h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Into the woods without regret
Into the woods to find a friend
Into the woods to sell the cow
The choice is made
We must begin the journey . . . into the woods!

--Stephen Sondheim, Prologue: Into the Woods

C

*advances the action through musical theatre*

It's not a role-playing thread if I can't dance, to shamelessly alter Emma Goldman!

We get the point on the continuity!

But the music is a handy enhancement ot the narrative, don't you think?


Well, I'm going to follow these wheel marks, then, and hope Violets smells the meat. Assuming plants can smell.

*exits downhill*

I was enhancing the narrative with musical theatre . . . not that it would be particularly strange in this narrative to have a full chorus line come on

Which way shall I go?
Follow Lil, or wait for Link & Navi & Co?

C

In the first post, I stated that Link and Navi are my only characters here. I'm just repeating it now for the benefit of newcomers. Meanwhile, here's some background music. http://www.thescifivine.com/~Ted_Lars/Woods.mid
Also, when Navi is at least three feet from anyone other than Link, his voice echoes so much that it's impossible to understand him.


[Link] Hey wait!

[follows Lil, accompanied by Navi and Sagittarius, and making Chick's descision for her]

[Sagittarius] A field which completely blocks magic would be disastrous to the forest! Without magic, the forest couldn't grow, couldn't heal itself when it got hurt ... swut, it couldn't even exist!

*follows Link, Navi, Lil, and anyone else into the woods*

C

*hears everybody and turns around*
Are y'all going to help me find Violets?

Of course, Lil!!!

C

Anybody else think we need a chorus line?

C

*Onboard the Space Station Big C, newly returned from somewhere that this thread wouldn't be interested in, the Professor (Tonks the good-guy, that is, not the one who found the anti-magic field), looks up at one of his monitors, which picks up signals from the two probes left lurking around in the Forest.*
*He notes down some details as to what's happening, and waits there, watching.*



He doesn't have an interest in the bad field, BTW, as he can already block magic if he wants to, but doesn't because this is a nice Forest.

Oh, and Link's controller: could you please stop posting that odd notice - we know now...
Do like the music though - from my favorite N64 game I might add...

The chorus line had better wear wellies. Flytraps like swampy conditions where there's lots of humidity and insects. The tracks seem to be heading downhill toward the river in a direction I don't think any of us human researchers have ever gone. There may be a marshy place there.

In fact the way seems to be getting gloomier already, and look at those mushrooms!

*hiking boots squishing in mud*


Is there a typographical convention for representing sounds?
Is there an official page/map/information for the Magic Forest or the Magicless Field?


Better pack our GPS with our laptops, then, Lil? Or maybe we should ask Amy to map? I don't have the knowledge to do it myself.

C

From what I myself know about the Forest, I'd say it would be virtually impossible to map it out, what with it changing all the time.
The Magicless Field has only just been invented by YK, sorry, Link, so I don't think it's had too much thought poured over it yet.
Have to say though, if anyone's going to map it out, it's got to be Amy...

Representing sounds eh? Well, I use various brackets for things - [] for my Computer, {} for my Watch, <> for my probes, but I'd say the latter are usually used for sounds, I suppose...

Here's some background music. http://www.thescifivine.com/~Ted_Lars/Woods.mid

D'oh!


[Link] Isn't this near where the Rat-Ant Incident was?

[Sagittarius] I think so. [runs away abruptly]

The rat-ant incident being?


*runs after everyone else*

C

The ratants are gone from the wood now, thanks to Amy and Styx the Rat. All you will find of that is a small pond. Small but extremely deep thanks to a bomb that was dropped into the nest after it had been flooded. As I recollect, the rats diverted water from a stream tributary to flood out the nest, so I suppose it must be rather low ground.

But the wheel tracks lead past that.


'bout where in the Magic Forest did you reckon the Magic-less Field to be, YK? In the middle? Forgive me for not reading more carefully, but what was the reason for the lacuna?

Lacuna? Was ist das?


[Near the pond/ratant nest]

[Link] Where'd Sagittarius go off to??

[Navi] {I think it seemed at the time to be toward the edge of the forest, but off the path that doesn't say anything.}

[They continue on the path. The wheel tracks abruptly stop just around a bend. This is immediately past the pond. Link abruptly stops and Lil bumps into him behind. He raises his hand for quiet and walks over to the pond. He dips his hand into the water and reflexively jumps back. Then he dips his hand back in and keeps it there for a couple of seconds]

[Link] Huh. I thought there was something in there. I was wrong.

[They continue. As Chick nears them, she sees a periscope-looking thing pop out of the water, look at Link and Lil, turn around, boggle at the sight of Chick looking at it, and dive underwater. Something rustles in the trees]

What is it, Darkwood?

*Affy looks up from his working meditation, a collection of the wisest words of wisdom over the course of history. Mainly human races, but a few non-human races have been included. Affy was trying to decide the proper order for the second verse of the song "Happiness", the third stanza of "The Code Of Dinotopia", and several verses from the books of Psalms and Proverbs. Had Darkwood not interrupted, he may have found it. But when Darkwood informs Affy of the latest events in the Forest (via an odd rustling of his branches), Affy jumps*

What? A group of adventurers in the forest? So? The Forest has never been in danger of adventurers lurking through the forest, and generally accepted outsiders well enough to incorporate them. Even the rat-ants were accepted at some level. What's so odd about a group of adventurers?

*Darkwood rustles some more*

Oh, I see. An anti-magic field. Probably won't be too healthy in the long run. But still, I don't see the adventurers being a problem worth this kind of interuption. I'm trying to find the most peaceful spacing between the phrases "Happiness is playing the drum in your own school band; And happiness is walking hand in hand," along with...

*Darkwood rustles even more*

Oh, okay. Lil and YK are there. Well, sure it's interesting, but I don't have much time for an adventure right now, and...

*Rustle, rustle, rustle*

VIOLET! Wow, I've not seen Violet in ages. Let's see, last time I saw her she was in a small barrel, and about this tall...

*RUSTLE*

Violets? Plural?

*Rustle, rustle, shake, rustle*

My, I've missed a lot lately. Need to check up on Violet(s) then. In any event,...

*Rustle*

Lost? Oh, I get it. Yeaha, I'll go help.

*Affy turns from his marble desk and walks through the cavernous passage, followed closely by Darkwood. Affy gets to the entrance, knocks on the wood, and exits the extremely friendly sentient tree. Affy ponders these recent events as he moves in the direction that Darkwood starts to move in*

Well, Darkwook, any idea where Violet might've run to?

*Rustle*

In that case, any idea where the adventurers are?

*Shake, rustle, rustle*

Near the old rat-ant nests? Hmm, interesting. You know, I've been meaning to do some research there. You see, I've got this theory that...

*Darkwood quickly lunges in front of Affy, preventing any further progress*

What? You want the...oh, good idea. Yes, I've got Violet's bio-signature in my watch. I've installed it with all of my creations.

*Darkwood sighs, and Affy begins the trek to where he guesses the party may be heading, making sure to check his watch every dozen yards, just in case he can pick up some of Violet's nucleic-residue*

Lacuna=gap, space, break, hiatus
I still don't understand the rat-ant thing.


Hi Affy!

Do you know what this creature is?

Who is Darkwood?


C