Turn 2--------
The stronger Yaffi will continue to re-enforce the pod, making it defensible, while the swift Yaffi attempt to infest and control the bivalves for food and building materials.
Finding bits of rocks small enough to carry is a challenge, but the Yaffi are able to create a low rock wall to help keep out anything that might attack from the ground. While searching for small rocks, they find that the vent's chimney is made of a darker mineral than the small grey rocks that make up the surrounding terrain and that small bits of it are mixed in the rubble at the vent's base. The strange colorless bivalves aren't used to predators and are easily infested. However, the Yaffi can't do very much with them except open them, close them, and control the threads attaching them to the ground. They have no way of moving on their own, but their shells would definitely be good for building with. Some of the albino mussels are taken back to the Pod to be stored as food, and a few others are eaten on the spot. Their shells are taken back the the Pod.
Pull at the mollusk with beaks and tentacles. Get a few to continue looking for an edible food source.
It takes three Lofani to reopen the mollusk, the joints on this creature must be extremely strong. Kyridgem's squad finds an abundance of odd looking anemones clinging to the underside of a ledge. They retract their tentacles when prodded, but judging from the bits of debris trapped on a lower ledge, the anemones may be more than able to capture prey almost their size. The biggest one is about 4 OMUs big. ((About twice your size - Lofani are large Smalls, about 2 OMU.)) The remains below look to be from some sort of crustacean. The only parts left are six plates that may have once overlapped and many small legs.
Organize hunting/scouting parties to the edges of the pit.
Ten of the Snaug go to the rim of the crater to take a look around. As far as they can see, the mud flat extends in all directions around them. Here and there, the surface is pocked by various holes. As they watch, two stalked eyes extend from a nearby hole. ATTACK or KEEP LOOKING?
Remove a panel of metal plating from the hull and then disguise the hull with leaves.
One of the Flannigans suggests breaking down part of the Pod's hull for the metal plating. The others readily agree, but how? Luckily, they find that each of the Pod's armor plates is connected to a lever-based release system, probably for maintenance between missions. With enough force, the plate disengages and falls onto the sand with a
whumph. With the plate out of the way, they use the small fronds to disguise the Pod, hopefully tricking any Predators into mistaking it for a pile of fallen vegetation, of which the area has plenty.
Detailed breakdown:
Capture two of the larval shrimp creatures for study, and begin to dismantle our pod from the inside, so as to retain the outer protective shell for shelter, and recycle the useless scrap metal now lining the inside. Gather a group of Ul'mare to drag the pod into one of the smaller caves, and have 5-6 Ul'mare scavenge the cavern area for large loose stones, and use them to set up a barrier blocking off the larger cavern entrance. The small entrance shall be left open as an escape route while the front entrance should be guarded by three Ul'mare at all times.
If we can manage to capture two of the larva, scavenge a glass/see-through container from the ship, if there are any, even a lightbulb if possible, and trap one larva within it to watch it move and grow. Have an inquisitive Ul'mare try to eat one to test it for venom and possible food source. While two-three Ul'mare handle the shrimp and three guard the cavern proper, have the rest explore the corners and holes of the cavern for useable resources. Lastly, have a group of our two most intelligent, technologically-proficient Ul'mare analyze the wreckage and assess what remains for future re-use.[/b]
(OOC: Perhaps a bit too much, though if each action is split between a small group as I see it, its doable. If you wish, I'll split this into two turns.
Summary of Orders:
To simplify, have 3 men guard the cavern proper, 5 men gather shrimp, algae and other small sea-life to see what we can eat, 5 men block off the large deep entrance at the cavern's back with large stones, 2 men study the ship for materials/recycling uses, while the last 5 men explore the home cavern in more detail. Specifically, to find out what sort of minerals, algae, and such materials are found within our cavern without having to travel outside of its relative safety.
Bonus Priority:
Search for some sort of reed or material we can manufacture makeshift spears out of, to begin utilizing our natural venom with. We need these venom-coated spears to better defend ourselves against anything large and dangerous, as we may yet be hunted by denizens of the deep. If all else fails, we can hide in the smallest cave where a large predator cannot enter, or sneak out through the small cavern entrance.
Blocking off the back of the cave is one of the first things to be done. Who knows what lurks in its depths? Loose stones in the cavern are cleared and piled in one of the smaller rooms. These are then put to use barricading the entrances to the cavern. The back of the cavern is completely sealed off- it would take something a lot stronger than a Small to get through. The Ul'mare notice that even the large stones are surprisingly light, almost to the point of floating.
Now that they have a safe shelter, the Ul'mare are able to get around to more mundane things. They begin to strip the Pod of the metal on the inside while leaving the outer plating intact. None of the Ul'mare however, can make heads nor tails of any of the circuits that ran the Pod's computers. The rest of the Pod's inside is stripped and stored in a cave, while the Pod is moved into its own cave.
The Seaborn are fascinated by the drifting shrimp and decide that it might benefit them to look into these animals. Since they drift on the ocean's currents, they are slow and easily caught. They decide that two will suffice and retreat back into the cavern to
examine them closer. The Ul'mare remove one of the glass panels from the lighting components of the Pod to contain the larva in a crevice. They are unable to secure it, however, due to lack of any sort of adhesive. An Ul'mare pulls out one of the large lighting rods to use as a container instead. It's a large, hollow glass cylinder that has a stopper at one end and an electrical connector at the other. It works like a charm and the little guy drifts around inside. The other larva is not so lucky, and is eaten by a curious Ul'mare. It isn't toxic, but its shell is difficult to remove without knowing where to look. It may be better cooked - the inside is watery.
The search for resources has come up short. Algae has been found growing deeper in the dark rock tunnels, but it might be difficult or even dangerous to gather more of it (they would need to either find a way to grow it or open up new tunnels). All of the rock that you can see appears to be the same porous rock that makes up the entire cavern. Due to the fact that it's so light, the Ul'mare have dubbed it "floatstone". It is actually sharp in the jagged areas as well, almost like glass. Some of the Seaborn suggest making spears, but there are no materials that seem viable for that, yet.
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Topic: Smalls of Tolla: A Smalls RP (Read 27434 times)