Turn 5: Salamander
[1-1] Jake opens his crate, and takes a single stick of dynamite out. As he is about to close it up, a single burning leaf floats down from overhead. As he watches, it lands in the middle, and the packing straw begins to burn.
Anna has a tough time deciding what to do. On one hand, she could take a better look around to make sure nothing is sneaking up on her. On the other she could spend the time backing away from the ravine trying to find a place to rest. She decided to get away from the edge of the ravine first. [2] As she walks away, her foot slips, and she slides slowly over the edge of the ravine. At the last possible moment, she grabs a vine lying on the forest floor that stretches over the edge. Looking down the vine descends into the darkness. Wait. She freezes, in a cave set in the far wall of the ravine she can see a flickering light for a moment. Then it is gone, and all that remains is her and the darkness.
[1] Blake stands up and stretches. He figures that he needs a place to sleep for the night after all that excitement. He looks at all the nearby trees, but they all seem to be monstrous things, over 100 yards tall and with the branches so high above his head he can’t even see them in the dark. Just when he is about to despair, he finds a standing stone. It looks carved and ancient; the remnant of a long dead civilization. He wheezes, and on the third try manages to scale it, fitting his fingers into the cracks and shambling to the top. The top of the stone is fairly flat, and has even accumulated enough leaves to act as a good bed. He closes his eyes for a second, and a gale rises, and he can feel his bones vibrating with a strange pressure. As he opens them, he sees
something blindingly bright in the shape of a man floating above the surface of the water and then winking out. [3]v[4] At that moment Blake feels something slithering on the other side of the stone. It strikes lethargically at him, Blake is too horrified to react, but one of the books in his pants does it for him.
[6-1] No, this would not do. No, he would not die in this desolate burning hellhole. No, that madman would not escape from justice. Plate stands up, and although he can’t see the river, he can feel it. He can feel the direction that justice lies in, and he will not be denied. He walks, propelling his gasping shuddering wreck of a body forwards. Suddenly he simply plops into the river.
((I thought about giving you a trait for surviving, but then I decided that you still had to get out of the river, so the trait can wait till then, assuming you manage to get out of the river that is))
[Loses !!Fire!!]
[1-1-1] John struggles to get up so he can take the dozen steps remaining to the river, then a better idea crosses his oxygen starved mind. He decides that if he rolls into the river, it won’t really matter if his leg is broken. He has vague memories of wheels from bikes and cars, seemingly memories of another life. A single important fact comes to the forefront of his mind, they always had spokes through them. Obviously it helped them be able to roll better. It is instantly obvious that he needs to roll better then he has ever rolled before. In a single motion, he takes his fishing rod, and drives it through the middle of his chest. He then lays down, and tries to roll into the river, but finds that his spoke actually makes rolling harder. How strange.
[-30 HP]
[
Heavy Bleeding]
[
Impaled by Fishing Pole]
[Lost Pole from inventory]
[Light bleeding healed]
[4]v[2+1] The crocodile musters its mental resources, and strains against the HAMMER POWER holding it down. The HAMMER POWER resists, but its fabric is raw and thin; made by a man far too untrained to hold a beast such as this back for long. His rider notices the change in his mount, and quickly attempts to punch him back into submission. [5+1]v[3+2] Tony punches with all his strength, and the crocodile writhes in his grasp. But it was caught unaware, and is restrained once more. But the bonds are weaker, and the crocodile is already planning his rebellion.
((Now you have to beat the crocodile in a roll to keep him suppressed (instead of him having him to beat you to free himself), which makes it a bit harder to keep him in check)).
[6+1] Kicking upwards Joe manages to stick his head above the water. He whispers things to the fire, words of kinship. Of friendship. Of love. And the fire hears. And the fire roars. And the fire sings back to him. A song told through the crackling of its burning heart. And Joe opened his mouth and sung, and a weird wind arose. It reached down, and lifted Joe out of the water, and Joe sung, and fire responded as if drawn by the wind. For a second it bent towards him, drawn like iron to a magnet. Then it rose, and shot from the earth and the trees and the water. It swirled around Joe, a living suit of flame. And he rose high on his power. And he opened his mouth, and the fire came into him, through him, permeating his being. And he glowed, with the power of his fire and his new nature he burnt. And he found he had a word for what he now was:
salamander.
For a second all was perfection, this jungle would crumble before his newfound power, then the world itself would burn before him. Then, as if in response, the sky opened up, and a solid layer of rain began to fall. As the first drops hit him his skin began to sizzle. Moments later, his power fades, and he feels himself falling into the river.
-----
The Tiger
[2+1] The Tiger tries to swim out of the river, but the waves are huge, rocking him back and forth, and its all he can do to stop himself from tumbling out of control.
-----
[4]v[4-3,6+1]
The river beats against Joe’s skin and he screams as the water cools him down.
[-30 HP]
The Tiger on the other hand handles the river masterfully, managing to overcome his earlier clumsiness. [+1 to its next roll to escape the river]
---------
Time of day:
Night, 12 PM (Day in 2 turns)
Weather:
Downpour----------
Name: Blake
Inventory:
Bedraggles suit, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Milton a Poem, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Half-filled Journal, pen, ink,
branch Status: Hungry
Health: 100/100
Skill: Writing
Name: Dallas McKennon AKA Tony The Tiger's Voice Actor
Items:
Plain shirt and pants , 2 throwing knives,
Bowie knife and sheath,
crocodile mount and petStatus: Hungry
Health: 100/100
Skill:
Intimidation.
Name: Jake Blake
Inventory: Thick leather vest and shorts,
Large Crate,
1 stick of dynamiteStatus: Hungry
Health: 94/100
Skill:
BOMBERMAN Name: Tim Plate
Inventory: Perfectly nondescript clothes,
2 vials of male tiger hormone,
2 vials of female tiger hormoneStatus: Hungry,
Temporary Blindness,
Broken Left Shoulder ,
Broken Right Shoulder Health: 19/100
Skill:
Suicidal Recklessness!Name: Joe Bridger, Accomplished Tiger Hunter
Inventory: Nothing
Status: Content
Health: 70/100
Skill: salamander
Name: Annie Marie (Princess Aniasalla Merdereth)
Inventory: Safari Clothes,
Binoculars,
3 large raw fishStatus: Hungry
Health: 100/100
Skill:
Princess Charisma.Name: John Lord
Inventory: Khakis
Status: Content,
Sprained Right Ankle,
Broken Left Leg,
Burnt Lungs,
Heavy Bleeding,
Impaled by Fishing PoleHealth: 39/100
Skill:
fishingStatus: Bruised side
Health: 82/100
Skills:
King of the jungle,
Cunning,
Frenzied ,
1st Dan in Fu Jow Pai-----------
A salamander is a creature that absorbed a significant amount of fire, and is now halfway between pure fire and a normal living creature. There are tons of effects of this, but the main one is that you gain the ability to project fire as well as the need to absorb fire to sustain yourself. Unlike everyone else, you can no longer win by escaping the forest and returning to human civilization. You win if you kill them all and burn down the forest. Have fun.
Effects:
You lose 1 hunger level every three turns.
Consuming fire restores your hunger. (The max cap for your hunger is significantly higher then it is for a regular human).
Using large amounts of fire at once harms your health, and you cannot create fire at all if your health is too low.
+2 to all actions to do with fire
Immunity to flame
75% damage from mundane attacks
-3 to roll vs the river, and -1 to attacks using water.