Patchwork Universe

Patchwork Universe · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:05 pm Post subject: Men at Work

From the north of Jones' patch, near the pig farm, a group of people marched down the road. They were stocky folk, dressed in blue overalls which bore badges with the same emblem: a circle crossed with a line. Each carried a box or bag of tools: sledge-hammers, spades, and other heavy items.

Almost as soon as they had arrived they turned off the road and moved towards the barn in the northeast. There, in an uncultivated bit of land, they downed tools and began to peg out a foundation using white stakes and black and yellow striped ribbon.

Jones · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:02 am Post subject:

The men were finding the ground tough work. Underneath the soft layer of soil and grass their pickaxes hit rock. It seemed likely that digging the foundations for whatever structure they intended to produce would take some time.

The Janitor · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:32 pm Post subject:

After a brief delay due to the rock, the pace of progress speeded enormously as the workmen broke through into some caverns below.

In a surprisingly short time, they had created a gaping hole in the ground.

The Janitor entered from the northern mists. Unusually, he looked somewhat agitated and hurried over to the hole where the workmen were rapidly descending.

He stood over the hole and shouted down: "What the heck do you think you are doing? Who gave you authorisation to dig here? Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

The Janitor · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:38 pm Post subject:

The Janitor suddenly stopped. A pained expression passed across his his face.

"Oh dear."

Again he shouted down the hole:

"Look out, you've done it now. Run you fools. Get out of here."

The Janitor · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:49 pm Post subject:

The Janitor did his best to herd the panicing workmen towards the edge of the patch.

As they fled, darkness fell.

Jones · Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 6:59 pm Post subject:

Liberated from the dungeon beneath the monsters were quick to take advantage of their freedom. Phantoms, Serpents, Goblins, Hounds, and many more oozed, slithered, climbed and leapt out of the gaping hole. Unfurling wings, breathing noxious gasses, extending claws and fangs they spread out in search of prey.

Jones · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:29 am Post subject:

Monsters don't like stairs so the only ones to escape through the hole were creatures who inhabited the first level of the dungeons. Unfortunately even on the first level it's possible to encounter beasts of a might higher (or lower, depending on your perspective) level.

The Ograda had no need to jump the pit. Four times the size of a man he stepped out in one powerful stride and looked around with his small beady eyes. There was a bright white light coming from the south. Perhaps there was someone he could eat. If he was lucky they might put up enough of a fight to make it amusing.