Colony Quest

>>53147

"Good morning, survivors. My name is Rollins."

Find basic resources and water, also use the girl's clothes to protect us from the (sun or the star) light

>>53147
Check to see if they are okay and find out who they are and what skills they have.
Then begin scavenging the wreckage for anything useful.

>>53182
+1

>>53182

>exposing a poor girl to the elements

This is not the way of the noble Cook

>>53147

Seconding >>53187.

>>53147
Mine plasteel from girl's arm and hope we set the AI storyteller to Friendly Phoebe

this is obviously inspired by rimworld.

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>>53175
>Good morning, survivors. My name is Rollins
The girl regards you.
>'Sup. Name's Mara.
The muscled man just stares at you dumbly. He raises his arms, as if to ask you to release him.
>Don't talk much does he? Must be a Tanker. They usually keep their heads hollow if ya know what I mean. Make's it easier to control 'em.
Mara walks over to the muscled man, then crushes the part connecting his shackles with her bionic hand.
>There ya go big fella.
>Thank...you. Me...Connor.
>Mara, and this here is Rollins.
Connor nods.
>>53187
You begin rifling through the debris of the ship. There are pieces of hull scattered across the desert. The others help you search. You manage to find some packaged FOOD and an intact WATER tank. There is enough here to last a week or thereabouts - given proper rationing.

>Hey come 'ere I found something!
Mara shouts at you, waving her arm. You run over and Connor follows. Mara is standing over a piece of wreckage.
>What is it?
>Connor mind grabbing that end?
She ignores you and points to one corner of cylindrical hull. Connor grabs it and she grabs the other. Then on the count of three they both push off and the wreckage is tossed aside. Underneath is a dead man, probably one of the ship security officers. His body has been split in half by the wreckage. Mara quickly inspects his body and pulls out a standard issue PISTOL and a LASER RIFLE. The PISTOL has a fully loaded magazine, but the LASER RIFLE has a broken FOCUS CRYSTAL. Mara ties the holster around her waist and throws you the rifle.
>It won't do much more than start small fires with that busted crystal. But then, we might need a small fire tonight
She smiles and ties up her short, blond hair into a ponytail.
>Where did you learn all this?
Her smile disappears.
>War is the best teacher.
Then she walks on.

It is now late afternoon. The sun will set in a few hours. Mara informs you that the desert gets cold at night and that you'll need to build a shelter and a fire to survive the cold temperatures.

What do you do?

>Resources:
FOOD (1wk)
WATER (1wk)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
LASER RIFLE (Rollins)

>>53484
>>53467
(Yep, it definitely is. But hopefully that doesn't turn out to be a bad thing :) )

>>53527
>Resources
also >>53182

>>53527
STRIKE THE EARTH

whip out the picks and start doing something rude to the surrounding geography

We will literally carve out our place in this land

>>53527
Prop a piece of hull up against a rock; that'll do for shelter. Light a fire at the entrance of the shelter with some of those shrubs.

Take the food and water inside the tent to protect from thieves.

>>53527
Survey the surrounding area and gather firewood
Tonight we can just camp in the escape pod

I imagine Connor is a bit of a gentle giant type. He probably would really dislike the act of killing, especially women or animals.
And as a long time rimworld player,
FUCKING SANITY LEVELS.
In fact, I'd say we should avoid hunting until we've gone through about half of our emergency rations, then we start, just to avoid sadness overall.
I say Mara and I should gather firewood while surveying the area for potential long term shelter, water, hydrothermal vents, areas of high wind, easy to protect against raids, etc, and we ask Connor to make some kind of simple shelter for the first couple nights.

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>>53918
You decide to split up. You ask Mara to come with you to survey the area for firewood. She seems a bit distant but agrees.
>>53582
Meanwhile you tell Connor to drag the escape pods near a particularly large piece of hull, to serve as a makeshift bed/camp for tonight.

You wander into the rock and sand under the burning sun. Mara is silent, constantly watching the flat horizon.
>>53580
After two hours or so of searching you fail to find any wood. The most you can do is gather some very dry bushes and some thin branches (also form the bushes) which you hope will suffice as tinder and fuel.

On your way back to the camp, the ground begins to shake and you hear a very low pitched hum. Mara taps your shoulder, you turn, she is pointing at something in the distance. You squint your eyes, you can see something long and silvery moving through the desert at an incredible speed.

You've seen something like this before, on one of the core worlds. Its a LeveTrain. Before either of you can react, it disappears beyond the horizon.

It looks like you're not alone on this planet.

You and Mara return to the camp Connor has set up. Its nothing more than one of the hull pieces propped up against a rock formation with bits of wreckage. The escape pods rest underneath in a triangle, with the food in the center. Connor lights up when he sees you all. He hugs you both a little too tightly and then runs over to the food. It looks like he was waiting for you guys to return, so you could all eat together.

You eat some of the food and water. Connor, in his broken manner, tells you that he was a bodyguard for a prominent core world politician. However, the politician was assassinated by a rival political party (though it was just a "car accident" in the newsfeeds). Long story short, Connor was blamed for failing to protect his mark. He was heading to a "detention facility" before the crash, which Mara later informs you, is an Asteroid Mine where prisoners live out the rest of their days doing hard labor and contracting lung cancer.

However, it seems Connor was not a Tanker - a genetically engineered slave. He was born in a medieval world, like yourself, and was actually the son of a powerful lord. However when he was young, he contracted a rare brain parasite, called Horseeater. His father was able to hire a core world surgeon to cure him, but war broke out before the surgeon could arrive and the planet became blacklisted, barring all transport from and to the planet. The war did not go well for Connor's family, they were captured and sold as slaves.

The brain parasite still lives in Connor's brain, but in exchange for limited intelligence, the parasite has given Connor greatly enhanced strength and reflexes, as well as regenerative abilities.

Connor has traveled the stars as a slave and donned many hats. He was a CONSTRUCTION WORKER, MINER, and a MEDIEVAL SOLDIER before becoming a BODYGUARD. Despite how he looks, he tells you that he is 85 years old.

>>54340
2/2

Mara doesn't say much beyond where she was going -- Ulkein Ceta 9, a "Floating Fortress". She apparently had a "job" there, though she does not tell you what it was.

You manage to start a fire with the broken Laser Rifle and then retire to the escape pods. Mara takes first watch. Its been a tiring day and sleep comes easy. Several hours later you are shaken awake by Connor. It is still dark.

As you huddle by the fire for warmth against the desert night, you see a cloud of dust rising in the distance. You have no idea what it could be.

What do you do?

>Resources:
FOOD (1wk)
WATER (1wk)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
LASER RIFLE (Rollins)

>>54389
Is there a scope on the rifle we can look at it through? If so do that

>>54389
>>54403
If not, we should snuff out the fire, grab as much food as possible, and ready ourselves for a potential fight from a greater vantage point, perhaps above, on the rock.
Ideally, this won't be people.
If it's people, hopefully we can avoid having all our water and food stolen through talking.
If they try, well then I guess things will get ugly.

>>54421
it's not necessarily a hostel party
could be a rescue

>>54430
That's true, but I doubt they'll be offended by us being cautious if they are.

>>54403
You bring the scope of the rifle to your eye. It looks like the battery which powers the scope UI is dead or broken, so that you cannot change the magnification level. Luckily, the magnification is set to high.

You see a creature about the size of a horse. It has large saucer-shaped eyes which shine pale blue in the darkness. It is shaped like a ferret or a gopher, but with giant, leg-size, claws. It is too far away to notice you and seems to be digging holes in the ground, stirring up the dust.

What do you do?

>>54558
Keep an eye on it while continuing our watch
It's not bothering us and we have no way of killing it for meat or anything at the moment

>>54599
Agreed.
No reason to risk killing it with some small shitty laser weapons when it could be very dangerous and most of the meat would go to waste.

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>>54599
You watch it for a while, but soon it disappears under the ground and the dust settles. The rest of your watch is uneventful.

At least you get to watch the sunrise - correction, suns, plural. A second star rises behind the first. The heat from both stars is now baking the dry earth.

You wake Mara and Connor. You all eat some of the food and water. Mara begins to grumble about the heat. Connor doesn't seem to mind. Thankfully the escape pods still have power left and their cooling vents are still operational, so you'll at least be able to sleep in comfort -- for now. But Mara notes that the batteries on the pods could run out or malfunction (especially in this heat) at any time.

>Ship...sails
Ship sails?
>He means the solar sails that ship used for secondary propulsion
Connor nods.
>Connor can you build a solar generator from the sails?
You ask.
>I...build. I know how. I...know. But need...tools. Uhhh....glue....metal glue...with fire.
>He means a welder. Hmm. I could probably make one from the laser rifle, but that would pretty much make it useless. There is also "that".
>"That"?
>Yeah, the LeveTrain. Must lead somewhere. They might have what we need.
>Yeah, but they might also be hundreds of miles from here!
>Naw, they gotta have refueling station or something near by.
>Still, you really wanna walk in this heat?
>Well its either that or the laser rifle.

What do you do?

>Resources:
FOOD (6d)
WATER (6d)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
LASER RIFLE (Rollins)

>>54778
Use the rifle as a welder

>>54778
So we lose some water and food gambling on meeting with the proprieters of the levetrain, where it's not even guaranteed we'd be able to get the stuff (not like we have much to trade)
or we don't gamble and lose the already busted laser rifle.

I'd say we don't take the chance.

Plus, we'd have some parts leftover I'm assuming.

>>54778
If it's possibly can we unplug the batteries to save energy when not needed? Or is it possible to take other items out of the liferaft like circuit boards that are no longer of use but might have trading potential?

>>54808
>>54842
You decide to hand over the laser rifle to Mara. She expertly takes it apart and reassembles it into a makeshift welder. You then collect the broken pieces of the solar sail which Connor fuses together and connects to the batteries of the pods.

Later in the afternoon the second sun sets and the temperature becomes bearable once again. Mara recommends searching the debris and gathering parts for building a simple radio transmitter. With the transmitter she hopes to establish contact with the natives. It sounds like a good idea, but it might also attract the wrong kind of attention.

You also need a permanent food and water source -- especially the latter.

>>55992
Connor informs you that there are extraneous systems, like the life support, docking, and propulsion systems, on the escape pod, which can be used for crafting other things or for trade -- if contact with friendlies are established.

While searching for the solar sails, you and Mara also spot herds of giant, brown-scaled, millipede-like creatures, about the size of cows, which seem to feed on the sand itself. You do not get close, for fear of startling the creatures. They seem to have no eyes or ears but instead must use something else to sense their environment, though you do not know what.

It is still a few hours before the crippling cold of the desert night sets in.

What do you do?

>Resources:
FOOD (6d)
WATER (6d)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)

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THE PODS:
I say we disassemble the docking system since we aren't flying anywhere anytime soon and see what we can do with it.

Is the propulsion able to move the pod while on the planet? Like turn it into a levitating mobile home of sorts?

If so then i say leave the propulsion system until we actually need the parts, otherwise it would probably be best to disassemble that too so that we have the ability to make stuff out of it.

GENERAL IDEAS:
Also since the A/C in the pods still works, its a good idea to sleep during the day while its hot, with a guard rotation, and work at night when it's cooler.

Those millipedes probably use antenna to feel ground vibrations so as long as we aren't making too many vibrations we should be fine, if they get close i say we hide in a pod till they leave though. At the least keep an eye on them for the time being.

For the radio i think we build a receiver first before building a transmitter, just to make sure we don't shitpost all over the airwaves.

For water we should find a tarp and a bucket and set a water collector up in case it rains, since it should at some point, hopefully soon.
Whats the general temp during the day and night anyways?

>>56244
Set it up as a solar still instead. That way we don't have to rely on the whims of the weather for water. Also, search the wreckage more and see if there's more escape pods. Maybe we can have Connor and Mara make some sort of hover craft. Also search for cloth for more desert appropriate clothing.

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>>56263
Oh wow i completely missed that in the OP. We should definitely scavenge as you said and make the solar still.

Since there's all that wreckage around we should probably get Connor to grab the different pieces and tear them apart to component bits and sort them into piles for Mara to look through for more useful parts.

Connor could also take any large nearly flat pieces of ship hull and make some small huts for storing items in.

Since we have the draw function thingy can we possibly get a map of the area of the crash and where things are in the vicinity?

(If not that's fine)

>>56334
We should also see if we can make a solar oven, too. Since fuel for fires is going to be a serious issue.
>op is dead?

>>56520
Good point, we could also probably make some spears for either hunting those cows, once we've established a safe area to live, or for putting up around the camp as spikes/deterents.

Solar oven should be easy to make though.

>>56520
Oh and I don't think OP is dead, either asleep or only checking the post periodically. I don't mind since it gives us time to think.

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>>56244
(Just some info)

1. Propulsion - The propulsion system is kind of a misnomer, its mostly just thrusters which soften the landing. You've run out fuel for them, but they are still operational. They also only move in one direction i.e up. There are also a set of much smaller, secondary thrusters whose purpose is just to give some level of control over the descent. Both of these systems could be refit for some kind of vehicle, but, currently, you have no fuel.
2. Temperature and Weather - There are three time periods: Morning + afternoon with 2 suns, Afternoon with 1 sun, and Nighttime.
2 suns: 98 - 120F (36-48C)
1 sun: 70 - 98F (21-36C)
Nighttime: 26 - 32F (-3-0C)
Average yearly rainfall is only a few millimeters, so I wouldn't count on rain for supplying your water.
>>56263
3. For the still, you still need water to begin with, impure or otherwise. (Protip: Desert plants like cacti or desert animals like the desertpede and sandmole usually have reservoirs of water somewhere in their bodies.)
>>56334

Ok now for the actual post:

You bring up the idea of building a solar still to purify any water you all might come across. Connor lets you know it is possible, but diverting the power from the pods would mean one person would have to sleep without the benefit of A/C every night.

While you debate the merits of this, you eat lunch then scavenge some more materials from the crash site. Mara finds enough components to build a short-range radio (also using some microcircuits from the escape pods' docking computer). It doesn't take long before the radio picks up communications between natives. You all decide to hold off on sending out any messages and just listen, but Mara tells you that the radio will send out a weak signal regardless. You hope it is not strong enough to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Connor spends the day lugging sheets of metal from the hulls and building some sheds where you can protect the food and water from the elements.

You also find several more dead bodies and spend the remaining daylight, stripping and burying them. Although none of you are tailors, you fashion a few kaffiyehs for keeping the dust and sun out of your face.

As before the three of you keep watch in turns during the night, this time with the company of the radio. You can barely understand native's dialect (though Mara understands them just fine) but it is comforting to hear another human voice.

In the morning you all have breakfast then immediately retire back into your pods until the second sun sets.

What do you do?

>Resources:
FOOD (5d)
WATER (5d)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)

>>56538
You misunderstand what a solar still is.
It doesn't purify water, it draws condensation from the air to provide fresh water.
Also, make spears, and maybe float the idea of simple crossbows for hunting the slug things.
Make solar convection oven.
Float the idea of make big, solar powered fans to cool off the campsite.
Ask Mara to begin an analysis of the radio transmissions. Figure out who they are, what they're talking about, and maybe, try and find the direction of the transmissions.

>>56572
Actually I believe the solar still can only extract water from the soil. Otherwise it is only used as a distillation device for purifying water. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_still

In any case. you can still extract water from the desert sand/soil, but it will not be enough to sustain 3 people.

Next post will be tomorrow as its quite late here. Hope you anons are enjoying it so far!

>>56538
I guess go hunt one of the desertpedes

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>>56109
Okay, so the way I see it, before we make any kind of decisions, we should get a game plan.

Here are some things that we need for any kind of long term sustainability:

Reliable water source. (None at the moment, rainfall seems like a pipe dream, and unless there's a lake or underground system nearby, which is completely possible due to the large animals roaming, we're going to run out of water. We also need a way to boil any we do find, and although I would hope that we have small enough containers available to us for use as boiling pots, I don't actually know. )

Sustainable nutrition source (None at the moment. The Muffalos, or millipede buffalos which feed on the sand, offer a promising livestock solution, but we'll get a whole heap of problems without proper vegetation in our diets. I doubt that both the soil and climate here are crop-sustaining, and especially not year round, because of the rapid and drastic temperature changes, so the only hope of that here is to make contact and purchase/trade for them)

Communication (It's dangerous, but if we're careful on the shortwave, we can listen and learn who's trustworthy before attempting to make contact)

Habitation (Unfortunately, out here there's just not much else we can do without materials, maybe mine out a cave or find a natural one. Heck, maybe if we do find a cave, it could lead us to water, but so far it seems we're SOL)

--

If we can figure out a way to meet those basic criteria, I imagine we can work with problems as they come instead of getting overwhelmed, and we can actually survive.

If not, we need to move to a place where those criteria can be met, or we'll be dead.

We can stretch our water supply a couple more days, maybe 2 if we set up a pit still to recollect from urine, without being retarded and drinking our own pee cough cough baer grylls.

I'll attach a drawing just to make this explanation even clearer:
A pit still uses sunlight to purify and collect water.
To build one, you need a container, some sort of clear plastic covering, some rocks, a pit, and some sort of impure liquid that has at least some water in it.
You first dig the pit, and you place the container in the center. You pour whatever liquid you want to purify into the surrounding pit (NOT THE CONTAINER), you place the clear plastic covering over the pit and secure it down with rocks around the rim. Then, you place a smaller rock in the center directly above the container, and as water evaporates from the liquid in the pit, it will condense onto the underside of the plastic, run to the center, and collect in the container, leaving minerals, toxins, and bacteria for dead in the pit.
No need to waste our power on this, it's that simple.
It's not sustainable though, our bodies use a lot of the water we drink, but it will help us keep going.

--

During the time I've been writing this, I've missed an OP post, so I'll leave it at that for now, and for the other anons to deliberate.

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>>56538
leave thrusters until fuel is figured out then, probably wasted effort right now to retrofit them on something else.

-

Also, ask Mara about her arm, can it be used for anything special?

-

I definitely think we should be taking mid day siestas if the temp is getting above 100 degrees because otherwise you're sweating away more water than it's worth. Then we could work right before dawn until second sunrise, and right after first sun sets until it starts getting to cold. This way were only operating during fairly sustainable temps of 60 to 100 ish.

-

Cacti, we should send the MC Chef out to look for edible plants and cacti, assuming he knows this kinda stuff, and to look for cacti to bring back for water and eating.

Have the DesertPedes demonstrated an ability to burrow? If not We can try trapping one of those DesertPedes by making pic related and then letting it sit in there to determine how it reacts. Further decisions on either husbandry or killing it can be made later at groups discretion.

If that trap doesn't work or they can burrow, then we can make a pit lined with ship walls so they can't burrow out and then just kill it in there.

(Pic related is just a way to funnel an animal into a pen, dotted line just indicates a door that could be slide closed upon animal entering. Walls could be made from old ship walls, but they only need to be high enough to prevent the DesertPede from stepping over them. This trap is passive and so hopefully wouldn't anger the desertpede in any way.)

Regardless of what happens to the desertpedes as food or livestock, all desert animals have a place they rest at the hottest points of the day, so if we follow them were bound to find some cool and moist areas.

Any other ideas here?


>>56637
I concur with everything you've said.

spears are definitely a good idea since im sure we've got some long skinny metal rods from teh wreckage we can sharpen.

A good temporary shelter though would be to dig out a small dugout and put some ship wall over the top and the sand on top of that to negate all the heat since once oyu get like a foot into desert the ground gets a lot colder, even during the day. Refer to this video for an idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anGn5_ndShk

-

WATER:
a quick review of my survival guide says that digging holes in low areas of the desert, near large formations of greenery, and condensation from the rapid heating and cooling of the metal we have are all good ways to obtain water in a desert. Mashing cactus pulp is also good as mentioned above.

We have lots of metal so why not set it up in a way to facilitates easy wiping/collecting of condensation off of them in the morning and night?

---

OP are there any trees or bushes nearby, rocks or small mountains maybe? Also what's the estimated distance to the levetrain?

Anyone else got any ideas?

>>56913
Insomnia's hitting me pretty hard tonight, so I'm gonna throw in a couple more ideas to the hat:

If there are any electrical motors used in any part of the pod, and I'm assuming there to be some in the docking ports, then we have small generators that we can use to charge handheld devices via crank.

This would probably give us a significant upper hand in coordinated defense with, say, walkie talkies.

I'm not a botanist, but I think we're absolutely fucked in the growing our own veggies department here.
The rapid and long lasting cold flashes dipping below 0 C, the native flora, the probable lack of significant amounts of anaerobic bacteria getting proper nitrogen into the soil, significant water scarcity, etc.

To grow anything, we'd either need to plant crops of edible cacti, or we need to set up a climate controlled greenhouse and work carefully with the soil to culture it.

I definitely think we should for now set up a kind of array of any metal rods we have.
In the morning, just as the temperature begins rising past about 10 C would probably be when the water on the pipes would peak. We could wipe as much water as possible into the container(s), then we'd set up the pit still (all piss in it) for the day, and get to work.

So, I think we have a game plan for the next couple OP posts.
>Follow the desertpede herd, looking for water, caves, vegetation, anything
>Make a few spears
>Construct an array of extra metal rods to collect some water from condensation
>Make a pit still
>Try and build a better shelter, or at least start one.
>Try and build a transceiver radio.
>After learning the general behavioral trends of the desertpedes, possibly construct a pen, and try to get a few in it.
>After determining the presence, or nonthereof, water, follow the levetrain and go from there.
>[...] other posters encouraged to add to this to-do list

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>>56637
(Yeah I just realized I was a retard, solar stills don't require energy; you can ignore the bit about siphoning power from the batteries)

>>56913
You ask about Mara's arm. She is reluctant to talk about it, but she tells you that it gives her enhanced strength and flexibility. The arm is also modular, allowing certain parts to be interchanged for different tasks. Unfortunately she only has the standard issue arm the others
>ain't covered by my insurance

You have already begun a routine, sleeping through the two suns and arising when the first sun has set and the second is high in the sky.

With the conservation of water becoming increasingly more important, Mara builds a simple solar still for
>Re-usin' our fluids
This doubles your water supply for the time being, but no one is happy about having to "re-use their fluids".

You spend the rest of the day gathering more metal sheets from the crash sites. Connor uses his welder to fashion some crude instruments from the metal: a wrench, hammer, saw, as well as some 6' long spears (which are nothing more than some poles cut at an angle and its end hammered into a point).

Mara also has the bright idea of laying down some of the flatter sheets of metal in a "V" shape to collect condensed water.

You decide to gather anything edible and to check up on the herds of desertpedes. The man-size cacti which litter the landscape contain a thick, clear liquid in their centers. You suspect it is toxic, given the smell, but you also know, if properly filtered, they could be an adequate source of water, albeit requiring some work to extract.

Meanwhile, Connor and Mara have finished building some essential tools: >>57301
a solar oven, some walkie-talkies (from the remaining parts of the docking computer), and a hand-cranked (for now) generator (using an air purifier turbine Connor found in the wreckage).

As for the desertpedes they are curious creatures -- not particularly intelligent or belligerent, they wander aimlessly through the desert, gliding above the sand. You follow one of the herds for a few hours, and even get close enough to touch one of them. They don't mind you. Their layered scales are surprisingly cool to the touch. Despite your better judgement you put your cheek against the refreshing cold to cool off. Following the desertpedes leads you far from the camp. The second sun is beginning to set and already the temperature is dropping. The desertpedes are gliding with purpose now, perhaps to a nightly shelter. You are also getting a little hungry.

What will you do?

>>58217
>Resources:
FOOD (5d)
WATER (10d)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
6' CRUDE SPEAR (Mara, Connor, Rollins)
SIMPLE TOOLS (Connor)

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Some crude sketches (just learning how to use GIMP, bear with me)

1/2

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>>58523
2/2

>>58217
For now I think we should mark on the map the path the desertpedes took from where we started to now and the projected direction. Then turn around and head back for camp. We can try tracking them again tomorrow.

The cool scales could be of great use if we find a way to trap one and then kill it. But let's not do that yet.

Pass out the Walkie talkies once back so everyone can stay in contact without needing to be in line of sight. Only use in case of emergency though since we still don't want to broadcast our location. Check up on Mara's analysis of the radio signals we're receiving from nearby.

The cacti juice should be able to evaporate into water along with the piss if we pour it in the pit so do that with a bunch of the cacti. But to be safe let's build a rudimentary dirt filter to run it through and then pour it in the piss pit.

Have Connor alternate between Work on the dugout, since it's less conspicuous from far away, and salvaging stuff from the wreckage.

Did we notice anything in the landscape while following the desertpedes?

-----

And something of note for other anons to think about, but if we have solar panels charging batteries, and a hand crank generator connected to the grid, we can actually use the batteries to turn the crank (due to the properties of electric fields) and turn something for us. Maybe a water well if we have piping that we can put far enough in the ground? Or a fan.

>>58523
>>58526
Just missed these, love the art OP, really helps visualize what's going on. Btw has the sandmoke reappeared at all?

>>58553
Yes and at this point, all three of you have seen a sandmole during your nightly watch. It doesn't really do much, just dig holes and it is always far away enough to never notice you. It seems to only come out at night.

(I'll wait for a few more anons to chip in before the next update).

>>58597
Ya sure, makes it a lot more fun with discussion!

I'm coming from /k/ as my home board but this is really fun! It's relaxing in an odd way.

Get a name and a trip, OP. If you plan to make this a regular thing, of course.

File: desertpede.jpg (2MB, 3264x2448px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 3264x2448px

>>58536
You decide not to follow the desertpedes at night. You follow the landmarks you noted earlier and make your way back to camp as the sun dips below the horizon. Mara is keeping first watch and greets you as you come in. You eat and chat with Mara. She hands you one of the walkie-talkies and tells you to keep it on your person. You tell her about the desertpedes, their movements, their behavior and the coolness of their scales.
>Could hunt 'em. We'll be outta food soon too.
She grips her spear.
>Speaking of food, the cacti around here have water in them -- or something like water which we can purify using the still
>Still aint a permanent source, but it'll do. Did the desertpedes lead you to any water?
>No. They just wandered around. Of course they were heading somewhere once the sun started to set, maybe some place to get out of the cold, but I didn't follow them.
>Hmm. Good move. You see anything else?
>There are some mountains far in the south, you can't see them unless you get closer, because of the dust, but they are there.
>South? That's the same direction the LeveTrain came from. The radio chatter also mentioned something in the south.
>Speaking of that, did you make contact yet?
>Not yet. Still just listening. So far I've found three channels belonging to three different groups. One of 'em is in the north, probably a settlement of some sort, lots of chatter. Another one is to the south, I think it might be the refueling station for the LeveTrain. Its not too far from here, maybe 8 or 9 miles.
>And the settlement?
>I'd guess its to the north, maybe where the LeveTrain was heading. Its far though, couple hundred miles at least.
>And the third group?
>That's the one that worries me. I think the pirates that hit the ship, landed and are searching through the rubble for whatever they came for.
>Shit.
>Yeah. But no worries. My guess is they'd have landed by the settlement. It'll be a while 'fore they come out 'ere. But they will, eventually. So we have to be prepared.
You bury your head in hands at this revelation.
>You scared?
>Yes! Aren't you?
>A little. But a little fear never hurt nobody. We'll be alright.
>I hope you're right.

And with that you retire to the pod. You all sleep through the hot morning. In the afternoon, as you are eating breakfast, you see Mara (who had gone out to check the still) running full sprint toward the camp. You bolt up.
>What's wrong?
>People...hah...coming this way.
She rests on her knees and catches her breath.
>Gimme the scope.
You give her the laser scope. She looks through it and points toward the north. You squint your eyes and see 2 dust clouds rising into the air. She hands you the scope to look.

You look through the scope and see 2 desertpedes, moving at an astonishing speed toward one of the crash sites.

On top of them ride two men, 1 on each beast.

WDYD

>Resources:
FOOD (5d)
WATER (10d)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
6' CRUDE SPEAR (Mara, Connor, Rollins)
SIMPLE TOOLS (Connor)

>>59337
>Resources*:
FOOD (4d)
WATER (9d)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
6' CRUDE SPEAR (Mara, Connor, Rollins)
SIMPLE TOOLS (Connor)

>>59337
Hide somewhere and prepare for ambush. They could be the pirates

>>59337
Agree with >>59358

But if possible we should hide away from camp, but only if we can do so without getting spotted easily.

>>59358
This but grab the food, too. Also, when the emergency is over, we should make a filter by layering charcoal from our fire between layers of sand in a cylinder made from scrap with a hole in the bottom.

>>59358
>>59583
You grab the spears and flee the campsite, hiding behind the various rock formation littering the landscape. The desertpede-riders move to the crashsite northwest of your camp. They are close enough now that you can see them clearly. They are wearing suits of armor made of desertpede scales. Their armor covers their head and torso, but not their legs or arms, which are covered by ordinary cloth. Around their hips are waterskins and a long curved sheath.

They dismount their beasts and begin rifling around the wreckage. Speaking loudly in their dialect.
>They ain't pirates. Might be from the settlement I heard on the radio
Mara whispers in your ear.
>What should we do?
You ask. Mara take out and cocks her pistol.

What do you do?

>Resources*:
FOOD (4d)
WATER (9d)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
6' CRUDE SPEAR (Mara, Connor, Rollins)
SIMPLE TOOLS (Connor)

>>62103
Observe and stay out of sight for now. We still don't know if they're just curious or looking to kill us. Also what direction did they come from on the map?

Was it related to one of the settlements heard on the radio?

>>62273
They come from the north, thats what way mara sees them through the scope, and it's unconfirmed if its the same settlers on the radio.
Stay out of sight and see what they do.

>>62499
Gah i've been so busy today i'm forgetting by lore already, thanks

>>62273
>>62499
You grab Mara's arm and shake your head. The reluctantly puts the gun back in its holster. You watch the two men strap several pieces of sheet metal and assorted wreckage onto the desertpedes. Then one of them notices your camp.

They lead the desertpedes to your camp and begin rifling around your things. You were able to grab the food before you left but the water tank was too heavy to carry. They have spotted the water tank and are talking excitedly over it. They begin rolling the tank toward one of the desertpedes.
>Aw hell no. Are we just gonna watch 'em?

What do you do?

>>66133

Call out and let them know you want to talk?

>>66133
THESE MOTHER FUCKERS
are probably just scavenging and trying to survive like us.
We should >>66141
cautiously.
Maybe say "Friend or Foe?" in as many languages as we know, just hope that they can pick some of it up.

>>66141
>>66209
You nod at Mara and on the count of three emerge from your hiding place, spears and pistol bared.

Mara shouts something in their dialect which you do not understand. You've caught them by surprise. Their hands move to their sheaths, but Mara shouts something else and they quickly put their hands up, letting go of the barrel.

You and Connor run over to them. Mara says something and they kneel to the ground. They begin talking frantically with Mara.
>What are they saying?
>They didn't know we were here. They thought the camp was abandoned...they say they don't want any trouble.
>Well that's good. Where are they from?
Mara relays the question.
>Khabi
They answer.
>Khabi..I've heard that before, its the settlement I heard on the radio.
>So they're not pirates?
>Nope. They say they saw something crash here a few days ago and came to investigate... They say they're willing to pay for the stuff they found in the crash site.
>What?
>They-they think we have ownership over this area. Or something like that.

What will you do?

>>66441
Since there is three crash sites let's give them free reign over one in exchange for friendly relations and a cut of whatever money they make from the salvage.

This way we can try to establish contact with other more modern civilizations without pissing off people.

Also ask them for info about the area.

>>66441
>ask what they have to trade

File: Crash Site.jpg (55KB, 650x366px) Image search: [Google]

55KB, 650x366px

>>67240
>Ask them what they can offer us
Mara holsters her gun. The others relax and go to their deserpedes to show their wares. They don't have much, a few odd trinkets and rations enough for two people. You ask Connor and Mara to examine their items for anything of interest.
They identify three items:
1. A long conical object, somewhat like a icepick but with a small hollow tube where the point should be, used to "milk the desertpedes" whatever that means.
2. A fist-size metal sphere which Mara informs you is a weak shield generator. Mara tells you it is too weak to protect even against small arms fire. But the Khabins use it as a temporary shelter, as the shield maintains a constant internal temperature within its bounds. It is battery powered.
3. A GPS device with several different types of satellite imagery.
There is also:
4. A small container filled with strong-smelling liquid which you suspect is some kind of fermented beverage.

>>67226
You also tell Mara to ask the visitors if they are interested in "buying" one of the crash sites, in exchange for friendly relations, a small cut of any profits and of course, future trade.

The visitors seem very excited by this offer, but say they must confer with the Sheikh, their leader, before agreeing to such a deal. In the meantime they request to stay in your camp for the night, both as a token of your hospitality and out of fear of something they call "Al-Beduwi", as they don't think they can make it back to their settlement before nightfall.

What will you do?

>>67554
Invite them to stay and trade for the GPS device. Ask about milking desertpedes

>>67554
Ask where they got the shield generator and how to take desertpedes in addition to >>67661

I doubt these guys made the shield generator themselves but it's interesting they have it none the less.

>>68716
Tame* not take

File: Jawharat.jpg (321KB, 1500x784px) Image search: [Google]

321KB, 1500x784px

>>67661
You decide to ask for the GPS device. They hand it over readily. You then tell them (through Mara) that they are welcome to stay the night, but that you do not have any beds to accommodate them. They tell you that the shield generator will suffice for accommodation. They also have bedrolls.

The rest of the day is uneventful. Connor continues gathering more metal from the wreckage sites. You now have enough metal to build a BUILDING (see below).

You and Mara spend time chatting with the visitors. They are called: Maha ibn Majdi al-Habii and An'mee al-Za, or Maha and Al-Za for short. You ask them about the desertpedes, which they call "Baqarah". They tell you that the baqarah are the lifeblood of Khabin people. No one knows who tamed the first one, but since then they have been bred for nourishment and travel. They show you how they use the icepick-looking tool to extract a pale-white, viscous fluid from the side of the beasts. The liquid smells faintly of vanilla. You are offered a taste. It is extremely sweet, like honey with a sour aftertaste. The visitors laugh when your face scrunches up from the sweetness. They explain how they filter the sugar from the liquid and drink the liquid as a substitute for water. The sugar they obtain, they use to preserve food and to trade with the people "beyond the mountain".

You ask them how they tamed the Baqarah, but they explain that their tribe are not breeders (which are highly esteemed in their society) but merely merchant folk and farmers. The secret of taming and breeding the Baqarah is a closely guarded one -- one they do not know.

You also ask about the shield generator. They tell you the "magic orb" was bought from the "people beyond the mountains" who come in the "metal baqarah" once every season, to trade with the various Khabin settlements.

Before the shields, the Khabin were a nomadic people (and some tribes still are), their lives were brutal and short. But the shields changed all that. They were able to grow crops, settle down, live in one place, build houses, towns. >Far, far to the north, beyond the "Sanadaan Al-Shsams", lies the city of Jawharat. Called "Jawharat Wasat Al-Ramal" by our people. We have only seen it once. When we were but children. But truly, it was well named: a city of lights, burning like a jewel, competing against the very stars. Such a thing is only possible because of the magic of these orbs."

Soon the night falls. You dine and laugh with the visitors. Maha is the more sociable of the two, whereas Al-Za is quiet and speaks only to add a witty word or two. Al-Za is also the younger of the two, only a little older than Mara. Mara seems quite fond of Al-Za. Maha is about your age.

What will you do? (Any other questions you want to ask?)

>Resources*:
FOOD (3d)
WATER (8d)

METAL (1)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
6' CRUDE SPEAR (Mara, Connor, Rollins)
SIMPLE TOOLS (Connor)
GPS (Mara)

>Buildings (number | quality | cost )
None

(1/2)

(2/2)

You can build:
Shoddy Bedroom - Just 4 walls and a roof with your escape pod as the bed.
Shoddy Bathroom - 4 walls, a roof and a hole in the ground. A deep hole.
Shoddy Dining Room - 4 walls, a roof and a sheet of metal held up by some metal poles, for a table. No chairs.
Baqarah Barn - A fairly large shed with stalls for Baqarah to live in
Other - Write-in

(N.B, you can also save metal for better buildings)

>>69275
Use a bit of metal to make our own Baqarah milking device, copying Maha and Al-Za's.

Ask about Al-Beduwi

Ask if any newcomers came to Khabi around the time of the crash who seemed like they were going to investigate it (or just ask if anyone looked like a pirate)

>>69275
Ask them for any info on the mountain people

Ask for info on the jeweled city that they know of.

Ask when the last time the metal Baqarah came and how long a yearly cycle is as a reference point.

Tell them for the first bit of scrap they take we want our cut of profits paid in a variety of preserved and other foods. Also for advice on farming methods in the area.

somehow make sure that they are bound to their word concerning the trade deal once they leave.

Ask for details about the Baqarah scales and why they stay cool, ask if they're useful for anything.

>>69330
Save metal for a better building. We're in no rush. Although making the Milker >>69407 is a good idea.

Also why not remove the thrusters from the escape pods now that we have allies of a sort.

Finally ask them what their plans are for the scrap and for any new info on the surrounding area, flora and fauna

Oh, and ask Mara how she knows their language.

>>70141
I'd leave out the bound to their word thing. They'll be insulted and if they were going to break their word anyway, telling them "you're bound to your word" wouldn't stop them.

>>70328
True, im thinking as if dealing with humans lol

>>69407
>Ask about Al-Beduwi

This question makes them nervous.
>al-Beduwi are...men who have lost their way.
>That is not correct Maha. There are no men among al-Beduwi. They are demons.
says al-Za.
>Demons?
You ask (through Mara)
>They have lost all semblance of humanity. They are as the creatures of the desert: desperate, vicious and always, always hungry. Always seeking prey. The heat and the hunger...it incites them to madness; they feast on the flesh of their own kin, and wear the skins of man, as clothing. I warn you to avoid them and above all do not try to reason with them. They are animals. Demons.

>>69407
>Ask if any newcomers came to Khabi around the time of the crash who seemed like they were going to investigate it (or just ask if anyone looked like a pirate)

Maha is happy to change the subject.
>Yes. They came on a metal bird and wanted accommodation, in exchange for several powerful magical artifacts. I believe they speak the same way you do. Are they with you?
>No. Anything distinguishing about them?
>Their clothing was very strange. They wore red masks which had a white cross running down the middle.
Mara is startled and gives you a look, but does not say anything.
>These men, what did they ask for?
>Baqarah. They wished to traverse the sands. We rode with them for a while, but we parted ways around sunrise.

>>70141
>Ask them for any info on the mountain people
>Ask when the last time the metal Baqarah came and how long a yearly cycle is as a reference point.

They tell you the "people beyond the mountain" are secretive and powerful. They began trading with the Khabin only a few hundred years ago. But the Khabin are very grateful to the "Sukkanaljibal" (or Jibali for short). They have provided the Khabin with a way of life which was previously impossible. Every season the "metal baqarah" (which from their descriptions sounds a lot like a LeveTrain), comes to the Khabin settlements with powerful "magical artifacts". The Khabin trade the baqarah-sugar, among other goods, for these artifacts. It is just as well that the baqarah cannot survive anywhere but in this desert, else the Jibali would have lost interest long ago.

The talk of seasons also spurs them to explain the climate and weather of the desert. There are essentially 3 seasons or "fatras". The first fatra is called al-Shams Wahida. It is the hottest season of the year, despite there only being one sun in the sky during this time. Apparently the yellow sun grows bigger and bigger at the approach of this season, then "swallows the red sun whole". Subsequently, the yellow sun diminishes in size, until the red sun reappears in the second fatra: Shamsin. This is the season you are in right now. Finally as time passes the red sun begins to rise farther and farther away from the yellow sun, while the time between the setting of the two suns lengthens more and more, until, finally it is the third fatra: Kul Shumus, where it is day all the time.

(1/2)

File: Shamsin.png (2MB, 1103x800px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 1103x800px

2/2

The seasons then reverse, going back to Shamsin, and then back again to al-Shams Wahida. The new year is marked by the beginning of al-Shams Wahida, specifically when the yellow sun fully engulfs the red sun. The entire year takes 400 days, with al-Shams Wahida being the quickest fatra (~60 days) and Kul Shumus being the longest (~240 days).

>>70141
>Tell them for the first bit of scrap they take we want our cut of profits paid in a variety of preserved and other foods. Also for advice on farming methods in the area.

They are happy to oblige, but again they first have to talk with their Sheikh before entering to any such agreements. As for farming methods, the Jibali have provided the Khabin with seed and soil from their lands, which they are willing to sell to you, but they tell you it is impossible to grow anything without the shielding technology. as the seasonal temperature fluctuations kill all but the hardiest of plants. Through, in the times before the Jibali, the Khabin cultivated cacti and drank the nectar found inside. But, even the cacti have trouble surviving through al-Shams Wahida.

>>70141
>Ask for details about the Baqarah scales and why they stay cool, ask if they're useful for anything.

The scales are apparently the molted shells of baqarah. During the al-Shams Wahida, the baqarah enter into hibernation. When they come out of hibernation in Shamsin, they shed their shells. These shells are collected by the Khabin and fashioned into light, extremely heat resistant clothing.

>>70141
>Oh, and ask Mara how she knows their language

After chatting several hours with Maha and al-Za, they retire to their beds. You are gracious enough to allow them to stay in the food shed, where they activate the shield generator. A pale blue field wraps around the entire camp, cutting off the wind and raising the temperature to a comfortable level.

As Mara prepares herself for the first watch, you ask her how she came to know the language of the Khabin. She tells you that the Khabin speak a dialect similar to one spoken by her "master". There are differences in the vocabulary (though not many), but the grammar and structure are identical. She does not say anything more.

In the morning, Maha and al-Za prepare themselves for the journey home. Connor manages to use some of the metal and (with al-Za's help) fashions a duplicate of the baqarah-milker.

Before they leave, Maha asks if you wish to go with them. It would expedite the process if one of you spoke to the Sheikh, directly. Since, Mara is the only one that speaks their language, it would have to be her (they can only take one person). Of course...it could also be a trap.

What do you do?

>Resources*:
FOOD (3d)
WATER (8d)

METAL (1)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
6' CRUDE SPEAR (Mara, Connor, Rollins)
SIMPLE TOOLS (Connor)
GPS (Mara)
MILKER (Connor)

>Buildings (number | quality | cost )
None

P.S Let me know if you guys find the background/world-building and foreign names for everything to be too excessive.

>>71585
I've been really impressed with you named and culture building, keep it up

>>71585
No way! It's amazing so far. Great to see a well-developed mideast culture for a change.

>>71578
>Mara should stay. She's pretty useful here and we don't want her running into the pirates.

>Ask Mara what she knows about the red masks with white crosses

We might check out the refueling station in the meantime. Speaking of which:

>Before they go, ask Maha & Al-Za about the refueling station

>>71578
If Mara thinks she can hold down the fort then it would be better to go. Plus no one is after us unlike Mara so we should go relatively unnoticed.

>>71585
Like the others I'm really loving the lore, keep it up!

(Updates will be more frequent during the weekends)
>>71616
Mara tells you that she is willing to go.
>But what about the pirates - with the red masks?
>Those ain't pirates. They're the Order of the White Cross
Mara's face and intonation tell you that pirates would've been better.
>Don't worry, the Order doesn't hurt women. I'll be fine.
>Hurt women - wait what? Why?
>Because they *are* women, all of 'em -- look its a long story, and we can worry about it later, after I return. Don't forget that our food supply is running short. We should speed this up however we can. 'Sides, it a matter of principle. You wanna make a deal like this, you do it face to face.
>But it could be a trap.
>So? Its an uncertain death to a certain one out here. We're trading up -- far as I'm concerned.
She seems adamant about going, and you get the feeling she'll be upset if you bar her, but that she will obey you if you do.

As for the refueling station, Maha tells you that he doesn't know of any such thing. Though he is intrigued by your walkie-talkie. He tells you that only those close to the Sheikhs are given such artifacts.

What will you do?

>Resources*:
FOOD (3d)
WATER (8d)

METAL (1)

>Tools/Equipment
PISTOL (Mara)
6' CRUDE SPEAR (Mara, Connor, Rollins)
SIMPLE TOOLS (Connor)
GPS (Mara)
MILKER (Connor)

>Buildings (number | quality | cost )
None

>>75640
Well lets let Mara go then if shes not worried about the red and white people. She's proven capable, just remind not everyone is out to kill us since she has been a little to itchy on teh trigger it seems. We can focus on the camp while shes gone.

>>76746
Supporting