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Yet Another Stupid Death

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[X] The stake was a "Stake with Rope"
- [X] Pull the rope before it submerges! Get your stake back!
--[X] Use the stake to find solid ground along the shore... if there is solid ground.
---[X] Tie yourself to the boat so that if you misstep, you could pull out.
----[X] Use the stake as a pole to feel your way through.
[X] Tell Doog to sit tight. It's too dangerous here.
 
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a low stake situation
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] The stake was a "Stake with Rope"
    - [X] Pull the rope before it submerges! Get your stake back!
    --[X] Use the stake to find solid ground along the shore... if there is solid ground.
    ---[X] Tie yourself to the boat so that if you misstep, you could pull out.
    ----[X] Use the stake as a pole to feel your way through.
    [X] Tell Doog to sit tight. It's too dangerous here.
    @Nevill, @Terrabrand, @Oh I am slain!, @boonerunner
    [X] The stake was a "Stake with Rope"
    - [X] Pull the rope before it submerges! Get your stake back!
    --[X] Use the stake to find solid ground along the shore.
    ---[X] Tie yourself to the boat so that if you misstep, you could pull out.
    ----[X] Use the stake as a pole to feel your way through.
    [X] Tell Doog to sit tight. It's too dangerous here.
    @FixerUpper, @Marla,
    @Get out of the boat.
    @kelllogo

    ===

    You make a hasty grab, and only grab empty air as the rope slithers past your fingers after the stake. You shout in dismay, but Doog leaps and snaps his jaws shut on the rope, and you make another grab, so that the stake is being held by the rope which is being held by Doog who is being held by you [1].

    "Good doog!" you say, happily, and Doog barks proudly and wags his tail, upon which the rope falls out of his mouth. You can't grab at it this time or you'll drop Doog, so you can only watch, breath held, as the rope falls onto the suspected quicksand. Then you exhale with relief. You never untied the rope from the boat, so the rope jerks to a stop when it is fully played out.

    You put Doog carefully back in his place. "No jumping!" you say, with a stern finger. He looks properly abashed, but promptly gets up to look when you reach over the lip of the boat to fumble for the rope. "Back! Back!" you half-shout, flapping at him with one hand, because the boat is starting to tilt. He goes back to his place with a hangdog look.

    You finally get the rope and haul on it. There's a lot more resistance than you expected, but you keep pulling.

    The rope and stake finally come up, leaving the quicksand in a squelching sound. You take the stake.

    Unfortunately, the stake is not a long pole, and you can only jab in a short distance around you. It does at least confirm that everything within jabbing distance is quicksand.

    What do?
    [ ] Write-in.

    ===

    [1] Doog is helpful, but can be impulsive.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Looking at the previous post's map...we're at a quicksand bar, and a closed door is behind that.

    Should we try heading back to where we came from? Or try to get across the quicksand to the closed door?

    For now:

    [x] Paddle alongside the quicksand bar to the west, and periodically check if the ground is still quicksand. If a wall is reached, head back and try to the east.
     
    Doog good! Doog halping! :lol

    [x] Paddle alongside the quicksand bar to the west, and periodically check if the ground is still quicksand. If a wall is reached, head back and try to the east.
    -[x] Keep an eye out for any doors or rooms on the other side.

    Looks sensible. If we won't be able to disembark here, I suppose we should explore the other bank.

    How long is the rope? Is there something protruding from the walls? Does a door behind quicksand have a doorknob?

    If we find something to serve as a grappling hook, we might be able to cross over the quicksant, provided we find something to tie it to.
     
    Nevill said:
    How long is the rope? Is there something protruding from the walls? Does a door behind quicksand have a doorknob?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    The rope isn't very long at all - about two tiles' length.

    The walls look to be undecorated stone. There are nooks and crannies that you could try to use as handholds or footholds.

    And yes, there is a doorknob.
     
    [x] Paddle alongside the quicksand bar to the west, and periodically check if the ground is still quicksand. If a wall is reached, head back and try to the east.
     
    veekie said:
    I don't suppose we could paddle ONTO quicksand? Boat shouldn't sink, paddle should still work
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    It's rogue-like quicksand. I would expect anything that doesn't fly to be sucked into in whether or not it makes any sense. e.g. A kraken can swim in water just fine, but if teleported onto a patch of quicksand it will sink and drown.
     
    Well, if we throw something back with sufficient velocity, the momentum should propel us to the door.

    Sorry, Doog.
     
    the westward limits of a quicksand bar
  • Threadmarks
    • [x] Paddle alongside the quicksand bar to the west, and periodically check if the ground is still quicksand. If a wall is reached, head back and try to the east.
    @Oh I am slain!, @Marla
    [x] Paddle alongside the quicksand bar to the west, and periodically check if the ground is still quicksand. If a wall is reached, head back and try to the east.
    -[x] Keep an eye out for any doors or rooms on the other side.
    @Nevill, @Terrabrand

    ===

    You pull the Stake with Rope back into the boat, and use the Crude Oar to push the boat away from the quicksand bar and paddle westward. After a short distance, you try to stop the boat and thrust the Stake with Rope out to find out if everything beside you is still quicksand. Going with the flow of the river-current makes for easy sailing, and you almost don't have to do anything except push the boat off the quicksand when it drifts too near. The squelches as you do are confirmation of the quicksand's nature, so you keep heading on. Doog whines, trying to stay in the light.

    As you leave the reaches of the little light you have, your Crude Oar goes down with a splash rather than a squelch. It seems you have reached the end of the quicksand bar on this side. At the same time, you feel the current pick up strength and change direction: previously flowing due west, it now flows southwest.

    ?????????|_n___!???!___
    ???????????.???????????
    ??????????...??????????
    ????????~~~~~~?????????
    ???????~~~~~~~~????????
    ??????~~~~~~~~~~???????
    ?????~~~~~~~~~~~~??????
    ??~B@d~~~~~~~~~~~~?????
    ??~~░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░????
    ???░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░???
    ??_________b_________??

    [ ] Go with the flow.
    [ ] Struggle against the flow...
    -[ ] Northeast, back across the river.
    -[ ] Eastwards, to the quicksand bar and beyond.
    -[ ] Due west, in case of a wall.
    [ ] Write-in.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Kind of don't want to end up rowing against strong current heading who-knows-where and without a light source.

    [X] Struggle against the flow...
    -[X] Northeast, back across the river, explore the other bank and see if there are any more rooms there.

    Edit: added
    [X] Shout into the darkness and try to determine the proximity of any walls based on the echoes.
     
    Last edited:
    [x] Struggle against the flow...
    -[x] Northeast, back across the river, explore the other bank and see if there are any more rooms there.

    Yup, agreed. I like dangerous mystery box options, but those come after we've at least given a try at alternatives. ^_^
     
    [X] Shout into the darkness and try to determine the proximity of any walls based on the echoes.
    [X] Struggle against the flow...
    -[X] Northeast, back across the river, explore the other bank and see if there are any more rooms there.
     
    Terrabrand said:
    Personally, I don't want to risk this river having a sea serpent or kraken or some such madness that we wake up. So...
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Be careful what you wish vote for...

    ...because I totally don't mind and changed mine. :D

    Bonus points if we scream "COME OUT YOU COWARDLY PIECE OF OCTOPUS!" into the darkness.
     
    Last edited:
    an exploration of the east side of the northern bank along the river
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Struggle against the flow...
    -[X] Northeast, back across the river, explore the other bank and see if there are any more rooms there.
    [X] Shout into the darkness and try to determine the proximity of any walls based on the echoes.
    @Nevill, @Terrabrand
    [X] Struggle against the flow...
    -[X] Northeast, back across the river, explore the other bank and see if there are any more rooms there.
    @Oh I am slain!
    [X] Shout into the darkness and try to determine the proximity of any walls based on the echoes.
    [X] Struggle against the flow...
    -[X] Northeast, back across the river, explore the other bank and see if there are any more rooms there.
    @boonerunner

    ===

    You immediately turn around in the boat and strike the water with the Crude Oar, letting out a yell - "ROW! ROW! ROW THE BOAT!" - as you do. Doog joins in with a howl, and the boat holds still for a moment before passing smoothly back into the slower-flowing westward currents.

    The echoes of your shout die away, but all that tells you is that there's a wall somewhere ahead of you. Maybe that's what is causing the change in current.

    Yelling is rather fun, actually, so you keep it up as you row back across the river to the other bank. Doog whines and scratches his ear with a paw. You laugh heartily and belt even more loudly. You don't even mind as the boat shudders to a halt on the shallow water you found on the east side of the northern bank earlier. You push and pull the boat along the shore to firmer ground, stake it, and get out.

    Then you start walking along the bank away from the previous door, running your hand across the wall. You find a door, and go on. Then something stings the hand touching the wall. You try to pull your hand away, but it's stuck.

    you have lost 4 HP

    you cannot escape from ???

    ??????___|_a___!???!___
    ??????@d???.???????????
    ??????????!..??????????
    ????????BBB~~~?????????
    ??????~~~~~~~~~????????
    ?????~~~~~~~~~~~???????
    ????~~~~~~~~~~~~~??????
    ???~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?????
    ??~~░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░????
    ???░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░???
    ??_________b_________??

    a: an open door
    b: a closed door
    BBB: a boat
    !: a Stake with Rope
    ?: sloping ground
    ?: shallow water
    ?: sheer drop into water
    ░: quicksand

    [ ] Attack with Crude Oar
    [ ] Continue attempting escape
    [ ] Write-in
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Use the Crude Oar as a prybar to get your hand loose.
    -[X] If that doesn't work, use the oar to hit whatever is holding your hand.
     
    [X] Use the Crude Oar as a prybar to get your hand loose.
    -[X] If that doesn't work, use the oar to hit whatever is holding your hand.
     
    Whoops, I thought we were going to explore the opposite end of the quicksand, but I guess Nevill meant to head back to our original position.

    [X] Use the Crude Oar as a prybar to get your hand loose.
    -[X] If that doesn't work, use the oar to hit whatever is holding your hand.

    A decent option that I'll vote for, for now. Perhaps could do something with doog's help, or the gladius.
     
    Hm. Where's our Gladius? Can we drop the backpack and pick it up instead?

    Normally I'd use something sharp and narrow to put between the hand and the wall and cut/saw at whatever makes me stuck.
     
    Oh I am slain! said:
    Whoops, I thought we were going to explore the opposite end of the quicksand, but I guess Nevill meant to head back to our original position.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    That's how I interpreted "northeast, back across the river, explore the other bank", though. You can still row across the river to explore the west side of the southern bank, if you survive the attack of the ???!

    Nevill said:
    Hm. Where's our Gladius? Can we drop the backpack and pick it up instead?

    Normally I'd use something sharp and narrow to put between the hand and the wall and cut/saw at whatever makes me stuck.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Your gladius is in your backpack. It's somehow managed to not cut a new hole in it.

    You could certainly drop the backpack to retrieve the gladius.
     
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