[open to Investigators]

[wholeheaded]

Oh, well this is... different.

[ the mental voice is light, American-accented, and at first hesitant but confidence builds as he goes on. ]

Hello new Travelers, and not-as-new ones I haven't met yet, looks like the Trumps have a new mission for us. If you can hear me, you're an Investigator and that means exactly what you'd think: we're gonna be putting our heads together to help solve some problem in this world. Thankfully that putting-our-heads-together bit's pretty easy because of this nifty telepathic thingy-- don't worry, no one can hear your thoughts if you don't want them to, but if you need help or find out stuff you think is important please share with the rest of the class.

[ it's funny because they're in a school, see. ]

You might have friends here, other Travelers, who don't remember you and think they've lived all their lives in this world. We call them Infiltrators and usually they're good sources of info, so try and blend in and stay close with them. That shouldn't be too hard since the folks here seem to have been expecting us, or a group like us and good Glinda can we please have every Jaunt start like this?

Ah... meanwhile let's try and coordinate and see who's still with us. My name's Ambrose, by the way, I'm that guy with the zipper on his head.


[ooc: Psychic network post for all your orientation needs. Remember that only investigators can use it, and feel free to threadjack around! ]

Comments

[tireur]

The difference between the security and our reception can't bode well. It might be in our best interests to determine what enemies this enclave has, and quickly.

[Things Aramis understands: fortifications.

Things Aramis does not understand: what even is a radiation?]

[wholeheaded]

[ that's a good question because haha those clicky machines were nifty Ambrose wants one for a pet. and to find out what it does. and then get horrified yes in that order. ]

We can make that one of our priorities, helping defend this place could be a thing we need to do.

[deconsecrate]

Didn't we just do that. [ Aghast! Hawke is aghast, let him tell you. ] Couldn't we lay odds on needing to participate in a pie-eating contest or something?

[tireur]

Sadly, I don't think pastry has ever been the answer.

[deconsecrate]

Not yet.

[wholeheaded]

Someday we'll be that lucky. I'm not prepared to make the call about whether this one is or not.

[deconsecrate]

Well, someone's going to have to. And sooner rather than later.

[ Holy shit, Hawke, was that seriousness????

...it was not, for the record, seriousness about pie. Tragically. Just decisions. ]

[wholeheaded]

Okay then: I unequivocally declare that this Jaunt will not be resolved by consuming pie. Or any other baked goods.

[ that was seriousness about pie, but also other things. ]

We've got a blasted wasteland, a fortified place of learning, competition for money... not a great combination.

[deconsecrate]

[ Sigh. ]

I miss the dragons already.

[wholeheaded]

You're probably the only one.

[tireur]

[And then cue all the early-and-pre-modern people being confused by his horror.]

And good sense, even if it isn't a part of the mission. Perhaps we should divide our efforts.

[wholeheaded]

That's usually the best plan. And I'll try and get into something researchy, see if I can can get a boot in the door that way.

[tireur]

The face of the world may change, but scholars are eternal.

The language they speak here is close enough to my native tongue; perhaps the terrain will also be familiar.

[deconsecrate]

[ Thoughtful. ]

How do you suppose they're bringing things in and out of here?

[ Again, this is a serious question, and because it is Hawke you should absolutely take advantage of this while it's happening. ] If you'll pardon my saying so the terrain doesn't look all that friendly.

[ Wit. ]

[tireur]

By armored caravan, perhaps. Other worlds we've visited have been home to metal carriages that were moved by some internal device. If there's similar here, it might withstand the terrain better than a horse.

[deconsecrate]

[ ...that sounds horrifying, so of course Hawke wants one at once. ]

They must need people willing to use them. Since I can't imagine volunteers are exactly lining up to come back out here.

[ Is it dangerous and stupid? Please. Hawke is in. ]

[tireur]

It's difficult to say. Not everyone does well, stuck behind stone walls. There may be some who would venture out merely to avoid going mad from boredom.

[He may be one of them.]

[flatteries]

What sort of enemies do you think there could be, though?

[ Inigo might seem like an idiot, but he's not dumb. He knows the differences between worlds, and that everything here seems unlike home - he doubts a bunch of bandits with axes could even think about taking on this place. And he doesn't entirely know what else to expect. ]

[tireur]

Raiders. A hostile nation. Even another city wanting to secure their share of the resources beyond the walls could pose a threat. Desperation can make a man as dangerous as war can.

[flatteries]

That would be the usual, but.. [ .. he looks around him again as he thinks. Yeah, no way. ] Something is telling me it would not be quite like back home. To storm a place like this you would need more than just swords, I'd assume. Even if I haven't really seen yet what sort of weapons they have here.

[ Which is exactly what makes it so hard to predict what they possibly have coming for them. And he's not exactly good at using anything but a sword or an axe at best. ]

[tireur]

You would need siege weaponry. Cannons might breach the wall - getting them up the mountain would pose some difficulty, but it doesn't look to be constructed to repel heavy artillery fire.

And there are other methods of breaching a fort. Stealth can serve as well as force.

[flatteries]

Have you seen anyone here who could be carrying a concealed blade? [ That's not exactly easy with t-shirts or skinny jeans, you know.. or at least, Inigo is pretty sure of that after having seen the way most people dress here. ]

Don't get me wrong, I am fairly used to things like that happening where I come from, but this place seems so.. different. It feels terribly difficult to imagine the same thing going on here.

[ Even though that doesn't mean he's just relying on everything to turn out alright just like that. He's too guarded for that. ]

[tireur]

Several, and I don't doubt they have the means to deter us from entering, had we failed their tests.

[Whatever those tests are. He still can't think of anything the clicking box might have told anyone.]

It's possible the fortifications were meant to repel a threat that is no longer present...but they look new, and in good repair.

[New, at least, in comparison to keeps that are generations old. It's all relative.]

[flatteries]

.. Well, if anything does happen, I can do my best in trying to help fend off whatever might be out there.

[ Although swords don't seem as conventional here, but it's better than being completely defenseless when they're being attacked. He can just claim he does swordfighting as a hobby or something if it comes down to that. ]

Plenty of us seem capable enough on that front, right? I doubt we'll have much to worry about. Not to mention that surely the people here are used to having to defend this place as well if there is a real threat out there. [ He's more worried than he'd indicate by saying all of that, but Inigo is Inigo and will forever try to look at things optimistically. ]

[tireur]

As will the rest of us.

Fortunately, if there is a siege, we're on the inside. A smaller force can hold a fortified location for a long time, with access to food and water.

[Which they seem to have.

It isn't the only factor, but with enemies merely speculation rather than fact, there's little need to go into the rest right now.]