and water with us in a pot would allow us to store food/water and not be constantly scavenging/hunting on a daily basis.