Patchwork Universe

Yaroslav · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:11 am Post subject: Unexpected transformation

OOC: Yaroslav arrives from Vselug Forest "Midday fog"

But all his determination evaporated as soon as he stepped out of the mist. Instead of a dense, overgrown wood he was standing amongst rose bushes in deep, lush grass. The land was teeming with birds and small animals.

That was all Yaroslav’s mind could register until blind panic took over. he turned and with impressive speed disappeared back into the mist

OOC: Yaroslav moves to Vselug Forest "Midday Fog"

Yaroslav · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:32 am Post subject:

OOC: Yaroslav arrives from Vselug Forest "Midday fog"

The land on the other side of the fog was just as he left it. But now it looked completely non-threatening. Yaroslav even felt confident enough to sheathe his sword and carefully look around.

Rose Briar · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:25 am Post subject:

Even so Yaroslav could sense that this place had a life beyond the obvious. The tangled thickets of rose bushes laid out in looping patterns through the long grass, seemed more than a simple pleasure garden. There was magic here and a watching intelligence, although at the moment it seemed distant and aloof.

As Yaroslav wandered curiously along the pathways he came to a clearing.

In a prominent place amongst the roses stood an elaborate sculpture of brass tubes. Swinging in the middle of this was a shiny brass arrow. Despite being blown by the wind, this generally pointed to the south.

Yaroslav · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:18 pm Post subject:

Yaroslav stared aghast at the sculpture. There, gleaming in the sunlight, was a carbon copy of the arrow that he found near his hut.

Yaroslav instinctively rubbed his forehead. “What a day..”, he murmured, “what a day”. In the last few hours he found far too many disturbing questions, that were piling up on top of each other, while answers were clearly not forthcoming. He looked around hopelessly, as if expecting the roses to provide some answers and sighed. He was now quite tired.

Yaroslav · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:13 am Post subject:

An hour later Yaroslav got up with a clearer head and better idea of what was to be done next. The intruder that invaded his patch was clearly not anyone connected with his family. More likely, it a complete stranger, but someone who had some sort of disturbing interest in him or possibly his forest. The same people were probably responsible for the fog over the lake, for the destruction of the wood east of the lake and for this rose garden taking its place.

Yaroslav stared into the distance. All he could see on the horizon was mist and he had to decide which way he should take now. He couldn’t yet go back, not without some answers. Neither did he want to follow the arrow, it just seemed too obvious, too much like a trap. Better to go exactly the opposite way, that’s what these people would least expect.

He looked suspiciously at the arrow, half expecting it to have disappeared, or turned to point in some other direction or even for it to grow legs and start following him. Considering the day he was having he would not have been surprised at any of these possibilities. But reassured that reality around him was not changing just yet he turned around and began to make his way north.

Yaroslav · Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:28 pm Post subject:

Some time later a tall well-armed man dressed in clothes that clearly have seen better days could be seen swinging his sword with the intention of inflicting serious damage on the wall of mist directly ahead of him. Finally, realising that this was quite beyond his capabilities he stopped and leant on his sword, breathing heavily.

“Why is everything conspiring against me?”, thought Yaroslav with increasing desperation. You couldn’t blame him. The whole world around him was gradually becoming more and more surreal, working by rules he did not know or understand. The latest grievance was the wall of mist in front of him. Never before had he encountered fog that seemed completely solid. Whether he walked, jumped or ran into it the result was quite the same – he could go no further. His sword, on the other hand, went through it, like knife through butter, which is what made it even more confusing. How could something be solid and air-like at the same time?

Yaroslav sighed (not for the first time today). It was now a choice between south and east. But since, he was far too stubborn to drop his suspicions about the arrow he turned, keeping the mist on his left and carefully avoiding the rose bushes proceeded towards the eastern side of the patch.

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

As he walked east, he drew nearer to a mechanical purring sound to the east.

Yaroslav · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 3:33 pm Post subject:

Walking along the wall of mist Yaroslav was lost deep in thought. Even though he kept telling himself to concentrate, that being in an unknown and potentially dangerous environment and not paying attention to the surroundings was a recipe for disaster he could not help but run though the events of the day in his head and try to make sense of them. Even discovering that he was capable of some basic tricks that people called ‘magic’ was not as mind-boggling as this. That was gradual, but today was simply too much. Yaroslav would have long ago accepted that he was simply dreaming if it wasn’t for the bump on his head that gave out a sharp stab of pain every time he touched it.

Suddenly Yaroslav stopped. Slowly turning to face the line of rose bushes he listened carefully. A strange sound was coming from the south east, moving in a general direction of the western side of the patch. It was definitely nothing that he knew or could identify, in fact it seemed wholly unnatural and certainly did not belong in this garden.

Whatever it was it needed investigating. Yaroslav turned right and disappeared down one of the garden paths.

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Kirby was making slow progress, what with the frequent backtracking in order to avoid running through rose thickets, a course of action that increasingly, a frustrated Kirby was tempted to take.

Yaroslav, meanwhile, was taking paths and gaps not available to Kirby, and very soon, the Kirby Rover was in sight. As Yaroslav came upon the vehicle, Kirby was on top of the rover, attempting to sketch a map.

Yaroslav · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 11:35 pm Post subject:

As it was, taking gaps and small paths in the thicket of roses in a hurry Yaroslav did not spot Dr James Kirby’s rover until he was almost on top of it. Running out onto one of the wider tracks of the garden he found the source of the noise just a few metres away from him.

Yaroslav was not at all surprised by what he saw. After the events of the last 12 hours Yaroslav was simply too tired to be surprised any more. He just impassively regarded the large rover that stood right next to him and the strangely dressed human that was sitting on top of it. In his mind, he almost labelled the rover an animal, until he saw its wheels. “So, it is some strange wagon-like construction”, thought Yaroslav. “Why is it emitting that noise?”

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

From his vantage point, Kirby spotted Yaroslav immediately.

"Hello!" he cried "Is this your garden?"

Yaroslav · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2004 1:32 pm Post subject:

Yaroslav was disappointed. He was hoping that the stranger would be the owner, that could provide some answers.

“No”, he replied. “But who are you? Where are you from?”

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Kirby jumped down from the roof of the rover.

He stuck his hand out to Yaroslav.

"Doctor James Kirby. I'm from Empire City."

"I take it, then, that you've found yourself here against your will? Where are you from? And which direction does it lie in?"

Yaroslav · Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2004 2:43 pm Post subject:

Yaroslav shook Kirby’s hand but regarded him suspiciously. Even though he seem not to have been responsible for the rose garden, it did not mean that he should be trusted.

“Empire City…” he repeated frowning. He had never heard of it. Where was it? Empire, Empire… Of course! The stranger must have meant Byzantium! But he looked nothing like the Greek traders Yaroslav saw about 6 years ago in his home town… And what did he mean about finding yourself here against your will?

“My name is Yaroslav” he finally replied. “Why do you think I am here against my will? And what brings you here, many miles away from Byzantium? Are you a trader”

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

"Byzantium? No, not Byzantium... By God, that'd make you how old...?"

"I really don't know how to begin explaining this, since I don't fully understand it myself. By some means, a region of my home, Empire City, has been isolated, at least for myself. That region is now linked, by some form of discontinuity, with a region that appears to be part of England. Next to that is this rose garden."

"I presume that the place you call home has undergone a similar fate. Is your home surrounded by walls of what appear to be mist? About ten square miles of it?"