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Post by Idris on Jan 14, 2018 22:24:54 GMT
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Post by Idris on Jan 14, 2018 22:51:33 GMT
Revelation Session 1 - 13/1/18 IdGM: Despite the early hour the air was already baking when the newly arrived volunteers walked out into the sun at Nevşehir airport. Fortunately the promised minibus to take them to the dig had already arrived - aged and bright yellow with tattered seats and a rusting roof-rack, it looked as though it might sink into the overheated tarmac with any extra weight. The words ‘Gece Yeri’ had been stencilled along the side. At the sight of the group, a young man jumped down from the driving seat and came towards them smiling broadly, his hand held up in greeting. He seemed oblivious to the doubtful looks being cast at their transport by more than one of the volunteers. “Hi, I’m James,” he said. Slim and swarthy, with an aquiline nose and dark stubble, they could have taken him for a local, but he spoke with a London accent. “Let’s get your gear stowed and save introductions for when we’re in the bus - it’s too damned hot out here!” Once the heavy packs, bedrolls and other items had been distributed - some in the boot and some strapped to the roof, which was already loaded with boxes and bags, contents unknown - the group were glad to get into the shade within the bus. Surprisingly the engine started first time, although James had to haul on the heavy wheel and clashed the gears horribly as they set off. Soon however they were humming along a fairly decent highway, with all the windows open and the breeze, though not exactly cool, at least moving the air around them, and able to take in their surroundings and each other. IdGM: There were eight volunteers in all, four men and four women. Maddie: Standing off to the side, on her own, with a somewhat sceptical expression on her face, is a young woman with skin the colour of coffee. Her hair is cut in short cornrows, and she’s wearing a dark T-shirt set with the logo of an obscure queercore band she once saw in Munich, and a pair of dark red Doctor Martens. These had a small green V on them to indicate they were made entirely of non-animal products. When they had first seen her, she’d been wearing a long jacket made up of many black patches, festooned with innumerable badges and slogans, but the Turkish sun had been too much so she had it draped over her arm, showing the partial slogan CK LIVES MATTER. Maddie Ingram gazed for a moment at the words on the side of the minibus and idly considered the materials in her bag, wondering how long it would take her to make a FREE KURDISTAN stencil. As the only reason she had decided to come on the dig, however, was because she was waiting for legal difficulties back in Europe to calm down, she put the thought aside and idly glanced at her phone as she climbed onboard, wondering if they would have Internet access out here. Hannah: One of the first on the bus was a serious-looking woman whose attire could be best described as “designer practical” – her pants and top were carefully selected in muted colors to match her hair, skin tone, and eyes, while still maintaining lightness and ruggedness for physical work. She appeared to be in her early thirties, and of East Asian descent. Her shoulder-length dark brown hair framed an angular face with wide dark eyes, and she’d applied light heat-resistant eyeshadow and lip gloss. Her luggage was in two separate roller bags and a backpack which she was struggling to manage, though she somehow maintained a dignified air while doing so. While the volunteers had been walking through the airport, she had stopped on occasion to quickly tap out an email on her phone, before rushing to catch up. Once they were loaded into the bus, she almost immediately introduced herself, flashing a sunny smile. “Hannah Jeong, a pleasure to meet you all! Where’s everyone coming from?” Hannah: Hannah's accent was that of American television and film, and she had the cadence of a public radio talk show host. IdGM: Several of the volunteers were students, most of them appearing to be in their twenties. A bright-eyed young woman with a long dark plait introduced herself as Addy Jesso. She and her companion, a young Turkish man named Osman who was very quiet and diffident, were studying archaeology and were here as interns. “I’m at UCL, and my tutor is one of the directors of the dig. Helena is amazing!” Addy said with a smile at Hannah. She had a trace of an accent - Spanish perhaps. Hannah: "If I could go back to school I'd love to do archaeology," replied Hannah. "So much more exciting than endless legal briefs! But I imagine you have your fair share of dry material to learn. Beyond the bones and dry earth, that is!" Maddie: "Paris," Maddie said, though her accent was one from the Canadian Maritimes. She flicked a glance at her phone, liking a post on social media. She held the phone in her right hand and they could see a letter tattooed on each finger spelling out A C A B Stephen: A white, but slightly tanned man with dark eyes and hair and rugged features boarded the bus. He looked like he might have been in his late twenties or early thirties and most and wore a short-sleeved khaki blouse, field pants, wide-brimmed hat and a large, full backpack. Looking at ease, as if he was no stranger to such expeditions and not especially bothered by the heat, he quickly checked on his hand-luggage and smartphone before putting them away and addressing Hannah's question. "Cambridge, the name's Stephen Diamond."he said, his strong British accent unmistakable IdGM: Addy gave Maddie a quick look, then grinned back at Hannah. "Bones can be very interesting. But yes, there's a lot of work you have to do in the lab - very painstaking." She included Stephen in the smile. "Would that be the university or the town?" she asked with a twinkle. Hannah: "I love Paris!" replied Hannah to Maddie. "Only seen it as a tourist, though. The Louvre and the Orsay were amazing. I imagine you know whole other sides to it." She quickly glanced up and down Maddie's... unusual attire. After Stephen spoke, Hannah asked "So what do you study? Archaeology as well?" Emily: Emily Allaway's pale face with some freckles glanced out of the window, looked at the sceneries which strolled by before her blue eyes. Emily look like she is in early twenties. Deep in thought, she took off her hat with wide brim and stroke her short black hairs. As she did so, it became apparent she is used to hard work as her hands are covered with small measure of callus criss crossed with some old scars. She wore a sensible loose cotton shirt with a comfortable dark durable trousers with lot of pockets with a belt as well, used but comfortable steel toed boots. Dangling around her neck is silver pendant with amber set in the middle between the Celtic cross. Drawn by Hannah's sudden outbrust of introduction, Emily replied to her shortly in a strong accent as someone from remote corner of the Highlands in Scotland, “Emily Allaway from Scotland.” Hannah: Hannah put a delighted hand to her mouth when Emily spoke. "Oh my god, I love! Your! Accent! I've always wanted to go to Scotland just to hear all the accents." Maddie: Save me, they're all comparing degrees, Maddie tapped out a quick status and, relieved to meet someone not from a university, she turned to greet Emily. only to have Hannah break in instead. "Maddie Ingram, from New Scotland." IdGM: The young man who was sitting opposite Maddie leaned forward as if to hear her answer. He was olive skinned, with black curly hair and brown eyes. A tattoo of a skeleton adorned one muscular arm, he had stretched ears with large black plugs in the lobes, and silver rings and cuffs around the edges, as well as a septum piercing. He was dressed in frayed jacket and ripped jeans. Stephen: "Both, actually. Cambridge-born and raised. Not a bad place and I'd say our university's reputation is well-deserved, but frankly I prefer be out doing field research to teaching there. It's certainly more exciting." he replied Maddie: "Nice ink," Maddie told the man, scratching her arm idly. Her left hand was inked with a snarling black panther, though she had no visible piercings. IdGM: He nodded in response and held out a hand to shake, a silver snake ring the only jewellery on it. "Ben Haddock, from Brighton." His accent was more London than south coast, for those who could distinguish. Hannah: At the mention of tattoos, Hannah absentmindedly reached for her shoulder, before stopping and bringing her hand back down. Her chipper facade wavered for a moment before she engaged again with the speakers. Maddie: "Do those scumbags still have their arms factory in Brighton? Last time I was there some comrades were working on shutting it down." Maddie asked Ben. Stephen: "I'd call myself a field historian rather than an archeologist, but I don't mind wielding a spade and getting my hands dirty for the sake of finding out more about the past."he added "My colleagues are all fine teachers and do great research, but I think there's only so much we can learn from books." Emily: Emily replied to Hannah, "It is a beautiful land, Scotland. I hope you will have your chance to visit it Hannah. At least it is much much cooler." She put back her hat back on and looks at Maddie, "Nice to meet you, Maddie." Hannah: Replying to Emily's remark about the heat, Hannah made a face that said I know, right? "We get a lot of rain and clouds in Seattle. I imagine it's similar to Scotland. I was looking forward to some sun, but I hope it's not all like this!" IdGM: "Smash EDO you mean?" Ben replied to Maddie. "The factory is still there but EDO have been taken over." His hands were clean but rough as if used to manual work. "What are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking?" Stephen: "I don't know about legal briefs, but I'm sure courtroom argument can quite exciting in their own way. So, what brought you here? Do the organizers have need of your legal expertise? Assuming you are allowed to discuss that, of course." he asked Hannah. Meanwhile he quickly glanced around to size up the other people on the bus, focusing on Emily and Maddie in particular Maddie: "Some direct action recently had a bit of a fallout. Best to get out of the EU for a while, and my mother is too angry with me at the moment so I have to wait a few weeks while she calms down before I can go home. One of her friends knows...someone or other...involved with this dig." Maddie had been toying with the idea of sneaking off and heading to Syria, as she knew some comrades who had gone there to fight Daesh, but that was hardly a decision she was going to take lightly. IdGM: Two young men had been sitting quietly, as if unsure whether to join in the conversation. "Hi, I'm Sanj and this is my cousin Raj," one of them said quickly as there was a slight gap. IdGM: Ben gave a quick smile at Maddie. "Families eh? Mine are as bad." Hannah: Hannah chuckled at Stephen's remark. "I don't think I'll be bringing out my legal expertise here unless anyone needs a reminder on the Code of Hammurabi. That's probably the wrong part of the world, right? Anyway, I'm just here for a break. Law firms are... draining places." IdGM: Sanj, who seemed to be the more talkative, was explaining to Addy in a strong Yorkshire accent that he and Raj came from Bradford and were both studying engineering at Leeds University. Neither had any archaeological experience but were both fascinated to see how the city had been built. Emily: Emily nods in greetings, "Nice to meet you, Sanj, Raj. I hope the next two weeks will be interesting." IdGM: Sanj looked relieved now they had been introduced. Hannah: Having tuned out of Ben and Maddie's conversation, Hannah agreed with Emily about her enthusiasm for the dig. "We don't have anything that old where I'm from. The native people didn't make stone structures." IdGM: James turned round, causing the bus to lurch alarmingly. "There are some stone structures in the Pacific north west, cairns and walls and so on. The invading Europeans didn't recognise them as such, like the stone cities in Africa. Didn't fit with their view of 'primitive natives' Emily: Emily squeaks a little as the bus lurch alarmngly as she held on the seat. Hannah: "Huh, I didn't realize," replied Hannah, ignoring the lurch. "I'd just seen the longhouses and totem poles they still make from wood. But I'm here to learn!" IdGM: James grinned. "That's what we're all here for. Nobody is above learning new stuff." Emily: Emily raised a question, "Are there anything like the hill forts in America like the ones we got in the UK? They are feats of engineering in their own right" Maddie: "Cahokia," Maddie muttered, glancing at her phone. Hannah: "Nothing quite the same, I think," said Hannah. "Though there are some dwellings built into cliffs in the Southwest that are pretty amazing. I saw a pretty cool fortress when I visited Korea, too." Stephen: "Faculty life as a teacher is quite draining too, I assure you. The teaching is the less stressful part, really - I even get carried away with it sometimes, as my students might tell you." he chuckled "But the bureocracy and the paperwork I could do without, and when I heard of this dig I jumped at the chance." IdGM: James had sharp ears. "Cahokia is a massive area, at least eighty mounds" he nodded at Maddie's comment. "Not quite the same as a hill fort of course." Maddie: Maddie shrugged and looked at her phone IdGM: Ben folded his arms and leaned back as if to sleep. Hannah: Hannah turned to Stephen. "Yeah, I thought about doing some law school teaching, but I could do without more bureaucracy and paperwork. Corporations are basically structures built entirely out of bureaucracy and paperwork, along with annoying business school guys. I wonder if we'll discover some ancient corporation, still with a lingering scent of Axe Body Spray." Emily: "Ah, I see." Emily said, "Thanks" She said to thank them for the answers. IdGM: After some hours, the minibus left the highway and took lesser roads, all the time climbing slowly higher, into an even wilder and more arid landscape. The last human habitation had been left far behind, and the road had disappeared. Now they were on a track which was no more than packed earth, winding its way among strange chimney-shaped rock formations which stood in ranks on either side. They had to suffer a further forty minutes of the minibus bumping and grinding along before they noticed an unusually conical hill ahead of them, and as they crested the ridge, they could see that the track ended in a small valley beyond, which to their relief was filled with human activity. James brought the minibus to a crunching halt and flung open the door. “Welcome to your home for the next few weeks!,” he announced, flinging his arm wide to embrace the entire scene. IdGM: A number of large tents had been erected on the flat area at the bottom of the valley, and people were moving about among them. Several horses were also grazing at a tiny area of sparse greenery. Hannah: Hannah continued to chat happily as the ride went on, occasionally stopping to check her email and mutter about useless colleagues, until Internet service ended. When they finally arrived, she hopped out of the bus and stretched carefully before retrieving her possessions. "So do we have tents assigned? I should probably get my stuff put away." Emily: Emily grips the seat so hard that she is sure that she left the permanent marks on her seat. She mutters "Mach à Seo" as she got out of the minibus and look around beneath her hat IdGM: James was passing down boxes and bags from the roofrack. "There's are two four-person tents. Numbers are just right," he said with a chuckle, and led them down a steep footpath to the camp. Maddie: Maddie took out her earphones, which had been blaring grindcore music ever since they lost their Internet connection, and glanced around. "Like Calais, or Samos, but more comfortable," she said. IdGM: "And hopefully without the pigs crashing it," Ben added. Emily: She smiles at seeing the horses, "This is going to be fun." As she glances around the place Stephen: Stephen didn't seem to mind the rough ride or the loss of the internet connection, but he was obviously glad when they reached their destination and they could finally leave the bus and breathe the fresh air. He took his things and started to make his way to the tents. Hannah: Hannah looked completely confused by Maddie's and Ben's remarks, and continued to talk to the others. "You ride, Emily?" Maddie: Maddie nodded, rubbing a mostly healed scar on her face where one of the Golden Dawn had bottled her when she'd been in Greece two and a half years ago. IdGM: They were met at the tents by a large, red-haired woman with a strong Scottish accent and the most carrying voice they had ever heard. "Right, I'm Dr Kirsty Campbell. You can call me Kirsty but that isn't an invitation to muck me about. Girls in here, boys over there, and yes I can see you're all grown ups. Get your gear stowed and have a wash - the facilities are in that tent over there - and then come to the mess tent and we'll feed you." Emily: Emily smiles even more widely with her eyes full of delight, "I do." answering Hannah's question. Hannah: Hannah smiled back. She knew a horse girl when she saw one. She grinned again upon hearing Dr. Campbell's accent and her forthright introduction, and immediately set about following her instructions. Maddie: Maddie muttered something about the gender binary and went to wash. Stephen: Not especially impressed by the reception they had received, Stephen gave another look at the conical hill before stowing his gear away and having a quick wash. Emily: Emily glanced around for a proper look before hauling her small gears on her back, stowing it away. Once she had a quick wash, no doubt with cold water cooling herself down in this hot weather. IdGM: After they had sorted themselves out and cleaned up, the volunteers assembled in the mess tent. This was a large awning over a number of folding chairs and tables, with a camp kitchen set up in one corner. The food was plain but filling, and while they ate the newcomers were given information about safety and so on. When they had finished eating they were addressed by the site director - a tall, graceful woman in her late forties, with slightly greying brown hair cut short but stylishly, and a long, thoughtful face. IdGM: Looking round at their expectant faces, she smiled. “My name is Helena Reeves. Together with Dr Balik over there…” she nodded to the small figure with thick spectacles and the look of a disturbed tortoise, “…I am responsible for the management of the dig this year. This is a most exciting opportunity for all of you, not just those who are planning to make their careers in archaeology. I hope that you will make the most of your time here. This city is a very recent discovery, and apart from last year’s survey has not been investigated. You will be discovering things that no person has seen for nearly four thousand years. I am sure I can rely on all of you to treat everything you find with the greatest care, whether it is a gold necklace or a scrap of broken pottery. Everything is precious in building our knowledge of the city and its people. Tomorrow our field archaeologist James Shirazi will be training you in digging techniques, and giving you some idea of what we expect to find, and how we will go about it. In addition you will have the benefit of two specialists. Dr Kirsty Campbell, who you just met, is our forensic archaeologist - our bones expert. Professor Fintan Magorian, who is arriving tomorrow, is an expert in hieroglyphs.”
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Post by Idris on Jan 21, 2018 19:20:12 GMT
Revelation Session 2 - 20/1/18 IdrisGM: Having made her welcome speech, Helena Reeves beckoned to Kirsty Campbell and the two disappeared into her tent. The volunteers were left in the hands of James Shirazi, the field archaeologist who had driven them from the airport. He took them on a guided tour of the camp, while explaining the routines. “I hope you’re all early risers,” James says with a grin. “It’s exceptionally hot for the time of year, so we start work at dawn and take a break in the middle of the day. In the afternoon there will be some more digging, as well as processing of finds and preparations for the next day, We have a briefing session for everyone after the evening meal. You’ll be expected to take part - your observations and ideas are important, Also you’ll take a turn in cooking and so on, on a rota system.” Maddie: "As long as there's something vegans can eat," Maddie said. "Or I can just make my own." Having spent her entire adult life in squats or around Food not Bombs groups, Maddie had a lot of experience making curries and chillies with a great plethora of beans. Hannah: Hannah looked quite comfortable with James' description of the plan. "Just prepare yourselves for the cuisine of someone who's been too busy too cook for the last few years," she said wryly. Emily: Emily nodded as she listened to the various list of tasks they would expect to undertake, "I am a morning lark so no problem getting up that early. I can eat anything if it is edible." She answered Hannah's comment on her cooking skills. Stephen: Stephen seemed unfazed by the prospect of some vigorous digging "I'm fine with both a shovel and frying pan, we're not going to find out anything if we don't get our hands dirty, after all." he commented IdrisGM: James grinned at Emily, then answered Maddie. “No problems, all the food we use for the main meal is vegetarian, although I think we have a few tins of fish in store.” He looked around the group, then up at the sky. “There’s about an hour of daylight left, so feel free to relax. Check out the boards behind you - there’s a lot of information and photos from last year’s dig. But remember that night falls fast here, and then the temperature drops like a stone - be warned! Stay inside the camp at night - the rocks are treacherous and accidents happen. Even in the day it’s best not to wander about alone." "As you’ve no doubt discovered, there is no internet and virtually no mobile network in this area - it’s like a basin. You might get a momentary mobile signal, but it’s doubtful. Just remember that even if you do, a lot of social media is blocked. However in case of emergencies, there is a satellite phone in Helena’s office, and Kirsty’s tent doubles as a first aid post and sick room.” IdrisGM: James excused himself as he had work to do, and the volunteers were left to spend the rest of the evening as they wished. Hannah: Hannah immediately moved to examine the information and photographs from the prior year's dig, both out of interest and to begin preparing herself for the tasks ahead. Maddie: "Anyone got a football?" Maddie's years in Europe had excised the word soccer from her vocabulary. IdrisGM: Sanj brightened up, "I have!" He ran back to the tent and came out with it. Maddie: Maddie wandered over to a relatively open spot around behind the wash tents and laid her patchwork jacket down to be one goal post. "A shame it's too hot for hockey out here," she said. IdrisGM: Hannah found a simple plan on the board showing that last year's exploration had uncovered four levels of the city so far. There were some photographs of the tunnels, and the fine arched rooms all carved from the rock., and some of pottery and other finds. There was also a photo of a beautiful carved ring. IdrisGM: Raj also joined the footballers. Ben had disappeared, and Addy had gone straight over to the horses. Stephen: "I wouldn't mind a round or two" said Stephen as he offered to join Maddie, Sanj and Raj "Good warm up for tomorrow's work." Emily: Emily put back the hat she has been wearing in spite of the declining daylight. Taking James's advice on checking the board out first, she mused, "I wonder how many levels we will get through this year." Maddie: Maddie clapped Stephen on the shoulder. "Me and you against the brothers?" she suggested. Hannah: Hannah smiled over at Emily. "Let's hope we one up them and get at least five!" Once she had satisfied her curiosity, she went to find a place to sit and retrieved a journal bound with an abstract flower pattern. She went to work writing in what was clearly a precise, measured hand, with a serious expression on her face. Every once in a while she would look up to watch the game or the horses, and smile slightly. Emily: Leaving Hannah to her device, she heads over to the horses to see how they are doing. IdrisGM: Sanj and Raj were happy to play two on two. They were both pretty good players. Stephen: "Sure." said Stephen accepting Maddie's offer He wasn't in exceptional shape but still seemed fairly fit for someone who was a teacher. IdrisGM: Despite Raj and Sanj's skills, Maddie and Stephen managed to beat them by a couple of goals. Maddie: "Best two out of three?" Maddie suggested. She was barely sweating. IdrisGM: The sun was beginning to drop lower, but the cousins agreed readily. Stephen: Maddie was obviously the more athletic of the two, but Stephen managed to keep up with her and and provided a few assists. IdrisGM: This time the cousins did better, but Sanjay tripped over a loose piece of rock as he was going for a save. "I hope your ankle isn't twisted," Raj said, concerned. "That would be a bad start to the dig!" IdrisGM: At that moment Kirsty came out of the director's tent and gave them a hard look. IdrisGM: There were three horses tethered to stakes driven into the hard earth of the hollow. They looked thin but happy to see Emily. One of them whickered softly and nuzzled her hand. Addy had already brought some wrinkled apples for them, which she had found in a box nearby. She handed one to Emily. IdrisGM: "Do you ride?" she asked. Maddie: Maddie returned Kirsty's look, then knelt by Sanjay to check if he was alright IdrisGM: Sanjay was able to stand up once he had rubbed his foot for a while. IdrisGM: "I don't fancy having to see Dr Campbell if I have a medical problem," he muttered, seeing the look she gave them. Maddie: "I don't fancy having to see her at all," Maddie replied. Emily: She took an apple and fed it to a horse which nuzzeled her hand, Emily smiled slightly "I do. Happy to help out with the horses as well." She told Addy, "Do you ride as well?" IdrisGM: "I do!" Addy replied, her eyes shining. "I have my own pony, he's called Sunshine. I miss him when I'm at Uni - can't keep him in halls." Stephen: "I hope you're fine."said Stephen to the cousins. "I guess she doesn't like her job too much, if she disapproves of some good-natured sport."he muttered, obviously referring to the doctor. IdrisGM: The sun went behind the rocks, quite suddenly, and almost immediately it became dark. As it did so, the temperature dropped, and a cool breeze got up. Maddie: Maddie picked up her jacket and put it on against the chill. Across the back, there was a quote from Fred Hampton spelled out in blocky white letters YOU CAN JAIL THE REVOLUTIONARY, BUT YOU CAN'T JAIL THE REVOLUTION. "I suppose we should look at these pictures." IdrisGM: As darkness fell completely, two lights lit up in the mess tent, and they could see some figures of people gathered there. Hannah: Hannah went to the women's tent to arrange her sleeping space and put away her journal before going to the mess tent. IdrisGM: There were electric lanterns to use in the tents. Emily: Emily's smile only broadened as she listened Abby's response, "I know the feelings. I had the same issue too. Hopefully you will see him soon enough." As the darkness fell completely, she shivered for a moment as she is still wearing cotton shirt without a jacket and glances at the mess, "Look like we ought to be getting back." She muttered. Emily petted the horse a little more before heading back. Hannah: Hannah had donned a jacket and trousers before going to the mess. IdrisGM: When the volunteers entered the mess tent, they found Ben examining the photos on the board, Dr Campbell and James were poring over some documents at one of the tables and Helena was getting herself some kind of hot drink in the kitchen area. The small bespectacled Dr Balik was also there, speaking quietly to a broad, muscular Turkish man in overalls. Maddie: Maddie went to fetch herself a herbal tea IdrisGM: Helena looked over and smiled at the other volunteers. "We usually get ourselves a last drink and unwind after the day. There's teas and proper coffee. Only long life milk I'm afraid." Stephen: Stephen cleaned some sweat off his brow and put on heavier, cleaner clothes before joining the others in the mess tent. Maddie: Maddie hadn't expected there to be any soy milk and wasn't surprised by what Helena said, and resigned herself to two weeks of black coffee Hannah: Hannah, deciding it was best to start winding down, also got herself some herbal tea, and began circulating with whoever looked most prone to conversation. IdrisGM: There was actually an open carton of long life almond milk on the table. Emily: Emily went over to where the pots are held and poured herself a mug of strong tea with a dollop of milk, warming heselff up with the mug between her hands. Maddie: "Mmm, almond," Maddie said, not noticing it until she'd already started preparing herself some cherry and cinnamon tea. "It'll do." She glanced up at Hannah as she made her own tea. "So what are you doing out here? You're no more an archaeologist than I am." Stephen: Stephen prepared himself some strong black tea and sat close to the others. He seemed especially interested in Emily, with whom he hadn't interacted at all previously. "It's good to have people from all sorts of backgrounds working together, though it does make one wonder what led some of us here." he said Hannah: Hannah looked a little surprised - but pleased - when Maddie addressed her. "I'm definitely no archaeologist. I just saw the ad in National Geo, and it seemed... Well, it's been a bit of a rough year. Stress building up at work, and that can spill into your personal life." Hannah had a confident way of speaking, but a little waver made its way into her voice there. "I just thought this would be a good way to decompress, get away from it all and focus on something new and 100% unlike my legal work. It'll be a chance to really think about what I want to do when I get back." She nodded and smiled at Stephen's words. "We're quite the diverse crew. How about you, Maddie?" Maddie: "My mom is a geography teacher, she knows someone connected to the project. I'll be heading back to Nova Scotia after this is done. She's pretty mad at me at the moment but she'll cool down." Hannah: Hannah gave a sheepish grin. "I know all about angry parents. Nova Scotia - that's all the way in the east, right?" Maddie: "Yep. Haven't lived there since 2010 but I still go back when I can." Hannah: "What brought you to Paris?" IdrisGM: "At least you can talk to yours," Ben had joined them at the table with a cup of strong coffee in his hand, "Mine are the biggest bunch of right-wingers and Brexiteers you ever wanted to get away from." Emily: Taking notice of Stephen, Emily took a sip of her tea before replying, "Well, my grandmother told me to go and see the world. And since I was a fan of Time Team, the ad appeals to me especially. Beside, it is warmer here than back in the Highlands!" Maddie: Maddie winced at Ben. "That's painful. My dad is in Paris anyway, why I was there, though I've lived with comrades all over Europe." Hannah: Hannah laughed at Ben's remark. "I talk to mine, but there are a lot of subjects we've made off limits." Looking to Maddie, she gave a small wistful sigh. "It sounds great to explore like that." Stephen: "I guess it's safer than joining the army."chuckled Stephen, obviously referring to Emily's grandmother's advice "And it's certainly warmer here than Britain, no doubt about that." Hannah: "And than in Washington - Seattle, not D.C. How about you Stephen? Is this professional?" Emily: Laughng about it with Stephen, "How about you, Stephen? What draws you here from comfortable halls?" Hannah: "Jinx," said Hannah after she and Emily both asked the question of Stephen. Maddie: Maddie laughed and went and snatched up a half-finished pot of hummus, finding a few carrot sticks or stalks of celery to dip. Stephen: "It's part professional, part personal." said Stephen after sipping some tea "Comfortable halls aren't very exciting, and there's only so much progress you can make in historical research by just comparing sources and going to seminars." Stephen: "Ancient history has always been my passion, so I simply couldn't let an opportunity like this slip by. It's fine to find out how the people of the past lived through books and lectures, but as I always tell my students history isn't really an abstract concept - it's the lives of actual people who were born, lived and died, and words on a page or in a speech don't really do that justice." he added, starting to get carried away "I really look forward to helping uncover and explore a city of this size and complexity - who knows what we discover about its citizens?" Hannah: "Well said, Professor - I hope you'll share more of your enthusiasm for the subject as we work." Hannah had already gotten some details from the others when they'd been in the minibus. She addressed the rest of the volunteers. "Well, now that we all know each other... This is the kind of situation where I like a little toast to commemorate the start of a shared experience. Normally I'd go with champagne, but for now tea and coffee will have to do." She cleared her throat a little. "We're here for a lot of different reasons, and from many different places. We probably never would have met if it weren't for this dig, and I'm glad so many of us had the courage to try something new. May we enjoy each other's company, learn from each other, and find whatever we each came for. To new friends!" She raised her cup. IdrisGM: Addy held a cup of fruit juice high in the air. "To new friends, and all the discoveries we make!" Maddie: Maddie picked up her empty cup of tea for a moment, then popped a hummus-covered carrot stick in her mouth IdrisGM: Ben grinned and also raised his mug. "To new friends, and new experiences." Emily: Emily raised her mug like the others, "To new friends, and fun!" Stephen: Stephen held his cup "To making new friends and learning old things!" he toasted IdrisGM: All the volunteers raised their cups or mugs and made the toast. They could see Helena smiling as she watched. The others were starting to move and James came over. "We'll be packing up now, best use the wash tent. We turn off the main lights in about half an hour. Make sure you have torches with you if you need to get up in the night!" Hannah: Hannah looked slightly confused for a moment, but had watched enough British television to recall that torches were the same as flashlights. Emily: Emily took notice of James' instruction and went out to the wash tent to have a quick wash before heading back to the women's tent. IdrisGM: Before they all left, Ben brought out a small pad he had with him, and showed it to Maddie. He had drawn some pencil sketches of members of the dig, including one of herself. It was very simple and quick, hardly more than a few lines, but had caught the way she looked. Maddie: "Nice," she said, taking out her phone and taking a quick photo of the picture, and then a selfie of herself and Ben. "See you in the morning." IdrisGM: "Night Maddie," Ben put the pad away and picked up his things. "Dawn awaits." IdrisGM: Finally they had all settled down in their respective tents. For those to whom this was a new experience, it was hard to get to sleep. A wind blew down from the rocks, cold and dry, and they needed their warm sleeping bags and extra blankets. Some kind of hunting bird cried out in the darkness. Around them their companions sighed and turned over, trying to get comfortable. Eventually the tiredness of the day took over, and one by one they fell into sleep. You whisper to Hannah: Hannah wakes up suddenly. It is pitch dark still, but she can hear noises. It sounds as though the horses are disturbed by something.
Hannah whispers: Not wanting to disturb the others for what could be a false alarm, Hannah did her best to creep over to the tent entrance and look outside. You whisper to Stephen: In the men's tent, Stephen is woken by Ben and Osman whispering together. Stephen bisbiglia: Stephen was hardly worried - it was normal for people who couldn't fall asleep to pass the night talking to each other - but his curiosity meant he still tried to make out what the two were saying Hannah: There was a sudden yelp from Hannah. "FU-" She'd stubbed her toe on something. "Sorry, sorry!" she said quietly to anyone who'd awoken. "I heard something outside and just wanted to check." You whisper to Stephen: Ben spotted that Stephen was awake. "Something woke Osman up. Sounds like something spooking the horses. You up for taking a look?"
Stephen bisbiglia: Stephen quickly got up and went outside, with some haste as he had also heard Hannah's call IdrisGM: The air was frigid outside the tent. Stephen could now clearly hear the horses moving about restlessly on the stony ground. IdrisGM: Hannah's yelp had also woken Emily and Maddie, although somehow Addy was still sleeping through it. Maddie: Maddie woke quickly and, out of habit, uselessly checked her phone. "What was it?" she asked softly, not wanting to wake Addy. Emily: Emily fluttered her eyes open as she heeded Hannah's call. She frowned as she heard that horses were sounding nervous. Standing up and quickly putting on a comfortable jacket that look more in place in the Highlands than in warm Turkey. "Let see what is going on?" She got the torch out. Maddie: Maddie pulled on her jacket and followed Emily out Hannah: "The horses..." murmured Hannah in reply to Maddie, before getting her own jacket and heading out. IdrisGM: The darkness was still as thick as before, but suddenly the moon came out from behind a cloud and they could clearly see the horses, moving at the end of their tethers as if something was frightening them. Suddenly one of them made a high, screaming whinny and pawed at the ground. Emily: Emily frowns with concern seeing such a sight. "What;s going on here?" She muttered to herself as she glances around. Stephen: In his haste Stephen hadn't bothered to put his jacket on, but he hardly seemed bothered by the cold "Is this normal?" he asked Emily, recognizing her through the torch-light. IdrisGM: The area in which the horses were tethered was ringed by a low rock shelf, with the higher sharper rocks like a wall behind it. With something like a shriek, Osman pointed up into the shadows of the high rocks. "There! A massive animal!" IdrisGM: As the moon came out from behind a cloud, they saw it - a massive lumbering shape looming above the now desperate horses. Maddie: Maddie's eyes widened and she went back into the tent as quietly as she could to wake Addy, not willing to leave her sleeping with danger nearby Stephen: Stephen tried to get a better look at the threatening shape, though he was not foolhardly enough to move closer to it. Emily: Emily glanced at the bear on the shadow, "How unusual, bears do not generally attack the group if I remember correctly.It could be going after the horses." She frowned for a moment, "We need to scare it off somehow. Maybe a warning shot from the rifle or something?" IdrisGM: Ben said., "If one of us had a rifle!" Hannah: Hannah was watching the bear with wide eyes. "So... any other way to scare it if we don't have that? Clang some pots?" IdrisGM: Osman stared at the bear, looking a little less panicky but his voice shook. "We do have bears in our country, but I've never seen one in the wild before. This is a Syrian brown bear. They shouldn't attack a whole group." Maddie: Maddie crept back into the tent and shook Addy awake. "Quiet. There's a fucking bear out there," she said, putting a finger over Addy's lips. IdrisGM: Raj and Sanj had backed off. "We'll go get help" IdrisGM: Addy woke up with a start, her eyes rolling, then she sat up and started scrambling to her feet. "A bear? Are the horses alright?" Maddie: "For now." Stephen: "Not the kind of animal we usually associate with these parts back in Europe." said Stephen, trying to keep his cool IdrisGM: "There were wolves on that list!" Ben said, "But I've heard they aren't as dangerous as bears." IdrisGM: The bear kept moving, though now it was swinging its head about as if confused. It looked sick and emaciated. Emily: Emily took the suggestion that Hannah mentioned, "That might help a little with making noises. Good idea with the pots. I can approach the horses and cut the tethers to let them go." IdrisGM: "I can help, if someone has a knife," Addy said, coming up. "If we just let them run, they'll bolt. Have to keep a hold on them." Hannah: Hannah hurried to grab pots and pans. IdrisGM: By now Raj had reached James' tent and woken him. He came out of the tent pulling on a coat and staring at what was going on. Maddie: Maddie pulled a small knife from her bag. "I'll creep up and cut them free, you make sure they don't run." Maddie frantically searched her mind, remembering the times she'd gone hunt sabbing in England and remembering the tips her comrades had given her for sneaking around in the wilderness. IdrisGM: The bear was nearly at the shelf of rock now, but didn't see Maddie creeping in among the shadows. IdrisGM: "What the fuck is going on," James said in a low voice as he reached the group. Emily: Emily quickly muttered, "A very confused and sick bear it seems" as she eyed the bear, "We are trying to scare off the bear and keep the horses away from it." Stephen: "Anyway I can help?" offered Stephen "As much as I appreciate field work, this isn't really the kind of thing I'm used to. I'd offer my knowledge on historical bear-hunting, but we're only trying to drive it away..." he said, unsure IdrisGM: James frowned as he eyed the bear, ignoring Stephen. "The local bears don't act like this. Maybe it is starving or injured. Bears are unpredictable at best, but if it's desperate who knows. Maddie is taking a terrible risk." Maddie: Maddie cut one of the horses free, trying simultaneously not to look at the bear and also to keep an eye on it in case she suddenly needed to run. IdrisGM: Suddenly finding itself free and able to run from the bear the horse surged foreward, towards the group of volunteers. Emily: Emily grabs an attention of the fleeing horse with a whistle and managed to settle the horse down with a few calming words. "Addy, if you can lead this away from the bear and I will try handle the next one please?" Maddie: "Hurry up hurry up hurry up," Maddie was muttering. IdrisGM: Without a word, Addy grabbed the halter and led the shivering beast away from the area. Maddie: Maddie moved to the next horse IdrisGM: Seeing one of his prey escaping, the bear roared and began to slide down onto the rock ledge. Maddie: Maddie started to move away as quickly but quietly as she dared IdrisGM: The bear must have heard or seen something because he suddenly swung his head in Maddie's direction. Distracted, she tripped over one of the tethers and got a glancing blow on the knee from one of the panicking horses. Emily: Emily gasped for a moment the bear started sliding down the rock ledge, "I hope Maddie can get out of there." IdrisGM: James leaped forward and grabbed Maddie as she slid over and hustled her out of range of the dancing hooves. IdrisGM: By now everyone in the camp was on the move. Maddie: Maddie swore and rubbed her knee. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she said to James. She headed back to the tent and snatched up her things in case they needed to bolt. Hannah: Hannah had distributed pots and pans to a few of those near to her. Seeing the bear approaching, she began to clang hers together and call out as loudly as she could, hoping collectively they could scare it off. IdrisGM: The horses were screaming as the bear finally made it onto the ledge. As Hannah and her companions started their rough music, it halted and looked confusedly from one to another. Then it began to turn away, obviously reacting to the noise. Stephen: Stephen did likewise, obviously wanting to make himself useful. Emily: Emily also banged the nosies loud as possible. Hannah: As the bear was leaving, Hanna turned to the others, wide eyed, and took a deep, calming breath. "Well, that's not what I expected from our first night." IdrisGM: As the bear started to lumber back up the rocks, a shot rang out. The bear dropped like a stone. Hannah: Startled by the shot, Hannah dropped her pot and pan and whirled back around to see the bear fall. She looked around quickly for where it had originated. Maddie: Maddie instinctively dropped low when the shot rang out. IdrisGM: The others all spun round. Behind them was the stocky muscular form of Muhammed Macar, the mechanic. A high powered rifle rested against his shoulder. Emily: Emily used to hearing gunshots during her life turns around without dropping pans and smiled gingerly, "Thanks." Maddie: Maddie sat up and rubbed her knee. "This job needs fucking danger pay, or any kind of pay." IdrisGM: Without a word, Macar turned away and strode back to his tent. Hannah: Hannah took a few long moments to collect herself. "Was that necessary?" she asked no one in particular. "Would it have stayed away?" Stephen: "Who knows? Maybe it would have, but I don't think you should blame the man for not being willing to take the risk."said Stephen Maddie: "Is it normal that someone has a powerful firearm and uses it to shoot a fucking bear and then just wanders off without a word? Does he do this often?" IdrisGM: James shook his head. "I think it was sick, so it will be a danger and killing it was probably a mercy. We'll check it over in the morning." Hannah: "Poor thing," murmured Hannah. She nodded at Maddie's question, looking a bit concerned. Emily: Emily agreed with James, "I would like to check it out as well. " She look at Maddie, "Thank you for taking so much risk Maddie." Hannah: "Incredibly brave," agreed Hannah, "But I hope I don't ever see you do anything like that again!" IdrisGM: "He's an odd one," James said thoughtfully, "but Dr Balik brought him from the university." Maddie: "I'll try to make sure your back is turned next time," Maddie told Hannah. IdrisGM: Kirsty Campbell made them all jump by coming up behind them. "Right, the party's over. Everyone back to their own tents, it's a while till morning." Maddie: Maddie turned and gave Kirsty an angry look. "Yes, we're all fine, thanks for your concern." Emily: Emily glances at Maddie' bruise. "I got some First Aid training. Want a hand with that?" She offered. She took another glances to see how Addy and the horses are doing. Hannah: Hannah placed a hand on Maddie's shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look. She didn't want her going to bed angry after what she'd just gone through. "Let's get you patched up." When Emily volunteered, Hannah went about collecting the pots and pans to bring back to the kitchen. IdrisGM: "You're alive, but you could well not have been," Kirsty said in her deep Glaswegian accent, looking down at Maddie. "Next time get the man with the gun first." Maddie: "Next time, inform us that there is a fucking man with a gun. Now go away." IdrisGM: "Ms Ingram, your attitude is going to get you into trouble," Kirsty said, seemingly unconcerned at the response. She turned away and stalked off back to her tent. IdrisGM: Addy brought back the horse that had been released and they were finally settled and tethered, this time nearer the tents. As the volunteers went back in, they could see a figure patrolling on the edge of the camp, the rifle slung over its shoulder. Emily: "What a night." Emily said, "At least we can sleep more soundly..." she told others. Hannah: "I don't know if I'll be getting any sleep after that!" said Hannah. "I watched both of you risk your lives, and we've only been here a few hours. Hope it's not a sign about this whole dig." Stephen: "You're lucky you weren't hurt worse than that."said Stephen to Maddie "But that was indeed very brave. Hopefully we won't need this kind of bravery again, though." Maddie: "Well I've never been threatened by a bear before, unless particularly hairy neo-Nazis count," Maddie said. "This kind of thing had better not happen again..." she was still buzzing with adrenaline for a little while, but she actually managed to sleep, glad for once that she had no Internet connection and therefore couldn't tell her mother what had just happened. IdrisGM: Despite the adreneline pumping through them, most of them managed some sleep and the rest of the night passed peacefully.
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Post by Idris on Jan 28, 2018 19:22:29 GMT
Revelation Session 3 - 27/1/18 IdGM: The next day the volunteers were up at dawn. There was some yawning and rubbing of eyes, but with the excitement of the dig to look forward to, and the clean cold air, they were more refreshed than most of the them expected. Breakfast was served in the mess tent. Addy and Stephen were on the rota for cooking, but would be shown how to use the camp kitchen later. Today’s breakfast mainly consisted of muffins with pots of fruit, honey or marmite, and a morning briefing was held while they ate. The morning activity for the volunteers would be a guided tour of the open parts of the underground city, following by training from James in digging techniques.
Emily: Emily had a restful sleep after an exciting night with the sick bear and nervous horses. She looked fully awake with no sign of tiredness. She sat down at one of the mess table and helped herself to some muffins. Emily sliced them in half, buttered them both and dabbed them with honey. She also had a mug of strong tea also on the table.
Maddie: Maddie was the first to wake up - her blood was still pumping from the night before. She was used to broken sleep anyway from her many nights spent in illegal squats. She stood outside the tent juggling while waiting for everyone to awake, then headed off to grab a pot of fruit, avoiding the marmite (which turned her stomach) and the muffins and honey (which weren't vegan). She eventually found some toast which she ate with some raspberry jam while listening to the morning briefing.
Stephen: Stephen had slept surprisingly well considering the events of the night and looked ready to face whatever challenges the new day might bring - though he commented that he'd prefer if it wasn't another bear. He sat with the others and spread a generous helping of marmite on his bread.
Hannah: Hannah looked a bit more bedraggled in the morning than she had since arriving, but she did her best to keep up a chipper attitude as the dig properly got underway. She smiled at Maddie's juggling, glad the young woman was dealing well with what had happened. At breakfast she tried a small sample of the marmite (wanting to commit to new experiences) before sticking to honey with her English muffin, along with fruit and a strong cup of coffee with just a dash of milk and sugar. She listened attentively to the briefing, a notepad and pen at the ready.
IdGM: The volunteers noticed that neither Dr Balik nor Muhammed Macar were in the mess tent. Presumably Muhammed was catching up on sleep after keeping guard the night before. Helena Reeves just took some coffee and returned to her own tent to work. Kirsty Campbell was sitting with James at another table. Once they had eaten, James came over to them. "Are you all ready for your first trip into the city?
Maddie: Maddie scooped a small peach slice into her mouth and stood up, checking her phone out of habit.
IdGM: There was no signal.
Hannah: "Ready as I'll ever be!" said Hannah, putting away her notepad.
Emily: Emily smiled as she finished off the mug of tea, "Ready for the day already." as she stood up from her chair.
Stephen: "I've been looking forward to it since I first heard about this. Let's go!" said Stephen, obviously quite eager
IdGM: After checking that everyone was accounted for, James led them accross the camp to the easternmost side. A narrow path wound down between high rock walls, then widened out. Ahead was a massive cairn of boulders, which had been opened up. Steps led down into a man-made cave, and there before them was a circular hole, the huge stone door which had blocked it rolled to one side.
Maddie: Maddie suppressed the urge to climb on the walls and instead examined the big door
Emily: She looked at the huge stone door with an interest. "I wonder when they carved the stone door... old as the city?" Emily asked herself.
IdGM: "It would have been," James said. "These cities were created as safe havens, so the stone door was essential. Although this one is on the outside, and used to seal the hole from without, which is strange. And then this cairn was built over it. But this isn't the proper entrance, we haven't found that yet."
Stephen: "That does look unusual."said Stephen hearing James' words as he looked as closely as he could at the sight in front of them, sounding more interesting than perplexed "But I'm sure whoever built this had a good reason for it."
Maddie: "Is this the same age as the rest of the place?" Maddie asked, thinking the cave was as comfortable as many places she'd slept
Hannah: "They must have wanted to get access to it later on?" suggested Hannah uncertainly. "Maybe a burial place?"
IdGM: James shook his head. "This is just a way in. There would have been several, for easy and quick access when danger threatened. Anyway you'll see more inside."
Emily: "Or maybe just to hide the entrances after the city was abandoned at the time?" Emily suggested her idea before James' answer
IdGM: "It's possible," James considered. Then he indicated a rack just inside the opening. "Take a hard hat each. You must wear them all the time you're underground. There's a headlight for each of you. We've run lights into the main corridors from the generator, but you never know." As they stepped through the hole, the rising sun was cut off. The air was still and cool and smelt of age.
Hannah: Now that they were there, Hannah looked a bit nervous. "Underground! I've only been deep underground once. Cave system in Oregon. This is... different." She strapped on her hardhat, glancing about at the walls.
Maddie: Maddie pushed her hair back and pulled a hardhat on, fiddling with her headlight. "When I was in Brighton last we went on a tour of the old Victorian sewers, we had to wear one of these," she said to Ben. "Normally if I go underground though I'm not following rules."
Emily: Pulling one of the hard hats off the rack, she took her hat off and fold it so it can fits in one of her pocket. She slipt the battery for the headlight into one of her backpockets.
Stephen: Stephen wore one of the helmets, being careful to ensure the strap and buckle were in good order.
IdGM: Ben grinned. "My mates and I went on that tour. Very impressive brickwork, and doesn't smell that bad. You have to wear disposable gloves because of the rats too."
IdGM: "Right!" James called them all to order, and drew out a hand drawn plan from his pocket. "We'll be working our way down to where last year's dig finished, on the fourth level. You've seen the pictures on the board. If you want to know anything just ask. One thing, please don't wander off - there are many side tunnels and we have no idea where they lead to!"
Maddie: Maddie's foot twitched and she said nothing.
Hannah: Hannah nodded solemnly, ready to follow James. IdGM: They set off down the corridor which twisted around several times before descending a long flight of steps, perfectly carved out of the malleable volcanic rock.
Emily: Emily nodded seriously. "Just quick question, are there any signs that highlight that the side tunnels are unexplored?" Looking at the maps closely Hannah: "The craftsmanship is incredible!" said Hannah softly, running a finger across the rock of the steps.
IdGM: "There are only lights on the main tunnels. The side routes have been looked at by the survey and will need to be examined further, but on this dig we'll be going down to the fifth level." James smiled at Hannah, "This city dates from the Bronze Age, although the Hittites did have access to some iron artefacts. And unusually we think this was all excavated within a few hundred years. The other large underground cities were in use for thousands of years."
Emily: "Impressive." Emily replied as she glances at the tunnels which James said only done within a few hundred years
Stephen: Stephen seemed more focused on examining the walls than listening to James, likely because he already knew about Bronze age history.
Hannah: Hannah listened to James' contextual information intently. "I wonder how many laborers worked here over that long..."
Maddie: Maddie was more interested in the present and the future than the past, but the city was undeniably impressive
IdGM: "There is no evidence that the digging was done by slaves," James said, as they entered a much wider and higher area where archways led off into darkness. A large flat topped stone stood in the centre of the way. "Of course it used to be thought that most massive projects relied on slavery, but now constructions like the pyramids appear to have been made by paid labour or volunteers who chose to give their work. In this case, the city was for their own protection, so the entire population would have had a reason to work on it."
Hannah: "And back home we can't get a transit line built without twenty years of arguments over funding," said Hannah with a crooked smile.
Maddie: "DIY ethos always works better than slavery, waged or not," Maddie said. She'd known more intellectually minded people who could have given more detail, but her attempts to read Capital had usually ended with her getting stoned and deciding to play Pokemon instead sometime around the distinction between use-value and exchange-value.
IdGM: James laughed, but there was a serious note in his voice as he went on. "The Hittites hadn't discovered capitalism, fortunately for them. They still had a sense of being interdependent. And the kings, at least in the old kingdom, weren't reliant on divine right." "The passages divide here," he went on. "Go down these steps." The steps led to a strange room with stall-like constructions and holes in the floor. "Can anyone work out what this was used for?" James asked, looking round at them all.
Maddie: "Toilets," Maddie grunted.
IdGM: James shook his head, "though they did have areas for that."
Stephen: "People were quite resourceful back then - far more than most today give them credit for."said Stephen to one in particular while still looking around trying to commit to memory as many details as he could
Hannah: "Are those maybe animal stalls?" suggested Hannah. "They're larger than you'd need for humans."
Stephen: "Most likely. "agreed Stephen "The holes would be for liquids." he added Emily: Emily stared at the stalls and shook her head, "Of course. I can see that now." She murmured to herself
IdGM: "Well worked out," James said with a smile. "These underground cities held everything that the people needed, so they could live just as they did above ground. All their animals, food, they built oil presses and set up looms, dug wells and stone tanks to store the fresh water." They retraced their steps to the archway room and picked another lighted way, up more corridors and steps.
Maddie: Maddie took another look at the horse stalls and idly wondered if there had been hunt sabs in the the time of the Hittites
Hannah: Hannah smiled at Emily, "I'm imagining you fitting right in back then as a horse handler."
Emily: Emily smiled back at Hannah, "I suppose so. It would be dark and damp though." IdGM: After passing through several rooms and down miles of corridors and stairs,they reached a doorway with another massive stone door rolled to one side. "These doors lead to the next level down. Every one was closed when the survey was done last year." James said. Maddie: "How'd they open them?" Maddie asked, looking at the door. IdGM: "From this side they can be pivoted, although it took several strong people to move them even so," James answered. "They fit into a stone track. Extraordinary piece of engineering." On the second level they found more animal stalls, storage rooms, and a massive area supported by pillars. "This would have been some kind of meeting room," James told them. "Though the population of the whole city would have been far too large to fit in one place. Some of the cities were made to hold a population of over twenty thousand."
Emily: Emily looked at James with surprise, "Twenty thousand? That is amazing. I can't even think how much intrastructures that must take to maintain a city of that size and to supply them with foods from outside as well."
IdGM: James nodded in agreement. "It's almost impossible to imagine, but they were very well organised."
Stephen: "I wonder what were these meeetings like."said Stephen looking around "How they were organized and moderated, how heated arguments could be...it's certainly something to think about."
IdGM: "And your work here will help us fill in the details," James said. They continued down to the third level through yet another stone door. The rooms here were more strange, their uses less obvious. One held a row of what looked like seats carved from the stone of the wall. Another had a row of stones resembling upright tombstones. "We believe these could have been used by special gatherings - judicial, legal, even social. But we need to investigate more," James took them through one more rock door. The lights were less frequent, and eventually they reached a corridor which ended in darkness. Hannah: Hannah continued to marvel at the work. Every once in a while she absentmindedly reached up to lightly touch her left shoulder. Finally they reached the end of the line. "So this is where we come in."
IdGM: James nodded. "We'll be starting work here tomorrow. There is another stair and rooms lower down, and we should find some interesting artefects." He took some trowels from his bag - these were more like those used for mortar than the gardening kind - and passed them round the group. "We'll run through the basics of digging here."
Emily: Emily took a trowel and looked at it at both side before listening to James's explanation on the basics
Maddie: Maddie had known some guerilla gardeners, but had never taken part in that kind of action herself. She reached up as if wanting to remove her hardhat to mop her brown - it was sweaty and close in here - but remembered not to.
IdGM: There was a patch of loose gravel and dirt, where James proceeded to show them the right way to use the trowel, what to do if they found anything and how to record any finds. It was interesting work, though hard on the knees, and by the end of the sesssion they had found some small pieces of pottery and one of the volunteers had discovered a small statue, which was probably a representation of a dog or wolf.
Hannah: Hannah held the trowel awkwardly at first, but went at the task enthusiastically. "I'm remembering why I got a standing desk," she muttered as she stretched her back and rubbed her knees. When Emily discovered the statue, though, she gasped in delight. "Well done!"
Stephen: "Quite a find!" said Stephen congratulating Emily and trying to get a closer look at the statuette
Maddie: Maddie had never done any archaeology, but had helped to make any number of derelict buildings more comfortable and her knees held up very well.
Emily: Emily was the one that found a small statue. She was clearly pleased to be the one that discovered a small animal statue from her efforts. "Very neat. No doubt we will all find something neat during the dig." She took a closer look at the statue, noting the animal outline.
Stephen: "Hopefully there is no ancient curse on it." joked Stephen
Emily: Emily chuckled at Stephen's joke IdGM: James laughed. "If all those curses worked, archaeologists would be in real trouble. Now, we'll pack up and tomorrow we'll do the real digging."
Hannah: "I feel like if they were wise they prepared their curses to affect lawyers rather than archaeologists, so I'll stay away," replied Hannah with a grin.
Stephen: "Lawyers existed far before archeologists, so sounds like the most reasonable bet."smiled Stephen
IdGM: They gathered the trowels, and the finds in a box with the notes they had made. As they started moving back along the corridor towards the staircase, the lights flickered slightly. "You might need those headlights yet!" James joked.
Hannah: Hannah chuckled nervously at James' quip.
Maddie: Maddie had been considering sneaking off to take a peek at the unexplored level, but the flickering lights convinced her this wouldn't be a good idea.
IdGM: The lights remained steady, but as they walked along the corridor, Addy screamed. She had been walking at the back and looking at the stonework. Everyone spun around. Addy was standing with her hands to her mouth, and looking rather shamefaced.
Maddie: "Alright there?" Maddie asked. She'd been near the back as well. Emily: Emily looked over at Addy with worry in her eyes, "Are you alright?" Stephen: "What happened?" asked Stephen, puzzled IdGM: "Sorry," Addy was pink with embarrassment. "I was looking back and I saw... I thought I saw... something moving. I don't usually shriek like that," she added with a shaky smile.
IdGM: James moved back and spoke calmly to her. "What was it?" IdGM: Addy frowned. "I don't know. A shape moving... a shadow. Must have been a trick of the light, because it went into the wall."
Emily: Emily looked rather edgy by the idea of something else in the tunnels and took a glance around more carefully.
IdGM: "We are throwing lots of shadows," Raj said, rather shortly to hide his own nerves. Maddie: Maddie patted her on the shoulder. "I remember once we were in this squat in Madrid, down in a rickety basement with only one bare lightbulb. Damn thing swung about quite a bit. One night I got up needing a piss and when I came back I saw this enormous shape looming up over me! It had these giant hooked hands like claws, but when I saw it it went right back into the wall! I must have woken up everyone in the place." Maddie paused for a moment. "Those were some good mushrooms Paolo found," she added wistfully.
Hannah: Hannah raised an eyebrow at Maddie's story, but moved back to stand by Addy as well. She was on edge herself, but repressed those feelings to make sure her voice was calming. "This deep underground, surrounded by all this history, I think we're all starting to see things where they're not. We'll feel more comfortable with some fresh air, and then tomorrow it'll all feel more normal."
IdGM: Addy actually giggled at this. "Not mushrooms this time. It could have been one of our shadows but... it looked wrong somehow, all distorted..." she shook her head as if to clear it. "It must have been my eyes playing tricks."
IdGM: Ben said. "It's not a trick, but when your eyes see something your mind makes sense of it, like seeing faces in the fire or cities in the clouds. It's how art works - your brain can interpret marks on paper, or stone, and turn them into something familiar." Stephen: "It's an unusual setting for most of us, it's only normal to feel weird."rationalized Stephen, not unkindly. He seemed genuinely convinced that nothing serious was happening.
IdGM: James called them to order, and they set off up through the tunnels, the rooms and the long staircases. It seems to take a very long time to reach the world above, and they were all very relieved to breathe fresh air again, albeit very hot air. The temperature in the underground city had been cool and even.
Hannah: While they walked, Hannah made light conversation to keep the group distracted from worrying about what Abby had seen. Once they were up above, she breathed a sigh of relief. "A successful first trip down!"
IdGM: James sent them off to get something to drink and rest until the heat reduced. "I'll have a word with Muhammed, check the air is circulating properly down there."
Emily: Emily stretched her arms above her head, glad to have a fresh air, "One of many no doubt." She answered's Hannah's comments
Maddie: "Can he actually speak English? I wondered about that last night," Maddie wondered.
IdGM: Osman, normally so withdrawn, spoke up. "He can speak a little English. But he seems to talk only to Dr Balik. I said something to him, because we are both at Bilkent university, and he ignored me."
They trooped off to the mess tent to get drinks - they had bottled water with them in the city but the heat was very dehydrating. James was speaking to Muhammed who seemed to understand. His dark eyes were fixed on the field archaeologist with more than usual intensity.
Hannah: Hannah stayed near Addy as they returned to the camp, talking to her about the important finds they would make as well as making small talk about their lives, trying to make sure she wasn't too shaken by the experience underground.
Stephen: "It was an interesting trip, wasn't it?"said Stephen to the others as they went to get something to drink
Maddie: "Want to check out the hills later?" Maddie asked Ben. "They said not to wander off on our own but not so bad if there's a few of you."
Emily: "Yes it was." Emily confirmed, "Looking forward to seeing what we will do tomorrow." IdGM: Addy was a bit quieter than usual, affected by the strange experience and her embarrassing reaction, but with Hannah's calming influence she recovered and was soon talking happily about her studies and her life in London, having moved there from the Basque country where her father still lived. IdGM: Ben nodded. "Sure. I'd like to see more of the surrounding country. It's a strange landscape." Maddie: Maddie smiled. "I'll go and have a rest and then we'll take a look." Hannah: Hannah had a disarming way of conversing, showing genuine interest in everything Addy had to say about her life and origins. Once she was sure she was doing okay, she went to sit and have a beverage with Stephen and Emily before diving into helping catalog their finds.
IdGM: They were all expected to have a rest from the heat, either in the tents, catching up on missed sleep, or in the mess tent where at least there was some breeze. As the day passed, the sun grew a little less fierce and most people gathered in the mess tent to help themselves to tea and chat.
Maddie: after her rest, Maddie went to find Ben and have a wander around. She had a mind to go and see where the bear had appeared the night before.
IdGM: Kirsty had not appeared. She had apparently taken one of the Landrovers to collect Dr Magorian, the hieroglyphics expert, from the airport.
Stephen: Stephen did not feel the need to rest, and seemed eager to go back to the city again when they would be allowed to. He did not appear to be concerned with what Addy claimed to have seen, though he did ask her if she felt better when he had the chance. He also spoke briefly to Emily, pointing out how appropriate it was that she, a ranger, would be the one to find the wolf statue. Emily: Emily grinned for a quick moment as she agreed with Stephen's assessment. "Most fitting yeah. Speaking about animals, I wonder what they did with that bear we saw last night." She looked around to see whatever happened to the bear.
IdGM: Emily could see Ben and Maddie already making their way towards the rocks where the bear had been.
Emily: She picked up some speed as Emily strolled toward Ben and Maddie and approached them with a wave, "Was wondering about what happened to the bear..." She told them.
Maddie: "Heya," Maddie greeted Emily. "Come along, the more the merrier."
Hannah: Hannah watched Emily go meet up with Maddie and Ben, smiling. She glanced over at Stephen. "So you think you're going to find things here that are helpful to your work, based on what you've seen?"
IdGM: Ben led the way up the rocks above where the horses were tethered. "That's weird," he said, looking around. "This was definitely where the bear fell when Muhammed shot it. But where's it gone?" There was blood on the rocks - a lot of blood and gore, far more than there should have been after one shot. But the bear's body was not there. Maddie: Maddie had been assuming they'd moved the body - but a body that size would need quite a few of them and there weren't enough people in the camp for that to be done without her knowing, she thought. "Maybe Kirsty stuck it on her Land Rover." She looked around for any sign of the body being moved
Stephen: "I certainly think so." Stephen answered "It's early to tell of course, but what I have seen earlier looked quite promising."
IdGM: There were bloody marks as if the body had been dragged back up the rocks, rather than down towards the camp.
Maddie: "The fuck?" Maddie scratched her head.
Emily: Emily looked at the bloody marks, "Why would the bear get dragged up? I can't think of an animal that is capable of dragging a beast of that size away!"
IdGM: "We could have a look further up," Ben suggested. Stephen: "As for you, are you enjoying the distraction from legal work?" he asked "Aside from things like bears showing up in the middle of the night, of course - I think that's the kind of annoyance you don't have to put up in a courtroom, at least"
Maddie: Maddie nodded and headed up, looking out for tyre treads or footprints or anything that would make sense of this.
Emily: Emily agreed with Ben's idea following them, keeping an eye out for anything unusual.
Hannah: Hannah laughed. "Yeah, there have been some nervewracking moments. But I'm glad to be out here, forcing myself not to think about the same old worries. I guess it's different for you - you're probably thinking of work the whole time! What do you do that's not history related, Stephen? Hobbies? Family?"
IdGM: As they climbed to the top of the rocks, they could see further ranges of rocks behind them like waves on the sea. Some thin earth had gathered in the hollows at the top. On examining this Ben and Maddie could clearly see the hoof prints of several horses.
Maddie: "Must have got the horses up here while we were down below. Stuck in the Land Rover seems most likely." Maddie enjoyed the mental image of Kirsty driving with no company except a bear's corpse.
IdGM: Ben frowned down at the prints. "Emily, you know about horses. Do these look like they were made by the ones in the camp?"
IdGM: Emily examined the prints - they were almost certainly not made by the horses in the camp. The hooves much have been rough and unkempt. Also there was no way a vehicle - even a Landrover - could have been brought up here.
Maddie: "Can you tell how recently these were made Emily?" Emily: Emily stood up from her position, brushing some of the dirts on her trousers. "Well, they are most certainly not from our horses in the camp. Beside, it is not possible for a vehicle to get up here. The horses they used, their hooves were not trimmed it seems."
Stephen: "Well, I enjoy historical renactements and even do some fencing there, from time to time, but of course that doesn't really count, does it?" Stephen smiled "I do enjoy modern life and its amenities - shows, games, a good book once in a while - but in the end it all comes back to history and I find myself thinking how and why these things turned out like they did. Professional deformation, I suppose. As for my family my parents were always quite supportive and still live in Cambridge, so they can't complain about not seeing me often as they're not far from the faculty. I do have a younger brother I don't always see eye to eye with, but he's not a bad sort."
IdGM: The tracks led away from the camp, down the defile between the rocks and away to the north. It was possible that the horse riders might have joined the main track eventually. Hannah: Hannah nodded as Stephen spoke, sipping at her coffee. "It's good to love your job. There are parts of mine I love, and parts not so much. Guess you could say the same about my parents, come to think of it." She glanced up toward where Maddie, Emily, and Ben had gone, wondering how they were doing.
Emily: Emily considered ths issue, "Maybe the camp got local farmers to take the corpse or something."
Maddie: Maddie looked around for signs of boots or shoes - any rider would have needed to dismount first to attach the bear to be dragged away
IdGM: Once they knew what to look for, she could see the marks of several booted feet, and not the sort that the team members wore.
Stephen: "Parents are people, so you can't expect them to be perfect. That doesn't mean they shouldn't at least try." said Stephen, supportively. He seemed to realize what Hannah was thinking about "I don't think they're going to get lost or hurt themselves. They seem far from clueless - I was quite impressed by how they handled that bear. It's a good thing no one got hurt - well, other than the bear, obviously "
IdGM: Studying the tracks, Emily reckoned they were made during the night, between the killing of the bear and when the camp arose just before dawn.
Hannah: "Yeah, Emily seems shy, but she knew how to handle those horses like an expert. And Maddie... Well, I haven't known too many people like her." Hannah's voice was soft. "But what she did was very brave."
Emily: "Thinking about it, these tracks were made before dawn in the middle of the night." Emily frowned, "That's strange."
IdGM: Ben looked back at the camp. "I'd like to follow this up, but it's getting late. We'll need to get back, get ready for the briefing." He looked back to the north. "There's that village up there, we passed it. A long way back, but riding... Might be them?"
IdGM: People began to move around the camp. Kirsty Campbell came looking for Stephen and Addy. "You're our cooks for tonight?"
Maddie: "We should head back and tell the others. How the fuck would they ride a bunch of horses up and drag a bear away without anyone noticing?"
IdGM: Ben shook his head and started back down the rocks.
Emily: Emily went down the rocks, "Worth chasing this up. I was hoping to check the bear out today."
IdGM: Kirsty showed the two novice cooks how to work the camp cooker and where all the ingredients were. "It's all veggie, meat is hard to keep in this heat anyway."
Stephen: "She seems...headstrong. "said Stephen "Obviously has choosen a very different path in life from us, but that's fine. And methods proved useful last night". Stephen smiled as he replied to Hannah before leaving her to go and take care of his cooking duties
Hannah: Hannah smiled back at Stephen. When he'd moved away, she rummaged in her bag and pulled out a ring, which she held in her palm, looking at it for a long while. IdGM: Stephen and Addy got to work. Addy clearly had no experience of cooking for numbers of people, and she was far too heavy handed with spices.
Maddie: as they headed down, Maddie noticed Kirsty had returned and was speaking to Stephen and Addy. Smiling on a sudden impulse, Maddie sneaked down, using the women's tent to shield her from view. As Kirsty made her way back towards her tent, Maddie suddenly leapt out, clapping her hands together loudly. "Did you have a good drive to the airport?" Emily: Emily gave the foods so artfully made by Stephen and Addy a try. She paused for a moment and went on anyway.
IdGM: Kirsty jumped noticeably. She turned and glared - iIf looks could kill, Maddie would have dropped dead on the spot. "Fine thank you," she spat through gritted teeth. Then she spun on her heel and marched into her tent.
Maddie: Maddie turned and headed towards the mess tent with as broad a grin as someone biting hard on their tongue could manage
Hannah: When Maddie arrived at the tent, Hannah was there in one corner, looking away from the others inside. She hurriedly stuffed something into her bag when she noticed Maddie. "Y-You're in good spirits."
Emily: Emily paused by the horses to see if they are doing okay. After a short check, she strolled toward the mess tent. Maddie: Maddie burst out laughing. "Oh God the look on her face," she cackled, wiping a tear away from her face. She glanced around for James or one of the other directors but saw no one. "Somebody or other's stolen our bear."
Stephen: Stephen may not have been a chef, but he was obviously a practical man and had some experience using camp tools and supplies, so he managed not to embarass himself.
Hannah: Hannah looked quizzical, first at Maddie's comment about Kirsty, and then about the bear. "Stolen?" she murmured.
Emily: Emily arrived at the mess and went over to get herself a mug of tea and returned to the group with it in her hand. "Or picked up. Seem strange since the bear was removed before dawn today." She added
IdGM: At that moment, James entered the mess tent, together with a man who they guessed must be Professor Magorian. He was someone who would never be missed in a crowd - big and broad shouldered, with a head of thick black hair and a beard to match, he had obviously heard what was said. "Stolen your bear?" he said, in a deep, loud voice with an unmistakable Irish accent. "Strange goings on already. This is going to be fun!"
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Post by Idris on Feb 5, 2018 9:08:09 GMT
Revelation Session 4 - 4/2/18 For once, every member of the team had turned up for dinner in the mess tent. Despite Addy’s failings as a cook, Stephen had manage to rescue their effort from disaster and the food was quite passable, especially as the morning’s work and exercise had given the volunteers a good appetite. Once they had cleared things away and were sitting with hot drinks in front of them, the briefing began. Helena rose and introduced Professor Magorian, who would be examining any writings they found. The Professor had brought a silver flask from his inside pocket and added a little amber liquid to his coffee. He rose to speak, his voice echoing off the rocky walls around the encampment. "Good to be here,and I'm expecting some exciting finds from this dig. The Hittites were big on borrowing - cuneiform as well as hieroglyphs, so there will be plenty for me to do. But before we turn in tonight I want to hear about this missing bear!" Helena gazed around the team, surprised. Muhammed, sitting close to Dr Balik as usual as they muttered together, looked up and scowled. Maddie: Maddie shrugged, pouring almond milk into her coffee. "There was a bear last night that threatened the horses, Muhammamed shot it while it was running off. We just went up to have a look around and the body looks like it's been dragged away." Hannah: "Dragged away?" murmured Hannah. "Must have been a group of people." IdGM: Professor Magorian looked most surprised. "There's nothing in these mountains could drag a full grown bear away, even a wolf pack and you'd have heard them howling, Except humans of course..." Emily: "Yes, it was taken just before dawn." Emily piped up, "Most likely a group of riders from a local village? I spotted some tracks away to north." She added. IdGM: Muhammed was looking daggers at the Professor, and muttering urgently to Dr Balik who was clearly trying to calm him down. Maddie: "A group of riders who were able to come up close to our camp in the night, with horses, and drag a dead bear away without waking anyone up," said Maddie. "When I've been in squats and we're worried about the bailiffs trying to evict us at night we get someone to keep watch, we ought to do the same perhaps." IdGM: Dr Balik spoke, his voice smooth as oil on a troubled sea. "We have Muhammed to keep watch, he patrolled the camp last night. Whatever took this bear, it will not trouble us." Maddie: "So we have someone to patrol the place who failed to notice a bear coming up to the horses. That's a good point, we should definitely keep watch." IdGM: Dr Balik spread his hands, "It is almost unheard of for a Syrian bear to attack a large group of people. It seems it was injured, and not itself. There seemed no need for a watch to be kept before than, but now of course he will be there." Stephen: "Perhaps they didn't want the dead bear to go to waste. "said Stephen, who was sitting with the others after finishing preparing the food "Doesn't mean they mean any harm to us, though keeping an eye open won't hurt." IdGM: Kirsty interrupted. "The bear is gone and we have a watchman. Can we please get on with the briefing now." James jumped up before anyone could continue the argument. "I took the volunteers into the city today and have to say they learned fast and worked really hard. We found some nice bits including a fine statue. Emily, would you like to show us it, as you found it?" Maddie: Maddie almost responded, but decided for once to fill her mouth with coffee instead of words. She sat next to Hannah, muttering something under her breath. Emily: Emily stood from the chair to get a find she uncovered from the dig and shows off the small statue which look like a wolf or a dog. "The city was really interesting. Pictures is one thing but seeing it with your own eyes is something else." She commented on the day Hannah: Hannah seemed a bit shaken, less energetic than usual. She gave a brief glance at the muttering Maddie, and forced a supportive smile as Emily showed off her find. IdGM: Everyone, even Dr Balik, showed interest in Emily's find. "That's a very good start," boomed Magorian, a broad smile on his face. "I think this dig will be really special." IdGM: Once they had gone over the day's work together, Helena explained how they would organise in future. The volunteers would be split into two groups, one headed by James and the other by Kirsty Campbell. Professor Magorian would move between the two depending on what was uncovered. The two directors would also spend some time with the groups. Muhammed of course would be maintaining the generator for the lights. Once the briefing ended, they were free to spend an hour or so relaxing. Maddie: Maddie headed out, still muttering, and went looking for a football Hannah: Hannah was quiet except when addressed by the others, going back to writing in her journal and looking up at the spot where the bear had been, occasionally biting her lip. Stephen: Stephen tried to make idle conversation with the others, sounding excited about their future visits to the city and not especially concerned with the disappareance of the dead bear Emily: Emily went over to check the horses out to see if they are doing fine, especially after last night's excitement. Once she is satisfied with the horses. After a quick check, Emily headed back to the group. As she settles down beside the others, Emily pointed out, "You know, I spotted Muhammed getting a note or a message for Doctor Balik. Maybe I am just reading too much into it." She frowned as she doesn't want to pry too much into this troubling matters. Maddie: Maddie had kicked a ball around on her own for a while before giving up and sitting down next to Emily, glancing uselessly at her phone. "I don't give a shit what that oily prick says, we should keep a watch tonight. How the fuck do you drag away a dead bear without making massive racket anyway?" IdGM: "If it's the villagers, they will be experienced hunters and know how to do that," Osman said. "But why be so secretive? I don't believe it's against the law to take a dead bear." Hannah: "It's strange," said Hannah. "It seems like we're being withheld something. And that's a problem, when we've already seen more danger than there should have been on this whole dig." IdGM: "Well the bear isn't anyone's fault," Ben said. "They are indigenous here, but usually not that dangerous." Maddie: "How would they have even known there was a dead bear to begin with? Were they hunting it already or something?" Maddie shook her head IdGM: "It is possible," Osman nodded. "If it is sick they would be allowed to kill it." Stephen: "Hunting dogs, perhaps?" suggested Stephen, still not sounding overly concerned with the whole affair Emily: Emily shook her head, "And if hunted by hounds, we would certainly heard their barks." She frowned for a moment, "I would say it is easy to drag away big animals quietly. Although it must be a real pain to drag it up the rocks!" IdGM: "There was a lot of blood at the death site," Ben reminded her. "They could have butchered the bear there. Not for food I hope, I've heard eating bear can be quite dangerous." Hannah: Hannah seemed less concerned about the bear than about the secrecy between Muhammed and Doctor Balik. "I'll give it a day or two, but if it seems like they're not telling us anything important I'm gonna have a talk with them." She tapped her pen lightly on her notebook. IdGM: "They do seem thick as thieves, maybe literally?" Ben suggested. Emily: Emily flexed her fingers above her head, "Something we can keep an eye out for next few days. I for one want to enjoy my time here." Maddie: "I don't like the fact that someone in this place had a gun and they never bothered to tell us. There's no way I'd have risked getting near that bear if I'd known," said Maddie. "Look, this might not matter but I really think we should keep an eye out tonight and I'd rather not involve the directors and such. There's eight of us, we can each watch for an hour tonight. Nothing too disruptive, we still get most of our sleep and if anything happens we're better prepared." IdGM: "Good plan," Ben said, and Osman agreed. Raj and Sanj weren't so keen, but perhaps they didn't fancy missing sleep. IdGM: "Is it safe for one person to watch alone?" Osman asked. Hannah: "Whoever's on watch should stay very close to the others, so they can wake them if need be," suggested Hannah. Maddie: Maddie shrugged. "I've watched on my own near Calais with thugs from the Front Nationale wandering about," she said. "Frankly we should watch from our tents, if Muhammed is going to be wandering around he'll probably see us if we're outside." IdGM: "That sounds a better plan," Ben agreed. He had been sketching while they sat talking, recording his memories of the city. Addy looked over his shoulder and drew in a sharp breath. "That's where I saw the shadow thing. Thought I saw... whatever it was." Stephen: "I'm fine with it, if you really are worried so much." said Stephen "And I agree with Hannah, by the way - I'd be more concerned about Muhammad and Balik. Something's weird going on." Maddie: "People passing notes isn't that odd, but they're pretty secretive," she said. "Figure girls' tent should watch first, then the boys' - or the other way around. Doesn't really matter, just minimises the amount of times we need to go to another tent to wake each other up." IdGM: "OK", Ben was frowning at the picture he had drawn. "What did it actually look like?" Emily: Emily heard what Addy mentioned and listened with an interest IdGM: Addy shook her head as if faced with something bitter. "I don't know, a bit like a person maybe, but all stretched out of shape. I was too shocked to think at the time, but the head was all wrong, like it had a long muzzle." IdGM: "So not a ghost?" Raj asked. His cousin giggled. "The ghost of a werewolf maybe!" Hannah: Hannah sighed. "I don't think it'll be difficult for me to keep from sleeping tonight." IdGM: "First a disappearing dead bear and now ghosts and werewolves?" Professor Magorian had approached unnoticed, until his voice made them jump. "Tell me more!" He sat down and looked fascinated. Emily: Emily shivered for a moment, "Creepy." on hearing Addy's words and smiled wanly, "Maybe the statue does come with a curse!" She jumped when Professor Magorian approached them. IdGM: "And a curse, this gets better and better!" Magorian said with a wide grin. Maddie: Maddie leapt up and adopted a fighting pose out of instinct. Relaxing, she sat down with an exasperated sigh. She nearly said something sharp, but considering that she had done exactly the same thing to Kirsty earlier she supposed she couldn't really object that strongly. "Addy saw some kind of shadow down in the city," she said simply. IdGM: Magorian inspected Addy intently. "What do you think it was?" he asked her, and his voice was quite gentle. IdGM: Addy shook her head, "I don't know if it was real. It was kind of horrible though." IdGM: Magorian nodded. "It can get a bit strange underground, I know. There is a theory that buildings and other environments absorb what goes on in them, almost like a recording. There was a television film based on it many years ago, called the Stone Tapes. So perhaps what you saw was something from long long ago, when the city was occupied." Hannah: Hannah chuckled with just the faintest hint of nervousness. "It's weird, I'll give you that. But I think we'd all be better off going in tomorrow realizing that even if the past is fascinating and kind of creepy, it's just the past." Stephen: Stephen spoke up, sounding both fascinated and amused by the theory "I'd love the idea of history leaving such a literal mark in things...but that's the reason it sounds like wishful thinking to me. Most people don't get to visit an underground city every day, and stress can make people see all kind of things. Nothing to be ashamed of, really.." he said not unkindly IdGM: "Well I hope that it was imagination," Addy said. "I don't want to think of something like that existing, even if it's been dead for millenia!" IdGM: Fortunately the conversation turned to more cheerful things. Magorian was very knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects, and happy to talk about much more than his speciality. By the time they had finished talking, it was dark and after a final drink they were ready to sleep. By ten o'clock the camp was silent, although as Maddie settled down to her first watch she saw the shape of Muhammed pass the tent opening on his round. IdGM: The night passed and all the female watchers had gone back to sleep. Stephen was on watch now. You whisper to Stephen: As he sat at the entrance to the men's tent, Stephen heard the sound of someone passing. A figure passed by with a torch held low in its hand, barely illuminating the ground.
Stephen bisbiglia: Stephen tried to get a better look at the passing figures, not sure yet this was worth waking up the others for
You whisper to Stephen: Stephen reckoned it was a man, but the light was too faint to make out who
Stephen bisbiglia: Stephen briefly considered trying to follow the man, but then decided it wasn't worth the risk of being caught - he was not an especially sneaky person, after all. However he would tell Osman later when the time for his watch would come.
You whisper to Stephen: When the time came for his watch, Osman asked why Stephen hadn't woken him earlier. "I thought we wanted to know what the man was up to?"
Stephen bisbiglia: "We do, but I thought trying to follow him in the darkness might be too dangerous and draw attention to us - as would waking everyone up." said Stephen "I could tell it was a man, but no more, and I didn't saw him come back."
You whisper to Stephen: Osman nodded and moved to the entrance of the tent, but almost immediately he signalled to Stephen. Outside the moon had risen, clearly illuminating the area where the horses were tethered. As they watched, a short stocky figure left the darkness of the rocks and circled around the horses heading for the camp. "Muhammed..." Osman breathed.
Stephen bisbiglia: "He's been away for a while." muttered Stephen "And I think he has brought his rifle with him."
You whisper to Stephen: "He probably sleeps with it," Osman whispered. As he spoke, Muhammed looked around sharply, as if he knew someone was talking about him.
Presumably he saw nothing, because he kept walking, passing horribly close to the tent, and vanished towards the other side of the camp, likely to continue his interrupted guard duty.
Stephen bisbiglia: "For all we know, he might just be the type who enjoys long walks alone in the night." said Stephen, though he hardly sounded convinced "Wish Maddie had seen him instead - she might have been able to follow him without being noticed." he shrugged
You whisper to Stephen: Osman didn't look convinced but he just muttered, "He should have been here on guard." as Stephen went back to bed.
IdGM: The rest of the night passed uneventfully and they were all awakened early for breakfast as usual. Hannah: Hannah's disposition was largely back to her chipper usual, even if there were slight bags under her eyes. "Good to have a night where we don't have to worry about killing anything or being killed," she said to the others as they went to get breakfast. Maddie: Maddie poured herself some tea and sat nibbling an apple Emily: Emily got another mug of strong tea and sat down, looking none for the worse. Stephen: Before they entered the breakfast tent, when he was sure no one could overhear them, Stephen told the others about what he and Osman had seen during the night - a man with a torch, almost certainly Muhammad, had left the camp and returned about forty minutes later. Maddie: "Did he have his gun with him?" Stephen: "I saw something glint in the moonlight, and I'm quite sure it was his gun. "said Stephen IdGM: "But we don't know where he went," Osman said, a bit sulkily. "You waited half an hour to wake me up and tell me." Hannah: "Investigating whoever took the bear, perhaps?" suggested Hannah. Maddie: "Dr Balik assured us that Mohammed was the only one who needed to be on watch," Maddie said, "something he can apparently do without even being in the camp. We should watch again tonight and see if he does it a second time." Maddie tried to think of ways they might be able to confront Mohammed while he had a gun, but drew a blank. IdGM: "Can we follow him without being caught do you reckon?" Ben asked her. Maddie: "I might," Maddie said. "I'd rather not sneak after a man with a fucking rifle though." IdGM: "Didn't you at least see which direction he took?" Ben asked Stephen. Hannah: Hannah nodded. "No one should be putting themselves in that kind of danger. I could try talking to him, to see if he has a good explanation - though I'm not sure exactly how much English he speaks. Or we could go to one of the others and ask about it." Maddie: "It'd be a better idea to find an excuse to wake the camp up after he sneaks out and is far away. He can hardly pretend not to have gone elsewhere if he blunders back while everyone's already awake," Maddie suggested. "Good work Steve," she added. Stephen: Stephen shrugged "Wish we could have found out more. At least we know he's up to something almost certainly no good." IdGM: Having made up their minds to keep watch again that night, the volunteers ate their breakfast and prepared for a morning's discovery inside the city. Kirsty and James asked them to divide into two groups, one to investigate a side passage and the other to go deeper into the level. Kirsty would take the group to the side passage. Maddie: Maddie immediately volunteered to go deeper into the level. IdGM: Addy quickly decided to go with Kirsty, not wanting to go deeper again. Raj and Sanj volunteered to go too. Emily: Emily opted for deeper passage. Stephen: Stephen wanted to go deeper, perhaps believing he could find out more about the city's history this way. IdGM: Ben was keen to go back down, where Addy had seen the shadow. Hannah: Hannah decided to go to the deeper passage as well. IdGM: Osman clearly wanted to join them, but Addy spoke quietly to him and he went along with Kirsty's group. Maddie: Maddie spoke to Osman quickly before they left Maddie whispers: "Keep an eye on Sanj and Raj, I don't want them tattling about last night to Kirsty and this is a good chance for them to do it." You whisper to Maddie: "I will," promised Osman. "don't trust them either." IdGM: They took their hard hats and lights at the entrance and entered the city, the air becoming cool but not stale as they moved down, through each stone doorway and long stairway cut into the living rock. On the fourth level they seperated. Kirsty's group set off along the side passage. James led his group down. A long passage extended before them, sloping slightly. Far ahead the light showed them a dark archway with stairs down to a further level. "We'll start here in the passage," James told them. "There quite a bit of rubbish on the ground, so we'll go through that carefully and then work our way to that arch. Keep an eye out for any wall carvings as you move down the corridor." They started work, at first turning up nothing but small shards of pottery. However as they moved further down Stephen, who was examining the wall of the corridor, noticed uneven markings. Careful scraping revealed a fine wall carving - a relief of a woman with what appeared to be a lion on a lead. James was most impressed, "Balik will be able to tell us who she is - a goddess for sure." Emily: Emily congrats Stephen for making such a find. Stephen: Stephen looked ecstatic as he examined the relief as closely as he could without risking damaging it. "Actually, I think I know her - looks like Innana, Queen of Heaven and goddess of love, sex and war, later known as Ishar. The lion is one of her symbols, as is the eight-pointed star, so watch out for any star-like marks." he explained Emily: Impressed at the depth of knowledge shown by Stephen, Emily tried to find the star-like mark IdGM: James' eyebrows shot up. "Well, it seems we have our own expert here." He grinned widely. "No need to bother old Balik after all." He sounded relieved. Maddie: "She sounds like a badass." Maddie gave the goddess a clenched fist salute and then resumed digging. Hannah: Hannah looked over the relief and listened to Stephen's explanation with great interest. She grinned at Maddie's description before going back to digging herself. IdGM: Ben laughed. "Goddesses often were. Like Freja - she's also in charge of war and sex. Seems to be a theme. And she drives a chariot pulled by cats." Hannah: "I hope they didn't only get 70 sacrifices for every 100 the male gods got!" said Hannah. "Sounds like they did most of the work, as is usually the case." IdGM: Suddenly Hannah noticed the glint of gold as she started turning over the dirt at the side of the passage. Hannah: Hannah gasped and began digging away the dirt around the gold. "I... I found something!" Stephen: "She was their most important goddess, but not the only one of course and..."Stephen began saying, until he noticed that Hannah had found something else Emily: Emily stood up from her position and went over carefully to look over Hannah's shoulders to see what she found, "What did you find?" IdGM: Carefully brushing away the dirt, Hannah uncovered not one, but two perfect gold pendants. They glowed as they lay in her palm. Emily: Emily gasped for a moment, "So pretty..." Hannah: Speechless, Hannah lifted up the pendants with mildly shaking hands, wondering if James or Stephen could tell her anything about them. IdGM: James whistled as he saw what Hannah had found. "Beautiful, and as good as the day they were lost. Odd though, being lost together like that..." Maddie: "One of my girlfriends in Athens would probably like those," Maddie said, having to restrain the urge to take her phone out to take a photo. "Whoever lost them must have regretted it, unless they got buried with her." Stephen: "Splendid!" said Stephen gazing at the shining, perfectly-preserved gold jewelry "But..."he added "It does seem unusual to find two of these together." IdGM: Ben was frowning. "Why would someone lose two pendants, or earrings or whatever they are, in a corridor? Could they have been running?" Maddie: "Wouldn't whatever they were running from have picked these up? If they got attacked I can hardly imagine they'd have left things like this untouched." Hannah: "Or perhaps someone buried them here for some reason, planning to pick them up later? But it does seem an odd place for that," mused Hannah. Maddie: Maddie resumed digging, half listening to the conversation as it continued Emily: "Well, if it was on the floors, then why no one picked them?" Emily looked interested with mystery IdGM: James had been listening with interest. "This dirt accumulated since the city was in use. There was just stone here, nowhere to bury something." Hannah: "Assuming no one else has been down here since then," murmured Hannah. Stephen: "Perhaps violence was involved and they dropped these valuable items hoping their pursuer would take the time to pick them up, but it didn't work. And that makes me wonder...have any bodies or organic traces been found? If a city was abandoned because of a disaster or attack it seems possible people might die unburied." IdGM: "We haven't found any so far," James answered. "There should be places for the dead to be interred further down, away from the air vents and water supply of course." "But you're right, the city was emptied. We had assumed it took place over some time, but if it was a sudden disaster people would have left in a hurry, possibly abandoning their belongings, perhaps dropping things. But there's no evidence of that in the higher levels. This is the first time we have seen anything like it." "We need to keep looking, One pair of pendants doesn't prove a theory." They returned to the digging. A long time went by as they painstakingly worked their way along the passage. And then Maddie spotted something. A spike, long and pointed, poking out of the dirt. And again, the glint of gold, unsullied by nigh on forty centuries buried underground. Maddie: "There's a spike there, maybe some ancient Hittite punk lost his nasal piercing," Maddie said. IdGM: As Maddie drew it from its hiding place, it proved to be a gold pin, the kind of ornament used to fasten clothes together. Emily: Emily grinned at the sight, "Another gold jewelry.... That's brilliant find." Hannah: "Nice job, Maddie!" said Hannah, looking at the pin from a few angles. "Either it belongs to the same person or the Hittites were really bad at keeping track of their accessories." IdGM: "And more evidence that the inhabitants were in a hurry!" James said, excited.. Maddie: "So the pendants were back there," Maddie said, "and then this pin was here? Was someone throwing their clothes off or something? I suppose if you're rich and you're running, you might want to get rid of that stuff so you can disguise yourself as someone more ordinary. Doesn't make sense though why these wouldn't have been picked up." Stephen: "So much gold. "smiled Stephen "I wouldn't mind finding something else, though - gems or silver, perhaps." IdGM: "They could have been too scared to pick things up," Ben said. Emily: "Or maybe no one came back after abandoning this city...." Emily pointed out, "Still, what can cause the people to leave the city behind?" Maddie: "If there was nothing like this on the levels above, but we find three things almost immediately, that seems to suggest people were running from here to the lower levels, not up above," Maddie added. Hannah: "Or else they didn't make it to the top," said Hannah hesitantly. IdGM: James shook his head, "That's what we need to find out. Time to rest now, but today has been amazingly good. Tomorrow we'll start on the steps down and there seems to be a room beyond that which we can investigate." Emily: Emily nodded, "Great." she grinned, delighted at the finds they found so far and itching to find some more Maddie: Maddie handed the pin over to James. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she spoke quietly to Ben. "I just had an idea for tonight," she said. "We might be able to catch Muhammed out, but we need someone who can fiddle with a generator."
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Post by Idris on Feb 17, 2018 15:44:26 GMT
Session 5 - 11/2/18 IdGM: They returned to the camp exhausted by the long morning of digging, their joints stiff after hours spent crounching in the dirt, but exhillarated at their success. The other members of the dig had all gathered in the shade of the mess tent with snacks and drinks. Kirsty’s team were already there, proudly showing off their own finds. The usual haul of pottery and other minor artefacts had been eclipsed by two objects discovered in the room at the end of the passage. The first was a strange looking idol which Dr Balik identified as Sumerian rather than Hittite. The other - a plain but very solid gold ring - was less easy to date, but despite some argument among the archaeologists, they all agreed that it was far older than the putative date they had set for the founding of the city. James waited for the excitement to die down before he ushered his group forward. Hannah and Maddie were carrying the objects they had uncovered, and the rest had trays with the other objects turned up during their digging. Stephen, being unable to take his discovery off the wall, was given a camera and had taken photographs of the Innara relief. There were gasps of amazement as the two women revealed their golden finds. Hannah: Hannah examined the others' finds with interest, congratulating them on their work, and showed her own off with a lingering exhilaration at being part of this successful archaeological progress. Emily: Emily smiled at seeing the strange looking idol and a gold ring and commented, "Wow, a ring that is potentially older than founding of the city. This dig is really mysterious!" Maddie: Maddie, contrastingly, was rather casual about the pin she had discovered, and indeed was somewhat annoyed - it had caused everyone to take notice of her and that made it harder for her to find a moment to speak to Ben about the idea she'd had. Stephen: "Only three days and we've already found this."said Stephen, excited "Who knows what we'll discover in a week or two?" Hannah: "So would it be a big surprise for the Hittites to have Sumerian crafts?" asked Hannah, looking at the idol. IdGM: "The Hittites were borrowers," Dr Balik said, looking at the gold objects with a gleam in his eye. "Their writing and also their gods. It is unusual but not very unlikely that they would have a Sumerian object here." Emily: Emily took a close look at the strange idol, "I do wonder what is the symbolism behind that idol? I suppose we will never know." IdGM: "It is one of the less understandable representations," Helena agreed as she gazed at it. "It looks something like a weight, maybe hung on a rope, but Abdullah is sure it is religious." Stephen: "It does look quite...unusual, compared to what one would expect from an idol." commented Stephen IdGM: "Idols come in all shapes and sizes!" Magorian announced, startling them all. "Now, your Innana is a quite different sort. The fiesty goddess of sex and war." They all crowded round to look at Stephen's photographs of the relief. Maddie: Maddie stayed near the back - she'd seen the relief in the flesh anyhow IdGM: Ben drifted back next to her. "What were you planning with the generator?" he asked quietly. Maddie: "Muhammed's the one responsible for it," she said quietly. She picked up her tea and held it close to her face so no one could read her lips. "If we could perhaps get it jammed and making a loud noise to wake everyone up while he's off doing his extracurriculars...we'll talk more later." IdGM: "So we're taking the same watches?" Ben asked before she moved away. Maddie: Maddie shook her head. "If he leaves around the same time every night, I want to be watching when he goes." Stephen: Stephen showed the others the photos he had taken - though by no means perfect, perhaps because of his excitement at the time, they could make out the fine carving of the goddess with a lion on a leash. IdGM: "I'd like to see what's so interesting up there," Ben said, gazing up at the rocks. IdGM: "She's cool, with her foot on its back like that," Addy said, looking at the detailed carving. IdGM: As the day was now oppressively hot, and everyone was tired, James sent them off to their respective tents, apart from Hannah and Maddie whom he enlisted to carry the gold items to Dr Balik’s tent, where there was a safe for any precious finds. Maddie: while they were in the tent, Maddie quickly glanced around to see if Dr Balik had left the note Muhammed had given him lying around IdGM: The tent flap was open to allow air into the interior, which was a great surprise. Inside, there were silky draperies, decorative rugs and cushions. A hookah stood on a carved stool. The small safe sat in one corner beneath a folding table used as a desk. There were no papers visible at all. Emily: Emily strolled back toward the tent considering the discovery of the day so far. She found a suitable shade and after relaxing, she closed her eyes, taking a precious moment of rest in the hot weather Hannah: Hannah went up to the safe, holding her amulets overly cautiously. IdGM: Balik came hurrying up behind them - it was the first time they had seen him anything but cool and slow. "Please, allow me to open the safe. We must ensure the safety of these precious things." Balik kept his back to them and his hands hidden as he entered the combination and opened the safe. When the tray of objects was safely locked away, he made it clear he expected them to leave immediately, and as they did he pulled down the tent flap and fastened it from inside. Maddie: Maddie was only too pleased to be away from the man - she'd hoped to spot the note, but she doubted Muhammed had written it in a language she could read anyway IdGM: "Right then," James guided them to the tents. "Have a good rest. The lads from Bradford have volunteered for dinner duties - they have promised something really spicy for tonight!" IdGM: The dinner was indeed spicy, being hot enough to take the breath away. A lot of water was drunk, but at least the day had cooled down. When they had finished everyone was keen to get on with the briefing, and find out what the next day might turn up. Emily: Emily was pleased to have a better serving compared to a night before with so much spice and ate it up with relish. Stephen: Stephen enjoyed the food and ate with gusto, obviously understanding that they needed to be well-fed for what they were going to do next. Maddie: while they'd been waiting for dinner, Maddie pulled Ben aside and explained her plan in more detail. "Right, so Muhammed is the one responsible for keeping the generator in working order. I don't know if this is possible, but if we could get it so that a single bump would turn it on or get it to make a noise that wouldn't stop, it'd wake everyone up. If we do this while Muhammed is away, then he won't be there to fix it and everyone will still be around and likely to notice when he turns up again. All we'd need to do is rig it up like this, one of us can 'accidentally' run into it on the way to the toilets tonight, and then we can see if he can explain himself. Especially considering he's now supposed to be our sole watcher." IdGM: Ben grinned and shook his head in wonder. "That is some plan. I think I can work out how to get the generator to do something." Hannah: Hannah seemed used to spicy food, eating without need for more water than usual. Maddie: "Noise is better than turning it on," Maddie said. "People hate loud noise." IdGM: "There's a bucket next to it, and some other stuff. One of us can kick it into the generator, that would make plenty of row." Ben suggested. Maddie: while they were waiting, Maddie also explained her plan to Hannah, Emily and Stephen. Stephen: "Whatever you do, don't get shot."said Stephen "It's one thing to get our hands dirty digging down there, but I'd rather all of us survive this, and the man looks dangerous." Hannah: Hannah looked concerned. "Don't get caught either. It would be a hard thing to explain." She looked like she wanted to warn them off of the plan altogether, but bit her lip and didn't say so. Emily: Emily grimaced at hearing Maddie to cause trouble with the generator. "I don't know. I would hate to see the generator out of commission in case Muhammed can't fix it. No generator, no lights or power." Emily frowned with a faint concern and shook her head, "Still, I am concerned about motive of Muhammed..." Maddie: Maddie waved her hand dismissively. "I've helped to decommission a bomb factory, I'm not going to get caught or shot doing this." IdGM: "We won't damage it," Ben assured her. "Just use it to make the row." IdGM: The briefing was somewhat longer than usual, with so much to talk about and everyone still on a high over the wonderful finds. The groups would continue as before next day - Addy had obviously asked not to go to the deeper digging, and Osman had nobly volunteered to remain with her. After an hour's relaxation, it was time to turn in. This time the men kept the first watches, with Raj and Sanj rolling over and going to sleep again, although they did seem somewhat embarrassed. The first three hours passed peacefully and Maddie took over, sitting at the doorway to the tent. IdGM: A figure suddenly lurched out of the men's tent, swaying drunkenly and moaning, then staggering in the direction of the wash tent. Maddie recognised it as Sanjay. Maddie: Maddie got up and went quietly after Sanjay. She had a thought as to what he was doing and she readied herself to step in his way in case he went towards the generator. IdGM: Sanjay wove and staggered as he went, clutching his guts which were emitting strange gurgling noises. He came perilously close to falling onto the generator but missed it by inches and crawled into the wash tent. There was the sound of someone vomitting violently. IdGM: Ben had followed Maddie, and now he whispered to her. "Poor old Sanj. I hope it's not his cooking." Maddie: "Get his cousin over here. I'll get Kirsty." Maddie took a step, then, instead, said, "Stephen will get Kirsty." IdGM: Ben ghosted back through the camp to the men's tent to rouse Stephen. The others were already awake in there, looking confused. Raj was immediately on his feet when he realised it was his cousin who had been taken ill. Ben made him put on warm clothes. IdGM: Raj arrived at the wash tent, a blanket in his arms. "I'll look after him," he told Maddie. "Thanks." Stephen: Stephen had woken up quickly hearing the commotion. He quickly went to tell Kirsty about Sanjay feeling sick. IdGM: Kirsty was lying flat out on her camp bed snoring, but when Stephen came in she muttered. "Who the hell is that?" Stephen: "Sorry to wake you up. It's Stephen, Stanjay's feeling very sick." he added sounding slightly apologetic but with a tone of urgency IdGM: Kirsty sat up, all her sleepiness gone. "Where is he?" She was pulling on warm clothes over a pair of pyjamas. Stephen: "He's in the wash tent. No idea what happened to him, but it might have been the food, though we're all feeling fine."he added IdGM: "I'll sort him out, you stay here," Kirsty ordered. "Light that lamp. There are blankets and bedding in that box there, can you make sure the camp bed is made up. And then we'll need plenty of fresh water. Have to send Muhammed for more in the morning. And disinfectant, and hand sanitiser." Stephen: "I'm sure the boy will be fine."said Stephen sounding optimistic as he set out to do what Kirsty had instructed him to. IdGM: Leaving Stephen in charge of the first aid post, Kirsty marched over to the wash room where Maddie was still standing outside. "Sanjay still inside?" Kirsty asked of her. Maddie: Maddie nodded. IdGM: "Stay there in case you're needed," and without preamble Kirsty stepped into the wash tent. About ten minutes later she came out, drying her hands, with Raj looking worried behind her. "The lad's not very well at all. Most likely he's picked up something . We'll move him over to the medical tent and I'll give him something to help. Can you both help move him?" Maddie: "Sure. Raj?" IdGM: Raj nodded, looking as if he were on the verge of tears. Maddie: Maddie patted Raj on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, he'll be on the mend soon," she said. IdGM: They went into the wash tent. A horrible smell filled the air. Obviously Sanj had not just been sick. He was slumped on the chemical toilet looking terribly pale and sorry for himself. His t-shirt and pants were spattered with vomit. Raj looked a little less stressed, and they prepared to assist Sanj to the medical tent, Maddie: Maddie winced at the sight and prepared to help take Sanj to the tent. Emily: Osman came along to alert the women's tent that Sanj was very ill. Emily looked alarmed for a moment and stood up. She quickly got some clothings on and went out to see what is going on. "I got some first aid trainings. Might give Kirsty a hand with Sanj." She told Osman IdGM: Between them they managed to haul Sanj's surprisingly solid frame off the toilet and stagger along to the medical tent with him. Kirsty had got a waterproof cover out and they lay him on that. "He's going to take a bit of cleaning up." she said with a sigh. She indicated the sanitiser and water. "Best clean yourselves up, we don't want anyone else down with this." Stephen: Stephen immediately tried to help once he saw the others enter the tent. Maddie: Maddie used the sanitiser. "When I was staying in the jungle at Calais we never had this stuff when we needed it," she said. IdGM: Kirsty raised her eyebrows but just smiled. "It's invaluable stuff. Of course this could be food poisoning but I'm not taking any chances." Emily: Emily approached Kirsty's tent aka the first aid tent and poked her face through the tent's opening. "Do you need a hand, Kirsty?" She asked her as she eyed Sanj with some sympathy, "I got some First Aid trainings." IdGM: Meanwhile Ben went to join Osman at the women's tent. As he approached it a voice shouted out of the darkness, "Who goes there?" IdGM: Kirsty pulled herself up as it to refuse but then she sighed. "That would be welcome, Emily. Stephen would you hold the light over us so we can take a proper look at him." IdGM: Osman had stayed to keep Hannah and Addy company, and he jumped as the voice shouted so close to the tent, They heard Ben say, "Is that you Muhammed? There's someone sick, we've had to get Kirsty." Stephen: Stephen moved the light so that Ranji could be properly examined, Hannah: Hannah quickly moved to poke her head out of the tent. IdGM: Muhammed was standing in the moonlight, his rifle pointed at Ben, but when he saw Hannah he quickly shouldered it and moved off into the camp. IdGM: Sanjay was very pale, and his breathing was fast and shallow. Hannah: Hannah bundled herself up in a coat and moved out to approach Ben and see how he was doing after having a firearm pointed at him. Hannah: Hannah watched Muhammed leave with a cold expression, before turning back to Ben. "Are you okay? Did it look like he recognized you?" IdGM: "Oh he knew who I was," Ben said, his teeth clenched in a mixture of anger and reaction. "Bastard just trying it on. Why did Balik bring him with him?" Hannah: Hannah shook her head, putting a calming hand on Ben's shoulder. "I don't know. But I'll talk to him. Muhammed crossed a line." Emily: Emily looked at the skin closely with her eyes and put on disposable gloves. She checked the pulse and skin temperature and then looked into Sanjay's unfocused eyes as she directed his face toward her. "Hmm..." She considered the symptoms, "I would thought it is a scorpion bite but I don't see any bite mark on him." Emily grimanced, "So it is likely to be a bad foods or worse, something poisonous." IdGM: Kirsty frowned. "I think you're right - he's very out of it. Food poisoning doesn't usually make you unconscious." She turned to Maddie. "Would you rouse Helena? I think we need to get this young man to hospital." Maddie: Maddie nodded and darted off towards Helena's tent. Stephen: "Is it that serious?"asked Stephen, worried "No antivenom here?" IdGM: "No use unless we know what caused it," Kirsty said, her worried eyes on the patient. Raj was in tears. "What can we do?" he wailed. IdGM: Helena was already awake, having heard the comings and goings. "I'll call with the satellite phone," she told Maddie. "If it's this serious we may need a helicopter pick up." Emily: Emily nodded with Kirsty with anxious eyes at Raj, "The best thing we can do really is to get him to hospital via air if possible. I don't know they got air ambulances here." Maddie: Maddie felt her hands twitch when she realised there was a phone here actually capable of reaching the outside world, but the situation was too serious to think about that. IdGM: It seemed to take forever but was probably moments, and then Helena was talking to someone in the emergency service. She beckoned Maddie over to give more details. Finally she put the phone down. "They are sending an air ambulance from Nevşehir." Hannah: Having noticed the commotion, Hannah joined the others at the medical tent and got an update on the situation. She stayed near Raj, doing her best to reassure him that his cousin was tough and would soon be getting professional aid. IdGM: Raj was almost beside himself with worry but Hannah's words seemed to give him some comfort and enable him to be a little calmer. Maddie: Maddie nodded and ran back to the medical tent to tell the others what was happening IdGM: There was a general sigh of relief at the news. Kirsty and Emily did what they could to make Sanj comfortable, and kept an eye on his breathing. Suddenly the tent flap flew open and Muhammed's face glared through the gap. "What is happening?" he asked. Hannah: Hannah moved closer to the entrance, looking back at Muhammed icily. "Sanjay is ill, and we're working on getting him help. I think we can handle it from here, thank you." Maddie: Maddie moved up behind Hannah. IdGM: "It takes all of you does it?" Muhammed asked. Hannah: "Some of us are here to support our friends. But you're right actually, I wouldn't mind taking a moment to step outside and speak with you," said Hannah, glancing at the others. IdGM: Ben had come with her and he moved forward. "Hannah is right. Let's take this outside. There's a sick person in here and you're doing nothing for him." Emily: Emily glanced at Muhammed sharply before asking Kirsty for the small containers to put in vomit and faeces. "We will need to give the hospital some samples. So some small containers would be handy." Once she got some small containers, she put on another set of gloves and start collecting samples without any hesitation. "Don't worry, you will be fine." She told Sanjay kindly IdGM: Once Emily had done this grim work, Kirsty cleaned Sanjay up as best she could. By now he was shivering and moaning as his temperature climbed. IdGM: "Dr Balik will be hearing about this," Muhammed muttered, but he moved back and they could hear him stomping off towards Balik's tent. Maddie: "What a fucking prick," Maddie said casually, not particularly caring if Muhammed heard her while he stomped away Hannah: "Yes, he will," said Hannah, following Muhammed. Maddie: not wanting to leave Hannah on her own, Maddie stepped out after her. IdGM: "Make sure you all clean up," Kirsty hissed as they moved out. Hannah: Hannah had only briefly been in the tent and hadn't touched anyone, but she grabbed some sanitary wipes to use as she walked. Maddie: Maddie turned around, quickly sanitised her hands, then followed after Hannah Stephen: Stephen had mostly helped with the lamp and other tools, so he was mostly clean, but he did sanitize his hands just in case IdGM: As Hannah, Ben and Maddie left the tent, the darkness was beginning to lighten. Muhammed was stamping off towards Balik's tent. But before they could say or do anything, there was the beat of rotor blades above them and a light shone down. The air ambulance circled and then headed for the flat area where the horses were tethered. Fortunately Addy had realised that this would be the only landing spot, and with Osman's help had moved the horses over. Helena had gone to meet the ambulance crew and guide them to the medical tent. By now everyone had been awoken by the noise, and the entire team were standing around. IdGM: The paramedics moved fast over the ground with their stretcher, and Osman came with them. As they started work on Sanjay they asked questions of Kirsty and Emily in Turkish and he translated. Maddie: realising they would be unlikely to either get back to sleep that night or to have much of a confrontation with Muhammed, Maddie went and fetched her vaping machine. She'd barely had time to touch it so far, but a few puffs would be more than welcome here. Hannah: Hannah stopped walking toward the tent once the helicopter appeared. "Better to see Sanjay off and make sure Raj is handling it. I'll talk to Dr. Balik later." Maddie: Maddie nodded. "Do we know if that prick sneaked out at all? Kind of lost track of him in the confusion," she asked Hannah. She let out a puff of faintly berry-scented steam Emily: Emily did her best to help answer paramedics' question. IdGM: Ben shook his head. "He could have, he came from that direction. Scared me rigid sticking that bloody gun in my face." Maddie: Maddie looked up at Ben. "He fucking what?" Stephen: "Another night to remember . As if the bear last time hadn't been enough." commented Stephen during a pause in the discussion. He didn't sound angry or disappointed, though he was obviously not pleased with the last events Hannah: Hannah nodded, grimacing. "He lowered it when I looked out of the tent. He needs to be dropped from this dig." IdGM: "He acted like a military guard," Ben said with a shake of his head. "Honestly, he actually said "Who goes there? " Maddie: "I'll drop the little shit alright, convenient that there's already an ambulance here for him," Maddie stuffed her vaping machine in her pocket and started towards Balik's tent. Hannah: "Wait, Maddie," said Hannah. "We don't want anything to happen that'll distract the EMTs from helping out Sanjay. We'll deal with this once that situation is cleared up." Stephen: "Wait!" said Stephen trying to stop Maddie "It's not like we have proof or anything yet." IdGM: Ben caught at Maddie's arm. "Hold on, this won't help. My bet is that Balik will defend him to the hilt, and we still won't know what's up to. And if he's sacked from the dig what's to stop him hanging about up there," he waved a hand at the rocky heights. Maddie: Maddie clenched her fist. "Fine. Tomorrow night I'm going to just fucking follow him." IdGM: Ben nodded. "Right, but for now we have to see that Sanj is safely on that ambulance." Hannah: Hannah frowned. "I don't think we can just leave the situation be, not after the danger he put you in. I still want to talk to Dr. Balik about it. But that can wait." IdGM: Finally the paramedics came out of the tent with Sanjay, very pale, on the stretcher with a drip attached to his arm. Raj followed. "I'm going with him. Can someone grab my bag?" he asked. Maddie: Maddie took out her vaping machine and stood puffing angrily. She pulled out a single headphone and stuck it into her ear, blaring some kind of screamo. IdGM: Ben, Osman and Stephen returned to the tent to pick up Raj's pack, and Sanj's too. With a small wave Raj climbed into the helicopter. Maddie: Maddie gave a clenched fist salute Stephen: Stephan waved at Raj as he flew away. Hannah: Hannah waved. "Stay strong for Sanjay, Raj! I'll be praying for his quick recovery!" Emily: Emily followed Sanjay and paramedics out to see them boarded on the helicopter. Emily waved the helicopter off, "We all are!" She commented after Hannah' comment IdGM: As the noise of the helicopter faded into the distance, Ben yawned. "I wonder if we'll ever get a night's sleep here? At least we can catch up with a siesta." Hannah: "Alright," said Hannah. "Now I think it's time I talked to Dr. Balik about Muhammed." Maddie: "Want backup?" IdGM: Ben frowned. "I don't think it'll work, and it might cause more trouble. Why don't we tell Helena instead? She can raise it officially with Balik." Emily: Emily glanced at Hannah at the group, "Let me know how that go. I see if I can help Kirsty out with the cleaning. So glad we got him on the way to a proper hospital." Hannah: Hannah paused, about to object, but when Ben suggested talking to Helena she nodded. "Maybe that's the better course of action. But something needs to be done." Turning to Emily, she smiled. "I'm glad you were here to help." IdGM: When she returned to Kirsty's tent, her fellow Scot welcomed Emily's assistance. "I do hope that poor lad will be alright, " she said. "I've seen all kinds of things on digs before, but never someone get that poorly that quickly." Emily: Emily replied back, "Not a problem. Thank you all for helping out as well." She replied to the volunteers and went off to see Kirsty IdGM: By the time they had finished clearing up it was definitely becoming light. Kirsty went to see Dr Balik to request that Muhammed cleaned up the toilet area. Hannah: Once Emily left, Hannah went to seek out Helena. Maddie: though she doubted Hannah would need any help from her, Maddie went with her anyway IdGM: Helena had not returned to bed. She was sitting in front of the table she used as a desk, writing something, but she put it aside as the volunteers came in. "You did well tonight, it made a difference. Hopefully your quick reactions and assistance ensured that poor boy's recovery." Emily: Listening to Kirsty's comments, "At least he is in a safe pairs of hands with the hospital. That is the best we can do really." as she cleaned. "Always happy to help in future if needed." She offers her help if anything weird popping up. Hannah: Hannah nodded, smiling over at Maddie. "I'm very glad his issue was discovered and the helicopter arrived as quickly as it did. I'm actually here to speak about another matter, however." Her voice took on a more formal cadence. "I believe Muhammed has been behaving in an unprofessional and, frankly, dangerous manner." IdGM: Kirsty gave a tired grin. "I'll know who to call. Now you'd better go along. It's nearly time to get up!" IdGM: Helena leaned back and indicated that they should sit - there were three folding chairs beside the desk. "What exactly has caused you to believe that?" Emily: Smiling as she finished cleaning, "See you later." Emily headed out and saw Stephen on his own, "Too late to sleep now." She grumbles slightly, "Shall we get some tea Stephen?" Hannah: Hannah sat and leaned forward slightly. "For the most part I would have simply said his behavior was a little odd and aggressive. I would be happy to detail some things that were making us suspicious. Earlier today, however, he crossed a line. He had a gun pointed at Ben, and only lowered it when I looked out of my tent. I'm sure he's skilled in firearm safety, but that's still unacceptably dangerous and threatening." Stephen: "It's been a rough night and we have things to do today. I suggest we grab some tea." Stephen suggested to Emily as they left Kirsty's tent IdGM: Helena looked shocked. "Muhammed was given the task of keeping an eye on the camp, not asked to patrol with a gun. I shall have strong words with Dr Balik in the morning..." she looked at her watch and sighed. "It seems it is morning already." Helena leaned forward and spoke quietly. "You know it's very strange. Muhammed Macar has worked with Dr Balik for years at Bilkent university, and he has assisted on numerous digs, and nothing like this has ever happened before. He's not exactly sociable, but he was never aggressive. I would not expect anyone to bring a rifle on a dig either." Maddie: "Do you want me to take it off him?" Emily: "Good idea." She yawned with her hand covering her mouth, "Get some tea and then get dressed properly for the day." Emily heads toward the mess where they will find tea. "What an experience so far. Never in my wildest dreams would I think this will happens. First the bear, some shadow, mysterious man and now someone got ill. I can't think what else is going to happen." IdGM: Helena sat back and shook her head vigorously. "Definitely not! We will have no violence at all, do you understand? I will confer with Dr Balik, Dr Cambell and Professor Magorian, and we will decide what to do about Muhammed." Stephen: "Maybe it's a curse from disturbing this ancient city. " said Stephen, jokingly - though perhaps part of him had seriously considered the matter Hannah: Hannah nodded gratefully. "Thanks Helena. I would be happy to assist in any way I can." IdGM: Helena inclined her head. "I'm sorry for your broken night. Hopefully you will be able to continue making superb finds." Emily: Emily laughed, "At least we won't run into the Mummy. A massive fan of The Mummy, the Mummy trilogy, that's it. The one they got out last year was awful." Maddie: "I wasn't suggesting attacking him, I was just going to take it and throw the bullets away when he wasn't looking. It's not like he carries it with him to the toilet." Maddie shrugged. Hannah: "Getting back into the city will be a relief," said Hannah. She looked to Maddie. "Hopefully this will all be taken care of soon. Let's let them work through their standard procedure." Stephen: "I wouldn't temp fate that way. Maybe they also 'borrowed' something from the Egyptians.' he joked IdGM: Helena held up her hand. "Maddie, I know you are trying to help, but we will do this our way. Please leave it with me." Maddie: "Yah, fine. If he points that thing at anyone else though I'm cramming it somewhere very personal and embarrassing to him." Hannah: Hannah strategically placed her hand to disguise her grin at Maddie's comment from Helena, and got up to leave and get herself some coffee. Emily: Emily grinned at the joke and starts making the tea, ready for the day to come. Maddie: Maddie followed Hannah. "Jesus we're going to need a lot of caffeine. Standard procedure," she rolled her eyes. "The problem with this dig is that there's not enough anarchists here. Though if they were the wrong sort they'd probably suggest waving their fucking hands to reach a consensus about how to deal with people being raging arseholes with rifles." IdGM: The sun had almost risen before they had all eaten and washed. More lively now, they headed for the city with James. In the absence of the two cousins, it was decided that they should stay in one group and continue the dig in the deepest passage which seemed likely to prove more fruitful.
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Post by Idris on Mar 4, 2018 16:59:57 GMT
Session 6 - 18/2/18 IdGM: Breakfast was a quick affair, with James keen to get started on the day's digging. The volunteers showed signs of another broken night, but the thought of further finds buoyed them up. With Sanjay and Rajendra missing, all the volunteers would work together - the team now consisted of Stephen, Emily, Hannah, Maddie, Osman, Addy and Ben. Kirsty Campbell remained in camp to complete paperwork relating to Sanjay's sickness. With hard hats and lights in place they trailed down to the lower level where Maddie had found the gold pin. The passage led into an arched room and here they started work. Joe: Looking slightly tired but fortified by few mugs of tea and breakfast, Emily is ready for work, "Hopefully, we can make more finds today!" She said with a hint of optimism IdGM: As they worked through the room, Osman found pieces of pottery which all seemed to come from one thing. They laid them out in one of the trays, and could see it was a jug of some kind with a spout shaped like a birds head and neck. Stephen: Stephen found a teapot with a missing spout, and continuing his search for a short while found the spout too - it was shaped like an animal's snout, though right now they couldn't quite make out what it was meant to be. IdGM: "The horns might suggest a goat or something of that kind?" Ben said, giving it a careful examination. Emily: Looking at the finds so far, "They are more artistic than I thought ." Emily gave her comments, surprised at how nice these potteries are Stephen: "Perhaps."said Stephen, tentatively "Would make sense to portray livestock on vessels meant for food and drink." Hannah: "Teapots! I expect next we'll find an ancient French press," said Hannah. Maddie: Maddie yawned. "I'd be more excited if there were tea in the pot." Her morning cup had not really given her the energy she needed after her extremely broken night Emily: Emily looked at Hannah curiously, "A what? Wine press or something?" IdGM: James laughed. "It wouldn't have been tea as we drink it, that came originally from China and in more recent times. But some form of infusion was drunk from these kind of vessels. Turks still love their tea, they drink more per head than any other country." Hannah: Hannah smiled back at Emily. "Oh, uh, a kind of coffee press?" She glanced over at Maddie. "And yeah, I could go for another boost as well. Whatever infusion the Hittites used, I hope it had some caffeine." Maddie: "You'd call it a cafetiere, that confused my dad when he moved to Paris," Maddie said to Emily Emily: Emily smiled with an understanding, "Ah, got it!" IdGM: "This room may have been used for preparing drinks," James suggested. Stephen: "Who knows, maybe we'll find a jar with liquid in it. Though I don't know if I'd risk drinking it."jokingly suggested Stephen IdGM: "Not after four thousand years," James agreed. Once they had sifted through all the detritus in the arched room, they took a long passage leading downwards, searching for more finds. Again Hannah's keen eyes saw something in the dirt - a crystal glint. Hannah: Having already made an exciting discovery the day before, Hannah's hands moved more surely this time as she pushed away the dirt, revealing what looked to her like a long-snouted face in crystal. "What's this...?" she breathed. IdGM: The crystal shape was small, maybe less than an inch long, but beautifully carved and still brilliant in the lights. Stephen: "Good thing it's crystal, or we might have missed it. Great job, Hannah!" Stephen congratulated her IdGM: James came to see what Hannah had found. "Oh that is beautiful. I think it's a hedgehog, or maybe a porcupine. That's a superb find." While they were still poring over the delicately carved crystal, Emily had been working away further down the passage. Turning over the dirt, she noticed a tiny golden shape. Emily: Emily kept working at the dirt, looking at it. Emily piped up, "Here, I found something!" with a hint of enthusiasm. Eventually, Emily uncovers the enough of the dirt to find a necklace of pure gold. Maddie: Maddie went to look at what Emily had found. "Are those birds?" she pointed to the shapes attached to the necklace IdGM: James came over and drew a quick breath as he saw what had been found. "This is stunning! I have never seen so many treasures from a dig." Stephen: "Treasures is the right word to use. Of course, items of such historical value would be worth a fortune even if they weren't made from precious materials. Could even be a security problem if a rich, unscrupulous collector hears of this." IdGM: James frowned. "We're keeping them in the safe, that should be enough for now. The bulk of the finds have only appeared in the last couple of days." Emily: Emily considered, "It is not exactly easy to get in touch with anyone outside the camp anyway." Maddie: "We managed it yesterday," Maddie said. IdGM: "The satellite phone is under Helena's control," James said. The group worked their way down a long stairway but found no more exciting artefacts. It ended in a short passage ending in another stone door. "This should lead to the next level" James said. "We'll get it open for tomorrow. Time to go back up now." Hannah: "Well that was a nice bit of fun, after earlier," said Hannah as they walked. IdGM: They returned to the surface slowly, carrying their trays of finds. The sun's heat hit them like an open oven door as they passed out of the entrance. Despite the heat, all the archaeologists were gathered in the mess tent, and the sound of animated voices speaking Turkish reached their ears. As they neared the camp, Maddie and Stephen noticed that there were men in traditional dress under the canopy of the mess tent, and more horses tethered on the patch of green. Maddie: "Maybe these are the bear thieves," Maddie said, picking up her pace Emily: "Or maybe they are concerned about us digging here?" Emily puts forth her thoughts on this matter. IdGM: James stopped. "Best makes sure the treasures are out of sight. I think these are locals but you never know." He made sure the trays were stacked with only the pottery on top. Stephen: "So I was right to worry."said Stephen, not sounding pleased. He agreed with James plan "Hopefully these won't catch their eyes." IdGM: When they approached the mess tent, Helena held up a hand in greeting. "These are our volunteers," she said, slowly and clearly. One of the strange men was obviously translating. "Please come in and show us what you've found." The men gathered round, quiet now and looking a little apprehensive. Maddie: Maddie glanced at James, shrugged, and went to make herself some coffee IdGM: James showed them the pottery and other finds but kept the gold necklace out of sight. The crystal hedgehog produced smiles and appreciative nods. Helena explained, "these are our neighbours, from the village you passed through on the way here. They supplied our horses, amongst other things, and have brought more." The man who had been translating grinned. He had skin leathered by an outdoor life, and poor teeth but looked cheerful enough. "Horses are the best way to travel in the mountains." Maddie: Maddie sat quietly by herself, drinking coffee and glaring at Muhammed, though her hostility was punctuated with occasional yawns IdGM: "We have been telling them about the dig," Helena continued. "They are very interested as an important underground city will bring tourists to the area." Emily: Emily smiled at hearing the point about the horses are the best way to travel and remains silent to see how it going. IdGM: The men seemed happy to drink tea and rest awhile in the shade - it must have been hard going coming that distance in the heat of the day. But the peace was broken by a shout from the edge of camp. An old tribesman, bow legged from a lifetime of riding, was hastening from the horses, shouting angrily. Stephen: Stephen had done his best not to draw any undue attention and did not seem especially surprised by the trouble that was apparently happening. Maddie: "Those animals cause a lot of trouble," Maddie grumbled, pushing herself to her feet The men did not look happy to see the new arrival, and their translator held out his hands helplessly. "I am sorry, he is the elder of the village. He did not come with us." It was clear that the old man was in a terrible state about something. He shouted at the men, then at the archaeologists. A long and rambling argument ensued, which was not translated for the benefit of the non-Turkish speakers. Even Dr Balik looked confused. "Do you think these are the ones who took the bear?" Ben asked Maddie as they looked on, unable to understand what was going on. Emily: Emily looked surprised at this turn of event, "I wonder what they are arguing about." IdGM: The old man suddenly flung out his hand and declaimed something. Osman was listening carefully and he looked shocked. "He talks of demons..." Stephen: "The locals don't seem happy about him, either."Stephen said to the others IdGM: The other men were looking more and more uncomfortable, and it was at this moment that Muhammed, without his rifle this time, came striding through the crowd. He said something to the old man, whose face betrayed both surprise and fear. Without a word he turned and almost scuttled back to the horses. The other men followed more slowly, confused, their translator apologising profusely to Helena. Maddie: Maddie looked hard at the elder's face, wondering if he'd been afraid of what Muhammed had said, or the man himself IdGM: As the men mounted their horses and rode away, Hannah said quietly. "I don't know what Muhammed said to that old guy, but it scared him. And Muhammed scared him too." They had all noticed that the old man had exhibited a strange kind of respect as well. Emily: "Demons and Muhammed is even more suspicious now" Emily told herself quietly. Maddie: Maddie looked at Muhammed darkly. Before they could go, she turned to the translator. "I'm Maddie Ingram," she introduced herself. IdGM: The man looked nonplussed, "I am sorry, I have to go with the others." Maddie: "I'll make it quick," Maddie said, holding up her hands. "We had an incident a few nights ago, a bear was on the perimeter of the camp. Muhammed there shot it, but the body disappeared. Was it someone from your village who did that?" Stephen: "I wonder if the locals had some legends about this place - legends which only the elder believes at this point, apparently "mused Stephen IdGM: The man frowned, deep lines on his forehead becoming deeper. He shook his head. "Not us, must have been someone else." Muhammed was staring at them, although he didn't move. Maddie: "Hmm, interesting. Thank you." IdGM: As people got drinks, talking in mystification of what had just happened, Osman urgently beckoned his fellow volunteers to a far table and leaned forward to speak privately. "That old man must have been mad. He said; 'If they open up the lost city they will release demons which will eat the world, and Gece Yeri will become Ölüm Yeri. This is Gece Yeri, it means the Place of Night.” He paused. "Ölüm Yeri means the Place of Death." Maddie: "Did you catch what Muhammed said to him?" Emily: Emily shivered for a moment, "Creepy." Stephen: "Place of Night, Place of Death..."said Stephen, not daring to try and pronounce the words in the original language "Does this fit with any local beliefs you have heard of?" IdGM: "Not all of it, just some words, and they didn't really mean anything." Osman answered "Köpekleri, that's dogs." He looked quite mystified. "And something like Siyah Biniciler, which would mean white riders." "I've never heard of any of this," he answered Stephen. Emily: "Maybe the riders who took the bear aware is the white riders?" Emily considered it over. "Speaking of which, I wonder how Sanj and Raj doing?" Maddie: "Maybe we should talk to Magorian about it," Maddie said. "For the moment though I think I'm going to have a nap." IdGM: This seemed like a good plan to everyone, and they were able to regain some energy with a sleep. Nothing untoward seemed to have occured while they were having their siesta. In the cool of the evening, Maddie and Emily were set to cook, and the others gathered in the mess tent to talk over the weird events of the day. Maddie: "It's a pity my boyfriend from Munich isn't here, he's the best cook Food Not Bombs ever produced," Maddie said, working on some kind of bean-based chilli Stephen: Stephen looked at first like he wanted to cheer the others up, but it was obvious the events of the last days were starting to get to him. "What do you think about this? he asked the others when they had a moment together "The way Muhammed sent that man off. I wish we knew what he told him." Emily: Emily was working on trying to do her best with ingredients they got and replied, "Sound like you have been everywhere Maddie." Focusing on the task at hand, "Food Not Bombs? Sound like a group." Maddie: "It is. Well, a loose group of groups. Bren and his boyfriend are the main organisers in Munich, they do a lot of cooking for homeless people or refugees." Emily: "A laudable aim. You can face the world with a good hot meal. " Emily replied with a smile as she chopped the vegetables up with a very sharp knife. "By the way, any chance you can teach me how to juggle? I saw what you did in the morning yesterday." Emily asked Maddie: "Sure! We'll give it a go after dinner," Maddie said. Emily: Emily grinned, "Great." IdGM: Osman replied to Stephen. "It seemed meaningless but that old man was so afraid," Emily: Emily found a time to ask Stephen, "Hey, Stephen. Have you heard anything like the dogs or white riders??" "In myths and legends you read?" IdGM: Addy was huddled up close to Osman, and she suddenly shivered. "A goose walked over my grave," she said, her eyes big and worried. "That's just a saying," Ben said. "You don't believe in all that, surely." Stephen: "Dogs feature in many myths all over the world, I can't think of anything that might be relevant here. " he answered, pleased someone would ask for his expertise "As for White Riders, there are spirits known by that name in Northern European folklore - not the kind of thing you'd expect here. I can't think of anything that you could connect to Middle Eastern beliefs, unless of course we consider Pestilence, the Horseman of the Apocalypse known as the White Rider..." he said, thoughtful IdGM: "Great!" Ben said. "Are you going to tell us it was Pestilence who came for Sanj?" Stephen: "The bear didn't look too healthy, either." said Stephen, but then he quickly added "Sorry, it's not very uplifting as mythological refences go, is it? Especially just before eating." Maddie: "Pestilence maybe, but one Horseman you definitely won't be meeting today is Famine," Maddie said, going to check on the food Stephen: "... of course, Tolkien also made White Rider one of Gandalf's titles, and the man certainly knew his mythology and may have drawn on pre-existing folklore, so such a figure would not necessarily have negative associations, despite the unpleasantness of the context he was mentioned in earlier..." Stephen rambled on for a while mentioning things from history, literature and even pop culture that might have a connection, however tenous, with the concept of a 'White Rider', with only the food finally being ready stopping him. IdGM: The dinner was by far the best they had eaten since arriving at the camp, and the two cooks gained compliments from all the archaeologists, including Kirsty Campbell and Dr Balik, surprisingly. Once the meal was cleared away and everyone had a drink, Helena stood up and the evening briefing began. She began by giving them an update from the hospital - Sanjay had been stabilised although he was still seriously ill. It was still a puzzle what had caused it, but there were some similarities to Colchicine poisoning. The doctor had asked Helena if Sanj might have used Colchicum by accident instead of saffron, as the plant resembled a crocus. The only part of the dinner that might have needed saffron was the rice. Nobody recalled the rice being yellow as it would be with saffron added. The doctor would talk to Raj in the morning - he was currently resting while Sanj's parents sat with their son. They had flown out that day to be with him. Maddie: "Why would he have been the only one to get sick?" Maddie wondered Emily: Emily sighed with a relief hearing that Sanjay is stabilised and hope for a speedy recovery. IdGM: "I will pass on your good wishes in the morning," Helena said. "Now we will look at today's finds - I believe they are as exceptional as yesterday's?" Stephen: Stephen looked relieved to hear that Sanjay was at least stable. Emily: Emily went over and rooted around to find her find from the today's digs, "We found this find, a gold necklace. Looks really nice" She show it around. IdGM: The necklace was highly admired and discussion started on what the shapes represented. Stephen: Stephen showed around the teapot and the animal-shaped spout he had found beside it. IdGM: Dr Balik handled this. "Definitely for making a form of steeped drink." he confirmed. Osman brought out the tray containing the parts of the bird necked jar. Once the finds had been examined, Helena stood up again. "I would just like to speak about the incident this afternoon. The villagers have been very supportive, supplying us with horses and fresh supplies. They are excited about the possibilities a first-rate archaeological site such as this represents to them and their families, but this is not how some of the older members of the community see it. They are afraid of change, and in some cases folklore surrounds such sites. Please don't be alarmed by this. Dr Balik assures me that the majority of the local people are supportive of our work. And they have kindly supplied us with more horses, which I hope some of you will be able to ride on your rest day." Emily: Emily perked up at hearing about the riding horses, "Great! Put me down for one of them please." Emily took the opportunity eagerly and decisively. IdGM: Addy also seemed cheered by this news and asked to be included. Maddie: Maddie was very doubtful of Dr Balik's methods for having determined the views of the majority of the local population, but said nothing IdGM: Osman also showed interest in riding, and Ben, although he had only riden once, thought he would like to try. Maddie: for her part, Maddie associated riding with hunting, and having helped hunt sabs more than once wasn't about to go to the other side, though she realised this was an irrational feeling IdGM: Among the archaeologists, it appeared that Helena and James rode regularly. Dr Magorian surprised everyone by also requesting a mount. Stephen: Stephen tentatively asked, though he added that he would need someone to give him some basic instructions IdGM: James suggested that the experienced riders each mentor a beginner, and be very careful when travelling in the surrounding countryside. After this, there was about an hour of free time before they turned in. Maddie: Maddie had a word with Hannah, and together they quietly pulled Helena aside to inquire as to what had come of her meeting with Dr Balik about Muhammed IdGM: Helena assured them that Dr Balik had taken their concerns very seriously. Muhammed would still be patrolling the outskirts of the camp but without his rifle, which Dr Balik was now keeping in his own tent, and was expected to behave himself. Maddie: Maddie found this utterly and singularly not reassuring, but she couldn't be bothered to argue this and mentally made a note to keep her phone with her so that if she saw Muhammed with his rifle to take a picture. This done, she went to give Emily a quick lesson in juggling - it would be good to unwind after the day with a bit of light entertainment Stephen: "I hope you will be able to help me with riding." Stephen said to Emily later "I've done historical reconstructions before, but somehow managed to never actually properly ride a horse and falling off and breaking something would put an end to my presence here, which is something I'd rather avoid." Emily: Emily did her best to learn on how to juggle. Instead, the balls kept going all over the place. "I think it will take some time. Thanks for the lesson, Maddie" She thanked her gratefully. Afterward, when Stephen approachs her regarding on the horse riding, "Sure, not a problem. Will be happy to help Stephen. Looking so forward to it." She rubbed her hands to keep herself warm in the cold evening air. IdGM: Night had fallen quickly and they were all glad to move to their tents. They continued the watch system, although it was getting harder to stay awake. Apart from passing the tents several times on his rounds, Muhammed did nothing untoward this night.
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Post by Idris on Mar 10, 2018 17:13:26 GMT
Session 7 - 3/3/18 GMId: Despite the uneventful night, the team showed signs of sleeplessness and stress when they all met for breakfast in the mess tent. Kirsty Campbell and Fintan Magorian were unusually quiet, Helena was frowning at some papers, Dr Balik sitting alone with his eyes firmly fixed on a book as if avoiding possible contact, even James was subdued. Of Muhammed there was no sign. After breakfast they made their way to the rocky entrance and into the dark cool depths of the city. The volunteers were again all in one group, and this time Kirsty and Magorian joined them. The stone door they had reached the day before now stood open, a long dark corridor stretching away on the other side of it. Maddie: People's nerves were obviously frayed, but Maddie had never let darkness and warnings of dire portent bother her before. Whistling the tune of Bella Ciao, she edged ahead of the others and stepped into the corridor. Stephen: "Careful there, wouldn't want to hurt yourself - or anything on the ground." said Stephen following closely GMId: James carried a cable with a lamp at the end. "You'll need a couple of these. Maddie: Maddie took a lamp wordlessly Emily: Emily yawned a little during the breakfast but she fortified herself with a big mug of tea. She took note that the atmosphere is bit on a despondent side. While looking around for possible danger, taking to heart the warning from tribe leader, Emily looked forward to seeing the corridor, "I am full of anticipation for what lies ahead." She commented GMId: The lamps had telescopic stands and were placed along the new corridor. It was still dark, with layers of dust and small stones on the floor. They began to move down the corridor and noticed what looked like archways to either side along its length, but these had all been blocked in. As she was examining one of these, Hannah realised that another relief had been carved into the wall next to it. Hannah gasped at the intricacy of the carving, and immediately everyone gathered to have a look. Emily: Emily admired the relief and said thoughtfully, "I love how the sun is stylised. I wonder what is it?" Stephen: "What a find!" said Stephen almost tracing the relief with his finger "A sun and a moon. As for the woman..." he said trying to recognize her GMId: "That's a very unusual scene," James said frowning at the carving. "It plainly depicts the underground city," Magorian peered at it. "This perfect representation of a ladder, rising from one floor to the next. But the lower levels are empty, which is strange." Stephen: "Perhaps they were fleeing from something."suggested Stephen "Worrying, isn't it?" Maddie: "It's not much use having a ladder down to somewhere no one ever goes," said Maddie. GMId: "It could be a stair?" suggested Hannah. Emily: "Hmm." Emily considered this over, "They got time to create the relief so they must be around for a little longer after evacuating from the lower levels." GMId: Kirsty looked over Hannah's shoulder. "They could be gathering their belongings together to move to the higher levels. There is evidence they were occupied for some time. Stephen: "Perhaps they wanted others to know that something bad had happened. But what?" GMId: James asked Hannah to take photographs of the relief while the rest of them continued sifting through the detritus on the floor. He looked at Stephen with a slightly worried frown. "Hopefully we can find a clue to what actually happened as we go." They spread out along the corridor, where there were more blocked archways. The passage ran straight and slightly downhill. Emily started digging around below the relief. Something white gleamed in the harsh light. Not metal this time - smooth and rounded. Emily: Emily grinned, delighted at this find, "A bone!" GMId: Kirsty was instantly at her side. "Bones? Here, in the corridor?" Emily: Emily nodded as she brushed to uncover more of the finds. "Seems so." Stephen: "Well, I suppose it couldn't always be jewelry, statuettes and reliefs..."said Stephen, though he did not sound especially fazed GMId: Kirsty crouched next to Emily, helping to uncover the bones. "That's a femur, see the end which goes into the hip joint." They continued working for a time, the soft dust easy and quick to remove. Maddie: "Didn't that guy yesterday say something about a place of death?" Maddie asked, looking at the skeleton. GMId: Addy looked around, her eyes enormous in the half light. "I don't like this." Kirsty suddenly sat back and whistled in surprise. "There are two of them here." She held up another thigh bone, but this one much smaller. "It's from a child." Everyone stopped what they were doing and stood staring. Emily: Emily grimaced at the grim scene, "I wonder why they were just left here." She muttered. "You would thought they would bury them or cremate them." She frowned. Stephen: "Something terrible may have happened here."said Stephen, shifting to grimmer, sadder tone "And they may not have had the time or opportunity to bury their dead." Maddie: "So they had no time to bury these two, but there was enough time for them to carve a relief into the wall showing them fleeing the place?" Maddie said. GMId: "It may have happened over a period of time," James said. "Hard to tell." "Actually, this relief is not carved straight into the wall," Hannah said suddenly. She had been examining her find closely, while avoiding stepping too close to the skeletons. "It's on a seperate flat piece of stone, attached to the wall." Emily: "Sound like a warning sign to me!" Emily took another look at the relief closely from her position by the bones. Stephen: "This is starting to remind me of Pompei."said Stephen "And yet we have found no signs of any specific natural disaster yet." GMId: "Well whatever it is, we'll work on it," James said briskly. "Hannah can you investigate whether it can be removed from the wall? The rest of you, apart from Emily and Kirsty, carry on." Emily: Emily helped out Kirsty in uncovering the bones and ever so carefully lifting and numbering the bones. Once they are numbered, they was placed in the trays so they can be recorded and hopefully one day figures out what happened to them. GMId: Ben was shining his head light along the wall, seeing if any further reliefs would show up. "Is there something here?" he asked Maddie, running his hand over the surface. Maddie: Maddie knelt down by Ben. "Someone leading an animal. There's some sort of...lettering?" she squinted at the markings above the animal, which she thought might be some kind of dog GMId: Fin Magorian reacted immediately. "You have some writing?" he leaned over to stare at the new find. Maddie: "Well I think it is," she said, running her fingers over it. GMId: Magorian nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, although I would have expected cuneiform, this is a rather unusual form of hieroglyph, but I should be able to translate it, given time." Stephen: Stephen knelt beside the others and tried to get a good look at the scene portrayed by the relief "Looks like they are moving out and bringing their children and animals with them. Fits with what we have seen before suggesting they were fleeing from a disaster, doesn't it?" Emily: During short break, Emily popped over to have a look at the relief, "Hopefully that writings might explain the reason for the relief as well." She added after Stephen's words. GMId: James was gazing at the carving. "It may be a warning to others who come after. This seems to have been a planned evacuation, up to a point." He looked meaningfully at the skeletons now being uncovered for the first time in nearly four millenia. They got back to work and spent some time just turning over dirt, carefully checking for anything significant. Hannah was the first to call out that she had found some more bones. Kirsty almost ran to see this new skeleton. She and Hannah carefully brushed some more of the dirt off the yellowed bones. The forensic expert suddenly sat back on her heels. "This one is showing massive injury, even at first glance there is evidence of head trauma and broken ribs," she pointed to the twisted remains. Maddie: Maddie stood behind them, wondering what had killed the poor person Emily: "Something like a club or some other weapon?" She asked curiously Stephen: "Could it have been falling rocks?" GMId: Kirsty leaned over and examined the ribs. "I'll need to get them back to the camp to say for sure, but this is more than a blow. Almost like a chunk of the body torn away..." "If rocks had killed them, where are they?" Ben asked. Maddie: "Whatever it was that killed them, where is it? If they were killed by another person, why would they not have chased everyone fleeing up onto the higher levels?" GMId: "It's certainly a mystery," Magorian said. "The hieroglyphs may well give us the clue." Stephen: "They could have rolled away or been moved. Of course, if there had been something like an earthquake or cave-in the city would hardly be so well-preserved..." Maddie: "Why would they be fleeing from something below them anyway? How would whatever they were running from got there, was there some kind of civil war?" Emily: Emily stared at clearly ruined skeleton, "Hopefully, we will be able to find more clues as to why if we are really lucky." GMId: The hunt went on, with everyone more thoughtful after looking at the torn remains. They had only continued a short while when Stephen spotted another relief on the wall. Stephen: Stephen looked at the relief portraying a spindly, bearded figure surrounded by four lions. "Not anyone I recognize - might have been their ruler rather than a god."he said Emily: "A ruler of this city then?" Emily commented on Stephen's thought. Maddie: Maddie squinted at the carving and snorted. "Has any king in history ever actually let a lion within a mile of him without first having his army sedate it with everything they've got? Fucking braggarts." GMId: Ben was peering at the carving. "They could be lions, but very strange. I wonder if they were monsters which invaded the city." Emily: "Seems strange to have animals invading the city." Emily wondered. "Well, if we find big lion bones down here, then you might be right." Maddie: "Maybe they kept them penned down below and they escaped somehow?" Maddie wondered. "Though a lion wouldn't smash bones like the body we found earlier." GMId: "We'll remove these from the walls and take them above, hopefully studying them will reveal more," James said. "Let's keep investigating, maybe find some more clues." The passage seemed darker and more oppressive as they moved further down. Hannah started work on a large patch of almost black dirt, and almost immediately turned up more bones. This time they were all involved in lifting them - there were several individuals haphazardly mixed together. Kirsty sighed as she examined the remains. "I'd say one adult male, at least one adult female and two small children." Emily: Emily glanced over the latest finds and wondered, "I wonder how many more there is to be found here." Maddie: Maddie knelt down by the woman. "She was pregnant," she said, pointing to how her hands were curled around her belly. There were some tiny bones there. GMId: There was a gasp from behind them. Addy had gone white and seemed about to faint. Osman put his arm around her. "I think she needs some fresh air." Stephen: Stephen said nothing, merely looking at the remains in silence. Emily: Emily stood up from the extremely ancient bones with sympathy in her eyes and agreed with Osman, "Maybe that is a good idea." GMId: James spoke quietly with Osman, and then the two volunteers moved off to return to the surface, Kirsty was standing looking at the boxes of bones, including the tiny remains of the unborn child. "What the fuck went on here? This is a family from the look of it - all of them torn apart. I think the wild animal idea isn't so far fetched after all!" Maddie: "They're all pretty close to each other," said Maddie. "Would they have been that close if they were running from something? Did they fall like this or where they put here? Or attacked suddenly?" Stephen: "What kind of animal would attack people in a location like this, though?" said Stephen "As Maddie said a lion looks unlikely from the damage to the bones." Emily: "A bear maybe?" Emily considered it over. "Either way, it is pretty weird." GMId: Kirsty shook her head. "I think they were probably cornered here. The parents trying to protect their children. The breaks and tears indicate a frenzied attack, more than one attacker, whatever it was had a savage grip." Maddie: Maddie stood up. "I'm not sure I like where this is going, but we should continue regardless." GMId: "Well whatever did it will be long dead after four thousand years," Ben said, in what was clearly a strained attempt to lighten their mood. They returned to the dig, more somber now. Once again Hannah uncovered some bones, but this time they were different. The bones were clearly of some quadruped, with a long jaw full of sharp teeth. It could have been a wolf or a dog of some kind, but massively larger. Maddie: "I wonder if this is what the person in the relief we found had on a lead," Maddie said to Ben. Emily: Looking at a great find with surprise, "What a find!" Stephen: "Wish I knew more about animals." said Stephen kneeling down to look at the bones "Could this be a lion? A common one, or an extinct breed perhaps?" he asked GMId: Kirsty shook her head. "No, it's not a feline. This is a canid of some kind. But the size, and the teeth... There was nothing like this in existence at the time." Emily: Emily glanced over at Kirsty, "Maybe a new species then?!" She suggested hopefully. Stephen: "Advancing history and zoology at the same time - how glorious!" said Stephen, with a faint smile. GMId: "Maybe...," Kirsty looked down at the thing with a strange expression on her face. Maddie: "Is there something like it in existence now?" Maddie asked. GMId: "Nothing like this," Kirsty said. Magorian laughed suddenly, making them all jump. "Only the Cú Sídhe." Maddie: "The what?" GMId: "The great hound of our folklore, huge as a young bull," Magorian said, flinging his arms wide. Stephen: "Spectral hounds of Scotland and Ireland. As big as a bull with green or black fur, and a harbinger of death and doom." Maddie: Maddie grunted. "A friend of mine got hounded once at a festival by someone who said he was huge as a young bull. He stopped after I punched him in the face." GMId: "Monstrous hounds are quite a thing in Britain," Magorian chuckled. Maddie: "So did these people get mauled by a mythical creature from a culture thousands of miles away that they probably had no contact with?" Emily: Emily smiled, "I think it was called Cù Sìth in Scotland. Very apt in this situation. It was feared as harbringer of death. Bit like Grim Reaper." GMId: "Mythical creatures that may have a basis in reality, for all we know," Magorian said. Stephen: "Of course, we're quite far from Britain" smiled Stephen "One might have expected a different kind of monster to show up here." GMId: "Very true, but there are more links among the peoples of the past than is generally believed," Magorian said. Maddie: Maddie shrugged. "Personally I prefer not to put stock in myths like ghosts, spirits, or capitalism with a human face. Seems like we're dealing with some big animal we didn't know was around at the time." Maddie stretched. "Are we pushing on?" GMId: Kirsty and Hannah settled down to lift the bones of the canid, while the rest continued. Now they could see that the passage ended in darkness not too far away. Maddie: "Guess so," said Maddie, stepping towards the end of the passage Emily: Emily leaned forward as well to see if it is properly end there or got more surprise. GMId: They were beginning to tire now, feeling hungry and thirsty, slowing as they worked. Maddie almost missed the gleam of something strange hidden in the dirt. Stephen: "I wouldn't blame anyone who needed some time away from all these dead bones."said Stephen "Myself, I don't mind, it's hardly pleasant but we're discovering so much..." Maddie: "Something shiny here," Maddie said, kneeling Emily: Emily went over to help out Maddie, "What did you find Maddie?" Maddie: brushing away some dirt, Maddie picked up a bronze amulet, which fit well into her palm. It was covered with cuneiform lettering and there was some kind of bird at the bottom of it. "My girlfriend in Athens would kill for this," she said, holding it up and examining it. "Magorian, can you read this?" GMId: "That's DOCTOR Magorian," Kirsty muttered, but Fintan smiled at the question and held out his hand for the amulet. After examining it for a time, while everyone watched with great interest, Magorian nodded to himself. "This is a protective amulet. The writing is a magical incantation, designed to keep the wearer safe from supernatural attack." Stephen: "Perhaps one of us should wear it on the way out. You never know..."said Stephen, obviously joking Emily: "Unfortunately for the wearer, it doesn't seem to have worked." Emily commented, eyeing big animal bones. GMId: Meanwhile Ben had investigated the further reaches of the passage. "It ends here!" he called back. "There's a giant door." Maddie: Maddie wandered over to Ben. Emily: Emily went closer toward the end of the passage, to take a close look at the giant door. GMId: Carved into the front of the massive stone door were lines of cuneiform letters, and below it, crushed beneath it, were more giant canid bones. It appeared the stone had killed at least one of the mystery creatures when it was released to fall into place. Stephen: "How interesting..."said Stephen, his brow furrowing as he glanced down at the crushed bones Maddie: "Hey Magorian, there's some writing on this door," Maddie called back. Emily: "So they must be fleeing from these big dogs." Emily glanced around in the light lit passage, "That must be terrifying, especially in passages only lit by flames." GMId: Magorian bounded accross and gazed tansfixed at the door and its carved inscription. He ran his large hands over the angular shapes. "I will have to work on this. Some photographs please!" Ben had got out his small pad and pen, and was quickly sketching the area. "I really want to capture this." Emily: Emily got her hands on one of the camera and helped out with taking the photographs. GMId: James was examining the door. "This will need specialist equipment to move. God knows how they originally managed it. Time to go up top people." Emily: Emily sighed with a hint of relief, "I could do with a fresh air as well!" Maddie: "Seemingly they managed it in a hurry," Maddie pointed to the canid that seemed to have been crushed when the stone fell. GMId: "They dropped instantly, that was the idea," James said. "When you need to keep the enemies out, although in this case it seems the enemies were not coming from above ground." They gathered all the equipment, and the trays of finds, and set off back to the surface, emerging blinking into the hot sunlight.
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Post by Idris on Mar 17, 2018 14:54:51 GMT
Session 8 - 11/3/18 GMId: The day was well advanced, so James insisted that after the volunteers had taken plenty to drink they must go to rest. Despite the baking heat, it was a tremendous relief to gather in the mess tent where slight breeze made it bearable. It was noticeable that there was no sign of Addy. Maddie: Maddie looked around for Osman, who'd gone off with Addy GMId: Osman was just walking through the camp from Kirsty's tent, looking serious. Maddie: "Everything alright Oz?" Maddie asked him GMId: Osman shook his head. "Addy's not good. I thought she'd be fine once we got out in the fresh air, but she was suddenly taken ill. I had to almost carry her to the camp. Kirsty has her in the medical tent. She thinks it was some kind of panic attack." Maddie: Maddie grimaced and made a sympathetic noise. "Best not to make a fuss of her then. We found some more things after you left." Maddie quickly told him about the door and the bones they'd found there. GMId: Osman murmured something in Turkish Maddie couldn't catch, but might have been a prayer. "Please don't tell Addy, she's just recovered a bit." Maddie: Maddie nodded. "She can find out later." GMId: Having rehydrated themselves, they all went off to their tents to rest. Despite the intense experiences of the morning, most of the volunteers found that exhaustion overcame them and manage to get some sleep. Hannah: Hannah had found herself rather unnerved by their earlier finds, and put on a pair of heaphones with some music to drown out her thoughts after lying down. Stephen: Stephen did not seem too shaken by what they had found - in fact, he told the others as they separated to sleep, it would have been far weirder to not find any bones there. Hannah: Once they were up, Hannah immediately went to work on cooking their meal. She hadn't done much cooking since before starting law school, but she was good at following instructions at least, and got as many tips as she could from those who'd worked with the ingredients before. Maddie: after waking, Maddie went over to Emily, carrying four multicoloured balls. "Want to have another session?" Stephen: Stephen cooked together with Hannah, but this time his efforts were quite poor as he kept fumbling or mistaking one ingredient for another, perhaps too distracted by thinking about future discoveries. However Hannah's attention to detail managed to make up for the worst of his mistakes. GMId: Kirsty came into the kitchen area to fetch a drink for Addy, and gave the two amateur cooks some good advice. Emily made a real effort to keep the balls in the air, and this time she managed a bit better and beamed with delight. Hannah: "Thanks!" said Hannah as Kirsty provided some tips. "I used to cook with my mom sometimes, but this stuff doesn't have much overlap with Korean food." GMId: "It's a bit basic out here," Kirsty said. "Only so much you can do without fresh food." Emily: Emily smiled slightly, pleased with a slight improvement in her juggling. GMId: The dinner was better than either Hannah or Stephen had hoped. Afterwards everyone got hot drinks and sat waiting expectantly for the briefing. Helena stood first. "I have received a call from Rajendra at the hospital, and you will be glad to know that Sanjay has regained consciousness and is on the road to recovery. Raj was also asked whether he knew of anything Sanj had eaten which could have caused the sickness. He remembered Sanjay showing him what he said were cardamom pods - he wanted to use them in the rice, but Raj didn't like the look of them and said so. He thinks Sanjay might have tasted one, or at least opened it up and sniffed it." Kirsty frowned at this. "I'm sure there are cardamom pods in the kitchen area, they won't make anyone sick." Hannah: "Probably best to just check and make sure they haven't been contaminated with something," said Hannah, moving to look in the kitchen. Maddie: Maddie, who'd used cardamom with rice in innumerable curries over the years, went to look with her Stephen: "That's good to hear."said Stephen, pleased. "Could it have been an allergy? But if so, I think the hospital would have told us." GMId: There was a small pot labelled Cardamom. It was empty apart from a grey dusty residue. Emily: Emily shook her head, "I agreed with Kirsty actually. Sniffing them wouldn't cause this. Beside, you will need to eat a lot of cardamom pods before you get some nasty side effects." Hannah: Hannah avoided touching anything. "That's strange, I wouldn't think it would all have been used. I'll check in with Kirsty to see if they have anything that might be used to examine or test the residue." GMId: Kirsty made sure the top was screwed back tightly. "This should be sent to the hospital for testing. I don't know what the dust is, but it's not normal." Maddie: "Definitely not normal," Maddie said, squinting at the dust. Emily: Emily pointed out, "I wonder what happened to the pods." She asked curiously. "Seem unlikely they would threw them away if they are bad without telling us at least." Stephen: "It's a good thing only Sanjay ended up eating them."said Stephen GMId: Kirsty shook her head. "All the foodstuffs were bought for the dig, so the pods would have been new, not likely to go bad." Emily: Emily frowned with concern, "As if almost someone doesn't want this dig to continue. I am really hoping this is not a deliberate case of poisoning." GMId: There was a silence at this, then Helena said firmly, "That is sheer speculation. There is no definite proof of what was in that container. Tomorrow we will send it to the hospital for examination. In the meantime let us keep calm and get on with our work." As they returned to their seats, Ben muttered, "if it's poisoning, it must be one of us..." Maddie: "Unlikely, there's a very large, very heavy door in between us and getting on with work," Maddie said casually Hannah: Hannah's expression was unreadable, but when she sat down she began scribbling quickly in her notebook. GMId: Helena indicated that James should lead the team in showing the day's finds. Stephen: "Doors can be opened. "said Stephen "Hopefully whoever is going to do that will be careful not to damage anything." Emily: On hearing Helena's comments on her speculation, she nodded in agreement with Helena with understanding in her eyes. Upon hearing Ben's words, she murmured, "Still worth to be on alert." GMId: Kirsty picked up one of the skulls from the trays, and held it in her hand in the manner of Hamlet. "We have discovered the skeletons of a number of individuals today. Most are human remains - men, women and children. I have given them a preliminary examination and it is clear that they all met a violent end. Most have been apparently torn apart, and I have found bite marks on some of them. These are consistent with animal attacks, the kind inflicted by large and very savage predators." She replaced the skull and picked up one of the dog or wolf jaw bones. "These may well be the attackers. We have found the skeletons of several of these canids within the same area as the human skeletons. They are of a species so far unknown, far larger than modern canids, and appear to have been killed with metal weapons, swords or spears." Hannah: While previously Hannah had shown great enthusiasm for the recaps of their findings, this time she seemed more intensely focused on her note taking. Emily: Emily shook her head with sympathy, "It must be terrifying in their shoes to put down these beasts, especially in dark tunnels, lit only by flames." Stephen: Stephen said nothing, though he obviously wanted to find out more about what had actually happened. GMId: Osman looked distinctly uncomfortable at this thought, although Addy had not joined them for the briefing. James quickly stood up and thanked Kirsty, then asked the volunteers to show the photographs of the reliefs which had not yet been removed from the walls. Hannah: Hannah reluctantly put aside her notebook and showed off her photographs of the relief which depicted the underground city with the lower levels empty. Maddie: Maddie showed the picture of the man and his child leading a strange animal. "Not sure if it's one of those," she pointed to the skull Kirsty had showed them GMId: "You think they had giant dog-wolf things as pets?" Ben asked disbelievingly. Maddie: "Humans are sick fucks, they like keeping animals in cages and sometimes they get loose and show them what they think of it," Maddie said with a shrug. "The attack came from below, and the door is at the bottom of the city. Would make sense if they broke out from where they were being kept." Stephen: "One does wonder why they'd keep animals like these caged. Perhaps for war or hunting? Considering their size and...implied ferocity, they'd hardly make perfect pets. Fighting them in some sort of arena, perhaps for religious rituals, might also make sense. I hope we will find the answer to this." GMId: Dr Balik broke in before Ben could reply. "The animal in the carving is not one of those. Observe, it has hooves. It may be a beast of burden or a food animal such as a sheep." "There has never been any evidence that animal fights or arena sports were held in any of the underground cities," he added. "They were places of refuge." Stephen: "Of course, it would be completely unexpected" said Stephen, as if excusing himself "I was just throwing random theries at this point. Hopefully the next finds will give us some more clues." GMId: Once they had finished discussing the reliefs, Fin Magorian took over and pinned a large sketch on the board. "This is the inscription on the Great Door," he said, pointing to it with one of the table knives. "It's a variation of cuneiform - not easy to read but I've managed to translate it." He grinned at the expectant faces. "It says 'He who Opens the Door to Darkness will Open the Way to Death'." Emily: Looking at the sketch with great interest, Emily was looking forward to hearing what Magorian got to say from the translation Maddie: "Well I guess me or Emily or Hannah should open it," Maddie said with a shrug. Hannah: "They certainly liked to be ominous about things," said Hannah. GMId: Magorian roared with laughter at this. "Maybe so! But this is the standard kind of curse language, it's more of a warning of danger than a threat." Emily: Emily shivered as shiver went down the spine, "That is spine-chilling." Stephen: "Ominous indeed, but if archeologists believed every curse and threatening message they'd hardly make any progress." GMId: "Indeed," James smiled reassuringly. "Plainly something happened down there in the lower levels - it could have been some kind of sickness - and they had to block access" "Rabies perhaps - that would make anything bitten start raving," Kirsty said thoughtfully. "Dogs, humans... they become completely crazed." Hannah: "So... The Walking Dead, but with giant dogs? A pleasant thought," said Hannah. GMId: "Rabies has a long history," Magorian said. "The name almost certainly has a Sanskrit root. It was certainly known at the time this city was built." Stephen: "From "to rage", if I remember correctly." said Stephen, explaining the word's root "I do believe the Laws of Eshunna mentioning the penalty for letting your rabid dog bite another should be from around the time we dated the city to. It's an old disease and unfortunately their treatments for the disease were mostly useless - hardly surprising considering it's still deadly today - and as Hannah's reference to zombies suggest, one that has has been quite an influence on fiction." lectured Stephen Emily: Listening to Stephen's lecture with a forbearing patience, "That's quite interesting.". GMId: "Thank you Stephen," Helena was gracious as she firmly moved the discussion on. "Fin, have you anything more to tell us about the writings?" "Well...," Fintan frowned as he posted up another picture, which showed a series of vertical lines crossed by shorter lines. "I found these marks on the door, below the cuneiform. At first glance they look like Celtic runes. Now we know this is very unlikely - the Celts have no known connection with this region. Unless there were proto-Celtic tribes in the area. I'll need time to research them anyway." Hannah: "Hmm. Perhaps they picked up some symbology through trade," suggested Hannah, though she still seemed a bit distracted. Stephen: "Finding evidence of proto-Celtics in the area would be an amazing discovery in its own."said Stephen, sounding excited Hannah: "Didn't someone say the idea of 'white riders' was known in Northern European folklore? It seems there must be more cultural crossover than we'd thought," added Hannah. Emily: Emily looked surprised hearing about it and said so, "This dig is proving to be more of a surprise than I ever thought. I suppose it is not possible to figure out when the second lines were carved later or at the same time?" She mulled the question over GMId: "They appear to be contemporary with the cuneiform," Magorian answered. Stephen: Stephen paled for a moment and paused for a few seconds before speaking again "There is something...remember the old man who showed up and started rambled about something? From what we were told, he said things about this place, things which somehow match both the inscription and the animal skeletons we have found..." GMId: Osman was also looked deeply worried. "Dogs... " Stephen: "A Place of Night turning into a Place of Death, and something about dogs. Could the local tribe's folklore somehow have incorporate some knowledge from this city, I wonder?" Emily: Emily frowned with a hint of worry, prehaps thinking on what that elder tribeman was saying, "Say, did you manage to translate what was on that relief with the adult carrying a child with a sheep?" She asked Magorian. GMId: Magorian shook his head. "That will take longer - a form of hieroglyphs changed from the usual." Helena spoke. "Please don't worry about curses and so on. They're familiar territory to achaeologists. Now I have two things to add..." Momentarity distracted, she looked to the back of the tent and suddenly they could see Muhammed there, standing in the shadows. Helena frowned, but returned to what she was saying. "Firstly, we are bringing in specialist equipment to open the Great Door. This will arrive in two days time. Some of you are planning to ride, I know. So tomorrow will be a day of rest from the digging, although we hope you can make good use of the time by making a survey of the surrounding area for air vents or other entrances." "Secondly," Helena looked down at a paper in her hand, "a specialist TV company have been given permission to visit us on that day. It looks as though they will be with us for the opening of the door. This is a great opportunity for our work to be recognised by a wider public, and hopefully for some better funding." Emily: Emily nodded, eager for a challenge. "Sound like it is going to be an experience!" She grinned Stephen: "More funding could certainly help."said Stephen, though he still sounded less than pleased, as if his earlier words were still haunting him. Hannah: Hannah raised an eyebrow at the mention of the TV company. "We'll see if things settle down in camp with cameras around," she murmured to herself. Maddie: Maddie clenched her fist reflexively at the thought of a camera and wished she'd brought some balaclavas You whisper to Maddie: While everyone was excitedly reacting to the news, Maddie noticed that Muhammed had been staring at the proceedings with a look of the utmost contempt. He glided over to whisper to Dr Balik, who had been preening as though he expected to be the star of the show. A shadow passed over the archaeologist's face. Maddie: Noticing Muhammed moving over to speak quietly in Dr Balik's ear, she raised her mug to him in sardonic salute. "Exciting news isn't it Muhammed? Lots of great exposure from the cameras!" GMId: Muhammed straightened up and gave Maddie a look of utter hatred, then he disappeared through the back of the tent. Maddie: "I think he likes me," Maddie muttered to Hannah Hannah: Hannah snorted. "There has been some grade school level behavior around here." GMId: "It might not be a good idea to make an enemy of a man with a gun," Osman said quietly, but Ben shook his head. "That man hates everyone, you don't have to try." Maddie: "Whatever Muhammed said, Dr Balik didn't like it," Maddie said quietly to Hannah Emily: Emily considered it over, "Somehow, I feel he got his own agenda on this dig. Hopefully, the rest of the dig will go smoothly." She commented, "This place is giving me more creeps with each passing day." Stephen: "The man's behavior s positively dangerous."said Stephen "Hopefully the cameras will make him behave, at least for a time." Hannah: Hearing what Maddie said, Hannah decided to approach Dr. Balik when she had a chance. "Is everything going alright? I imagine you'll want things running smoothly with the television crew around and everything, and I'd be happy to help in any way I can." GMId: "Thank you my dear," Balik said, but he seemed distracted. "It will be a great boost for the dig to have such exposure. Now forgive me, I have much to do." Abruptly he left and walked off in the direction of his tent. The briefing was over, and the volunteers free for a short time. It had been a long day. Emily: Once the briefing is over, Emily fingered the Celtic cross.amber pendant dangling from the necklace she wore, deep in thought before shaking loose from her thought and smiled at the others, "Right, I am going off to see Addy to see how she is doing." She told them before heading off. GMId: Addy was sitting on the camp bed in the medical tent, looking a lot better than she had. When Emily came in, Addy hugged her. "I don't really know what happened," she said. "Something in that city just makes me freak out." Stephen: "So..."said Stephen in a hushed tone, when just he and Hannah were left. "What do you think about the old man's ramblings? As fascinating as it is to study it, I don't put much stock in superstition. But the man did seem to be quite knowledgeable about some of the things in city. The least worrying explanation, of course, is that the local tribes somehow incorporated knowledge from the city in their folklore." he added Hannah: "I'm more concerned about what's going on in the camp than down in the city," said Hannah. "But it is strange that he'd know that much, after millennia. With what happened with the bear... I dunno, it seems like they're not telling us everything." Stephen: "I agree the situation here is hardly perfect, though perhaps the cameras will improve things" said Stephen, though he obviously didn't put much hope in the notion "And I have to agree that such knowledge being preserved so well after thousands of year sounds extremely improbable. It could just be a coincidence, but doesn't that sound even less likely?" Emily: Emily returned the hug, "Oh Addy, I can understand that. It is getting more creepy as well. But don't worry, you will be fine and you are among a great team here. We will get through this! Hopefully some horse riding will cheer you up. It is tomorrow instead." Emily smiled with something to look forward tomorrow. Maddie: Maddie had noticed Emily and followed her into the medical tent. She put a sympathetic arm around Addy's shoulder. "My girlfriend in Athens has panic attacks pretty regularly, they suck," she said. "Dionisia always says the best way to deal with them is to calm yourself, accept that it's going to happen, sit down, and let it wash over you. It's better for an attack to come and go than try to fight it off, that just prolongs it and makes it worse." Hannah: Hannah nodded to Stephen. "Let's see if we learn anything in the next couple of days. And we'll all keep an extra eye out for anything like that residue around the cardamom container." GMId: Emily and Maddie's presence and positive words clearly had a good effect on Addy. "You know, I was seriously considering going home," she said. "But I'll come riding with you tomorrow, and see how it goes."
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Post by Idris on Mar 24, 2018 16:06:39 GMT
Session 9 - 18/3/18 GMId: After the extra long and detailed briefing there was little time for anything before they turned in. The camp remained quiet, Muhammed silently did his rounds and everyone woke before dawn refreshed to some extent. After a decent breakfast, those riding out took packs of food and filled water bottles and made their way to where the horses awaited. Blankets and tack had been brought from the storage tent and left nearby. Helena asked again that they make a sweep of the surrounding area, to look for signs of any other entrances and air vents. Maddie: Maddie's time spent with hunt sabs had given her a visceral dislike of horse riding, but this pulled one way, and the need not to be bored out of her skull pulled the other. In the end, she decided she would go, as it wasn't as if they were actually going to be hunting for anything other than signs of entrances. "You'll have to show me how to do this," she said to Emily. Stephen: Stephen too admitted to Emily he might need some help - though he had participated in multiple historical renactements involving horses he had never learned how to ride properly Hannah: Hannah was a bit nervous around the horses, having only ever briefly ridden at fairs and whatnot, but she was here to try new things so she went along. GMId: Addy clearly knew what she was doing and Osman had ridden before. Ben was a complete novice. The horses were placid and quietly allowed themselves to be saddled up. Emily: Emily helped Maddie and Stephen who asked for some help with horse ride by giving them tips and advices, GMId: Although Maddie had avoided riding, she got the hang of it quite quickly. Hannah was rather less confident but managed to stay on, but as soon as Stephen's horse moved off he found himself slipping sideways in the saddle. Emily: Emily kept a close eye on Stephen and called out suddenly, "Stephen, use your knees!" GMId: Stephen grabbed the long-suffering horse's neck and hauled himself upright, trying to push his knees into its sides, while Emily adjusted the girth and stirrups. Emily: Once she finished adjusting the girth and stirrups, Emily smiled at Stephen, "There, you should be alright." Maddie: "This isn't so bad," Maddie said, patting her horse's neck. Stephen: "That was close, I can see why so many kings and queens died by falling from their horses!" said a relieved Stephen thanking Emily Maddie: "You say 'kings and queens died' as if that's a bad thing!" Maddie smirked. GMId: Meanwhile Addy had assisted Ben and Osman - who had only a small amount of experience - and both of them made a fair job of mounting their horses. Addy herself leaped up lightly into the saddle as if born to it. Emily: Once Emily made sure that Maddie, Stephen and to a lesser extent Hannah are doing fine and dandy, she joined the rest of the group in mounting her own horse with almost as same ease as Addy. Stephen: Stephen smiled but said nothing else, his mind perhaps distracted by something. Maddie: "So where are we going?" GMId: As she said this, the large shape of Magorian appeared striding towards them, his arms full of tack. "I'm off to the village, got something to collect," he said, his voice echoing off the rocks. Maddie: "Want company?" Maddie called to Magorian GMId: "Sure!" The big Irishman swiftly readied one of the larger horses and swung easily into the saddle. "Are you all off there too?" Hannah: "I'd like to visit," called back Hannah, moving her horse up closer to him. The others knew she'd been hoping for any avenue to get more information about what was going on at the camp. Maddie: Maddie's first instinct was to go with Hannah and Magorian, but she decided she would stick to looking for entrances - put in a situation where the people she was talking to weren't all anarchists, she was as likely to say something stupid as help Emily: Emily looked around the sights and told the others, "I would be looking for the entrances and enjoying the beauty of the lands." Emily pointed out as she rather want to avoid going into a strange village where that elder troubeman came from GMId: Osman asked if he could join those going to the village. "It might help to speak the language," he said diffidently. Addy joined him. They all set off up the path before separating up. As the horses walked up, they heard an engine behind, and the Land Rover crawled carefully past - Kirsty at the wheel and James beside her. "Going for more supplies," he called to them. "And taking this to be checked out," he waved the cardomom pot. Maddie: "Who's staying behind anyway?" Maddie called to them GMId: Kirsty stopped so they could answer without the clouds of dust thrown up by the Land Rover's wheels. "Helena and Balik are working on some records, and preserving finds. No idea where Muhammed is - maybe he's sleeping." James called back. Hannah: Hannah frowned at this but said nothing. Maddie: Maddie muttered an expletive but shook her head and waved goodbye to Kirsty and James Emily: "Good to know, have a good trip!" Emily waved them off with a friendly wave and smile. Stephen: Stephen waved with the others but said nothing, obviously understanding that Muhammed being unaccounted for was not a good thing. GMId: The Land Rover speeded up and disappeared over the rise. As they reached the top themselves, the group going to the village continued on the dustry track. * * * * *
GMId: The others turned off to the right and picked their way carefully accross the rocky ground, taking a roughly circular route around the camp and the area of the underground city. Led by Emily, the four volunteers scanned the area looking for any sign of an entrance. Emily: After a while in the hot heat which Emily was glad to be wearing her hat and thoroughly enjoyed her ride, looking more relaxed than ever. Still, she kept an eye out for anything that suggests hidden enterances while keeping close eyes on her colleagues with their riding. She were able to use her experience from her job back in the estate among the hills and mountains, "I think I spotted something." She gestured towards a pile of stones that look perfectly normal. GMId: As they drew closer they could see that although the stones looked like a natural fall, they had more likely been built up deliberately to appear so. At some time, the pile had been disturbed, perhaps by an earth tremor, and some of the stones had rolled down. Stephen: "That's interesting, isn't it?" commented Stephen "We might have found just what we were looking for." GMId: They dismounted to investigate further. It seemed very likely to be an entrance, in a natural depression in the rocks which would have protected it from view. The stones were heavy and piled high, and it was unlikely they could uncover it easily, but while looking about Ben gave a sudden shout. "Look, there's a carving on this rock!" Maddie: Maddie went to look at the carving Ben had found Emily: Emily smiled with delight on hearing Ben's find, "Brilliant. So glad we managed to spot it. What is the carving?" She came closer to examine the carving. Stephen: "Careful you don't damage it."said Stephen as he tried to get closer GMId: The carving was badly worn but Stephen could just make out what looked like the shape of a pitched roof and some kind of hand. Stephen: "Luwian Glyphs!" said Stephen excitedly as he traced the carving very carefully with his hand "Don't worry if you never heard of them, they are far less well-known than the Egyptian ones. I wish I could make out what they actually mean..." Maddie: "So do you suppose this is a door?" Maddie wondered. "And if it is, how do we open it?" Emily: Emily considered it over, "Hopefully, Magorian would be able to translate it for us! He will be so thrilled to have so many carvings to translate!" Stephen: "It might be some kind of door. But if it was, I'm not sure we should attempt to open it ourselves - we should bring the others here. Can you take a picture?" he asked the others while he kept looking at the carvings "I'm sure Magorian will come here as quickly as possible once we tell him about this."said Stephen, agreeing with Emily Maddie: Maddie nodded. "Ok, stand back and I'll take some," she said, dismounting. GMId: Once they had examined the area and taken enough photographs of the glyphs, they mounted up and set off again, keeping on in a clockwise direction. It was heating up but still early, and the fresh breeze on top kept them cool. They saw several more rock piles but none were as obvious, and there were no more glyphs to be seen. They did however spot an oddness about some of the rocks, those strange formations known as fairy chimneys. Ben reckoned some of them might disguise air vent openings. Emily: Emily glanced at Ben with an interested look, "Oh that's a good idea." She went closer to have a look at these strange rocks GMId: They went amongst the rock chimneys, weird towers none of which looked natural. Ben pointed. "Look, there seem to be kind of openings down there." At the foot of one of them, holes could be seen, protected by the rock overhang, and far too small to climb into. Having mapped out and photographed the probable entrance, the possible entrances and the air vents, they continued, now almost back where they started from, with the sun climbing higher in the sky. You whisper to Emily: As Emily looked up at the rocks ahead, she suddenly noticed a dark figure creeping among them. GMId: Ben was staring up at the rocks ahead. Emily: Emily smiled as she glanced around, "A very productive morning so far." She looked at the rocks frowning, "I can see someone up there." She told others quickly to make sure they are aware of strangers. GMId: When they looked, they could see a glimpse of a dark figure creeping up among the higher rocks. It seemed to have its back to them. Stephen: "Villagers, perhaps?" Emily: Emily snorted, "Either way, anyone who creeps around is clearly up to no good." GMId: As the figure reached the top of the rocks, the shape of it looked very like Muhammed, and they could see the top of a rifle over its shoulder. Maddie: Maddie clenched her fist. "I'm going to follow him," she said. Emily: Emily winced seeing the rifle, "I thought they got his rifle stowed away." She muttered to herself Stephen: Stephen looked like he was about to attempt to convince Maddie not to, but then he didn't, probably realizing it wouldn't help. He did, however say "Please be careful." Emily: Looking at Maddie with clear concern on her face, Emily told her, "I don't like this at all. Do you want us to come with you or would you rather be on your own?" Maddie: Maddie glanced at Steve wordlessly, then climbed down from her horse. "You should tell Helena that Muhammed's taken his rifle. Ben, do you want to come with?" GMId: Ben nodded and dismounted. "Can you take our horses?" Emily: Emily grimanced for a moment, "Sure." She took over the reins of both Ben and Maddie's horses GMId: Muhammed had disappeared over the crest, although for all they know he could be waiting behind a rock with his gun trained on them right now. * * * * *
GMId: Meanwhile, the other three volunteers had been travelling along the track to the village. Magorian was in fine spirits in the fresh cool early morning air, and talked of previousdigs he had been on, among many other and varied subjects. Hannah: Hannah kept up the conversation with Magorian, interested to learn from him, though her mind was still half-focused on the worrisome events at camp. GMId: Addy was the first to mention the current dig. "Professor, do you really believe the curse is nothing to worry about?" Magorian smiled and shook his head, but he spoke gently, "I've seen many examples of so-called curses, and none of them proved to be more than attempts to keep people out - whether from tombs or treasuries, or in this case, a place that had ceased to be the refuge it was intended to be. It's an old tradition, to threaten supernatural retribution, and easy to do, because people can interpret it how they choose." Hannah: "Well, I do get the sense some people want to keep us out," said Hannah in a low voice. "Beyond even the threat of the curse, perhaps." GMId: Magorian gave her a quizzical look. "Not the ancient Hittites I think you might be meaning?" Hannah: Hannah shrugged. "With the possible poisoning and everything else that's gone wrong... It feels like someone doesn't want this expedition to succeed. And I would need evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to say it was ancient Hittites and not someone with a grudge." GMId: Magorian grinned but he became serious. "I think you're right, there have been several odd incidents that would seem to point that way. Any ideas why or even who might be behind it?" Hannah: "Well the first broad possibility seems to be someone from outside the group, presumably a local, who either genuinely believes in the curse or has some other interest in keeping us from finds, maybe to prevent further influx of outsiders or to keep finds for themselves. The second possibility would be someone from inside the group, and in that case the motives seem less obvious. You don't know anyone who might have a professional or personal grudge against you or the other researchers, do you? It could be that someone is being paid off to sabotage things." GMId: "Hmm," Magorian frowned in deep thought as he continued to ride. "There was that old man the other day, he seemed very upset about the dig, but likely the legends of a curse have been passed down. I can't see him doing anything, and the other villagers are delighted at the possibilites, plenty of tourist dollars you know. Within the team? I can't think of any personal motives, and we archaeologists don't go in for bumping off our rivals as a rule. If there is a concerted attempt then it must be for reasons we don't know about." As they spoke they came down into a small valley, and the outlying wooden buildings of the village. Goats and horses grazed on the sparse grass and further on men were sitting in the sun while children ran about or played in the dust. As soon as they were seen, these ran up and formed a small guard of honour about the visitors. Hannah: Hannah smiled at the kids, waving and saying "Hello!" in her best Turkish phrasebook-based accent. GMId: As they dismounted, one of the men came forward - the interpreter who had been with the group visiting the camp. "Welcome!" he exclaimed and ushered them under an awning to where old wooden benches stood around a worn table. "You will be thirsty, you must have tea!" Hannah: Hannah accepted the tea gratefully, giving her thanks for the village's welcome. GMId: Several old women came out of the house nearby with tea pots and glasses, and plates of sweet almond cakes. Suddenly there was a loud barking, and a giant dog shot round the corner of the house and threw itself at Magorian. Addy gasped and Osman stood up suddenly. Hannah: Hannah edged back, shocked at the animal's appearance. "Magorian?!" she said, half wanting assurance that it was merely friendly and enthusiastic, half wanting to warn him to move back himself. GMId: With a huge laugh, Magorian grasped the animal and hugged it as it licked him enthusiastically. "This is Sadik. He's an Anatolian Shepherd. Just a puppy, he'll grow some more yet. This is who I came to get!" A group of women in bright costumes dashed round the corner, the coins on their head dresses clinking as they ran, but stopped and smiled when they saw Magorian. "He broke," one of them declared, picking up a frayed end of rope dangling from Sadik's neck. Hannah: Hannah fanned her face a bit and gave Addy a look like "Well that's a relief." "Is he, uh, safe with new people?" she asked Magorian. GMId: "He's a real softie," Magorian said, and he picked up the rope and brought the dog round to say hello. Sadik licked them all, and then lay on the floor in the shade. The men who had visited the camp were all present but they noticed the old man who had been so upset was not. Hannah: When she had a chance, Hannah asked the translator if the old man was alright, and also attempted to suss out whether there were others in the area who agreed with his point of view. GMId: "Ah, sadly he has died," the translator said. "He was very old. The last one to learn the old tales. Now we live in the modern world!" And he waved a mobile at them. Osman leaned forward. "Did he know the man who spoke to him at our camp? He seemed upset." Hannah: Hannah nodded, suddenly getting an idea. Retrieving her own mobile phone, she checked to see if it had reception while listening to the conversation. GMId: The network icon showed a slight signal but even as she watched it was lost again. "No, that man is unknown to us," the interpreter suddenly seemed wary. Hannah: "Is there a good spot to stand for reception, or would it be possible to borrow a phone that works well here?" asked Hannah. After Osman's question, she added: "Have there been any other unusual people around lately?" asked Hannah. "We're just trying to set our minds at ease, we're all a bit jumpy from some of the incidents lately, no need to worry." GMId: "This phone is the only one," the interpreter said with a smile, relaxing again. "There is no signal here, only near the city. Sometimes, but only for a short moment and no good. They are going to make a mast one day." He frowned at Hannah's last comment. "No people about, none at all." Osman looked round at a murmured conversation behind them, but said nothing. Hannah: Hannah put her phone away. "Well, that's a relief. I guess you'll be getting used to more new faces soon, though!" GMId: The interpreter frowned again but then his face cleared. "Tourists, yes. When the city is opened we will all be able to have cells." Magorian got up. "I'm collecting some stores - tea and those nice honey cakes included. We'll leave soon, before the heat begins. Hannah: Hannah bit her lip briefly. "Let's walk around for a moment," she said to the interpreter. "I had a few questions about the local terrain and customs, if you don't mind!" GMId: He got up slowly, looking worried. "I am sorry, I have to help the Professor," he said, and with a twitch he scuttled after Magorian. Osman leaned accross and spoke softly. "We should talk." Hannah: Hannah nodded and stepped aside with him. GMId: Addy came with them. Osman pretended to be looking into the well at the side of the track. "While you were talking to him, I heard some of the villagers muttering about the old man, and something about Black Riders." Hannah: Hannah perked up. "Was that all you could pick up? Do you think you could try talking to any of them?" GMId: "I could try, although even their interpreter seems pretty bothered by those kind of questions." Osman said. He walked over and spoke to some of the women who had been standing behind them. Hannah: Before he went off, Hannah gave him a few suggestions for phrasing his questions as delicately as possible. GMId: There was a lot of head shaking and Osman returned. "The women say they have never seen these Black Riders. The men have only seen them in the distance. But they have guns and people are quite worried about them. They think they may be bandits." This was as much as the villagers could tell them, they didn't seem to be holding back. Hannah: Hannah nodded, relieved to finally get some tangible information. "We'll need to take extra precautions then." GMId: They were able to walk around the village before Magorian returned with sacks which he hung from the saddle. "Time to go, if you've had a good rest. Hannah: Hannah agreed to leave, and on the ride disclosed what they'd heard about the Black Riders. * * * * *
GMId: Back among the rocks, Maddie and Ben were creeping warily after Muhammed. Maddie: As they went, Maddie pulled out her phone, checking the charge, and then quickly flipped to her video function. Making sure the timestamp was on, she began to record Muhammed as he went, so she would have proof that he had crept out of the camp with his gun despite the agreement with Helena GMId: Muhammed pulled himself up the final rise and as he reached the top, stopped and looked back the way he had come. Maddie: Maddie stayed hidden behind a rock, keeping the camera on Muhammed. GMId: Muhammed lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, clearly looking straight at where Emily and Stephen were waiting with the horses. Emily: Emily glanced at Stephen and alerted him, "We need to do something quick so he think that we are waiting for the other two riders." as she glanced at the watch, looking slightly impatient. Stephen: Stephen quickly tried to think of something. He took out his phone and acted like he was trying to phone someone - obviously there was no signal, but one might think he had forgotten. GMId: Muhammed watched them for a moment, then he turned and disappeared over the ridge. Maddie: Maddie immediately began to follow him Emily: Once Emily noticed that Muhammed went over, "Well, I hope that works. Maybe we should move closer?" as she eyed Maddie and Ben moving to the top. Stephen: Stephen waited silently, glad that their deception had worked at least for the moment Emily: Emily settled down instead, waiting for return of Maddie and Ben. GMId: When Maddie reached the top of the rise and crwawled forward, she could see the slope dropped steeply. Muhammed had moved fast, maybe at the sight of the others with their horses, and was some distance away. He was standing waiting for a group of mounted men, all dressed in black, with guns slung accross their backs. Maddie: Maddie continued to film. "Do you have a phone with you?" she asked Ben. "If you do, record as well." GMId: Ben got his phone out too. They could clearly see the group on their screens - dark, fierce faced tribesmen, in what looked like leather armour, and not just with rifles but with sabres slung from their belts. They spoke with Muhammed for a short time, and then a horse was brought forward and he mounted up, and the whole group rode away, dust and pebbled kicking up behind them. Maddie: Maddie quickly switched out of video mode and took a picture of the tribesmen and Muhammed as they rode off. After she punched his face in, she might even let him use it as a profile picture.
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Post by Idris on Mar 31, 2018 17:35:47 GMT
Session 10 - 24/3/18 GMId: Shortly after the survey group left the rocky valley where they had first seen Muhammed, they came upon the track, having followed a roughly circular route during the course of their ride. As they wearily readied themselves to return to the camp, figures could be seen in the distance riding slowly towards them - Hannah, Osman, Addy and Magorian. Beside the professor’s horse ran a very large and muscular dog. Maddie: Maddie pulled her phone out and checked to make sure the videos she'd taken had recorded properly GMId: Allowing for the situation where they had been filmed, both Maddie and Ben's videos had come out pretty well. The dog spotted the newcomers and raced to meet them, jumping up and barking around the horses feet, causing them to shift nervously. "Sadik!" Magorian shouted, but the dog took little notice. GMId: Maddie swayed in the saddle a little, but Stephen was thrown from his horse as it bucked suddenly. Stephen: Stephen tried to control his horse as it reared at the dog's approach, but it was futile and he was thrown to the ground. Fortunately he did not seem to suffer any serious damage, though he was obviously dazed as he slowly got up from the groud. Maddie: "All right Steve?" Maddie pulled up somewhat awkwardly Emily: Emily's confident Equestrian skill can be clearly shown as she managed to stay on a nervous horse. She gave her horse a good scratch on the neck as she dismounted from the horse and approached a very large dog. "An Anatolian Shepherd!" She said as Emily recognised the breed. As someone who had a pet dog back in Scotland for work, she had some familiarity with dogs in general. Eventually, she managed to calm the dog down and gave it a light scratching as it rolls over. Emily smiles at the dog's eagerness to be scratched. Stephen: "It's nothing serious."said Stephen calmy after a few seconds, reassuring Maddie and the others as he brushed some dirt from his clothes "Could have been much worse though." he admitted Emily: Emily sighed with relief as she saw Stephen doing okay, "Yes, I was afraid of that. Horse riding accidents can be really nasty. Anyway, it may be safer to lead the horses down the track instead." Emily suggested thoughtfully. Hannah: Hannah rode up to the others, still seeming a bit distracted, but now more thoughtful than frustrated. When Stephen fell she awkwardly got off her horse to check on him. "I think I'll stick to walking as much as possible myself." GMId: Magorian rode up, looking concerned. "Sorry about that, I haven't got him trained up yet!" He slid down from his horse and grinned at Emily. "Looks like he's already made a good friend here." Stephen: "I'm fine, don't worry. But I will be more careful in the future. "said Stephen approaching Emily and the dog, despite the latter having just put his life in danger "I'm no animal expert, but I do know this is an ancient breed, coming from Mesopotamian hunting dogs six thousands years ago. Also known as Karabaş." GMId: Magorian nodded. "They're fine animals too, and good at defending their tribe." Maddie: "We might need it, Muhammed is about and he has his gun," Maddie told them. GMId: Magorian frowned. "What's this?" Emily: Emily kept on scratching the dog and smiled as Magorian commented about his dog only to be looking concerned when Maddie shared their findings with Magorian. Maddie: Maddie pulled her horse up beside Magorian and pulled out her phone, opening the file to show them Muhammed meeting and riding off with the tribesmen he had met GMId: "It certainly looks like Muhammed," Magorian said, his face grave. "And these would seem to be the bandits the villagers are so worried about. What are you going to do with this information?" Maddie: "I'll show Helena and maybe this time she'll want to do something actually useful," Maddie replied. "Seems like the best thing to do is wait until Muhammed comes back to camp - if he even does - then show this video at a briefing." Hannah: Hannah nodded. "There's been too much going wrong in this expedition, and it seems we finally have good evidence as to the source. Hopefully this'll put a stop to it." GMId: Magorian nodded. They all dismounted, most of them very stiffly and with some decided soreness, and slowly led their horses down the steep track into the camp, the animals seeming almost as tired as their riders. It was very hot again, although for the first time since arriving at the dig, there were clouds massing to the east. Maddie: Maddie immediately went to find Helena Hannah: Hannah went with her, wanting to make sure this evidence wasn't ignored. Emily: Emily noticed the clouds massing to the east and looked alarmed, she calls out the warning, "Look like a heavy rain and winds is coming, maybe a storm even." Stephen: "Hopefully it won't do any damage to the camp." said Stephen Emily: Agreeing with Stephen's comment as she works with the horses to settle them down for the rest of the day, "I hope not!" GMId: Helena was in her tent, working on a laptop and talking to Kirsty. She looked up in surprise as Maddie strode in followed by Hannah. Maddie: "We found something interesting while we were out," Maddie said unceremoniously, walking up to Helena and taking her phone out to show her the video. GMId: "Sit down and take a breath," Kirsty said, eyeing Maddie with some concern. "You both could do with some fluid from the look of you." Helena merely pointed to two folding chairs and then nodded. "What is it you want me to see?" Hannah: "Maddie captured video of Muhammed, still carrying his gun," said Hannah. "In addition, he was interacting with a group of tribesmen who, according to the villagers we've spoken to, are likely bandits." Maddie: Maddie turned the video on, then, taking Kirsty's advice, went and poured some water out from a jug on the table. She handed a glass to Hannah first, then took the second for herself Hannah: Hannah nodded to Maddie both thankfully and reassuringly, and sat before taking a long swig. GMId: Helena watched the video in silence, with Kirsty looking over her shoulder. "I said I didn't trust that fellow, Helena" Kirsty said when the video finished. But Helena shook her head slowly. "I know it looks very like Muhammed, and the presence of these armed men near to the dig is very worrying, but it can't be him. He has been here, working on the generator all afternoon!" Stephen: Stephen decided to have a short rest while Hannah & Maddie dealt with Helena - it might do him some good, even though the fall hadn't really hurt him. Maddie: Maddie gave Helena a disgusted look. "Are you fucking kidding me? Kirsty, I think this imbecile is the one who needs a drink," Maddie threw up her hands. "There's now an asshole with a grudge against me off loose with a rifle because of your idiocy! Working on the fucking generator, God fucking help us." GMId: Kirsty leaped up from her seat. "That's enough Maddie!" she said, in a hard voice, but Helena held up her hand. "Go and check for yourselves. I have seen him there every time I left this tent." Hannah: Hannah stood up quickly, worried the situation was about to escalate, and placed a reassuring hand on Maddie's shoulder. "We'll go take a look. I'll ask him about it directly. Either he has a hidden twin or he has some explaining to do." Maddie: Maddie angrily snatched her phone up - Kirsty at least had something substantial between her ears, so perhaps there was something to this. "Fine." GMId: "I'll come with you," Kirsty said firmly. Maddie: Maddie stalked off towards the generator and Muhammed's tent GMId: As they marched over to Muhammed’s tent, the man himself came into view. He had rigged up an awning and was working on the generator, oily-handed and surrounded by parts. There was no way he could have ridden here from where they saw him and even begun to do this. Maddie: Maddie worked her jaw. "What the actual fuck is going on? Are there two of you or something? Maybe only one is the raging douchebag." GMId: Muhammed looked up sharply from where he was crouching over the generator. He held a large spanner in his hand. "What are you talking about?" Maddie: Maddie pulled her phone out and turned the video on. "I saw you, or someone who looks a lot like you, with a group of horsemen not long ago." Hannah: Hannah moved up beside Maddie, ready to step in and calm things if necessary, but watching Muhammed's reaction closely. GMId: The man straightened up, his back creaking, and gave the phone a cursory look. "You think I can be in two places at once? What, I'm some kind of magician?" Stephen: Resting in his tent not far away, Stephen noticed the two women approaching Muhammed and decided to join them - if violence was a risk, there was safety in numbers Hannah: "You can understand why we'd be cautious," said Hannah. "He looks very much like you, and is carrying a weapon of similar size as yours. And we just learned about these tribesmen who the villagers feel are likely bandits - whoever this man is, he may be involved in the problems that have been occurring during the expedition. Is there any information you can provide? Anything you've seen on patrol, perhaps?" GMId: Muhammed snorted. "Villagers think anyone who does not grub in the ground is a bandit. I have not seen any bandits here. Now leave me alone to get on with my work." Stephen: Stephen arrived just as the conversation semeed abouti to end, and quickly realized little had been achieved Hannah: Hannah stepped forward, her mouth a thin line. "Now I don't know if it was you out there, or your twin, or someone else entirely. But I do know that this expedition has seen more danger in a few days than can be explained by mere accident. Something's going on. Someone's already been made seriously ill, and it's only a matter of time before worse happens. You were supposedly trying to keep us safe on patrol, and yet you never caught wind of the things my friend here has noticed. So I see three possibilities: You're complicit, you're incompetent, or your stubborn pride is keeping you from seeing what's going on and trying to actually help solve it. For your sake, I hope it's one of the latter two, because when we find out what's going on there's going to be hell to pay by somebody." GMId: Muhammed seemed quite unfazed. He stood where he was, the heavy spanner gripped in his hand, though he made no move with it. Then suddenly he gave a harsh gutteral laugh. "Go and cool your heads. You've been out in the sun too long." Hannah: Hannah chuckled back at him. "And you've been sitting in the shade too long. Do tell us if you decide to take this seriously." She turned and moved away, looking to talk to her friends about the situation. Maddie: "Well so much for being hopeful, they're both raging douchebags," Maddie spat, striding off with Hannah GMId: "You people," Muhammed growled as they left. "You can't tell one Turk from another." Maddie: "What's Balik doing?" Maddie asked Kirsty when they were out of Muhammed's hearing. GMId: Kirsty was looking back at Muhammed who had resumed work on the generator. "I still don't trust that man... Sorry what was that? Balik? As far as I know he's in his tent, and has been all day. Probably looking through the finds." Hannah: Hannah nodded. "I don't know what's going on, but I know an eye should be kept on him. And we should have regular patrols around the camp from other people, with the bandits - or whoever they are - around." Emily: Emily finished getting the horses settled down and noticed the group is walking away from Muhammed's tents. She approched them quickly and asked with concern, "How did it went?" Hannah: "He denied any knowledge of the situation. And Helena said he'd been working on the generator all afternoon. Whatever's going on is more complicated than I thought." Maddie: "Well I don't think it was him I saw," Maddie said, "unless he really is a magician. There's not enough time for him to get back here." Stephen: "Considering what happened with that old man and the curse, would magic really be surprising?"said Stephen smiling, though bitterly Emily: Emily looked surprised hearing about Muhammed was in camp at the time., "Maybe not, it might be worth keeping an open mind here. Maybe it is worth having another person on patrol or keeping a watch overnight instead?" She suggested GMId: As they crossed the camp, James came to meet them. "There's a storm on the way, and it's too late for a siesta, so we're going to pull some food together quickly and then make sure the camp is secure. Emily and Maddie, would you sort out something we can eat?" Emily: Emily nodded at James, "Sure, I see what we can rustle up." She smiled. Maddie: when Kirsty was away, Maddie spoke quietly to the others. "Muhammed's gun is meant to be in Balik's tent, I want to check if it's there. If one of you can distract him sometime tonight maybe I can take a look." GMId: Ben had joined them now. "It'll have to be after dinner if you're cooking, but I'm up for that." Maddie: annoyed by Muhammed's comments suggesting she knew nothing about Turks, Maddie wracked her brains and remembered how Dionisia had shown her to make a brilliant vegan güveç the last time they'd been together Emily: Emily and Maddie managed to cook a hearty and wholesome meal for everyone in half an hour. Emily clearly enjoyed helping out cooking although she took extreme care in checking the ingredients mindful as what happens to poor Sanjay. GMId: While they were eating, Helena asked If one of the group would report back on their search for entrances and air vents. Meanwhile Ben suggested asking Dr Balik something about Turkish antiquities - it was the archaeologist's specialist subject and he could talk for hours on the subject. Hannah: Hannah nodded her agreement to that plan, and when an opportunity arose she made sure to engage Dr. Balik about his antiquarian knowledge. GMId: "You'll do it better than me," Ben agreed. "Old Balik's got a bit of an eye for the girls, you might have noticed." Emily: Emily managed to polish off her meal with relish and settles back with a hot steaming of tea, "Nice to relax, I thoroughly enjoyed today," Emily took a sip as she paid her full attention to the report. Stephen: Stephen nodded at Helena's request and when they had finished eating described in detail the possible entrance they had found on their riding trip and showed everyone present the pictures they had taken. He asked Magorian if he could translate the glyphs and suggested some equipment could be used to remove the stones there without damaging anything, so that they could actually use the entrance. Hannah: Hannah grinned back at Ben. "I guess I'll practice my eyelash flutter." She paid a more attention to the reports this time, wondering if the bandits might be aware of alternate entrances. Maddie: Maddie drank some tea and waited until everyone was occupied with the report, meaning to sneak out and check in Balik's tent to see if the rifle was still there GMId: "You ready to go?" Ben asked. "I'll keep watch outside the tent." Maddie: "Not quite yet," Maddie said, watching Balik and Muhammed GMId: Dr Balik paid close attention to Stephen's report. At one time Muhammed glided over to mutter in his ear, but the archaeologist waved a hand to silence him, and gained a black look in response. Aftet the report was done, Helena called Kirsty over to talk, and James went to speak with Muhammed, probably about the next day. Magorian began to chat with the rest of the volunteers while his dog went from person to person getting attention. Hannah: Hannah looked to Stephen and Emily, whispering "Watch Muhammed." Then she stood up and adjusted her outfit a bit. She leaned in toward Emily. "Don't ever go to law school. I'm about to break out some rusty old skills of acting way more interested in a man's work than I actually am. All while being flirty enough that I'm not an icy bitch, but not so flirty that I'm a temptress. God I'm glad to be done with that." Then she moved to do her best to distract Dr. Balik while Maddie went to check his tent. Maddie: as soon as Hannah went to speak to Balik, Maddie slipped out of the tent GMId: Ben followed her. Nobody seemed to have noticed them. Emily: Emily settled down and watch Muhammed carefully. Stephen: Stephen kept an eye on him, though he tried not to be too conspicuous in doing so. GMId: The clouds had moved over while they were at dinner, and now half the sky was dark and brooding, and the air oppressive. "We'd better hurry," Ben said as they ghosted over to Balik's tent. "All this needs battening down before the storm hits." Maddie: Maddie nodded and slipped into the tent, pulling her phone out. GMId: It was dark in the tent, but by the light of her phone, Maddie could see papers and objects strewn on the table that served as Balik's desk. The rest of the tent was as before, exotic with rich rugs and hangings, and a smell of incense in the air. Maddie: Maddie quickly glanced over the papers, wondering if she could find the note Muhammed had passed the man - even if she couldn't read it, she could take a picture for Osman to check. As she looked, she noticed a key in a small silver box and snapped it up, guessing it must be to the large wooden box that, logically, the rifle would have to be stored in GMId: None of the papers resembled the note. Maddie: sighing, Maddie knelt down by the box and put the key in GMId: The lid opened easily and smoothly. Inside were a number of what appeared to be silk robes in various rich colours. On top of them, incongruously, was laid a rifle. Maddie: Maddie put the lid down and locked it, stuck the key back in the silver box, and quickly slipped out GMId: As she opened the flap of the tent, the light suddenly glinted on something under the table. When Maddie fished it out, it proved to be a tiny crystal hedgehog. Hannah: Hannah did her best to keep Balik occupied, probing his knowledge of earlier important finds and how they related to their work here. She did her best to get a sense of whether he was worried about the strange happenings on the investigation. "It must be difficult to get work done with so much commotion around here lately!" GMId: Dr Balik shrugged. "Some digs are like that. People have accidents, or get sick, or nature throws harm in their way - earthquakes, hurricanes and so on. There is always risk if one is in wilderness. Sometimes there are human dangers - I have been on a site that was closed down by armed soldiers following a coup. Now that was scary, we were bundled into lorries with no idea what might happen to us. Luckily we were put on a plane for London but it could have been worse." Meanwhile James had finished talking with Muhammed, who was making his way towards the exit/ Maddie: Maddie carefully put the hedgehog back. she considered taking a picture of it, but it proved very little - given that she had broken into the tent in the first place, she could as easily have put it there to frame Balik as anything else, and frankly, if Helena was going to be an idiot she deserved to have her finds stolen. She would tell the others, however. Hannah: Hannah frowned. "Sounds scary for sure. Are you concerned about those bandits we've been hearing about doing anything drastic like that? I imagine we're safe with the storm coming in, but after that we should probably take precautions." GMId: Balik smiled. "My dear, you do not need to worry. It is very unlikely that these people will bother us. This is Turkey, not the Wild West. There are enough of us here, and Muhammed is a crack shot with that rifle of his, if need be." Hannah: Hannah smiled. "Probably too many Indiana Jones movies." Internally she was rolling her eyes at 'my dear'. Emily: Emily stood up from the chair and approaches Muhammed with a friendly smile, "Hello Muhammed, I hope you enjoy the meal?" GMId: Muhammed stopped, startled by this approach. He looked suspiciously at Emily, plainly wondering if she was trying to be funny at his expense, but maybe something in her open friendly face disarmed him. "It was very nice," he said stiffly. "Hurry up Mads," Ben hissed through the tent. "What are you doing in there?" Maddie: Maddie quickly darted out of the tent. Emily: Emily's smile widened with a rare friendly comment rom Muhammed, "Thanks, I am rather pleased how it turns out with only a short amount of time available. I just want to thank you again for dealing with that bear few evenings ago. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a nice horse ride today." Stephen: Meanwhile Stephen had taken his phone and tried to not draw any attention while waiting for Muhammed and Balik to leave or Maddie to return GMId: Helena and Kirsty stood up and moved to the exit. James called for all the volunteers to come over - they would need to make the camp secure against the storm. Muhammed actually gave something approximating a smile. "The others do not understand. They see a rifle as a weapon of war. Out here, it can save life." Maddie: Maddie made back to the mess tent, curling around slightly so that anyone who looked out would think she was returning from the toilets GMId: Ben followed on, making sure he came in from a different angle. Dr Balik excused himself politely and made his way out of the mess tent. Emily: Emily nodded with agreement with Muhammed, "Yes, I can see that." She smiled at Muhammed, "Anyway, better get things ready for the storm." She heard James calling for the volunteers. GMId: Muhammed gave a sharp nod and made for the exit, although he twice turned round and stared after Emily. Stephen: Stephen was quick to approach Emily again after Muhammed was gone "I wonder what Maddie found."he whispered to her GMId: When they went outside, thick dark clouds covered half the sky and the air seemed heavy and charged. James divided them up into pairs, giving them tasks to ready the camp for the storm. Everything that could be moved was brought into the mess tent, covered with tarpaulins and lashed down, while Emily and Addy were asked to move the horses into the cavelike entrance to the city. Maddie and Stephen were given the job of erecting boards across the actual doorway to prevent animals from entering. “We might end up sleeping in the city ourselves if it gets too bad!” James said to them, only half joking. Emily: Emily replied to Stephen's question, "Hopefully, anything that clears up the mysteries here." She said this with hope. Emily: Emily along with Addy managed to guide four lots of two and one more up the track into dark cave entrance to the city. GMId: Maddie managed to nail some boards accross but Stephen was hopeless, he split one board and managed to hit his thumb quite hard with the hammer. Stephen: "Not my day."said Stephen wincing in pain as he looked at his battered thumb GMId: Ben and Osman came over after they had finished packing the mess tent. Osman took the hammer gently from Stephen's hand and picked up the boards, nailing them easily into place. "You should wash that," he said. Stephen: Stephen seemed embarassed by his poor performance, but thanked Osman and did as suggested GMId: By the time everything had been covered and tied down, and the tents made extra secure, the light was growing dim. A wind had sprung up, and was whipping their hair into their eyes. A long roll of thunder sounded in the distance and fat drops of rain began to fall, slowly at first and then, as lighting split the sky and thunder crashed much closer, the rain drove down in sheets. They had to run for their tents and were wet through in that short time.
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Post by Idris on Apr 2, 2018 21:33:29 GMT
Session 11 - 31-3-18 IdGM: As soon as they reached their tents, everyone had to change out of their soaked clothes. Fortunately both tents were roomy enough to put them out of the way. It became dark very quickly, and the temperature dropped dramatically, so they were glad to crawl into their sleeping bags for warmth although it was not yet late. The wind howled, making the tents shake, and the rain drummed on the flysheets. Fortunately they were protected by the surrounding rocks, and should weather the storm as long as it got no worse. Emily: Emily was soundly asleep, as if she is unbothered by such noises. Maddie: Maddie felt twitchy - they'd agreed that tonight they'd keep no watches, because in this what was the point? - but she was uncertain nonetheless. "It could be worse," she muttered to Addy. "The last time I was in the Calais jungle, me and one of my girlfriends had to get through three days like this." Stephen: Stephen tried to sleep as deeply as possible, to better heal his sore thumb. IdGM: Addy had been frowning at the flapping side of the tent, and looked relieved when Maddie spoke to her. "I've heard how dreadful it was there, before it was burned down. You were there working with the volunteers?" Maddie: "Yes, my dad lives in Paris so when I was in France I'd go up there to stay and help for a few days or weeks at a time." IdGM: Osman and Ben eventually fell asleep, Osman's snores inaudible against the roar of the storm. IdGM: "That was a great thing to do," Addy said. "My father is so protective of me, until this dig I've hardly been away from home. I'm all he's got, and I love him dearly, but sometimes it gets rather... difficult." Maddie: "My parents were pretty permissive I guess," Maddie replied. "I've not really lived anywhere permanently since I got expelled from school. My mother was a little embarrassed considering she's a teacher, but..." she shrugged. IdGM: Addy grinned. "I went to a convent and always behaved myself, but there was a girl in my class who was always doing audacious things - she blew up the science lab, and put a banger under our teacher's desk. She got expelled too. I would have given anything to be like her!" Maddie: "I never blew up a lab, I just punched a boy in the face. Well, ok, I punched him in the face seven or eight times, but he should have listened to my friend when she told him to keep his hands to himself." IdGM: "Maybe it's lucky we didn't have boys in our school!" Addy said with a smile. "That one should have behaved himself." IdGM: After a while, worn out by their day in the saddle, they all dropped asleep despite the noise of the storm. You whisper to Maddie: As the storm abated a little, Madde was woken by an awareness that the tent flap was open and the cold air blowing in. When she looked around, Addy was missing from her sleeping bag.Maddie: "God, if you're going to go have a piss then at least shut the flap," Maddie muttered, suddenly woken by a burst of cold air. Trying not to wake the others, she crawled over to the tent flap and looked out. IdGM: The wind had dropped somewhat, and a few stars appeared where the clouds were passing over fast. Suddenly the moon shone through a gap, the cold, sharp light illuminating the camp, but casting black shadows. There was no sign of anyone outside. Maddie: having a sudden bad feeling, Maddie quickly pulled on a hoodie and prodded Emily. "Addy's gone, I'll go see if she's in the toilet," she said. Emily: Emily's eyes fluttered open quickly as she woke up quickly, sitting up in thje dark quickly. She replied "I don't like the sound of that." with some concern, she noticed that Maddie is ready to go out and pulled some proper clothings on quickly as well. "Let me go with you." as she reached for her torch, ready to join her outside in the stormy night. Maddie: Maddie waited for Emily and then headed out into the storm. Before they left, she told Hannah where they were going. IdGM: "Shall I come too?" Hannah asked. "Or get some help?" Maddie: "Stay here for the moment," Maddie said, "she's probably just in the toilet." IdGM: At least the rain had stopped, if only temporarily. Maddie and Emily had to be careful in walking through the camp, avoiding mud and puddles, and in one place quite a stream of water running accross their path. The toilet tent was dark and empty. Emily: Emily frowned, "What the hell?" She muttered to herself. Her eyes looked around as she directed the torch's beam around on the grounds. "Maybe she went to check on the horses instead?" She mentioned a thought. Maddie: "I don't know, but we should wake the others." Maddie glanced over darkly towards Muhammed's tent. Emily: Emily nodded with agreement, "Yes, it can be quite dangerous out there." Maddie: "Let's go wake James up." Maddie darted over towards his tent, Doc Martens squelching in the mud, without waiting for Emily's response Emily: Emily followed Maddie quickly, "Might as well wake Kristy up as well." as they split up close to these two tents. IdGM: James was slow to wake, and seemed confused over why they were worried, but he came with them. Kirsty jumped up immediately and slipped on warm clothes. "Have you any ideas as to where she might have gone?" Emily: Emily shook her head, "Not really, my first thought that she may went up to check on the horses?" She said hopefully. IdGM: "Well we have to start somewhere," Kirsty said firmly, "so let's start there." Maddie: Maddie nodded, and took a moment to pop her head into the boy's tent and tell Steve what had happened Stephen: Stephen slowly got up and dressed himself appropriately to leave the tent, taking some extra time because of his injured thumb. IdGM: Once they were all gathered together, they walked carefully down the rocky slope to the cave entrance of the city. The horses were restlessly moving about within their shelter. Maddie: "Addy?" Maddie called IdGM: One of the horses whinnied. Emily: Emily went forward toward to the horses, in hope to see if Addy was amidst the chaos. Stephen: "Did she show any signs of being...strange tonight?" Stephen asked Maddie Maddie: "No," Maddie shook her head. "We were having a talk before bed and she seemed to be alright." Emily: Emily managed to calm the horses down so they wouldn't bite anyone out of uneasiness. "Should be okay to come in here." Maddie: "What on earth is she doing coming in here in the middle of the night anyway?" Maddie wondered IdGM: When they had entered the cave and shone their torches around, they noticed that the boards erected by Maddie and Stephen, with some help from Osman, to cover the entrance to the city had been pulled aside. Emily: "This is all very strange." She added as Emily approachs closer to have a look at the boards. "I hope Addy is doing okay" She added afterward with concern. Stephen: "Perhaps she thought that what she saw..." Stephen corrected himself "what she thought she saw inside there called to her.". He seemed very worried by the idea IdGM: Emily saw the boards had been pulled aside roughly, as though by someone in haste to get past them. Emily: Emily noted, "Look like she really want to get in quickly." Maddie: Maddie stepped past the boards. IdGM: The passage ahead was very dark without the generator running the lights. Their torchlight flashed distorted shadows on the walls and their steps echoed ahead of them. Kirsty surged forward. "What was the girl thinking coming in here? Does she even have a torch? She could wander down the wrong passage, or fall down a well or hurt herself in any number of ways." Maddie: "Addy!" Maddie called. "Where are you?" IdGM: The stones threw back her voice in a hundred echoes, but there was no reply from Addy. Emily: Emily looked around, "Acutally, since this cave is sheltered from the rains, there should be wet footprints? There is enough mud outside." She tries to find such footprints IdGM: If there had been any footprints they were now too faint for Emily to see. Emily: Emily grimaced in frustration as she used her torch to find any, "I can't see any footprints." IdGM: Everyone searched around now. As Hannah and Emily moved down the passage they suddenly noticed a dark mark in the dust. It was a the print of a bare foot. Maddie: "What the fuck is she doing?" Emily: "Especially she is barefooted." Emily added afterward with worry. IdGM: Ben touched Maddie's arm. "Could she be sleep-walking?" he suggested. Stephen: "Are you really sure she was alright?" Stephen asked Maddie, breaking his long silence "It's really something something's off with her at this point. Hopefully we can find her before the worst happens." Maddie: "We were talking about being in school, she seemed completely fine," Maddie replied. "If this was a squat I'd think she was having a trip but I don't think she's ever touched anything like that, and certainly not here!" Emily: Emily told Stephen "We will find her!" as she quickly went ahead looking for signs IdGM: They hurried forward, finding the odd footprint here and there. It seemed Addy was following the route the route they had investigated on their way to the Great Door. As they went on, the footprints became bloodstained, where Addy had walked over the sharp stones on the ground. Emily: Emily only looked even more worried as she kept walking down the passage. IdGM: They seemed to have been walking for hours when they entered the last passage before the Great Door, and saw a pale shape in the distance. Maddie: "Is that her?" Maddie strained her eyes. IdGM: Nearing the shape she could see it was Addy, in light coloured pyjamas. She seemed to be kneeling near the Door and singing. Emily: "Addy!" Emily called out to her. She picked up speed. IdGM: "Don't wake her up!" Ben hissed urgently. "If she's sleepwalking it could traumatise her to be woken suddenly." Emily: Emily stared at Ben and quietened down. IdGM: Addy did not seem disturbed by Emily's call. She continued singing, the language one none of them understood. Stephen: "Can anyone make out what she is saying?" whispered Stephen, worried Maddie: Maddie bit her lip. "I could sneak up on her, not that I'm likely to be able to understand it anyway. Does anyone have their phone?" She caught something and ruminated for a moment. "My girlfriend in Paris and I went on a trip to the Pyrenees, we went through some of the Pays Basque," she said. "Their language sounded a bit like that." IdGM: Addy looked around. Perhaps she had noticed them, but in the torchlight her eyes looked far away, as if looking at something only she could see. "The Lady is calling me," she said in a matter-of-fact voice. "The Lady Mari. She is so beautiful." Stephen: Stephen listened attentively and after a while began speaking, slowly in a hushed tone "I heard of her. The chief goddess of the Basques before they converted to Christianity. A chthonic figure appearing underground as an animal and as a elegant, beautiful lady combing her hair on the surface. She had many other shapes, though. She might be flying through the sky in a horse-drawn chariot or surrounded by flames, or appear as a flaming tree, a white cloud, rainbows, gusts of wind...She was associated with bulls, rams and other subterranean spirits, some of which dwelled with her in animall form."he paused to catch his breath "And she kept the company of young girls, too." Emily: Emily whispered thoughtfully, "Creepy. Maybe that is what she thought she saw few days ago as well? Still, we need to wake her up somehow." Maddie: Maddie's instinct was to say that Addy was being crazy, but for once she didn't say the first thing that popped into her head. "Why is she calling, and what is she asking?" IdGM: Kirsty agreed. "There's no evidence to suggest waking a sleep-walker will harm them, and I don't know that this is actually the case." IdGM: Addy gazed vaguely at them, then at the Great Door. "She will take me with her to the beautiful land." Maddie: "What beautiful land?" IdGM: Addy frowned. "The land beyond the door... Why are you asking me?" she began to look troubled. Maddie: "Addy, when people who give themselves airs like 'President' or 'CEO' or 'Lady' appear and promise you the world if you'll just do whatever they order you, that's the sign that they're lying to you and using you," Maddie said. "Do something audacious. Blow up the science lab, tell her to fuck off!" Emily: Emily glared at Maddie for a moment and told Addy softly, "You need to wake up!" IdGM: Their words seemed to reach through into Addy's mind. She looked about her in confusion, before staring fixedly at the wall, screaming "Iratxoak! Iratxoak!" then “They are all dead! Look what they did to the children! Teeth, teeth in the Darkness. They are coming through! The Shadows…” With a terrible scream that echoed through the passages she collapsed in a dead faint. Emily: Emily looked alarmed as she quickly took hold of Addy, checking her pulse, "Iratxoaki?" Emily asked Stephen, stumbling over unfamiliar tones Stephen: "Imps. Usually benevolent." he explained, gazing down worried at Addy's unconscious but presumably living body IdGM: Kirsty pushed forward and examined Addy quickly but thoroughly. "She's in a faint, not a coma, but this is all wrong. Lot of damned crap about curses. Magorian should be ashamed of himself. " Emily: Emily frowned for a moment and commented, "She did see something strange even before we got to the Great Door." Emily eyed the Great Door with wariness and shook her head, "I don't know what is going on here?" She muttered to herself. Emily looked ready to help Addy back to the cam,p. IdGM: "Alright, we need a way to carry her," Kirsty said briskly. She pointed at Stephen and Ben. "You two, do you know how to make a fireman's lift? If not I'll show you." Maddie: "I'll help," Maddie said. IdGM: Stephen and Ben struggled to lift Addy successfully, even with advice from Kirsty and help from Maddie. They had to think of something else. Emily: Emily looked at the stands for the lights, "If we can get two jackets buttoned together together and slide the two light poles through their sleeves, that should do as a stretcher." IdGM: Kirsty looked most relieved. "That's a great idea Emily." Emily: "I seen some hikers using them back home." Emily commented afterward as she helped out setting up a stretcher. Stephen: "You are very resourceful"said Stephen congratulating Emily on her wits Maddie: Maddie took off her jacket and handed it over IdGM: Ben offered his jacket. Emily's idea was very successful - they covered the makeshift stretcher with a couple of jumpers and lifted Addy carefully onto it, putting a coat over her to keep her warm. Slowly they made their way up to the surface, and took Addy to the medical tent. She was begining to show signs of wakefulness, but looked very confused, white-faced and shaking. "Would you girls fetch her belongings from the tent? I'll bandage her feet and when she's dressed, I'll run her to the hospital." Kirsty told them. Emily: Emily nodded as she went over to the tent to help gathering Addy's belongings. Maddie: Maddie was in a dark mood. She went and helped Emily get Addy's things. "We need to tear that fucking door down," she said. IdGM: Within a short time, Kirsty led a pale but slightly more steady Addy out into the night to the landrover, while the others carried her belongings. Osman got in with her. Addy didn't look back as they drove away. Stephen: "Poor girl."said Stephen watching the rover drive away "And now there is one less of us. This is unnerving, isn't it?"
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Post by Idris on Apr 13, 2018 17:43:23 GMT
Session 12 - 8/4/18 IdGM: The sky was beginning to lighten as they watched Kirsty drive away, Osman tightly holding onto Addy in the back of the Land Rover. Hannah: Hannah watched them depart, biting her lip. "I'm not much of one for superstition, but this expedition really is feeling cursed at this point. I hope she'll be well taken care of." Emily: Emily sighed, frowning as she considered the previous days. "Well, I can't but help to agree with you on that. Hopefully, Addy will be right as rain before long." Her eyes looked hopeful. Maddie: Maddie sat brooding. "She was fine only a few hours before...we need to rip that fucking door down and find out whatever's back there." IdGM: "I hope Osman comes back today," Ben said. He was not his usual bright self. Hannah: Hannah slowly nodded at Maddie's suggestion, though with an air of uncertainty. "Maybe there's a... gas leak or something. Wasn't that something that influenced the Greek oracles?" Stephen: "That is one theory about the Delphic oracle, yes."said Stephen "It would certainly be more reassuring than the alternative here, that is that there are actual occult powers at work..."he trailed off, sounding as if he believed the idea was not completely without merit Maddie: Maddie laughed. "I don't know anything about Greek oracles, although Dionisia's sniffed gas before. It just makes her a bit horny though, she's never gone running off tearing her feet up." Hannah: "Well, we found evidence of horses, maybe there's an ancient glue factory and that's what's causing it," said Hannah, with a semi-forced chuckle. IdGM: A booming voice from behind made them all jump. "I think you'll find it was ethylene in the Pythia's case!" Magorian came into view, his black hair standing on end as if he had just been hauled out of bed. Emily: Emily smiled wanly hearing about Stephen's suggestion on supernatural cause, looking unsure. Hannah: Hannah took a long breath, recovering from her start. "Well whatever it is in this case, I'm with Maddie. We should get through that door and find out for sure." IdGM: James came accross to them at this moment. "Too late to go back to sleep, so let's all get tea and breakfast before we do anything else," he said, shepherding them towards the mess tent. Maddie: Maddie yawned. "I swear, every fucking night. I've been in squats full of stoned punks expecting the cops to show up at any moment and got more rest than on this fucking dig." Emily: Emily perked up hearing about the breakfast and agreed with Hannah and Maddie, "I think they are planning to open it with the heavy equipments anyway. Should be fascinating to see what it is behind that Big Door." IdGM: Magorian frowned, making his face suddenly far more sombre. "I have to agree with you Maddie. I've never known so much trouble on any dig, and that includes the supposedly cursed ones." James got himself a strong coffee and sat with them. "The equipment should be here this morning, and then we'll have to set it up. And the TV crew are expected any moment. We should be able to open the door later today." Hannah: Hannah sipped her own coffee compulsively. "I'd almost forgotten about the TV cameras. If this is anything like an X-Files episode, everything will suddenly be normal around here when they're present." Stephen: Stephen drank his tea slowly, as if he needed to focus on the taste to take his mind off heavier matters. Maddie: at the mention of the TV cameras, Maddie grabbed her cup of coffee and went back to the tent, and returned with a balaclava around her neck ready to be pulled up over her face at a moment's notice. She had a thought, then turned to Hannah. "Umm, random question...you don't happen to know if there's an extradition treaty between Turkey and France do you?" Emily: Emily looked surprised hearing about the TV crews and cameras as if she forgotten about it. Hannah: Hannah looked a bit concerned at Maddie's question. "I seem to recall there is one, yes. But I think the cameras will be focused on the dig site." Maddie: Maddie nodded slowly. "Thanks. I'll sort of hang around out of camera shot I think." Hannah: "Okay," said Hannah. "If you have any... specific concerns, just let me know. I'm happy to talk." Maddie: Maddie shrugged and walked over to Hannah and said something to her quickly. IdGM: "The cameras will be firmly fixed on the door I suspect," James said with a grin. Maddie whispers: "I was in France a few weeks ago, some direct action went a bit askew and the gendarmes are looking for me. I just don't want to get recognised is all, I don't think they'd care even if they did but you can't be too careful."Hannah: Hannah nodded and replied with a faint smile. Stephen: "Hopefully they will not be disappointed."said Stephen, breaking his silence "Or harmed." he added Hannah whispers: "Yeah, I don't imagine that'll be a problem, but I'll make sure to look into whether the crew can show our faces and whatnot."IdGM: The rest of the dig team had now arrived in the mess tent. Helena got up to speak to them all. "I am sorry to have to inform you that another of our crew was taken ill in the night. Addy has been taken to hospital for a check-up and we're hoping she will be able to rejoin us for the opening of the Great Door." Maddie: "I'd have thought it was a better idea to keep Addy away from that door myself," Maddie said. IdGM: Dr Balik, who had apparently slept through the night's events, showed signs of surprise and concern. Muhammed was frowning darkly from his usual place at the back of the tent. Emily: Emily looked even more surprised hearing about Helena's wish for Addy to return in time. "Or from the tunnels or caves in general" IdGM: When they were finished, James put them to work in teams again, sorting out the stores, checking there was no damage from the storm, and moving the horses. "Emily can you get someone to help you as Addy isn't here?" he asked her. Maddie: Maddie volunteered to help Emily with the horses Emily: Emily thanked Maddie for the help. Maddie: Maddie had the impression she was as much in the way as anything else, but Emily was gracious enough to pretend otherwise Emily: Emily with Maddie managed to carefully guide the horses from a temporary holding back to a corner where the horses are generally kept. "There we are." She looked satisfied at the outcome, "Thank you for your help Maddie." IdGM: As Maddie was fastening the last of the horses to the picket, the blast of a horn sounded and a large flat bed truck appeared over the rise, driving far too fast down the narrow rocky track into the camp. With a screeching of brakes it managed to pull up in time, but the horse reacted with a whinny of alarm and took off, pulling Maddie off balance and dragging her along the ground. Maddie: Maddie landed awkwardly on her knees, then managed to pull herself back up to her feet Emily: Emily looked at the situation with an alarm and reacted quickly, reaching the horse in time before it ran away wholly. With friendly gestures and a fruit, she managed to calm the horse down. As Emily leading back the skittish horse back, she asked Maddie, "Are you okay Maddie?" Maddie: Maddie was pulling up her balaclava, assuming the badly driving newcomers were the TV crew. She nodded. Emily: Emily sighed with relief, noting Maddie really do not want to show her face it seems. As Emily went on to lead the horse back. IdGM: The truck driver got out and walked over to them. He was a short, stocky and very swarthy man in dirty blue overalls and a greasy cap pulled down over tightly curled hair. "Madame, are you alright?" he asked in a heavily accented English. Maddie: "I'm fine," Maddie called, giving a dismissive wave and hastily striding off before the man had any more chance to speak to her. IdGM: The man shrugged expressively at Emily, then turned as James ran up to him. "Good you found it! Best leave the truck in the space over there. The entrance is down below," he indicated with his hand. Now they could see that the truck carried a small but very sturdy machine - some kind of hydraulic jack attached to a heavyweight trolley with several set of wheels. Hannah: After checking with Emily to make sure Maddie was actually okay, Hannah looked at the jack with interest, and took a few notes in her journal. Emily: Emily smiled slightly at the man and nods, "Welcome to the dig!" She told the driver as Emily went on to lead the horse back. IdGM: There were also heavy chains and other tools the use of which Hannah couldn't guess. James and Muhammed set to work helping the driver unload and move the lifting equipment into the city. It would be some hours before it was all set up. They finished putting the camp to rights, and gathered for a cold drink in the mess tent. Stephen: "Soon we'll find out what's behind that door."said Stephen to the others "How do you feel about that? It's almost certainly going to be a huge discovery, but considering our rotten luck so far we might pay dearly for it." Emily: "Exciting, acutally." Emily answered Stephen. "It will be certainly an experience!" Hannah: "I'm kind of hoping it's nothing major now," said Hannah with a sigh. "Whatever will make this expedition wrap up quickly. Though maybe with the cameras around the operation will start going better." Maddie: Maddie nodded in agreement with Emily. "I want to know what's back there, whatever it is." IdGM: Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of an engine in distress. A fairly new but extremely dusty motor caravan had driven into the camp, and steam was pouring from under the bonnet. Hannah: "Maybe that's the TV crew," said Hannah, stepping out to check. Maddie: Maddie watched cautiously Stephen: "Looks like their luck hasn't been the best, either."commented Stephen drily IdGM: Music which was blasting from the cab of the vehicle suddenly cut off. Three people climbed stiffly out and moved towards the shade of the mess tent. The driver rushed round to open the bonnet and staggered back as more steam shot out. IdGM: Helena had come from her tent to welcome the newcomers, giving the volunteers the opportunity to study what must be the TV crew, judging by the large aerial and dish on top of the van. The three were then introduced. The director Valentina Orlov - a petite woman with a cap of short black hair and very sharp dark eyes - looked them all over as if assessing them. Marcus Oliver, the presenter, was a bit bluff man with a fake tan, who launched himself forward with loud greetings and shook hands effusively. "Great to be here, I've been hearing amazing things about this dig!" he enthused. The cameraman, introduced as Ivor Ash, stood behind them with a dour look on his face. "And that's Kenny, our driver - supposedly - and gofer," Valentina indicated the young man now bent over the van's engine compartment, her mouth twisted sourly. "I can't think how we ended up with him." Maddie: Maddie lounged by the horses and said nothing, keeping her balaclava up to hide her face and trying, as well, to keep her back to the camera crew as much as possible. They didn't have their cameras on, as far as she knew, but it was better not to get in the habit of trusting journalists. IdGM: After a short conversation with Valentina, Helena announced that as the lifting equipment would not be ready to use until the late afternoon, the TV crew would be interviewing members of the dig, and filming the finds. There would then be a break during the hottest hours, and the grand opening of the Great Door would take place after that. Maddie: Maddie sighed, checked her phone, then sighed again. IdGM: Kenny was called away from the van to help set up for filming in the mess tent, and Valentina asked for a list of all the dig members to work out a list for the interviews. Stephen: Stephen tried to smile at the crew, perhaps hoping things would turn out for the best and that their presence would encourage public interest in archaeological research. Emily: Emily gave them a friendly smile on meeting them, looking forward to the Great Door opening. IdGM: The interviews started with Helena, naturally, and then Balik, who looked a little sulky at going second but plainly thrilled at TV exposure. Before they started, Helena had gone round to all the team and warned them to keep off the subject of curses and bad luck. Maddie: Maddie was torn between the desire to tell Helena where to go on the one hand, and the desire to avoid the cameras on the other, so she ended up just glaring vaguely at the director and saying nothing IdGM: Kirsty was interviewed about the bones they had found, which caused great excitement. Valentina ordered the cameraman over for footage of Kirsty holding the massive animal skull and speaking about the foetus bones. The rest of them sat in the shade waiting their turn. Maddie: Maddie paced back and forth restlessly, resolving to wait until it was close to her turn, when she would feign an upset stomach and go pretend to use the toilet for a long, long time IdGM: The next interviewee was Magorian. The cameraman backed off muttering as the professor's voice boomed through his headphones. Valentina had calmed down after the excitement of the bones, perhaps not expecting any startling revelations from the hieroglyph expert. She quickly changed her mind when Magorian started talking of the curse on the Great Door and the magical protective amulet. "The curse is written in cuneiform of course," he said. "But there is are hieroglyphs on one of the reliefs, a plea for protection from demons." "An extraordinary discovery!" Marcus Oliver said, in what would be his voice-over commentary. "Who knows what more strange finds will be made behind the Great Door!" Helena had returned to her tent as the day got warmer. It wasn't hard to imagine what her reaction would be when she heard what Magorian had said. Meanwhile, Valentina had been scanning the faces before her and now she beckoned the volunteers over. Maddie: Maddie took the opportunity to go to the bathroom Emily: Emily went forward with a smile on her face, looking forward to see how the interview with them goes. Stephen: Stephen walked to the crew, throwing a glance at Emily and Hannah to encourage them to do the same so he wouldn't be left alone IdGM: Ben came with them, not looking at where Maddie was dashing off to the toilet tent. Valentina smiled around at them, rather predatorily, and got them to sit or stand in a half circle facing Oliver. "So you are all volunteers on this dig?" Emily: Emily was the first one to answer the question, "Yes, we all are. In my case, I was a fan of Time Team back home so I thought I joined the dig to have new experiences. So far, it has been great." Stephen: Stephen gathered his thoughts and answered "I'm a professor of ancient history at Cambridge, so when I heard about this dig I was very excited by the prospect of helping with the field-work here. It's certainly been an interesting experience so far." Maddie: Hannah introduced herself, joking that as a lawyer, she was used to sifting around in the dirt IdGM: Some of the precious objects including the bird-necked jug and the gold pendants and necklace, had been brought in trays, and there were photographs of the relief of Innana. Oliver asked them to talk about their own particular finds. Emily: Emily waited for her turn and she discussed about her particular finds, "The first find I found was this one." She show the dog/wolf statue to the team, "I was so pleased to find it, especially it was the first find of the dig." She beamed about it, "You can see that it is really well made." Once Emily finished showing off the dog statue, "But the highlight for me so far is this real beautiful golden necklace I found deeper in the cave." A glint of gold can be clearly seen in the tray, almost unblemished from long time buried beneath the soils in the tunnel. "We had a discussion about what these animals on the necklace could be but it most likely to be birds or even some mythical creatures." She added afterward. IdGM: "What a magnificent piece!" Marcus gushed, as the camera lovingly swooped lower to get the details. Hannah talked of finding the gold pendants, and Ben of the relief showing a man with a child and an animal on a lead presumably leaving the city. "The mystery of the deserted city is one of the questions the dig is hoping to answer," Marcus addressed the camera. "Why did these people leave in such a hurry, dropping their precious items on the ground and not stopping to pick them up. What horror might they be fleeing from?" Stephen: Stephen did not comment on Marcus' questions - likely he wanted to not think about that specific mystery too much right now - but spoke about one of his finds: "There's this relief." he said taking the pictures and holding them to provide a better view "Very fine work. From the lion it's almost certainly Innanna, Queen of Heaven and goddess of war, justice, sex and love, as that is her main symbol. She was an extremely popular deity in Mesopotamia, especially in her later incarnation as Ishtar. Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians all worshipped her and there is strong evidence that, although fused with the Canaanite goddess Astarte and not mentioned directly by name, she is one of the pagan deities refered to in the Bible. We still don't know everything about her cult and the traditions associated with her, although some things do stand out such as the inversion of traditional gender roles associated with some of her priests, who may have been hermaphroditic or transgender and possibly involved in sacred prostitution - though this is somewhat more controversial - and the dedication of women-shaped cakes to her, likely as votive offerings. Her relationship with her consort, Dumuzi or Tammuz, the Divine Shepherd, may have inspired the sacred marriage rituals involving the kings of Uruk having sex with her high priestess, though this too is disputed today. Of course, as I was saying before her sphere influence went far beyond sex and love and..."Stephen rambled on for a while exposing random facts on the goddess. IdGM: The TV crew seemed stunned by Stephen's lecture, although Valentina began to smile as he went on. Magorian was grinning, but Balk, who was sitting nearby perhaps hoping he would get another chance to show off, was clearly dismayed by being upstaged by a mere volunteer, even one who was an actual historian. IdGM: Valentina slid her card into Stephen's pocket. "If you're thinking of changing career, give me a call." Maddie: Maddie emerged from the wash tent, hoping the TV crew had grown bored of the volunteers by now, though she made sure to slide behind the kitchen tent to stay out of sight in case they weren't IdGM: The four volunteers had all spoken, but several objects remained in the trays. Valentina consulted her sheet. "Where is Maddie?" she asked. "Did she find these?" she indicated the gold pin and a strange stone idol, and the amber amulet with the protective spell on it. Ben looked round, uncertain what to say as Maddie was still staying out of the limelight. Stephen: Stephen put the card in a safe place and seemed pleased by the interest shown by the TV crew. Right now it looked like the accidents and the potential curse were no longer weighting on his mind. Maddie: "Oh, Maddie has some anxiety problems, she can't stand having the camera on her. That pin there..." Hannah hastily deflected with a story about the items, knowing that Maddie wanted to keep off camera IdGM: Marcus asked some more questions, but Valentina was looking round, her eyes sharp as if looking for the missing volunteer. They were saved from further difficulties by James entering the tent and announcing with a flourish. "We're all set." James insisted they get some rest. Despite the exciting news, it was now becoming very hot, and with nearly everyone feeling the after effects of a disturbed night, the thought of a siesta was very welcome. Maddie: Maddie hastily ducked into the womens' tent and hastily got into her blankets, rolling over to reduce the risk that she might even be fleetingly seen on camera through the flap when one of the others came in Emily: Emily managed to track down Magorian, curious to know if he made any progress on the translating the celtic runes on the Great Door and the one on the door they found on their surveying trips, "Hello Magorian, I was wondering if you did any progress on the runes on the Great Door as well the one we found on the survey?" She asked while looking for the great dog IdGM: The dog was hunting around between the tables, looking for scraps. Magorian nodded. "Well, yes and no. The runes, if they are runes, look Celtic but I have yet to ascertain any meaning to them. The message on the stone is only partial of course. One thing it might be is part of a farewell message, something left when the people abandoned the city."
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Post by Idris on Apr 20, 2018 17:06:43 GMT
Session 13 - 13/4/18 IdGM: Everyone gradually drifted to their tents, tired from the events of the night but feeling a thrill of excitement that at last they would be seeing what lay behind the mysterious door. Valentina and Marcus shut themselves away in the motor caravan. The cameraman made himself comfortable on some chairs in the mess tent with his equipment stowed carefully beneath them, and the gofer flopped down in the shade of a rock and lit a roll-up. An interesting smell soon drifted accoss the camp. Hannah: Hannah chuckled as she prepared her sleeping space. "That guy needs to learn to sit downwind of the camp." Maddie: Maddie took out her phone and stuck her headphones in. Gazing at the old ruin, she stuck on some Propagandhi, pulled out her vaping and sat puffing as she listened. Someday, somewhere, today's empires are tomorrow's ashes. Emily: Emily decided to take advantage of the break, making herself comfortable,. she went down for a cat nap, to catch up with missed sleep from an eventual night. IdGM: Most of the volunteers managed to nap to some extent, and as the sun dropped and the heat lessened, the sound of the Land Rover returning could be heard. Kirsty was alone. IdGM: As they began to stir, someone started banging a saucepan with a spoon in the mess tent. Hannah: Hannah, who had been drifting in and out of sleep, shot up at the sound and hurried outside. Maddie: Maddie hadn't slept at all. Pausing her music, she followed Hannah out. Emily: Emily woke up quickly, yawning from the cat nap she just had. Putting on her hat with a wid brim, she stood up and followed Hannah and Maddie out to see what is going on. IdGM: James was standing outside, banging pans. "Sorry about this," he said with a grin. "There's food here, and we'll have the briefing as we eat, to save time." Hannah: "As if my nerves weren't already enough on edge," muttered Hannah. Stephen: Stephen did not seem bothered by the unusual awakening, as for once no emergency or accident was involved. IdGM: On the tables there were dishes of cous cous and other local dishes, which Kirsty had brought back with her from the city, as well as fruit and cheeses. Hannah: "Any word on Addy?" Hannah asked. Emily: Emily looked delighted for a moment to see good local dishes from the city for a moment only to become sombre upon hearing Hannah's question and listened out for the answers. IdGM: KIrsty sat down and sighed. "The hospital decided to keep her in. Her sister is flying in to take her home, once she's discharged, and Osman is staying with her until she arrives." Maddie: Maddie scooped up some cous cous, flatbread, and baba ghanoush Hannah: "Well, I'm glad he's there for her at least," said Hannah, before getting her own food. Stephen: Stephen seemed to appreciate the local cousine, although hearing about Addy had damaged his appetite IdGM: Ben came over and helped himself to food. "Addy seemed fine except when we were in the city. Maybe it brought back some trauma she had blanked from her mind." Emily: Emily made a start on eating some of the local dishes, "Hopefully, she will feel better once she get back home." She paused for a moment as she considered it over IdGM: "I just hope they can find out what it is," Kirsty said. "Addy is at the age where some long term conditions start to show themselves, and this is what the hospital has to check for." Stephen: "Hopefully this won't haunt her for life or hurt her career."said Stephen IdGM: While they were talking together, Helena stood up and cleared her throat. "Please continue eating. We will shortly be entering the city and finding out just what lies behind the Great Door. You will need to ensure you are prepared, with warm clothing and boots. The film crew will be with us, but try as much as possible not to react to them. We will treat this as any other dig, with careful recording and respect for any finds we make. But remember this is a wonderful opportunity to bring our work to public notice, and a higher profile will gain us much needed funding for future digs. " Maddie: "Why, is it going to snow down there?" Maddie said, taking a mouthful of cous cous IdGM: James overheard this. "It'll be cold in the tunnels, and more so when you come out afterwards." Stephen: Stephen said nothing, having no objection and preferring to eat - they would need their strength for this new undertaking. Hannah: Hannah took the chance to speak with someone on the TV crew when possible, inquiring about their policies on requiring permission to show individuals' faces and suggesting they avoid filming Maddie. IdGM: The cameraman directed her to speak with Valentina, but the director had just that moment got up on a stool to address the assembled company. Emily: Emily looked slightly exhilarated at the thought, "Especially we found that a big dog or wolf skeleton partly crushed by the Great Door. Can't but help think on how many more they must be behind the Great Door." She told the others. IdGM: Valentina's sharp black eyes roved over them. "This is indeed a great opportunity, for our company as well as yourselves. As Helena has said, we want you to act as yourselves, forget the camera. We can reshoot some of the footage, but when the Door opens, we want to get your reactions, so don't hold back." She grinned, showing small sharp teeth. Stephen: "The zoologists will have a field day with the bones."Stephen told Emily Hannah: Hannah smiled and approached Valentina as she moved back toward the rest of the crew. "We're all so excited for this! I did want to discuss your consent policy for appearing on film - we do have one volunteer who's not comfortable being included, and I wanted to make sure you'd be prepared to film around her." IdGM: Valentina looked interested at this. "The young woman who hid from us during the interviews?" Hannah: Hannah nodded. "Right. I imagine it'd be easier if we just coordinate our plans for your shooting and our excavation work. I'm happy to keep her updated on what you're doing so it's convenient for everyone." Emily: Emily smiled in reponse to Stephen, "Hopefully, Kristy would be able to name the species!" IdGM: "If she understands camera work, she can keep out of direct line, or at least not be fiilmed full face," Valentina told Hannah. "Maybe she should speak to me directly." Maddie: Maddie couldn't hear what Hannah was saying to Valentina, but she gazed over suspiciously anyway as she cleaned her plate. Hannah: "I'll see if she'd like to," said Hannah. "I just wanted to make you aware for now." After that she went to Maddie and told her she would help make sure she didn't appear on camera and that Valentina had offered to speak to her directly, though Hannah didn't expect Maddie to take her up on that. IdGM: Marcus had stood up and addressed the gathering. "This is a great day for all of us! As you know, there may still be hundreds of undiscovered underground cities in Asia Minor, but this is something quite special. It's older, it's full if treasures, and it was abandoned suddenly and mysteriously. What terrible thing happened here?" His eyes flashed and his hands gestured, and his voice was portentous. Maddie: Maddie shrugged. "Fine," she stood up and strode over to where Valentina was sitting. "Hi," she said. "Don't fucking film me. Thanks." IdGM: If Valentina was shocked by Maddie's directness, she showed no sign beyond a quirked eyebrow. "You must have good reasons for avoiding the camera... Maddie is it?" Maddie: "Yes, I do, and they're none of your business. Don't film me." Hannah: Hannah raised an eyebrow when Maddie stalked over, thinking a more cooperative approach was better than either hiding or confronting the director, but having seen how Maddie handled other situations she shouldn't have been surprised. When Marcus began giving his speech she found herself conflicted between the sense of dread she'd been harboring for days now, and real excitement to finally get past this milestone. Emily: Emily grinned at Marcus, looking forward to the answers they will find behind the Great Door. IdGM: Valentina nodded. "You will be able to keep out of the way of the camera as the door opens, and you can keep your head down digging no doubt." She turned away to go and speak with the cameraman who was sitting smoking at the side and looking at Marcus with ill-disguised dislike. Stephen: Stephen on the other hand seemed to have gotten over his previous fears that there was something real to the curse - perhaps the anticipation of discovery was enough to make him forget about the old man's words and the local superstitions. Maddie: Maddie glared at Valentina suspiciously, then turned and went to sit next to Hannah again. "If those fuckers film me I'm going to spray PKK slogans all over their car, and they can see how long it takes them to get arrested on the way back." Hannah: "Uh, that's one strategy," said Hannah. "I could also look into the proper consent laws and write up a demand that they destroy any such footage." IdGM: Once Marcus had given his little speech, James jumped up and called everyone to order. "Right, go off and get ready, gather what you need, and we will meet at the entrance to the city in twenty minutes!" Maddie: Maddie rolled her eyes at Hannah. Emily: Emily looked at Maddie with surprise at the suggestion, "Do it on the roof instead." She tried to be helpful, "So it be a total surprise to them much later." Hannah: Hannah laughed lightly. "Well I didn't expect that kind of thinking from you, Emily. It's a devious group I've fallen in with." Her tone was amused but affectionate. She moved to get her warm clothing and other gear together for the dig. Maddie: Maddie pulled out a thick dark pullover and threw a toque emblazoned with a symbol of a burning red maple leaf into her bag. She wrapped her balaclava back round her neck, then wandered over to the entrance to Gece Yeri and juggled as she waited for the time to open the Door. Stephen: Stephen went to the men's tent where he rummaged in his bag for a while until he found his heavier clothes, which he hadn't worn yet since arriving there. Maddie: for whatever reason, Maddie's mind was absolutely focused, and she managed the best feat of juggling she thought she had ever managed, getting six balls in the air and keeping them there for five or six minutes. She realised that if she wanted to avoid being filmed that this was perhaps the stupidest thing she could do, but she wasn't about to stop either. IdGM: Ben came over with Stephen, in time to see Maddie perform. "That is amazing, Mads." Hannah: Hannah was likewise mesmerized by Maddie's display, momentarily forgetting what they were even about to do. IdGM: The camera crew arrived, with Helena and Balik trailing them. The gofer winked at Maddie. Magorian bounded down the rocky path. Stephen: Stephen clapped briefly and unironically at Maddie's display of skill. Emily: Emily went back to the tent and pulled on her warm clothings. She pulled on light green softshell jacket but left it unzipped as it is still warm outside. Once she arrived at the entrance, Emily also looked impressed at the skill Maddie shown, Maddie: finally, Maddie stumbled, or just grew tired, and one of the balls eluded her. Sighing, she caught the other five, stuffed them away, and wiped sweat from her brow. IdGM: Valentina applauded. "For someone who prefers to remain anonymous, you are quite striking," she said quietly as she passed Maddie and moved down the steps. James was waiting at the bottom for them, checking them over, handing out hard hats and head lights. He looked quite tense. Emily: Emily put on the hard hat and head lights with now a practised ease Maddie: "I approve of striking, but there's no picket line here," Maddie said, pulling a hard hat on. Hannah: Hannah prepared herself with the hard hat. If she weren't already quite practiced at surpressing nerves she was sure she would have looked very out of sorts as the opening of the door approached. IdGM: They lined up to pass through the narrow opening into the shadowed tunnel beyond. Muhammed was in charge of the generator. Long cables snaked along the tunnels, running to the strong lights which would be needed at the opening of the Great Door. Their flashlights threw strange and fantastic shadows on the stone walls as they went deeper into the City. Emily: Emily glanced at the shadows, prehaps shivering at the thought what Addy must be seeing in her sleep. Stephen: "Excited?" Stephen asked the others "We're about to be part of something truly historical." Emily: "Aye," Emily replied, "Never thought it would be this exciting actually." Hannah: "It is quite a moment," said Hannah, "but I'll be happier when it's passed and no one has had any sudden injury or illness." Maddie: "Everything done by everyone is part of history," Maddie replied. "Better lives have been lived the margins, locked in prisons and lost on the gallows than have ever been enshrined in palaces." IdGM: As they neared the end of the long passage, James drew Hannah and Maddie aside. "Kirsty gave me a message for you." He passed over a note. It simply read: "Staying up top, keeping an eye on M." Hannah: Hannah glanced at the note and at Maddie, and gave James a nod. "That's something," she murmured. Stephen: "Of course that is true."said Stephen, sounding only slightly disappointed by Maddie's words, as if she did not share his spirit "But we might find out more about the live of these people beyond that door too. And from what we've seen already, the lives of the people he were tragic enough, considering how they might have ended..." as he said this, Stephen seemed to lose some of the excitement and optimism he had briefly found again Maddie: Maddie read the note. "If he does anything now..." she made a fist. Stephen: "Would he truly be so rash as to do something like this, with the camera crew here?" Stephen whispered IdGM: "What are you thinking he might do?" Ben asked. Maddie: "Cut the lights? Who knows?" IdGM: "Well we have these," Ben tapped his head light. "So it would have to be something more than that." IdGM: As he said this, they suddenly saw a pool of stark brightness ahead of them, cast by a ring of lights around the Great Door. The archaeologists stepped back as the TV crew started to arrange things to suit the filming. To the side, the bulk of the lifting equipment cast a black shadow accross the words of the curse carved into the Door. Maddie: Maddie positioned herself outside of the way of the camera, then, for good measure, pulled her balaclava up over her face. Hannah: Hannah found a spot near the archaeologiests and watched the door solemnly. Stephen: Stephen tried to be as close to the door as he could be without disturbing the operating crew Emily: Emily zipped up her light green jacket as she expected the other side to be more chilly, ready to help out if there is any need to. IdGM: Ben spoke quietly to Maddie. "You're more noticeable in that. Use this instead." He handed her a black scarf from his pocket. Maddie: Maddie nodded and took Ben's scarf. IdGM: Valentina indicated that everything was in place, and arranged everyone to her satisfaction. Helena and Dr Balik were at the front of course, Magorian loomed from the darkness, and the volunteers could just be seen as shadowy figures swimming out of the gloom. The camera swung over their anticipatory faces then focussed on Marcus. "This is the moment the whole team has been waiting for. The Great Door is about to reveal its secrets. Behind it, will we find the answers to the mystery of the abandoned city." IdGM: James made a sign to the operator, and the narrow space was suddenly filled with noise as the chains tightened and the hydraulics began to laboriously draw the Great Door back along its track. Emily: Emily looked tense, as if holding her breath in anticipation Hannah: Hannah started to reach out to grab someone's hand in nervous anticipation, then stopped herself and clasped her hands in front of herself instead. Stephen: Stephen held his breath and kept his hands crossed on his chest. IdGM: A black hole appeared as the massive stone door was drawn away, letting out a breath of cold dank air. Almost immediately, Helena moved forward, shining a torch into the space beyond and then climbing in. The camera came with her as the others moved forward. Maddie: keeping her back to the camera, Maddie strode confidently in through the Great Door IdGM: They all had to step carefully over the skeleton on the threshold - one of the monster dogs crushed by its fall four millenia ago. Emily: Emily turned on the head light and followed them in, stepping over the shattered skeleton, ready to see what is beyond the Great Door. IdGM: Helena was speaking to Marcus in a hushed voice, sounding quite short of breath with suppressed excitement. Valentina called out. "Let's get some lights in here." Stephen: Stephen walked in boldly and with purpose Hannah: Hannah followed a bit more slowly, casting her light around with caution. IdGM: James organised the volunteers to carry several lights into the room beyond the Door. They could now see that it was a large antechamber. A very tall archway led into darkness at the other end. Apart from the skeleton at the threshold, the floor was perfectly clean with none of the small rocks or dust that they had found in the city so far. Hannah: "It looks like they just had a cleaner in," said Hannah in confusion, running her finger on the floor free of dust. IdGM: "Strange that there's nothing here," Magorian frowned around. Then he strode forward and shone his torch through the archway. They heard a gasp and saw him standing as if turned to stone. Maddie: "Alright over there Magorian?" Maddie asked, walking over towards the arch Hannah: Hannah stood back up and hurried over to peer past Magorian. Stephen: "Interesting..."said Stephen looking at the perfectly clean floor before realizing something had happened to Magorian and rushing forward with the others Emily: Emily frowned on hearing about Hannah's confusion and even more so as she came closer to have a look at what Magorian so surprised about. IdGM: Everyone crowded to the doorway. Beyond it was an enormous room - a hall. A forest of slender columns stretched away from them reaching up to a vaulted ceiling so high that it was almost in shadow despite their lights, but glittering with might be gold Between the columns they could see what looked like paintings on the distant walls. The floor was covered in fine fired tiles, arranged to make swirling patterns reminiscent of Celtic or Norse decoration. Emily: Emily gasped with surprise at the pristine, unspoilt and immaculate finds. Maddie: Maddie whistled and looked up towards the great ceiling Hannah: Hannah looked around in wonderment, slowly approaching one of the columns while simultaneously marveling at the arrangement of the tiles beneath her. IdGM: The archaeologists seemed to have temporarily lost the ability to speak but Valentina was gazing round with a glittering look in her eyes and indicating to the cameraman to come forward and film everything. IdGM: Marcus recovered his power of speech and started gabbling. Stephen: Stephen's gaze first went to the heights of the doomed ceiling, but then slowly lowered to the column ann then to the patterns on the floor, as if he was looking for some logic in them Maddie: Maddie wandered off towards the far walls, keeping her back to the cameras Hannah: Hannah noticed Maddie moving away, and headed in the same general direction, not wanting anyone to be alone in the vast room. Stephen: "This does not look Hittite or even Middle Eastern at all." said an excited Stephen, loud enoug for the others to hear "It's the kind of architecture you'd expect in a cathedral. And these patterns are fascinatingly out of place, too." IdGM: The paintings on the walls were quite extraordinary and perfectly executed. The first one Maddie came to showed a tall woman with long silver hair and blue eyes, driving a chariot pulled by what looked like tiger sized housecats, her hair and her blue cloak flying out behind her as she moved through a landscape of trees and distant mountains. Emily: Emily looked at Stephen with surprise, "So where do you think it is most similar to Stephen?" Hannah: Though she knew there would be plenty of high resolution photographs taken, Hannah took out her journal and began a rough sketch of the nearest painting, suddenly wanting to capture the feeling of seeing it for the first time. Maddie: "Well she looks pretty fierce," Maddie said, wondering what the landscape was meant to be. IdGM: Ben was also drawing, using quick sure strokes to record what he saw, although his eyes looked somewhat bemused. Stephen: "It's strangely nordic. Look at this."he said pointing to the painting of the woman, fascinated "It reminds me of Freyjia, a Norse goddess who travelled in a chariot pulled by cats. She was mainly a goddess of sex, fertility and love, but was also associated with war. Not unlike Ishtar, isn't it?" IdGM: Despite the similarity of the woman to the Norse idea of Freyja, her features did not look particularly Nordic. Emily: Emily came over to take a closer look at the amazing painting. IdGM: At the other end of the hall, they could just hear Marcus talking to camera and then asking Helena and Balik questions about this stunning find. Stephen: "Look closer - but don't touch."said Stephen, noticing even more detail "The hair and collars are real silver and gold - or, at least, very good imitations - and the eyes are purple gemstones! Such luxury...." IdGM: With their attention drawn to the eyes, they realised the gems filled the whole eye - there were no whites, just black cat like pupils in the centre of them. Maddie: "Hmmm...." Maddie gazed up at the picture. "So....there were those giant dog things, one of which got crushed under the Great Door over there," she said ."Where did they come from, why are there no other skeletons around here, and no scratches or anything like that on the tiles?" IdGM: James came over. He looked quite dazed by what they had found. "This needs recording. Would you take a picture each and photograph and describe it? And see if there are any objects we might be missing." Emily: "Not only that, if that is made from silver, then surely it should tarnished at this point." Emily wondered to herself, Once James came over to them, "Sure." Hannah: Not saying anything, seeming both amazed and concerned, Hannah began to walk toward the corners of the room, keeping an eye out for other exits - though being careful not to get too far from the others. Maddie: Maddie strode on towards the rest of the paintings. Emily: Emily went over to one of the paintings IdGM: Hannah's painting also showed a woman, but not as tall and thin, and instead of alabaster skin, hers looked as though flushed by fire. Richly attired, she was combing long flame-red hair with a golden comb. The background in this picture could not have been more different, consisting of rock walls encrusted with gems which glittered in their torchlight. A horde of strange beings danced behind her led by a white ram. IdGM: Emily found herself drawn to a painting of a man, a tall muscular man standing in a glade of dark trees and heavy undergrowth. He seemed to be wearing nothing but a pelt of some kind, and magnificent antlers grew out of his wild dark hair. Hannah: Something tickled Hannah's memory as she looked at the painting of the fiery woman, but she didn't make the connection. She was still focused on looking for exits from the room, or any other hint as to how it might be so immaculate after the millennia. IdGM: Maddie's painting was all blues and greens - a sea that looked as though at any moment it might flow out of the picture and over them all. Men and women were swimming through it, their naked bodies flying from wave to wave, their fish tails flipping them forward. In the centre a man, his green hair curling into the waters around him, sat on the waves as if on a couch with a great trident in his hand. IdGM: Stephen moved to the last painting on that wall. A green hillside rose out of dark forest, with a great light shining down on it from somewhere out of sight above the picture. In the light stood a group of... beings, maybe not strictly human. Light seemed to come from them as well as shining down on them. There were males and females and they all looked both warlike and at the same time thoughtful as though they might burst into poetry at any moment. IdGM: Ben called out that he had found a painting on another wall that showed flying horses. Emily: Taking a good look at this fine painting, Emily carefully took a picture while recording the finds, "I think I found what may be Cernunnos." Stephen: "The Tuatha, perhaps"muttered Stephen "Or some other supernatural race from Northern european myth." Maddie: "Magorian, I don't suppose you happen to know why there's northern European gods painted all over the walls of a city in Turkey do you?" Maddie called back. Stephen: Stephen walked over to the others to observe the paintings they were checking on. He agreed with Emily the antlered figure wearing the pelt might be Cernunnos, the Horned One of Celtic religion. The fire-skinned, red-haired women might have been Mari, and the trident-wielding god surrounded by mermaids and tritons could obviously be interpreted as referencing Poseidon. IdGM: Magorian was looking round, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Not all northern - look at Posiedon, and Mari for that matter." Maddie: "Whatever, it still doesn't make any fucking sense." Maddie waved off Magorian's pedantry. IdGM: As they were working the lights flickered slightly. Valentina moved outside to call the gofer and send him up to the surface to make sure everything was working alright. There was a buzzing sound behind them - Helena had a walkie talkie, and after speaking into it for a moment she asked James to take over and went out of the door. There was no sign of Balik, although he had entered the room with them. Stephen: "It does suggest formerly unknown connections between very distant civilizations....." said Stephen You whisper to Hannah: Hannah could hear a distant booming sound, like thunder way off in the distance. Nearer at hand she caught a confused sound like people shouting.Emily: Emily moved closer to Hannah, Maddie and Stephen, "Intresting considering we heard of Mari before" Emily whispered to volunteers, harking back to Addy's sleepwalking. Hannah: Hannah, who had moved a bit away from the others, suddenly perked up. "What was that?" she asked to no one in particular, and began moving in the direction of the sound she'd heard. IdGM: Suddenly the lights went out. Maddie: "Helena, when we get back up there can I please fucking punch Muhammed in the face repeatedly?" Maddie called, not even seeming surprised as she fiddled with her headlight IdGM: "Helena's not in here," James said, his voice sounding worried. Emily: Emily sighed, calming herself down, "I think Helena went back through the door?" She called out. Maddie: Maddie hadn't noticed Helena leaving. "Well that's wonderful. Should we head back up and find out what's going on?" Stephen: "Whatever happens, we can still make it out."said Stephen Emily: Emily suggested, "Better to stick together for now? I would hate to make a wrong turn in this place!" IdGM: As their lights swept round they could see the cameraman and Marcus had moved as well, they seemed to be outside talking together. Then as they went towards the door, they heard a voice, loud and clear from the passage beyond, say "Who the fuck are you?" Hannah: Hannah had already been hurrying in the direction of the commotion, and she sped up her pace to get through the door and see what was happening. IdGM: For answer, there was the sound of shots - rapid automatic gunfire - and screams from the passage beyond. Maddie: "Get down!" Maddie shouted, flinging herself down to the ground behind a pillar Hannah: Hannah stumbled back upon hearing the gunshots. "Fuck! Turn off your lights!" she called as she moved to crouch behind a pillar. Stephen: Stephen tried to throw himself to the ground behind one of the many columns IdGM: "What the fuck?" James sounded stunned. Magorian reached out a long arm and dragged them both to the ground, switching off their lights as they lay there. Maddie: Maddie switched her light off, heart pounding. Stephen: "Bloody hell" muttered Stephen as he nervously turned off the light on his helmet IdGM: Another distant boom sounded - this one could be heard by all of them - and more gunfire near the entrance. Dust fell from the ceiling. Emily: Emily reacted quickly to Maddie and Hannah's suggestions, trying to find cover in this dark place, dropping to the floor and turning the light off. Her heart quivered in shock. IdGM: Suddenly there was confused shouting outside. They heard shots striking the rock walls of the tunnel outside. Then something howling like a banshee shot through the doorway and threw itself at Magorian. Emily: Emily's eyes widenend on hearing a howl and wondering if it is Sadik, Margorian's dog? She truely hope so IdGM: Almost immediately there was a violent explosion outside the door, destroying any vestige of sight in the dim light from some dropped torch out there. A hot fierce wind blew through the doorway. A terrible creak sounded from the Great Door, Emily: "Oh God." Emily muttered an oath, "They blew up the tunnel?" Maddie: "Ok, fuck this shit," Maddie said, switching her headlight back on and beginning to sneak back towards the Door IdGM: As their eyes recovered, they could see the light of something burning fiercely outside the Doorway. Hannah: "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck..." murmured Hannah to herself. She also switched on her headlight, though she moved away from the door, looking for a camera tripod or some other piece of equipment that could be used as a makeshift weapon - otherwise her backpack would have to do. Emily: Emily switched on the light and aimed it at Margorian and sighed with a relief, "Sadik! You guys are all okay?" She asked around before looking dark about their increasingly dire situation,. IdGM: As Maddie crept silently towards the door, a black clad figure suddenly leaped through it, rolled accross the floor and lifted a large knife in its hand. "Die, demon-loving Infidels!" it screamed. Stephen: Stephen stood uneasily, just as the figure attacked IdGM: Hannah had managed to salvage one of the light stands to use as a make-shift polearm. There were three more. Emily: Emily looked at Hannah and like the idea, she rushed over to one of light stand to use as a blunt instrument Maddie: the man hadn't noticed Maddie at all. She crept around behind him, then leaped up grabbing for his neck. Guessing this maniac was somehow affiliated to Daesh, she shouted "Rojava! For the YPJ!" Stephen: Stephen took one of the stands - it wasn't much of a weapon, but it was certainly better than being unarmed. IdGM: Magorian stood up and cracked his knuckles as he moved towards the man. James followed him. The dog fixed the man with the classic sheepdog 'eye' and moved too, keeping up a constant growling deep in his throat. IdGM: As Maddie grabbed his neck the man twisted in her grasp and slashed at her with the knife. She was able to swing herself out of the way, but she couldn't get enough grip on him to do any damage. Emily: Emily gripped the stand even harder and made an effort to rush over to help out Maddie Hannah: Hannah too rushed toward the man, hoping that Maddie's bold move was at least enough to leave him vulnerable to a dogpile of attacks. Maddie: Maddie was surprised by the man's reflexes, but it wasn't the first time someone had swung a knife at her and she ducked aside. IdGM: Magorian rushed forward and went to seize the man's hand that held the knife. Stephen: Stephen attacked with the others, swinging the stand at the man, not especially caring where he would hit IdGM: Their attacked tried to stab Magorian but failed and the Professor wrapped his large hands around the man's wrist, keeping him from slashing with it. Maddie: while the man was distracted, Maddie lashed out with a furious punch aimed right at the man's windpipe. She had been in more than one melee where her comrades had grabbed some armed fascist that was attacking her, so she knew instinctively how to shift her weight to adjust for the push and pull of Magorian and the man. She didn't quite crush his larynx as she'd planned, but she could tell from the sound of her fist hitting that the man had certainly felt the blow. IdGM: Seeing the man was having problems, James ran up and kicked his legs from under him. The knifeman went down heavily, Magorian still hanging onto his hand with the weapon. Emily: Emily kept on doing her best with attacking the man with utmost effort yet it doesn't seems to make a difference. She shouted in frustration Hannah: Hannah did her best to get at the man, but she was so crowded together with Stephen and Emily that she found herself unable to do more than jab ineffectually. Stephen: Stephen's swing missed widely, though at least the stand did not strike any of his companions Maddie: seeing the other volunteers' attacks were having little effect, but were at least occupying the man, Maddie shouted "¡No pasarán!" and stamped a Doc Marten down hard on the man's head. She heard a thunderous crunch that reverberated through her body and soul IdGM: Even the dog joined in, grabbing the man's ankle and biting down hard. Magorian sat up and looked at the man, then checked his pulse. "I think you broke his skull Maddie," he said, without much sorrow. Hannah: Hannah put a hand up to her mouth and stepped back, then looked up at Maddie in shock. "Jesus..." Emily: Emily looked queasy at the sight, "Well, it is him or us." She told herself tiredly as Emily looked around to see what else is going on, peering through the door. Maddie: Maddie stumbled and blinked. "I...never killed a man before," she said, the colour draining from her face. Her shoulders sagged for a moment and she was transfixed on the corpse she had made. Then she became aware of the sound of burning again, and she stiffened. "But the only good fascist is a dead fascist." She turned, and looked towards the Door. Stephen: "There are almost certainly others."said Stephen, glancing uneasily at the corpse for a moment before turning to the others. IdGM: And it was at this point that, with a groan like the breaking of a thousand stone hearts, the Great Door - several tons of solid rock - tore loose from its mooring and with incredible speed dropped down the track and slammed into the opening, sealing them in.
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Post by Idris on Apr 26, 2018 21:51:45 GMT
Session 14 - 20/4/18 IdGM: The slamming of the Great Door reverberated around the ante-room, and a rain of small stones fell from the ceiling far above them. An ominous creaking followed it. Maddie: "Fuck!" Maddie shouted. She knelt by the dead man, wondering if there was anything on him that would give any kind of clue as to who he was or why he was here. Hannah: Hannah took a moment to control her breathing, before hurrying over to the door with her headlight on, looking to see if it was completely sealed and listening for any sounds of ongoing conflict beyond. IdGM: The Door fitted securely into the opening, apparently made with extraordinary precision. There was not the slightest gap, and no sound at all could be heard through it. Emily: Emily's eyes looked panicked for a moment as she noticed the Great Door slammed. She went over to help out Maddie with searching the dead man, "Not the first time I have to search a dead body." She whispered to herself darkly as if she didn't mean to say it. Stephen: "We're trapped."said Stephen gazing hopelessly at the door, in an oddly monotone tone, perhaps from the shock of what had just happened Hannah: Hannah walked back from the door slowly. "It's totally sealed. We'll need to look for another way out." She hadn't seen one before when walking around the room, but there was no point in giving up now. Stephen: "What do you think just happened?" asked Stephen, trying to make some sense of the recent events "Most likely the be bandits attacked the camp and the city, but why would they be so bold? Greed? Superstition? That man called us demon-loving infidels..." Maddie: "I assumed he was Daesh or something, but then why did he shout at us in fucking English?" Maddie said while searching the man. IdGM: Maddie found nothing in the dead man's pockets - the black clothes were close fitting and there was nothing to identify him. She did not give up however and her persistence paid off. Pulling up one of the sleeves she found a small tattoo on the inside of the man's wrist - it looked like a hieroglyph. Maddie: Maddie pulled her phone out and took a picture of the hieroglyph. "Anyone recognise this?" IdGM: Magorian came over. "Strange, I thought he must be something of the kind too, from what he yelled as he came through the door. But this is something else." He turned the arm, looking closely at the design. "I have heard of something like this. There is a symbol for 'Faithful' superimposed on that for 'Other'. There was some connection with a secret society I believe, though I couldn't tell you more about it than that." Emily: Emily stood from the dead corpse "Clearly they do not want to have this place explored. They must be desperate to prevent us." She sniffed the air, "At least we got some air so we got some time to scout out the rest of this Hall." She said as a matter of fact Maddie: Maddie stood up. "Someone should take that knife, I don't really need it," she said, indicating the man's weapon. She glanced around. "How the fuck are we going to get out of here? I hope the others are ok, I swear that if Muhammed's hurt Kirsty I'm going to rip him limb from limb." Hannah: "We should check the walls methodically," said Hannah, already moving along the wall to the left of the door.. "It's dark enough we could have missed an exit, or there could even be one hidden." Stephen: Stephen silently took the knife, trying to not glance too much at the dead man's body while doing so. "A splinter sect or cult, perhaps."he suggested, pondering Magorian's words "Unlikely to be doing this just for money. Obviously part of some larger plan. Not that knowing this helps us much considering our situation." he added. Maddie: Maddie had a sudden thought and suddenly felt queasy. Uneasily, she wiped her Doc Martens on the dead man's body. "Fuck, did I really stomp someone's head in? I feel like I'm stoned but without the fun part." Emily: Emily eyed Maddie with sympathy, "You didn't have a choice, Maddie." IdGM: Hannah and Maddie both heard the creaking become suddenly more intense, as if the rock ceiling was under unbearable strain. Maddie: adrenaline took over and jolted Maddie out of her stupor. "We need to get out of here now!" She leapt up and began rapidly checking the walls Emily: Emily looked alarm at the noises, "Let go into the Hall then!" She ran toward the Hall when the paintings, not waiting to stay around. IdGM: A large rock fell from above, landing near the Great Door, followed by an avalanche of smaller stones. Hannah: Hannah likewise rushed toward the Hall, pulling along anyone who was slow to react. Maddie: Maddie rapidly bolted through the arch and into the Hall. As her eyes wandered around wildly for an exit, they alighted on the painting of Lady Mari and she laughed. "At least Addy got away from this. Beautiful land! Show it to me, so I can come and ram my boot up your cunt!" . IdGM: Ben grabbed James who seemed to be in a daze, and Sadik ran barking after Magorian. Rocks began to fall in earnest as they all gathered beyond the archway. The vaulted ceiling must have been better constructed, for no further stones fell within the great hall. Emily: Emily sighed with a relief, glancing up at the vaulted ceiling. Maddie: receiving no response, Maddie spat at the painting and began walking around, rapping her knuckles against the walls as she thought she'd seen someone do in some adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Hannah: Hannah rubbed her temples, laughing softly to herself for a moment. If the people at the firm could see me now. Or Zadie... Then she turned to face the others (besides Maddie who had already started checking the walls). "Alright folks. None of us were expecting something like this. We may not feel prepared. But our best chance to get through this is to just focus on the task at hand. The ancients probably didn't build this hall to be sealed in with no other way out. We just have to start looking, and we should be able to find either a way back to the surface, or somewhere to hole up safely until rescue parties come." Stephen: "A secret passage wouldn't surprise me."said Stephen "Not much would at this point, frankly." he added Emily: Emily walked toward to the end of the Hall, "Esecially we already found one block enterance and there is air vents so air is not a major issue. It is going to be water and food that is going to be an issue." Maddie: Maddie decided not to point out that the ancients seemed to have built this hall for just that purpose, having sealed the dog like creatures within it with the clear thought this would mean they'd be unable to escape. She would find a way. IdGM: They searched around the walls, and eventually reached the end of the pillared area, where there was a large stone dais decorated with mosaic tiles. To either side there were long sweeping walls. When they went behind them they found they hid two long sweeping stone staircases which curved away into the pitch darkness above. Hannah: Hannah hurried along the right side and looked up the stairs. "Okay. So we have a possible way out. Be careful everyone - we don't don't know if those... men might have found another entrance." With that she started making her way up. Emily: Emily followed Hannah up the stairs, distracted by lovely staircases. "Hopefully not." She muttered hopefully IdGM: The sides of the stairs were decorated with designs of leaves, flowers and strange curling vines. Maddie: Maddie had taken point, ears peeled for noise Emily: Emily breathed, "So beauitful." as she admired the designs of the stairs. Hannah: Hannah looked back in surprise at Emily, amazed that she could still be appreciating the artwork. Stephen: "I'd say it's unusual, but this is a really unusual setting."commented Stephen, dryly IdGM: The stairs followed a long gradual curve, and eventually they reached the top, and entered a large open area which lead off into a long corridor. The designs continued on the walls which were punctuated along their length by tall doorways, and this time they could see that the nearest doorway actually held a door - a massive structure of heavy wood. Emily: Emily looked at the wooden door with amazement, "Surely, the wood should have declayed over the last few thousand years already?" She glanced at the others expecting some kind of answers. She concluded on, "I mean, it should have shrivelled already or look worn out." Maddie: "You'd have thought so," Maddie said. She looked at the door. "No handle or lock." Hannah: Hannah moved forward and pushed at the door to see if it would swing outward. Emily: Emily joined Hannah in the effort as it is a massive door. Stephen: Stephen looked like he was about to object, but then gave up and pushed with the others Maddie: Maddie shrugged and helped out IdGM: The four of them set their shoulders to the door and pushed as hard as they could. It didn't move a millimetre. But their close proximity to the wood allowed them to notice that what they had assumed to be knotholes seemed more like eyes. The impression of a face seemed to be looking at them with distain. Emily: Emily stepped back to give Magorian a try at the door. Maddie: Maddie spat at the door. "Let me take a look at this for a moment, I've kicked in strong doors that aren't four thousand fucking years old when I've been squatting." Stephen: "I suspect pushing will not help" "said Stephen "Perhaps there is some sort of mechanism - look at these 'eyes' in the wood." he added pointing at the knotholes Maddie: Maddie couldn't find any obvious weak point. "Do you suppose those eyes are keyholes or something? I know how to pick locks though I'm more used to Yale locks or the like than something that looks like it's glaring at me." Hannah: Hannah leaned in to look at the "eyes" on the door, poking at them gently to look for a mechanism. IdGM: Although the door didn't move at all, the expression, if it was indeed such, now looked angry. Ben suddenly hushed them and pointed to the dog, who was staring at the door with his head on one side. "Can you hear that?" he asked. Maddie: "No, hear what?" Emily: Emily was taken aback what appears to be a changed expression of the door and try to listen whatever Ben was talking aout. Hannah: Hannah backed away, looking to the dog and back to the door with concern. IdGM: "It's... a sound. Very high frequency. Maybe an alarm?" he backed away too. Maddie: "An alarm? An electric alarm?" Maddie stared at him. "Do you think it'll work if I stick something slim and long into those holes? I have a...kind of party trick I used to do." Emily: Following the example of Hannah and Ben, Emily also backed away as well with concern IdGM: "Not like a burglar alarm, something warning though," Ben said frowning. Stephen: "Does it sound modern?"asked Stephen "Or..." Emily: "Something is still working after all this time?" Emily glanced at Ben with surprise IdGM: Ben shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like hearing exactly, just a kind of disturbance in the air. The dog can hear it though." Maddie: Maddie, far from being concerned, just seemed more interested at the idea that there was some kind of alarm - alarms, after all, were placed by people, with intent. "I'm gonna try to open the door, ok? This'll look a bit weird for a sec." Hannah: Hannah was looking warily up and down the stares now. "Ok, but be quick about it Maddie. We should be ready to move if necessary." Maddie: Maddie nodded. "I uhh....apologise for this, but there's not really anywhere private." She promptly stuck her hand down her trousers. For about ten seconds, Maddie looked for all the world as though she had decided this was an appropriate time to relieve any tension created by the days in close quarters with no privacy. Then she pulled her hand out again. She held a long, thin, circular metal bar. She walked over to the door and stuck the long piercing into one of the eyes. Hannah: Hannah had to put a hand to her mouth to cover her grin. "And my dad always said piercings would ruin all your opportunities in life." IdGM: There was a crunching sound and the metal snapped like a breadstick bitten in two. Maddie: "I..." Maddie was about to regale them with a story when her piercing snapped. "Well fuck, where am I going to get a replacement bar in fucking Turkey?" Hannah: "Maybe you'll find a Hittite one," said Hannah, her grin fading. "Anyway, I think we should probably move on," she said, glancing down the corridor. Maddie: "If I ever find a Hittite clit bar it'll just go into that slimy shit's safe anyway," Maddie grumbled. IdGM: As they stood around the door, Hannah thought of one idea they hadn't tried. You whisper to Hannah: Maybe it was worth knocking on the door.Hannah: Hannah began to start walking away, then as if as an afterthought she moved up to the door and knocked. "Just in case..." IdGM: Without even a creak, the door swung open. The face wore an expression of smug satisfaction, as if it knew something they didn't. Maddie: "I fucking hate this place," Maddie muttered. Hannah: Hannah stepped back, looking surprised that it actually worked. "Yeah, you and me both." Stephen: "And yet it didn't budge an inch when we pushed."said Stephen, shocked Emily: Emily stared at the door with surprise, "How this is even possible?" IdGM: Ben was peering at the sides of the door. "There's no lock, and no hinges either that I can see. It's well weird." Maddie: "Well I suppose if we need a hole puncher or something we'll just use the door." Maddie stomped through the door. IdGM: Sadik seemed happy enough now the door had opened and ran ahead of them into the large room their headlights revealed. "The sound's stopped I think," Ben said. Hannah: Hannah sighed, glancing at where the corridor continued on before deciding this seemed the safest route. She followed through the door, sweeping her headlamp about for danger. Emily: Emily shivered, "This place is getting stranger with each passing moment." She complained.
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