Cytherean Cycle, the

#1

Inspirations: Sword-and-Planet, Pulpy Pulp of the 20's and 30's, Doc Savage, Burroughs's Martian Chronicles (and Tarzan too), Sci-Fi of the 30's-50's (particularly as it pertained to Venus, the jungle-strewn, carboniferous, swampy planet), FLASH GORDON(!), Blackstar, Ancient Aliens, Stargate, Marvel's Inhumans and Terrigen Mists, M.A.R. Barker's Tekumel, HPL, Steampunk, Verne, Wells,...

Players: Echomirage, valadaar, axlerowes, ??

System: we'll use D6, though its all about the role-playing.

Next: Let's make characters! We could use an earthling that ends up in a loin-cloth and is called by an abbreviated, barbaric-sounding, name.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#2

How about a WASPish wide eyed pre-sexual 12 year old boy from middle America armed with knowledge gleaned from rocket kits, chemistry sets, old issuses of popular mechanics and stuff ordered out of the backs of comic books and copies of Boy's Life.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#3

That can work I suppose :)

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#4

Can the Loc-nar make a cameo? Maybe Den?

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#5

Venus: Transit
There are doors, and then there are doors. And there are still many doors waiting to be discovered. Doors through which no one has yet stepped.

somewhere in Kansas, modern day.

Ralph Kinney was daydreaming in a field of sunflowers as usual, and fell asleep, imagining the home-made rocket he had built earlier that week for the school fair, taking off and making its way across Galaxies.

He woke hours later when it was already dark. Late for dinner again, he grabbed his backpack and rushed across the vast flat field to get to the dusty road that would take him to his house. But the fates were no doubt conspiring against him that day, for he tripped on something suddenly and pitched forward, tumbling to the ground. Except instead of the hard ground, he felt himself falling farther, as if the ground had opened up to swallow him.

He thudded down and let out a painful breath. He had fallen into some kind of sinkhole. Getting his bearings he looked up and realized there was no climbing out. It was too steep and the soil too soft. Letting out a mild curse, Ralph let his eyes adjust to the darkness around him, then proceeded down what looked like an earthen tunnel, hoping it would start angling up. Instead he descended gradually deeper beneath the ground.

An hour later, he began to panic. He considered returning to his original position and screaming up through the hole for help, then reconsidered. No matter what, he was already late and in a lot of trouble. He may as well explore this peculiar cave. His curiosity aroused, Ralph proceeded on until the tunnel widened into a cavern. The weird thing was, it wasn't dark here. Ralph noticed something like a rock glistening in the damp earthen wall of the cave. He neared it, and noticed some alien glyphs or runes or who-knew-what adorning the walls. As to the luminescent object inside the wall, Kyle could ascertain now that it was some kind of mineral or crystal.

It didn't shine, but rather gave off a wan, chartreuse light, and was weirdly spherical in shape.

At that moment for some reason, Ralph thought of the local Wichita legends he had learned as a Boy Scout. Something about the Great Spirit, who was known as Kinnekausus, Man-Unknown-on-Earth, and his first creation, Kiarsidia, Woman-With-The-Power-To-Carry-Light.

Perhaps unwisely, Ralph reached out and touched the greenish crystal. He felt himself paralyzed suddenly, and thoughts began racing through his head. Thoughts and visions he could not begin to comprehend. He felt himself fading away somehow, as if traveling many thousands of miles in mere seconds. Finally he gasped and lost consciousness.

When he woke, Ralph found himself above ground once more. It wasn't dark. He lay there confused for a few moments until a new realization dawned upon him. There was no Sun in the queer, golden sky above. And it was hot. Much hotter than a Kansas summer evening ever dared to be.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#6

Luna "Roger" Caretti
Lemurian, Earthling

Attributes: Skills:
Might: 3D
Dexterity: 4D Athletics 5D, Stealth 5D, Melee 5D, Larceny 5D
Wits: 3D Survival 5D, Naval Vessel Operation 4D
Spirit: 2D

Distinguishing trait:
Amphibious, can breathe water and air.

Languages:
Indonesian, Lemurian, English, Chinese

Might subsumes strength and stamina; dexterity includes both manual and whole-body agility; wits is intelligence and wisdom; finally, spirit subsumes charisma, alertness, luck (and some ephemeral traits, if those are used - like receptiveness to the supernatural). 2D is human average.

Luna stands six feet tall, and were she a human, she'd likely be wiry and muscular; alas, being a Lemurian, a firm layer of subcutaneous fat gives her a well-rounded figure.
As their creators wanted to preserve human aesthetics, Luna's face is basically human (though she can close her ears and nose, and cover her eyes with a nictating membrane). She has a mane of red hair as well - underwater, Lemurians braid it. Unlike human ones, her teeth are sharp, to deal with raw fish and other peculiarities of underwater cuisine.
Patterned akin to a tigershark, she's rusty-brown and milky white, a combination she considers rather fancy.
To propel her underwater, she has webbed fingers and toes, but especially a muscular tail sticking out of her butt.
Lemurians, similar to their human forebears, are viviparous mammals, though the children are born more developed and slightly larger; hence Lemurian females have wider hips than human ones.

Thrill-seeking, adventurous and wishing make it big, with no small affinity for the fine things in life, Luna joined a pirate crew as a teen.
With only a few years of formal education, her skills are mostly self-taught and picked up here and there - luckily, she's a quick learner.
Following a narrow brush with law and death that broke apart the pirate fleet she called her home, she found employ as a tour and wilderness guide and skipper in West Indies, though she never abandoned the criminal walks of life for good - a little smuggling, black market deals and larceny on the side when she could get away with it brought in some coin.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#7

um, which rules did you use Echo? The ones I found had 7 Attributes - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4E8EB5s2_xpZDFhM2EzYTktNWM0Mi00YTUwLWI1MTUtMzliOGQzNWIzYjFl/view?ddrp=1&hl=en#

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#8

Ah, Mini-6 - http://www.antipaladin.com/Mini_Six.pdf

Derek Skyrider
Human, Fine Specimen

Attributes Skills
Might 4D6+1 Brawling 5d6+1 (1d)
Dexterity 3D6+2 Pistol 4d6+1(2p) Pilot 4d6+2(1d) Dodge 4d6(1p)
Wits 2D6 Search 3d6(1d) Repair 3d6 (1d)
Spirit 2D6 Persuasion 3d6 (1d)

Perk

Attractive (1): Others find the character pleasing to look at. This
can help reduce suspicions or distract others depending on the
given situation. Once per session the character can double one
roll for any action related to their appearance. Examples include
seduction, a subtle bluff or simply distracting guards.

Languages
The Queens English

Derek is a powerful looking human, 6'2, 220lbs of lean, sculpted muscle, and could be a movie star. He is one, in fact, or was at least.
He's looking for a chance to gain attention once more to restart his career so he can live the life he's used to.

Equipment:

Plasma Pistol 5D6
Spidersilk jumpsuit (As Leather Armor, +2 Armor Value)
Flight Belt (from piloting....)

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#9

Venus: Retrograde or "To Venus With Love"

When Derek found out from Dr. Esau R. Dimmer that a female companion would be joining him on his planetary quest to mysterious Venus, Skyrider perked up literally. He straightened, flexed his pecs involuntarily, squeezed his butt cheeks and arched his brow just a bit, like he did in "Against the Grain", probably his best role to date, where he played a blind, paraplegic ex-rugby player, who managed to scale Mount Everest and meet the girl of his dreams.

When Luna appeared, Derek's arched both brows, this time pretty high up, and his mouth slacked open a bit.

This was going to be the ultimate reality show. Cameras would always be rolling. It's how Dimmer sold Derek in the first place. He'd probably win an Oscar upon his return!

What the? This was supposed to be about me, he thought to himself. Now Tiger-shark here (although she was sexy, he had to admit) will steal my spotlight!

Luna, unbeknownst to Skyrider, was also hired by Dr. Dimmer, to be the first Lemurian (there weren't many other candidates) to explore our sister planet, the bewitching and shrouded Cytherea (as the professor insisted on calling it). Derek was the face and hammer of the operation, and she the brains and lance. Her particular physiology and innate abilities, Dr. Dimmer further insisted, would prove quite unique advantages, on a planet most probably strewn with steaming swamps and misty jungles.

There wasn't much to say. They would get to know each other in flight. After all, they were being offered adventure, fame, and money. All they had to do was be the first to explore Venus.

They were shot into orbit inside Dr. Dimmer's latest creation, a rocket ship that would (theoretically) reach Venus in mere weeks! The unfortunate part was that Dr. Dimmer had no eye for aesthetics, and the ship, named Tensegrity, resembled a giant coffin.

The theory proved correct. Tensegrity reached the impenetrable haze of Cytherea's atmosphere in two weeks. Yet its shape proved prophetic as well. The ship started burning up and then proceeded to melt as they raced through the Cytherean, sponge-like ochre.

Somewhere forty miles or so above the Venusian surface they prepared to abandon ship in their emergency escape pod, which resembled a Volkswagen Beetle or a giant soap bubble.

The last communique they managed to receive before bailing, was Dr. Dimmer's anguished cry of "That wasn't supposed to happen!!"

There was some good news, Skyrider couldn't help but think, as he piloted the pathetic pod through honey-thick gasses. The cameras and the feed were still operational.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#10

The principles of tensegrity failed the Tensegrity as she disintegrated. Looking back at the fiery streak across the gilded sky, Luna reminisced of the crazy turns of events that led her to her current predicament. What a ride!

A year back, she had served as a guide for a film crew who wished to shoot footage in a genuine jungle, picking Borneo of all places. Luna's responsibilities included keeping the entire outfit from getting lost, getting eaten, eating what should not be eaten, as well as keeping them from ruining all of their fancy gadgets on the first day. In the evening, she had entertained the crew with stories of the West Indies - adventure, loot and scantily clad protagonists, flashing sabers and lost cities populated them. Why not - after all, any city left to the jungle for five years was lost, sabers still were used where guns were a luxury, and in the tropical heat, no one wore too much.
With a toothy smirk, she realized that pirate captains had been undemanding, the average mafioso was well-behaved and the run-of-the-mill cutthroat sane in comparison. Regardless, it was grade A entertainment, and an opportunity to shine. She had led the crew to hidden waterfalls, caves and overgrown temples, providing backdrops that no civilized man could conceive for their scenes. In the end, "Borneo Blues" turned out to be a decent pulp movie - and her pay was actually sufficient to keep her from stealing anything to compensate.

Apparently, word got around, and she got hired for another mission - this time, the destination was slightly stranger than Earth though.
"Why bother stealing peanuts when you can steal the spotlight? Time to make it big!" she thought, and said yes.
Peanuts did not agree with her sharp teeth anyway.

Honestly, she might have enjoyed a little less of the spotlight, and was genuinely worried that somewhere, someone of ill intent and unpleasant common history might recognize her face. The Lure of Venus was stronger though.

Luna had never whored herself out, but knew well how the game went - and the concept of a reality show had enough in common that she could draw parallels and ... emulate.
A little teasing the camera, hint at something that may come, seem available yet not too easily, keep some mystery and deliver the goods when you've got what you came for.
Show a little for the camera, on accident of course. Be funny. Be interesting. Act like you like the audience, but aren't desperate to have them around.

She turned to the adventure ahead, and smiled, the fragments of the ship behind them.
"So, Captain, looks like the mission has begun in earnest."
Hah, she once had had a mission in Ernest. Poor sod had swallowed a golden ring. It was not too hard to get it out.
The smile widened to a toothy cheer.
"I will be impressed if you bring us down safely - if not, I won't!"

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#11

The Pod maneuvered decently enough. The thick atmosphere made it feel more like a boat then a spacecraft.

The outside temperature was high - Derek wasn't sure if was the reentry or the air temperature - he hoped it was the former, since a lot of his toiletries went up with the Ten-whatsit.

He had his bubble suit on - a somewhat overly showy pressure suit with a perfect fishbowl helmet. A prop from a movie it was still fully functional. It better be - he had no idea if the air was good here. The prop guy said the scrubber was good for five years and only put out token radiation. Nothing he should worry about.

As the surface of the world got closer he was somewhat surprised to see what appeared to be patches of jungle. The terrain also looked rather rough. This could be touchy, thought Derek. And no stunt double! No Green Screen. This was for real, and that thought made Derek quite .. Anxious. But, he had to keep it together for the camera, and the .. lady.

Ah, that spot looked good. He threw the pod about and put all of its power into not slamming into the ground too hard...

(20:53:17) Minion: valadaar rolls 4d6 and gets 2,6,1,4. So, 15 all told... Good for a Moderate skill check...

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#12

Skyrider's landing was bumpy but successful. Solid ground at last!

Except it wasn't. Derek and Luna skidded to a stop and looked around, their glass-like pod allowing them to see their surroundings.

The sky all around them was awash in mauves and ochres, nauseating yellows, unrecognizable oranges, and obscene greens. The "ground" they had landed on seemed something else entirely. Spongy and buoyant, they rocked up and down slowly in their pod as they stared out. It was hot, they could tell that even sitting inside the pod. Waves of heat alternated with wisps and jet-streams of unknowable gasses, forming psychedelic kaleidoscopes all around them.

They could now make out that their landing spot could not be the planet's surface. Floating as far as the eye could see in every direction were what looked like some sort of organic zeppelins of gigantic size. Like pillows or parachute tops they appeared, bobbing gently amidst the mist-choked skies.

Then there was an ear-splitting hissing sound, followed by a gurgling and a great "Whoosh". Suddenly, a mere thirty feet from their pod, a fissure opened in the soft, pulpy "soil", ejecting a geyser of milk-white gas a hundred feet or more into the atmosphere.

Whatever this was, it was not quite yet the Cytherean surface. Rather it seemed they had landed on one of the bizarre, floating and gurgling leviathans of the lower atmosphere.

The "jungles" they had spied earlier must still be below them.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#13

the Pod's contents and what Luna and Derek managed to salvage from the Tensegrity...let me know if I'm missing something obvious or what else would make sense. Don't get too science-y though :)

1. an Ansible--communication device and master translator. 2. 2 blaster pistols. 3. 2 bubble suits for surviving "any" atmosphere, planet surface, or pressure. 4. two small containers each holding 400 nutrient-pills. Each pill contained 12 hours worth of all necessary water and nutrients. 5. Pod's power pack, which was half-charged. It could power the pod for approximately another 20-22 hours of fully operational flight.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#14

When the gaggle of day glow pink porcupine with six legs and long narrow beaks walked out of the underbrush and begin to surround the 12-year-old boy scout Ralph was forced acknowledge that he certainly wasn’t in Sedgwick County anymore. The cat-sized varmints made sniffing sounds, sucking air in through their beaks but not apparently exhaling it. The lead walked directly to Ralph’s feet and stopped while the other continued to circle around him. Maybe Ralph was in Eastern Peru or Northern Australia, he wished he had his National Geographic Magazine with him or his Encyclopedias.

“Hello little buddy, my name’s Ralph,” as the creature surrounded him Ralph began to be overtaken by the smells of cinnamon and almonds and the air began much cooler. He squatted down and looked at the one he had come to think of as the leader.

The creatures actually had pale grey skin beneath the day glow spines. The skin looked thin, in the spineless patches around the creature's snout like faces, he could see fluid-filled vessels pulsing and swelling just beneath it. The air they the sucked in through their beaks seemed to be expelled through the narrow tips of the spins on their backs. As Ralph studied the creature he noted that they had four eyes, “Two on the sides like herbivores and two for stereo vision like carnivores,” he said aloud. “You must be omnivores then,” Ralph with a self satisfied smile that usually earned him a punch in the stomach from the other scouts, the pack of fourth-grade girls that ruled his street or the nuns at Saint Mathurin’s secondary school.

Pulling off his back pack with one swift move that sent all the little beasts that had now surrounded him scurrying back six eight inches and causing their spines to turn from pink to maroon, Ralph extracted a dozen pixie sticks from an outer pocket. “Hey, since you guys are omnivores you might like some glucose.” He tore off the tip of one pixie stick and pointed it towards to tube-like beak of the creature in front of him.

The creature snorted in the candy dust and then immediately stopped inhaling. The spines on the creatures back turned from maroon to sky blue, the recently blue toned animal and reared up stiffly on his hind limbs. Ralph got a good look at the creatures translucent silver belly and the jumble of bag like organs on the other side just before it fell to the clumsily to ground.

Landing on the tight grass with a small bounce the creature began his air filtration process again, but this time the exhalation was associated with rapid series of high pitched pops. All the other creatures began breathing harder and rushed towards Ralph. Their long-toed feet reaching up to cling roughly on to his khaki boy scout trousers, and their spines all turning to bright aqua blue. Ralph made a quick count of his pixie sticks and said, “More than enough for everyone.”

Each member of the micro-herd of garish fauna quickly inhaled the sugar as soon as it was offered and repeated the same clumsy seizure of ecstasy that ended in what Ralph assumed was very satisfied slumber. 'Just like Momma after she takes the vitamins that Psychiatrist gives her,' he thought.

Ralph bent to examine one of the creatures. The spines were not sharp at all, but felt like hard plastic tubing. As he brushed his hands over the spines that pushed out cool scented air he felt a tingle of electricity, like when he would rub his socks along the carpet then wake up uncle Joe by touch his fingers against the steel plate in his head.

As he brushed his fingers across one sleeping animal all the whistles suddenly changed in a high pitched whine that sounded like human speech. The tiny whistle like voice came from creature simultanouesly and said “Dr. Dimmer this is Skyrider, we have had to abandon our craft and attempting to land…”

“Joseph Farting Fireworks!" Ralph exclaimed in surprise "These things must pick up radio signals or something.” He pushed his thick black rimmed glasses up his large piggish nose and examined them more closely.

The high-pitched words being whistled out of the sleeping critters continued before falling into silence, “Dr. Dimmer my agent has an obituary and tribute video ready….”

‘What is a Video?’ Ralph thought, ‘This must be Australia.’

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#15

"It would appear we're not on the ground yet - so, I'm not fully impressed as of now, captain." She tossed the meager supplies into a backpack, and strapped the blaster to her belt. Honestly, she should have paid more attention to the actual load-out of their vessel prior to the start. No repair tools, no spare parts, very little of anything in fact. An ill-conceived endeavour; luckily, she knew how to do with very little. Of her possessions, she had a solid bush knife - that would solve many an issue.

Rescue was nowhere in sight. A girl of action, she pondered but briefly, then stuffed the space suit into the backpack as well, and stepped outside - if the air was poison, she'd die anyway the next time she needed to eat.
"You coming?" she quipped, and went off to explore their landing site.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#16

Derek jumped up quickly to follow. Damn, he wasn't supposed to be upstaged by the hired help!

He quickly followed outside, but he still wore his suit. He thought it fitted him well, and he would prefer not to have his flesh dissolved, burnt, or what have you. Especially since the dame had volunteered to test it for him...

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#17

Skyrider watched Luna's reaction. Apparently the air wasn't poisonous, yet the Lemurian did not appear quite comfortable. Tears streamed from her weird eyes and her breathing was somewhat ragged.

They strolled along the marshmallow surface of the "creature" (plant?) they had landed on.

A weird yellow soap-like bubble the size of his own bubbled head floated by Derek then popped, releasing a sulfurous plume.

This was too weird. Perhaps they should return to the pod and descend further, nothing but gas here.

With each step Luna made across the soft surface of whatever it was they had landed on, the "ground" gave way. It was like walking on on a giant sponge. Derek watched as suddenly hundreds of silken filaments rose up and began "feeling" the Lemurian's form.

Luna felt the tickle as well. It seemed that with every passing second, more and more tiny feelers rose up around her, caressing her muscular legs and tail. She was exploring, and was being explored in turn.

Derek then looked down his own form. The feelers did not seem interested in his bubble suit. That was good. Less good, was a gurgling which preceded another fissure-like opening materializing mere feet away from where he was standing.

Whatever they were standing on, did not seem happy with their presence. Fissures began opening around the pod now as well.

--------------------

The creatures seemed to like Ralph. Bizarre, thought Ralph. What they seemed capable of was...impressive. The young lad was so taken with their pink-glow presence, that he didn't even wonder why he was able to breathe or why he seemed perfectly comfortable sitting on the surface of Venus, without a care in the world. Then again, the boy thought he was in South America...

That suddenly changed. The alien porcupines suddenly mobilized and fled into the hot sands as quickly as they had appeared. Ralph looked around.

He could see something materializing in the haze some hundred yards away. It looked like some sort of humanoid riding some sort of...not humanoid. The figure was nearing the lad, and his new friends did not seem to want to be around him when it finally neared.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#18

As the little skyblue vermin lay snoozing around him, blowing cool scented air out of their spines, Ralph reflected on the English words being formed by the high pitched tones. Ralph grew certain that these things must be picking radio signals. Standing up the bouncy earth, which Ralph noted was not really terra firma at all but a tight weave of grass roots like the plants you could walk across the water on in the Ark river wet lands nears his grandfather’s farm, Ralph took his home made ham radio kit with Bakelite headphones out of his overstuff pack. He took the pint size battery, in a protective leather case, out of another side pocket and hooked it up to the small electronic set glued to a grey piece of splintery unsanded scrap wood. He started speaking into the microphone that had come with the kit.

“The is Ralph K., ham radio number FRN555KS.” Ralph paused and sure enough his words were whistled out of the spines of the bright blue spines of the sleeping beasties. “Wow electro-conductive animals…maybe this is South America after all…could these be related to electric eels…well of course not related…but from similar environment that …”. All this Ralph said inanely into the mic and it was relayed back him to via the small creatures when suddenly all their spines turned dark green. They jumped to their feet and ran away into the under brush. Ralph turned a saw at much distance as he could see a man riding a large beast…a pachyderm or ox? ‘Maybe this was india’ he thought. Ralph had recently (that morning) completed the requirements for his search and rescue badge.

Stuffing the battery and the radio back into their proper locations in his pack he took out his flare gun, a flare and his signal whistle. Ralph was certainly lost. He loaded the flare and launched the green fluorescent streaking star into the clouded sky and started blowing on his whistle with boy scout perseverance.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#19

"Tours over! She's gonna blow!" shouted Derek as he skedaddled back to the pod.

He jumped in the pod, powered it up and held the door open as long as he dared.

Once she was in, he took off and looked for the real solid ground - hopefully there was something here that fit that description.

valadaar rolls 4d6 and gets 6,5,6,5. + 2 totals 24. Flight is pretty darn good...

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#20

This time, Derek ably guided the transparent ball that was their pod toward the planet's virgin surface. They were going to be the first Earthlings to set down on Venus! History in the making!

Then they saw a green ball of light shooting up past their pod. It looked a lot like something a flare gun would emit back on earth.

The pod calmly settled in a patch of orange sand. Above them they could still make out the dangling root tendrils, miles long or longer, of the great, giant, gurgling marshmallow they had landed on earlier.

Aside from the static on their transponder, and what sounded like whistling(?!) it was quiet. The pod hatch opened and out stepped the two explorers once more, Derek still in his bubble suit, Luna still au natural.

Orange sand was everywhere, slowly blowing across the vast surface, making dunes and hills. Where the hell was that jungle Derek spied earlier? Oh well, for now a desert.

Some sort of hedge-hog type creature (?) scurried away into the sands, as the pair emerged. The camera at Derek's waist pivoted to capture the moment. Excited noises suddenly could be heard from their radios. Dimmer and others.

"What do you see?", "What the hell was that?", and "Do you copy?" Could be heard between the static. Then someone said "I can't believe they're still alive!"

The whistling picked up.

In the empty vastness, Luna spotted a strange sight. Not quite clear from this distance, but it appeared as if some figure riding some great beast was a few hundred yards away. Another smaller figure seemed to be following the pair.

Above, the sky decided it was going to be mauve now.

Welcome to Venus.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#21

Luna certainly agreed with Derek's notion of abandoning their floating landing in favour of a more solid one - especially as the thing reached out for her with tentacles. As a marine denizen, she knew well that any sort of tentacles were bad news, unless you were a clown fish. "If you're a clown fish, you can ... even pole dance around tentacles, if not, then you better not."

For their emergence in the desert, she briefly stepped outside, and, seeing sand everywhere, she donned the suit, briefly snickered at some of the advertisements emblazoning it (a commercial for tuna on her tail, of all places? really?) and proceeded to join the captain.

The strange haze made judging distance difficult; the surroundings appeared dreamy because of the diffuse light. Shadows were soft-edged and pale, cast by rocks of bent shapes that Earth's erosion could not produce.

"Turn on the translator, Derek. I believe we have company. I'll let you chat them up; I'll be behind this rock right here in case they turn unfriendly. Rolled 18 for stealth

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#22

Luna, moving gracefully despite her suit, hid behind a burnt-orange colored rock.

That left Derek to "meet" the life forms. He began to walk, red sand crunching under his boots, occasionally sending up wisps of equally reddish dust and smoke.

*crunch* *crunch* *crunch*

Once every few steps, he noticed he could get a lot higher off the ground than he would be able to on Earth. What the hell did Dimmer say? Cytherea's gravitational force was equal to .? Well, point something.

Hurrying along, with Luna also moving, but for her part, darting from rock to rock, Derek could at last get a clearer picture of what he was following...

Ahead, trudged some kind of six-legged beast of burden. It looked like a cross between a rhino and an ox, its fur a reddish-brown and matted. A single great horn sprouted from its flattened head, and a huge, almost reptilian tail, created a parted wave of sand behind it, as it moved.

Atop this weird beast, holding reins in one scaled hand, attached to the beast's mouth, was what looked like a man-lizard or a lizard-man, if one preferred. Scaled in grayish-green, and bipedal, it seemed to be directing the behemoth it sat on.

Trailing about twenty feet behind the beast and scaly rider, attached to the saddle by a thin chain was what could only be described as a young boy from Earth(!?).

The youth struggled to keep up with the lumbering beast, the chain's other end clasped around his neck. He had a whistle in his mouth, and was blowing on it as he proceeded along his forced march.

Derek stopped to fully grasp the scene. This reminded him of that movie he starred in, back in 52'. "Buck Nebraska's Adventures on the Dark Continent." In it, he had discovered a reptilian race of slavers living deep within the impenetrable jungles of the Congo.

Hmmm, what had he done there to save the day?

Luna could see the same scene. She also noticed that the reptilian rider had something coiled around its chest and shoulder. Like an impossibly long whip?

Static preceded some noise suddenly on his radio. "Whatever that is Derek, don't antagonize it needlessly!" Came the useless advice of Dr. Dimmer.

Suddenly, sensing something, the young lad (he couldn't have been more than 13 years of age) spun his head around and noticed Derek. The look in the boy's eyes seemed to be saying...help!

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#23

Camera on, and not wanting Luna to grab the spotlight, Derek drew his blaster.

Not the critter or the rider, since if the beast lunged it would likely break the kids neck. Talking was out of the question, he doubted without a script he'd sound convincing, especially through his translatorwhatsit.

A careful blast at the chain. Lets hope his trick shootin' would do the job...

Luna, you got a second before I shoot if you have a radically better idea...

A burst of plasma, and the blip of gas hurtled downrange...

(12:35:15) Minion: valadaar rolls 4d6 and gets 1,5,1,6. 2 gives a 15. Any fate points? :P

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#24

A little earlier...

This time Ralph wasn't sure which continent he was on.

The scaly humanoid atop his behemoth mount stared at Ralph through slitted, yellow eyes silently, then with a disturbing casualness motioned with his arm. A chain shot out, and suddenly a collar clasped around Ralph's neck.

"Chsik" the thing said as it opened its toothless maw, then once more set out across the sands, with a tethered Ralph forced to keep up. Fortunately the lizard thing's shaggy mount did not move fast.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#25

A shrill hiss from Derek's plasma blaster shot in the ashen-scaled lizard's things direction, aimed at the chain holding the boy, tethered to the shaggy beast. The chain dropped limp in two directions, disintegrated in the spot where the plasma met the metal. The boy was free.

The lizard thing said "Czsiszuk'k" but Derek's translawatsa thingy just then announced, "calibrating", in its tinny cold voice, missing the translation.

The lizard then pierced Derek with an intense glare, its suddenly color-shifting reptilian slit eyes fixated on Skyrider.

Derek's head clouded. Something told him that maybe the best thing to do would be to stand perfectly still and do nothing for a while.

The lizard-thing withdrew another throwing chain from the folds of its robe-like rags. A collar was attached to one end. It took aim at Skyrider.

Derek needs to roll some d6s to "save" vs the lizard thing's hypnotic stare.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#26

Cytherea was not too different from Terra in regard to everybody wanting to take advantage of everybody else. Except for a few selfless idealists - and the rest took enthusiastically advantage of those.

As the translator blabbered "calibrating", Luna thought "let's give it something to calibrate with. The lizard's attention focused on Derek in an almost enamoured fashion. Good. "Whatever you have going on there, boys, keep it up." The Lemurian used the opportunity to stealthily shift between the rocks to approach the slaver from the rear. Withdrawing the knife from her belt, she dashed forward, to swing into the saddle behind him and place the blade just right under the chin, where the scales were soft and likely ticklish.
Sneaky 22! I am the night. (09:14:23) Minion: EchoMirage rolls 5d6 and gets 6,1,6,5,4.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#27

And he did. He _was_ kind of tired... He expected someone to run up and make sure his makeup was good...

Rolled 4d6, but I expect this is a 'spirit' roll, 2d6 in my case... So, 5

(08:14:36) Minion: valadaar rolls 4d6 and gets 4,1,1,5.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#28

Hudson Mk. IV
[img width=310 height=400]http://shop.hydraminiatures.com/images/Warbot%20-2.jpg
Attributes Skills
Might 4D6
Dexterity 2D6+1
Wit 4D6+2 Computer 5D6+2 (1D), Tracking 5D6+2 (1D), Science 5D6+2 (1D)
Charm 1D6

Perks
Robot 4D

Languages
English, Binary

Equipment
Built-in tools
Built-in laser pistol
Long-range antenna

Hudson Mk. IV
The last of a line of failed space explorer robots, Hudson Mk. IV is an abandoned product from a failed task force. The International Outer Space Robotics Commission was established to send an advance group of robot explorers to nearby planets in advance of planned colonization. Most of the early lines failed: some were destroyed on impact of their destinations, others were not built to the harsh conditions of the planets they were sent, a few went haywire and had to be destroyed. The Hudson series was to be the pinnacle of scientific achievement, personally designed by famed roboticist Dr. Athanasius Risk. The Mk. IV was actually sent before its predecessors, as the conditions for a Venusian flight were perfect and Dr. Risk was convinced it would be successful. Indeed, Hudson Mk. IV arrived successfully on Venus and sent its signal requesting further instruction.

Unfortunately, it didn't do so for decades. An unfortunate storm partly dissolved a solar battery pack that was to power the Mk. IV, and the charge time was increased exponentially. As war broke out on Earth in the early 20th century, the Commission was dissolved, and Dr. Athanasius Risk went to his final rest. Now the Hudson Mk. IV probot silently awaits its orders, passively collecting data until someone can activate its exploration routines...

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#29

Luna vaulted onto the shaggy mount with super-human agility, and froze her blade against the wrinkly scaled throat of the lizard-thing. The creature made a pathetic, tea-kettle sound through its nostrils. It opened its maw slightly, but sat otherwise still. The interplanetary laws of sharp-object-against-fleshy-throat, (if not those of physics) still seemed to apply on this forsaken planet.

As Luna had suspected seconds before her assault, the rhino-ox mount seemed neither impressed with the new arrival nor concerned for its original rider. Nor did the extra weight seem to bother the creature one bit. The beast merely lowered its head and rutted its horn in the red silicon sands, as if digging up some kind of tasty morsel.

Derek could think just fine, but remained rooted in place, paralyzed and enamored with the lizard creature. "Derek! Do something!" came the panicked voice from his radio.

This annoying "Earthen Commentary" would have to stop. Derek made a mental note.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#30

"Gotcha" she teased the lizard, who no doubt would expect her to make demands, threaten him, gloat. Verily, all those things were certainly entertaining, but ineffectual. Instead, she used the knife's pommel to knock him out cold. Once he was wrapped nice and tight, he'd provide ample language samples for the translator to calibrate.

Grasping the bridle and sliding down the beast's side, Luna let the lizardman come to rest sprawled out on the sand, then proceeded to take his own ropes and bind him, while humming.
Keelhaul the filthy landlubber, send him down to the depths below, let the bastard walk the plank, with a bottle of rum and a yo ho ho...
Positively cheerful, she sat down on her prize, and looked around for the kid - wherever it may be?

"So. What now, captain?"

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#31

Um, I assume I have freedom to act now, since Mr. Lizard has been brained?

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#32

Yessir! Mind-haze cleared.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#33

Freed of whatever compulsion the lizard-thing had put him under, Derek shook his head and also looked about for the kid that had gotten them into this mess. Why in the Blue Blazes was a kid here, of all places?

"These ne're do well lizards seem ready to capture people. I think that says something. "
Derek was stalling, he really didn't take to this 'reality film' thing. Too uncontrolled. Too dangerous. A look at Luna. Too Wierd!

"We really should find that kid. Maybe he can tell us something, and he really shouldn't be here by himself! " Or at all. Aliens, assertive women, kids, the only thing he needed now to upstage him was a damn puppy.

Or a talking robot...

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#34

Venus: Vigil

The Mk. IV was an impressive machine-man. At least that's what Dr. Risk had called it. He attached the "man" for publicity and for its obvious appearance. Best of all, the Mk. III's peculiar flaw of questioning commands seemed to be fixed with the Mk. IV.

Strong, fast, and sleek (by the robotics standards of the very early 20th century) the Mk. IV had a capacity to collect, store, and compute more information than could be imagined by most of the population.

--_-- --_--

The Hudson Mk. IV, or "Mark", as Dr. Risk affectionately called him, had stood motionless in place for almost 50 years now. His self-lubing body took care to keep the elements from destroying his form as he stood. Only the occasional "metal snow" storms of mercury and galena, harmed him, though he calculated that he could stand another 69 years before irreparable damage was done.

Though he could not move, Mark's CPU still hummed along nicely, collecting and storing the data all around him. When not collecting information on his environment, the Mk. IV emotionlessly reflected on his predicament.

Standing ankle-deep on a jade-green silicon beach, a few dozen yards away from a boiling sea, Mark bided his time. Boredom (or madness) did not affect him. All he needed was for someone or some "thing" (Mark had "encountered" several lifeforms in the last 50 years after all) to either power up his battery pack, or initiate the Mk. IV's exploration routines, or both.

Now for the first time in several years, Mark felt lifeforms close by once more.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#35

The "Kid" was nowhere to be seen. Typical, thought Derek. Just like the kid he had rescued in "Blood Dawn II". Not even a "thanks".

The EEP (Emergency Ejection Pod) sat nearby in the crunchy sand, humming softly. Everywhere Derek looked he saw only reddish sands and dunes, except in one direction where he could make out what looked like a hazy body of liquid (water?) of some kind. Distances were difficult to gauge here, but it couldn't be more than a few miles away.

Luna examined some of the lizard-thing's possessions. Among them, was what appeared to be a forty foot long(!) metallic, reticulated whip, with a hollow handle and a wicked spike or talon at the other end of it. A bizarre weapon, if indeed it was one.

The beast of burden continued rutting in the sands oblivious to Luna and Skyrider.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#36

"With all this sand, we should be able to track the little bugger - let's keep looking for water, though."

Rubbing her chin, she pondered the best course, but laziness won out. A pirate needs a ride, and when ever did a Lemurian trudge through other sand than a beach?
With how unimpressed the beast had been with their little scuffle on its back, and how it languidly prodded at the sands spoke well of its temper.
She approached non-threateningly, as if she belonged, and got hold of its reins.
"Let's load up our little language sample, we can chat in the evening" she nudged towards the rolled-up slaver. "There should be enough room on the back of the saddle... yes, nice and tight." She fastened a few more straps, then steered the beast along the boy's tracks.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#37

The EEP gave a mewling beep and click as if saying goodbye, as they rode off into what so far looked like Nevada.

By the time the lizard-man woke up, Luna and Derek had traversed some miles, albeit slowly, across the alien landscape. The boy's prints disappeared after some time in the shifting sands. That mystery would remain unsolved for the time being.

A sudden malfunction in the comm feed prevented Dimmer and others from being heard by the intrepid duo, yet Skyrider and the Lemurian could still be heard back on Earth. The camera still worked. The show must go on.

They reached the shores of a seeming sea, the ochre-yellow "water" percolating as if set on simmer.

The "beach" was a colorful palette of pale greens and stretched for miles in each direction. Haze-shrouded outlines of mountainous islands could be seen on the far horizon of the sea. The sky was slathered in demonic purples.

It was a long day and bound to become longer. A Cytherean day was longer than its year.

The croc-man started hissing and the calibrated translator translated; "What sort of creature are you?" it asked Luna, yet looked at Derek as if it saw his kind plenty of times before.

One other item of note...

Standing vigil along the jade beach like a metallic beacon, was what looked like a rejected weapon idea from WWI (or earlier?). It was obvious that what stood a few dozen feet away from them was a robot, but it didn't look any kind of robot Derek recognized from 1950's Hollywood.

The thing stood motionless and involuntarily reminded Skyrider of the Tin Man from that Wizard of Oz movie from '39.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#38

How does one address a robot? Does one even talk to one? Maybe there was a button to press or something...

Instead of debating it further, Derek simply dismounted from the lizard-thing and walked towards the robot. He wasn't terribly worried it was dangerous - it didn't look it. And, in most things, that was how Derek judged things.

"Make sure you don't meet that lizard-guys eyes. I think he knows how to memorize or something."

Too bad he didn't have an oil can, that sure would have brought some laughs back home.

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#39

"I am a death shark, lizzy. A badass shark that swims through the seas, dispensing death upon those who had it coming."
The translator chirped and wheezed and hissed, and honestly, Luna had exactly no idea whether these were sounds of system failure, or the actual translation.
"Also, concerning seas, how is the water on this world?"
Orange. Fizzy. Suspicious. Not something you'd let run across your gills without prior testing.

As they approached the robot, she could not resist, and quipped: "Perhaps he is not looking for oil, but a heart?"

But, the quipping aside, she approached the waves, wistfully sighing and gazing towards the islands, their honeycombed cliffs and impossible pinnacles. Her need to immerse herself in cool wetness was ever growing. Slowly, she prodded the lapping waves with her boot, wary whether they would bite. I'm supposed to be the thing that bites in the waves. No fair.
"So, lizard? Are these waves poison? And what lives within?"
"Any luck with the robot? Perhaps it can tell?"

Re: Cytherean Cycle, the

#40

Derek walked up to the robot and examined it. It seemed intact enough, but failed to respond to his approach.

He tapped it's head.. "Anyone Home?" and looked at the back of the thing. Maybe there was an on button here somewhere. Maybe it really needed an oilcan?