The museum gardens are still beautiful, even left to grow wild. A few choice saplings, bought at great expense, or gifted from foreign states and Elven groves, grown into full trees stand beside borders of flowers just starting to bud and broad lawns of green. Although not a museum dedicated much to botany, the art of landscaping was still a focus of a handful of exhibits. Here, you can almost forget that a war was fought at all, until you noticed the torn ground where steel treads had ripped up the turf, or where abortive attempts to dig trenches had been made, before being hastily abandoned in the retreat. You tear your gaze away from the wounded grounds and instead re-focus on your task. There has to be a way in here somewhere!
After a half-hour of diligent searching, you are starting to lose hope. The museum is locked tighter than a miser's purse. It's both a blessing and a curse, as at least you know the works inside are likely to be intact. Taking a seat on a nearby bench (dedicated with a verdigrised plaque to some donor to the museum's fortunes), you look up and re-assess. Birds are nesting under the lip of the guttering, likely tending eggs that are soon to hatch- Hmm...
What will you do? >Kick in a grille covering a basement window and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space (2D20+1) >Pry loose some roof tiles and worm your way in under the eaves, with the birds and mice (2D20+1) >Declare, "Fuck it!" and smash a window with a rock, then batter down the shutters inside (2D20+1) >Climb a tree and try to precariously make your way to the burned clock tower. Its damage may provide a way in, if it doesn't kill you to try (2D20+1) >Other
Kevin Brown
Rolled 4, 3 + 1 = 8 (2d20 + 1)
>>Climb a tree and try to precariously make your way to the burned clock tower. Its damage may provide a way in, if it doesn't kill you to try (2D20+1)
Luke Diaz
There were some questions last thread, so I'll answer them now. (See? I didn't forget!)
>We're a student right? What was our focus/major? What classes have we taken that could possibly be of use? Your major before the war was Political Science, with a minor in Mathematics and Accounting. Sadly, neither is of a great deal of use to you right now. Enzo's greatest strength is his way with people and earnest, ingenuous personality.
>What are our resources? Do we own a house? Your ration card, revolver, 24 rounds of Awsbet pistol ammo and you and your brother's personal effects. You rent a single-bedroom apartment on University Road; a popular student residential area before the war.
>Is there any way we could have saved Karlo? Maybe? Maybe not. It's probably doubtful. All you can do now is look to the future and try to save others. No, you couldn't. That first section was character generation and trying to set the mood for the threads
>If we had picked a different character, would have affected our relationships with other people? Some of those names don't really jive all that well with the others, leading me to believe that they are foreigners in Awsbet, or at least children of immigrants They could well have been foreigners, but they're citizens of Awsbet all the same and your brothers-in-arms. Plus, by selecting Enzo's name, you've helped define a little bit of the country and nail down its ethnicity some. Keep in mind that in this world, those names could all share a common region, for all you (and I) know!
Benjamin Gonzalez
>Kick in a grille covering a basement window and try to crawl inside, through the claustrophobic space (2D20+1)
Ryan Moore
>>Climb a tree and try to precariously make your way to the burned clock tower. Its damage may provide a way in, if it doesn't kill you to try (2D20+1)
Cooper Reyes
Uhm, you two may want to roll for those.
As always, the highest of the first three rolls for the winning option will decide the outcome.
Sebastian Moore
Rolled 11, 12 + 1 = 24 (2d20 + 1)
>Climb a tree and try to precariously make your way to the burned clock tower. Its damage may provide a way in, if it doesn't kill you to try (2D20+1)
Thanks for the thread, but don't beat yourself up over missing Thursday, shit happens.
Tyler Martinez
...
Ian Phillips
Well uh... I guess two rolls is okay? The vote's decided, so... Give me a moment-!
Jack Foster
The flight of the birds carries your eyes upward, until you are once again regarding the burned clock-tower. The fire started high, blowing out the glass clock faces and collapsing the brickwork in places. Some of the gaps between the scorched stone and mortar and the iron numbers looks like it might just be big enough to fit you and because the damage happened after the museum was abandoned, there's little chance the breach has been secured! You trace your route carefully and decide on the tree that you'll need to climb to reach the gallery, before you start your climb up the tower itself... You can already feel your muscles aching, but there's nothing else for it, now your mind's made up!
The tree itself is the easy part; a venerable ash stands close to the wall, its branches providing shade for visitors on the path in better times. There's even a low-hanging branch so smoothly-worn that you're certain it must have been a seat for tired museum-goers for decades. You haul yourself up heavily, scrambling in to the branches and struggling to keep your balance as you have to edge away from the trunk. The branches grow thinner, the further you go and your heart crawls into your throat as you stretch out a hand for the guttering. It's so close- If you just brace your feet on these two limbs-
Snap!
With a brief yell of shock and fear, the branch under your left foot gives way and spins some seven meters to the ground. The only thing that stops you following it and earning a broken leg for your troubles, is a handful of twigs that are already bowing and shedding their new green leaves under your white-knuckled grip! In a matter of moments, you'll plunge down and you can already feel the wet, green-branch snap of your ankles shattering-!
Henry Adams
No! Not like this, dammit! You tighten your grip and heave, throwing yourself up and gripping the thin, whip-like branch above you. Even as it bows and your right foot leaves its anchor, you swing your body weight forward and let go! The edge of the roof looms much faster than you expected, slamming into your chest and driving the wind out of you as you grip on tight and your legs scrabble to push yourself up. You finally heave yourself over and lay on your back, panting for breath and nursing your bruised stomach. You're starting to doubt your wisdom in choosing to climb the clock tower, but it's too late to turn back now! After a chance to recover, you pull yourself up and creep along the buttressed gallery. Through the lead glass windows, you can see the exhibits and paintings, covered by dust-cloths. Not long now and you'll have your chance to liberate your nation's heritage!
You brace yourself between one of the decorative columns on the outside of the tower and the wall itself, edging your way up until you can work your fingers into the carvings. These looked a lot more prominent from the safety of the ground, as the wind picks up and tugs at your dark hair and clothes more suited to a walk down the road, than climbing a building. You really need to invest in a much better pair of shoes... Maybe some gloves, if you're going to be doing this routinely. Finally, the clatter of the loose rope against the flagpole that sill valiantly holds Awsbet's flag, alerts you that you're near the end of your climb. You reach out, looping the rope around your wrist and tugging to check its strength, before pulling yourself up.
Jaxson Jackson
Sitting on the top of the clock tower, elation fills your lungs after your arduous climb. On a whim, you stand on your precarious ledge and salute the flag, before lowering it and folding the singed cloth, tucking it inside your shirt. Oddly, a sound reaches you from far below, causing you to look down and instantly wish you didn't. There's people in the streets! A small crowd applauding your actions and cheering! There's no sign of soldiers yet, but it's only a matter of time before the twenty or so students and civilians draw their attention. You'll have to move fast! You briefly wave to your adoring crowd, thankful that you're rendered as indistinct by distance to them, as they are to you, before slipping inside, through the shattered glass of the clock. Inside the gear room, everything smells like burned oil and soot, causing you to choke and reach for your handkerchief to press to your nose and mouth. The floorboards creak ominously as you edge your way to the steep stairs and work your way down.
Halfway down the tower, the gears suddenly creak and shift and you freeze, praying the multi-ton, spiked iron wheels don't fall and bring you to an early grave in the twisted wreckage at the bottom, but to your relief, they stay in their lofty housing and you hurry on.
Inside the museum, everything is silent, but for your footfalls on the marble floor. Dust cover after dust cover is pulled away under your eager hands and soon you are standing amid relics, books, paintings, artefacts and treasures that mark your nation's history and that of the entire continent over the many years that followed the fall of Eorten. There's so much-! And you're only one person and you have little time...
Jacob Fisher
What will you take? >The treasures and valuables, so the Federation can't steal them and melt them down to use as funds for their war-chest >The momentos and paintings of Awsbet's history. They tell the tale of your nation's rise and brief history and are of great value to its people's pride >The Restorationist relics and tomes from the last three monarchs of Eorten and their rule. If the Orthodox Federation forces get their hands on them, they'll be destroyed for sure! >The sacred treasures of the Golden Age. They're small and simple for the most part, but of great value to the Federation. Keeping these legitimising exhibits out of their hands will be a real blow to their prestige
Cameron Russell
Fuck off already.
Samuel Jones
>>The momentos and paintings of Awsbet's history. They tell the tale of your nation's rise and brief history and are of great value to its people's pride
We must preserve the history of our great nation! The Restorationist Relics would probably be useful as well.
Chase Butler
>Great Awsbet's pretty young, honestly and doesn't have a whole lot to its name... But that's not going to stop some good old-fashioned national pride!
Every time you try to force us into the gulag, it just legitimises this quest all the more~
Ethan Davis
>The sacred treasures of the Golden Age. They're small and simple for the most part, but of great value to the Federation. Keeping these legitimising exhibits out of their hands will be a real blow to their prestige Let's get some magic up in here!
Jace Morgan
Uh- Just so you know, there's more to magic than snatching a macGuffin... The things you'd be stealing are mostly articles of Eorten's government and the like too; things the Federation could use to legitimise its rule.
Ryder Williams
Why not steal one of each?
Owen Edwards
Not enough space. You'd be diluting your take so much that it wouldn't save much of anything.
"He who defends everything, defends nothing."
Jace Gomez
Alright then, fuck it,
>The sacred treasures of the Golden Age. They're small and simple for the most part, but of great value to the Federation. Keeping these legitimizing exhibits out of their hands will be a real blow to their prestige
Aaron Lee
Saving petty treasures over saving your country's history? For shame. They're all good options, this was a tough choice.
Mason Rogers
That was the whole idea~ I love it when I can offer you a choice that's legitimately difficult not because of the risk to your own life, but to something greater.
Because it's a big deal, I'm going to wait on a few more votes before I call it.
Oh and they're not really 'treasures' I should point out. More like... Holy relics. Worthless to anyone who doesn't care for their history.
Kevin Jones
No-one else? At all? Come on...
Michael Davis
Just write the fucking update. This is why you lose people. You put off writing in hopes of people coming in but it just sends most away.
Isaiah Brooks
...
Camden Wright
Well there aren't many votes, and this decision is apparently kind of important. I understand what you mean but I also understand why he'd wait for more people.
Christian Watson
no
It's not THAT important... I guess everyone's just gone though or didn't realise I was running today to make up for missing days.
Maybe this was a bad idea. Either way... I'll... I'll try in the morning. Maybe then...
Cameron Torres
Sleep well, RWB.
Kevin Morgan
I'm here RWB I was just late. See you in the morning
