Seven quarterbacks stand around arguing how they should throw the golfball. You're the golfball. You fall down into a mousehole, and get assaulted by a rogue cheese which demands you stop eating its brethren, and instead focus on octopus. A purple octopus in a tophat with eight canes says 'I Object, your honor' Honoria...
"Honoria." Your eyes flip open, and you're laying on your back under some bushes. A six inch tall, glowing creature is staring wide-eyed at you as it stands on a branch of the bush.
Muttering under my breath:
"Man, they got some strange bugs in the Multiverse......"
All of the guns I dropped, they're all around me. Pick those up first and clean them up and holster them. How many shots did I fire out of each? I think it was 3 per handgun and the shotgun. Did any of the stuff I picked up in that last world come? It would just be a couple cans of fruit I think and those other arrows. Is the long-range gear still orbiting as far as I can tell from the scriff sense?
"I am not a bug, manling." The male humanoid creature says.
You sit up and pick up your weapons. You've used three shots from each. The thing calls for 'Honoria' again. You start cleaning. Evidently Honoria, a female version of the creature climbs into the bush, and stares goggle-eyed at you.
"Lew?"
"The manling appeared out of nowhere."
The gear is still orbitting.
"Look, sprite, or whatever in the hell you are. I just got my @$$ kicked by a prehistoric warthog, and unless you want to see what a 9mm can do to your elfish body, I suggest you bug off."
There's a blur, and its gone. The bush branch wobbles a tiny bit. The sprite maiden is already gone by the time you look that way.
Confrontation is obviously not their specialty.
You finish reloading your pistols in peace except for an ant a few minutes later that tries to crawl across your leg.
So, 12 bullets in one clip, 14 in another, and 3 left in the 357. I'm emptying the 12 and putting them loose into the belt bag, minus 1 to reload that 14. I'm putting the 3 from the 357 loose into the belt bag. It's loaded with 6. So, 6 15 rounders loaded, 2 empty in the pack, and all guns loaded. The loose bullets are for reloading like that.
Did anything else come from the last world? Look around and see where I am. What's around me?
You see your spear, with no blood on it, and your crossbow bolt also clean.
Looking out from the bushes, you see a set of swings fifty feet across a lawn, and directly ahead is a ball park where some human looking kids are tossing a green ball.
Looking the other direction, you see some thick evergreens obviously planted in a row that blocks sight in that direction.
You can't see anything beyond the ball field because the ground gently slopes uphill.
Fold up the crossbow and put it in the pack, all of the guns are concealed underneath the coat. I would have to be searched before they would be found, and if it got to that point, it would already be known that I had them.
Take the spear, use it as a walking stick so it doesn't attract attention. Head towards the ball field.
You stroll across the lawn, and walk up to the fence which encloses the ballfield. The green ball is soft, and once a player tosses the ball in the air, and then kicks it, he then chooses to run down the short, medium, or long basepath. Or if he's on a base already, he can run from one to another.
It looks safer but longer to go to first, and jump to second, and so on back to home, but quicker to go directly up to third and longest and straight back. But, if the outfield catches the green ball, and throws it so that it hits a runner, he's out.
There doesn't seem to be a full team, but the kids are playing with lots of shouts, and an occasional 'ki-yi-yi'. You hear a mix to Spanish words mixed in with English.
Beyond the park is a narrow road that is half railroad track, and half cobblestoned walk path. Beyond that is several dozen four story townhouses in a long, continous row.
Looking the other direction, you see some thick evergreens obviously planted in a row that blocks sight in that direction.
Go back this way. Don't go through the trees, but see if I can see what they're supposed to be hiding.
You see a harbor district, open water filled with boats, and beyond that a densely packed 'skyscraper' downtown. Only many of the 'scrapers' are conical, more like rounded pyramids than the pillars of a skyscraper. And much of downtown is daubed in spots in bright, geometric designs.
A seventy foot wide spiral.
A hundred foot tall white cross.
A string of stars each thirty feet tall, and leaping as it were from building to building.
Many more...
Its a somewhat unified design. And you can feel the protective power in it.
CIVILIZATION!!!!!!!! Oh man, I was afraid it was going to be concealing a prison or a swamp or something. Get through or around those trees, head towards the city, and first chance I get, try to get a peek at a newspaper. Specifically precious metals prices. I'll dig one out of the trash if I can. Yesterday's prices are probably still close. Then, we'll see what happens.
Precious metals I have:
Copper
brass (Bullets aren't just for shooting)
aluminum
stainless steel (Kabar knife, 440 surgical stainless steel)
gold
silver
platinum
lead (One atom off from gold. I could imagine it being a precious metal)
nickle
bronze
Might be more.
(Doing Therapy)
You walk through the harbor district, and notice a plethora of different clothing styles. Puritans walk next to a giant fat man in a loincloth, and servants bear a Mandarin in a box on rods on their shoulders. But the most common are dark-haired Caucasians wearing short leather jackets and tight blue jeans with a walking cane that is obviously not needed as most look very fit.
You find a newspaper in a puddle and fish it out.
'Nuevo Amsterdam Commercial Interest'
In the Year of Our Lord 1942, Planting Seed Month, Day Ten, Thorsday.
Licence by the High Sub-Council on News Publications.
You flip through and quickly find precious metal prices in denominations of 'W'. Silver, platinum, and gold are accepted.
My hope is that silver is the highest value, as that's what I'm carrying the most of.
Look around for a hotel. Hope they take precious metals. Take the newspaper too, so I can show them the prices if I have to.
(Doing Therapy)
Platinum, gold, and then silver are valued in descending order. You don't see signs for hotels or motels. You do see signs for hostels and boarding houses.
The hostels are a bunk bed in a common, same sex room, a shower, and a plain breakfast. The boarding houses are homes with lockable rooms for each guest, a common bathroom, and breakfast which is serve yourself from the big pot of oatmeal and supper provided by the landlady at a common table at seven p.m.. The boarding houses are long-term stay. Hostels are a week or less.
Check the newspaper for job postings. I'm not picky, I'll take just about anything, but I would prefer metalworking or woodworking. I have no skills at woodworking, but I would like to obtain some.
You see a fair number of jobs for both, but all have 'license req.'. You're looking through a paper when two policemen walk up to you.
"Excuse me, sir. Are you by chance, Iriquois, or perhaps a visitor to our fair city? We ask because only the Upper Caste are allowed to carry spears in this city."
How are the police armed? Standard utility belt with the single handgun? Any evidence of body armor?
"Uh, yeah, I'm not from around here. I'm from up north. Tell you what, I don't want to cause any trouble, so I'll just take the spearhead off right now, put the rest of it in the trash can and be on my way."
For their sake, I hope that satisfies them......
They are armed with a nightstick only.
"Sure, that'd be good. We could toss you in work camp for a week, but that'd be just a waste of everyone's time."
"Sure, that'd be good. We could toss you in work camp for a week, but that'd be just a waste of everyone's time."
Thinking to myself:
"Yeah, like the rest of your lives if you tried to take me in......"
Talking to them:
"I'll do that right now."
Take out the Leatherman tool, unscrew the spearhead, break the shaft, toss the shaft in a trashcan, put the knife in my pocket. Keep my body turned so that the left side of the coat (With the two guns) is facing them closed, so they can't see them. The shotgun is loaded with an explosive shredder shell.
"Is it cool now?"
Assuming so
"Do you guys know a good place where a fella can get something to eat around here?"
Two
Ya know, it occurs to me that this could very well be the same world I was just in. You just started me in the city that I would have (eventually) been led to. Just saying, ya know.
After I get finished with these gentlemen, check the newspaper for gun shows, gun bazaars, ads for gun stores, and reports of gun violence. If the police carry nightsticks, there might not be any firearms here. That could be good and bad.
Are there any firearms stores within eyesight of where I am? (Hey, it could happen) I want to upgrade that shotgun.
What are the ranges on those laser pistols? This is probably a "How would you know?" type question, but I did fire one into the air, so I saw how far the beam traveled. When I get to 1@10 with one, I think I'll swap the 357 for one. Longer range weapon.
Also, check the newspaper for boxing. In sports and in training. I've lost all of my skills (Or have I?) but my character doesn't yet know that. Start training again.
Later, hang around the harbor. See if they might need dockworkers. See if I hear anything about smuggling or anything of the sort. I'd get into smuggling.
(Doing Therapy)
Three
Check the newspaper for land that's for sale. I've got 20 pounds of silver and 10 pounds of gold floating in space. Ought to be enough to buy some land out in the middle of nowhere, if I can get it back, that is.
(Doing Therapy)
Eric--
I apologize for the disruption. John has reminded me that he gathered (in Dancing Princess, I think) a large quantity of gems which I never added to his sheet because at the time he had no means of appraising or identifying them. I do not know whether he ever fully resolved that problem, but I kept a record separate from the sheet which I still have. They were calculated using the OAD&D DMG gems randomizer (I am not certain now whether I did it by hand or whether I still had a working BASIC program then--XP does not support my QBASIC programs, much to my frustration), and thus their values are in gold piece equivalents in the Dungeons & Dragons world. My records suggest he no longer owns the 5000v ruby, which I presume he cashed at some point and which was the most valuable on the sheet. The remainder range from a 2000v blue transparent Sapphire to a 5v Lapis Lazuli.
I did not wish to post the list where John could see it without checking with you first. If you like, I'll post it here on your approval; if you prefer, drop me an e-mail at referee@mjyoung.net and I'll e-mail it to you. (I recently upgraded to Thunderbird, which for some reason refuses to import all my Messenger e-mail and addresses so I don't have any of the old contact information.) It looks like about sixty gems total.
--M. J. Young
MJ, post it here. Thanks.
The policemen nod, and the one on your left gives you some clear directions to a nearby feasthouse.
This world has a yellow sun, the last one had a blue sun.
There are adds for gun stores, and some reports of gun violence. Most end with 'killed by homeowner', but two ends with 'death by gauntlet', and one ends with 'death by legal duel'.
Indeed, there is a store nearby that says 'Gunner's Gun Shoppe'.
You're uncertain of the ranges as you were not closely noting the range then.
There seems to be no boxing, but you do find considerable wrestling.
There are a number of places that are willing to hire you, if you have your Dockworker's License. As to whether there is smuggling, well, it seems likely, but you can't tell after looking for two hours for jobs on the docks.
You do notice that the police are given a great deal of respect from even guys much bigger than them as they stroll in pairs around the docks.
The policemen nod, and the one on your left gives you some clear directions to a nearby feasthouse.
Thinking:
"That's right piggy. Follow your tootsies."
Indeed, there is a store nearby that says 'Gunner's Gun Shoppe'.
On my way to the feast house, check out the gun store. I'm looking for a Mare' Leg shotgun, like what I was ordering in TerraNova. It's lever action, with a 12 inch barrel, overall length about 18 inches. Think of the shotgun that Arnold had in T2, just shorter. Should hold 4 shells plus one in the chamber.
There are a number of places that are willing to hire you, if you have your Dockworker's License. As to whether there is smuggling, well, it seems likely, but you can't tell after looking for two hours for jobs on the docks.
"And how do I go about getting a dockworker's license?" Asked to whomever I'm asking about the job.
This is in the order rolled, which was random enough given that John didn't know what any of them were:
- 750v Peridot transparent rich olive green
2000v Sapphire transparent blue
50v Azurite opaque mottled deep blue
500v Pearl opaque lustrous white
500v Opal translucent pale blue with green and gold mottling
5v Lapis Lazuli translucent light and dark blue with yellow flecks
100v Jade opaque green
100v Onyx translucent bands of black and white
10v Azurite opaque mottled deep blue
10v Rhodochrosite opaque light pink
10v Banded Agate translucent striped brown, blue, white, red
500v Peridot transparent rich olive green
100v Chalcedony opaque white
5000v Ruby transparent red
750v Aquamarine transparent pale blue-green
10v Hematite opaque grey-black
10v Smokey Quartz transparent gray
1200v Oriental Emerald transparent bright green
6v Banded Agate translucent striped brown, blue, white, red
9v Blue Quartz transparent pale blue
100v Pearl opaque lustrous white
35v Star Rose Quartz transparent/translucent rosy with white star center
200v Chalcedony opaque white
10v Blue Quartz transparent pale blue
13v Rhodochrosite opaque light pink
10v Blue Quartz transparent pale blue
16V Banded Agate translucent striped brown, blue, white, red
100v Chrysoberyl transparent yellow-green
50v Hematite opaque grey-black
500v Black Pearl Pearl opaque lustrous
10v Turquoise opaque light blue-green
50v Moonstone translucent white with pale blue glow
300v Topaz transparent golden yellow
7v Malachite opaque striated light and dark green
160v Amethyst transparent deep purple
130v Garnet translucent red
100v Amber transparent gold
100v Rock Crystal transparent clear
200v Coral opaque crimson
450v Pearl opaque lustrous white
50v Citrine opaque pale yellow brown
100v Jet opaque deep black
500v Aquamarine transparent pale blue-green
55v Jasper opaque blue-black
1000v Fire Opal transparent fiery red
11v Chalcedony opaque white
10v Turquoise opaque light blue-green
5v Tiger Eye translucent brown with golden center under-hue
100v Amber transparent gold
50v Chalcedony opaque white
500v Peridot transparent rich olive green
10v Tiger Eye translucent brown with golden center under-hue
10v Moss Agate translucent pink with greenish moss markings
1000v Sapphire transparent blue
50v Onyx translucent bands of black and white
100v Pearl opaque lustrous white
160v Jade opaque green
1000v Spinel transparent very deep blue
12v Hematite opaque grey-black
500v Spinel transparent deep green
1000v Oriental Topaz transparent fiery yellow
55v Star Rose Quartz transparent/translucent rosy with white star center
10v Lapis Lazuli translucent light and dark blue with yellow flecks
50v Rock Crystal transparent clear
40v Onyx translucent bands of black and white
100v Jet opaque deep black
500v Black Pearl opaque lustrous
20v Banded Agate translucent striped brown, blue, white, red
10v Rhodochrosite opaque light pink
1000v Topaz transparent golden yellow
35v Sardonyx opaque bands of red and white
30v Bloodstone opaque dark gray with red flecks
1000v Garnet translucent violet
10v Eye Agate translucent circles of gray, white, brown, blue, and green
100v Coral opaque crimson
500v Spinel transparent very deep blue
50v Lapis Lazuli translucent light and dark blue with yellow flecks
10v Hematite opaque grey-black
80v Tourmaline transparent green pale
500v Garnet translucent violet
100v Topaz transparent golden yellow
10v Eye Agate translucent circles of gray, white, brown, blue, and green
50v Jasper opaque brown
500v Peridot transparent rich olive green
--M. J. Young
Oops--the entry
5000v Ruby transparent red
is crossed out on my sheet; the "crossed out" style does not copy.
--M. J. Young
You walk into the Shoppe, stooping to enter the four foot high door. Inside you see a number of odd, antique looking guns with fanciful metal dragons and eagles and other creatures decorating their exteriors.
Behind the glass counter, you see two green and yellow skinned, two foot tall, fat and paunchy humanoids. They stare at you in surprise.
==========
You're talking to a big dockworker called Jared.
"Well, you get someone to sponsor you, an dyou take the Safety Test, pay the fee. Or, you can take the Knowledge test and ST, but that's more of a fee."
Behind the glass counter, you see two green and yellow skinned, two foot tall, fat and paunchy humanoids. They stare at you in surprise.
"Uh, sorry, I think I went in the wrong store."
Turn around and walk back out.
"Well, you get someone to sponsor you, an dyou take the Safety Test, pay the fee. Or, you can take the Knowledge test and ST, but that's more of a fee."
"Thanks. I might be back later."
Now I am on my way to the restaurant. When I get there, ask them if they are hiring dishwashers. I worked as a dishwasher for about a year and a half. Small restaurants like this often hire people on the spot and pay under the table. That's what I'm looking for.
(Doing Therapy)
The first place you walk into is having a shouting match between the manager and a dishwasher. The dishwasher screams at the manager, and then stomps out.
Smile widely, make eye contact with the manager, hold out my hand to shake, and say:
"I heard you were looking for experienced dishwashers."
2@5 operate industrial dishwasher.
(Doing Therapy)
He puts you to work right away, gives you meals while you work, allows you to take extras home (like if they cook too many potatoes and hamburgers one night, or too much squash and fish the next night), and is happy to pay you under the table.
Your fellow 'hot steam' crew tell you the former dishwasher was a jerk, and they are happy to have you here instead. Everyone in the hot steam crew is tough, and some are a bit anti-social. The hot steam crew are the lowest in status in the restauraunt, but they're also the 'no one wants to mess with these guys' guys.
Two smoke, three don't. Smokers have to clean the ventilation grills above the grill ovens late at night to make up for their taking smoke breaks. Its the least favorite job after toilets as it involves reaching over cooling, but still very hot grills for nasty, greasy, heavy metal grill vents.
The food is primarily domesticated 'wild' game: Venison hamburgers, turkey sandwhiches, bear steaks, pheasant salad. On the veggie sides, its more normal with potatoes, squash, corn being the most common, and blueberries, cranberries, boysenberries and the like being served in ice creams and pies for dessert.
The name of the restauraunt is Huntsman's.
He puts you to work right away, gives you meals while you work, allows you to take extras home (like if they cook too many potatoes and hamburgers one night, or too much squash and fish the next night), and is happy to pay you under the table.
What's the pay? Minimum wage to about 7 an hour would be what I would expect. On our world, anyway. Hard work for low pay, and that's the good part about dishwashing.
Two smoke, three don't. Smokers have to clean the ventilation grills above the grill ovens late at night to make up for their taking smoke breaks. Its the least favorite job after toilets as it involves reaching over cooling, but still very hot grills for nasty, greasy, heavy metal grill vents.
Done it. Glad I don't smoke anymore.
The food is primarily domesticated 'wild' game: Venison hamburgers, turkey sandwhiches, bear steaks, pheasant salad. On the veggie sides, its more normal with potatoes, squash, corn being the most common, and blueberries, cranberries, boysenberries and the like being served in ice creams and pies for dessert.
Sounds like my kind of place.
(Doing Therapy)
Two
Asking of my coworkers:
"Hey, do any of you need a roommate? I just got into town and I need a place to stay for a little while until I can get on my feet."
I'd prefer a non-smoker, but beggars can't be choosers. Source of food, source of income, possible source of shelter. My bases are covered for the moment.
(Doing Therapy)
Joel is a smoker, and a tough, little short guy from some place he calls New Wells. His bright green eyes, pale red hair, and dark, pocked skin are an unusual combo for your home world, but it doesn't seem to draw a second glance here.
"Yah, I gotta couch. And my girlfriend just went back to visit her parents for the season."
You talk to him on teh stroll home, and he hints that if you're a good house guest he can keep you up for two weeks, and if you want longer, then you can split the rent with him. He tears down a poster on a telephone pole calling for 'cheap housing law'.
"New Wells tried that. Couldn't get a house for love or money unless you were related to a regulator or a mistress of a delegate. My da had to live forty miles from his office. Here they license most everything, but once you got your license, you're presumed to know what you're doing."
The walkup is cheap, dingy, and small with a bedroom for Joel, a living room/kitchennette with a swayseated couch and TV, and a shower/toilet room. Its about four hundred square feet.
"No place like home, sweet dump. But once I get my studies done, and take my test in hydraulic engineering, I'll get a good job at a dam or something."
How much am I being paid an hour? Do I get paid weekly or at the end of each shift? Usually under the table is at the end of each shift, cuz it makes bookkeeping much easier.
"Joel, dude, money don't mean squat to me. I've seen gold and silver growing on trees. What I'm saying my friend is we can start splitting the rent right now."
When is our next day off? I'd ask him to show me around town when we get a chance.
There is no 'pay by the hour'. You get paid a salary aka do the job and when you're done you go home. The payment is at the end of each night. The pay is four wampum.
The manager pays you and the other hot steam guys at the back door. He compliments you on your working hard, and your quickly adapting to his style of machinery.
Joel looks at you and then laughs at your jest. He smiles, and nods.
"Well, that's great. Its 20 W a month, so 10 W. We'll see what we do when Glynnis gets back in the fall."
OOC: I think I wrote up the answer in a post, and then I vaped it by mistake, and thought I had already told you.
I'm also going to say that this is a New Use for you on Industrial Washing Machines as they use a more pressurized steam technique than you're used too. So 2@6.
Edit: You work from 5-11 at night, and then as long as it takes to close the restauraunt. And yah, this is a restauraunt, not a feasthouse. This night you worked until 12:15.
I'm also going to say that this is a New Use for you on Industrial Washing Machines as they use a more pressurized steam technique than you're used too. So 2@6.
OOC 2@5+1 I believe. I think it's 4 new uses at the professional level.
There is no 'pay by the hour'. You get paid a salary aka do the job and when you're done you go home. The payment is at the end of each night. The pay is four wampum.
What does the currency look like? Is it literal beads and wampum like the Indians used?
Joel looks at you and then laughs at your jest. He smiles, and nods.
"Well, that's great. Its 20 W a month, so 10 W. We'll see what we do when Glynnis gets back in the fall."
How much W were the gold, silver and platinum worth?
"Joel, when I first got here, I saw these two little fairies or sprites or elves or something. One of them disappeared before my eyes. What in the hell were those things? And what about those little yellow and green banana looking dudes at that store I went into? What's their story?"
Sounds better.
Yes. Although the string is something brilliant to look at with silver and some other stuff inlaid inside it in a complicated pattern, and the beads look like amethyst.
Per ounce
p=70 W
g=48 W
s= 31 W
"You're drinking too much if you're seeing the Little People."