Cthulhu Dark -- Everest OOC Thread

[Dr. Gerard]

Just in case anybody's interested, Dr. Gerard's game has prompted me to pick up "Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest" by Wade Davis. About a quarter of the way into it now -- really contextualizes what Everest meant to the British imagination and sense of nationalism. I've learned quite a few things (not all of them salutary) about my character George Finch, too!

Highly recommended thus far.

Yes, excellent book! I read it during a recent Everest/Himalaya obsession. So glad to hear you're inspired to seek out more info about those expeditions. Yeah, Finch is a great complicated character all around.

For earlier background in the Great Game campaign, check out Younghusband's story. He's a real piece of work, too.

[Dr. Gerard]

I'll be getting back to our story soon, folks. Very sorry for the delays.

[Scriven]

I'll be getting back to our story soon, folks. Very sorry for the delays.

No worries. Take your time. Busy time of year for us all.

M

[Dr. Gerard]

My apologies -- I lost track of Hingston for a while there, but it seems to me he followed along with Trafford. My bad, that was classic NPC Invisibility Syndrome. He probably would have rushed to help Champo, but I'll just chalk this up to confusion and shock from the night's events.

[trevlix]

Sorry all...I was out last week with little (time or desire) to get online. If we're waiting on me, let me know. I don't see anything at the moment for Trafford to do, other than lose himself in his messed up thoughts ATM.

[Dr. Gerard]

Sorry all...I was out last week with little (time or desire) to get online. If we're waiting on me, let me know. I don't see anything at the moment for Trafford to do, other than lose himself in his messed up thoughts ATM.

We stalled a bit, but it wasn't because we were waiting for anyone specific. I got crazy busy again, so I've been a bit passive with the game thread. Happy to pick it up again. It'd be nice to keep a little progress going as we head into the holiday season. Wangdi was the last PC to be addressed in dialogue, but I didn't mean to hang everything on that one part of the scene. Please feel free to describe actions and explore where your imagination takes you here.

I know what you mean, Trevlix. I suppose we're in kind of a "sandbox" scene at the moment, if there is such a thing. Let's take a moment to chat OOC about the situation.

It's been a very weird night for our harried explorers, and I'm imagining a lot of internal conflict for everyone involved. 'What the hell did we sign ourselves up for?' 'What the hell happened out there?' 'Is this whole yak-and-pony show based on the ravings of a madman?' Also: 'Who can I trust?'

And while all of your questions are bouncing around your heads, you're also packed together in this dim room, where it's pretty tough to get any kind of reality check.

The facts: A yak went missing. Champo is covered in blood that doesn't appear to be his own, and on a closer look there are also bits of fur matted to his skin. You know that he had a length of intestine gripped in his hand. Odell rushed out into the night and shot at some things in the snow. Odell thinks they were small Yeti. He also believes he saw Mallory and Ervine attacked by Yeti last year, and he claims that Younghusband believes his story.

The Sherpas are...on edge, to say the least. The expedition is on the verge of falling apart. You are all feeling unbearably exhausted. A first night at high altitude is always hard, but on top of sleep deprivation and a likely dose of adrenalin, you'd feel like you haven't slept in a week.

If there's anything any of you want to investigate or anyone you want to try to buttonhole for a side conversation, let me know. Follow your curiosity, discuss plans, or just collapse. If everyone decides to give in to exhaustion at this point, do let me know how you want to handle remaining watches.

Have I left anything out? It has been a while, so I'm not sure I have tied up all the loose ends here. Feel free to add to the review if you think of more key info. I'm just bringing up the most recent stuff.

[Scriven]

I know we're on a bit of an extended pause, here -- but I truly hope everyone is interested in continuing this adventure when our esteemed Keeper is ready to forge on.

When we last left off, my impression is that the entire team was more or less emotionally and physically exhausted after the evening's events. I don't think we can realistically accomplish more until the entire team gets some rest -- meaning, we should abandon the watch for the remainder of the night -- after which we convene a meeting at which we decide whether or not to scrap the expedition in view of Odell's (and Wangdi's) delusional assertions (speaking in character here) about yetis and demons.

When we're ready to pick up play again, I propose we cut straight to that conversation. I can say that Finch would be inclined to continue on if for no other reason than to establish the truth about Mallory's fate and reinforce his own observations about the utility (necessity?) of breathing gear in high altitude ascents. Whether or not he would be comfortable in having Odell make the ascent with the rest of the team . . . well, that's another matter.

All that aside, there's no rush if we're all still at sixes-and-sevens in our own personal schedules. I'm still in the midst of a particularly hectic season work-wise myself. Just wanted to assert my own interest in forging ahead.

Cheers, all.

[Dr. Gerard]

Thanks for the post, Mike, this pause has gone on much longer than I'd hoped due to two weeks of an insane work schedule following the holiday. Inertia is hard to overcome.

Yes, I was envisioning a hard restart to this thread, in which we would pick up the story as it unfolds in the following morning. Finch last prompted for some discussion before bedding down for the night, but I think at this point we can assume everyone collapsed zombie-like onto their bedrolls and perhaps even drifted off without knowing it.

So, we'll open at daybreak, which will creep in mercilessly after a harrowing night. I'll soon have cause to ask for exhaustion rolls for even basic kinds of physical exertion.

If anyone else has their ears on, please feel free to let me know you're up for Part II. We had a good thing going last year, and I'd love to see it through.

NOTE: If there are any lurkers out there, anyone just observing this thread out of curiosity, I am offering the affable Dr. Hingston as a playable character if you'd like to take him on.

[trevlix]

I'm up for it!

[Dr. Gerard]

Folks, I've recruited another player for this game!

I noticed that forum newcomer Howard had expressed a pining for PbP, so I took the liberty of inviting him in. We haven't heard from Tariq in a while, and since we had a rough patch over the holiday (mostly my fault), it seemed time to recruit new blood to the story.

Tariq, if you're out there, you're more than welcome to come back to the game at any point. This isn't meant to be a replacement. I think the game can easily support 5 players if needed. The more the scarier.

Anyway, let me introduce to you Howard, who will be taking on the role of our learned physician, Richard Hingston!