asgardmeridiem | [OPEN] Your Friendly Neighbourhood Utgard

Who: ANYONE going on the trip to Utgard!
What: A supplies run with one bonus a la carte spy.
When: Days 269 - 271 ( May 23 - 28 )
Where: Utgard
Rating: PG-13. Anything that might go higher than that should be taken to a private log, please!

[ Early in the morning on Day 269, several wagons will be geared up and at the ready by the Gate of Fog. The first two are more obviously intended for supplies, while the drivers of the last few will welcome Travellers to find anywhere comfortable to sit. A handful of coloured Natives from various districts will be coming along to assist in the shopping, though they're mostly content to stick to themselves in their own wagon for the duration of the trip. They won't have much to say to anyone that tries for conversation beyond simple pleasantries and a general air of gratitude.

It's a half day's drive to get to the city of Utgard, leaving the Sun just barely on its way back down by the time the caravan comes to a halt. This gives plenty of time to gather the things on the shopping list the drivers have on them. Natives will direct the Travellers to the things that are needed, such as bandages, food rations and the typical things expected for war efforts - though every now and again, very quietly, the Natives will check up on people to casually suggest that they might like to pick up a nice coat or two. Perhaps some sturdy gloves here or there, and a few portable heaters and the likes. Not overtly, not a great number. Just enough to give the general idea that there might be use of some warmer gear before long. If asked about them, the Natives won't say anything, only that it's always good to be prepared.

Day 270 will be left entirely to the Travellers' discretion. As promised, the Natives will hand everyone that helped out the day before a small pouch of seven silver runes and seven copper runes ( approximately $70 USD ) to spend on whatever they like. Remember that Utgard is a metropolitan city with higher technology levels than that of Asgard. You could buy a computer or radio here that would transmit and receive signals, but only within the boundaries of Utgard. Once it is brought back into Asgard, they will no longer function beyond having shiny dials and buttons. Travellers are welcome to keep anything left over from their allowances after they're done with their shopping.

On the morning of Day 271, the Natives will give the Travellers just a little while longer to look around while they make sure everything is packed securely and accounted for in the wagons before the caravan sets off around 10AM. There's another half day's travel ahead, and they want to be out of the woods before dark, so do try to be on time or wait for the next wagon!

Things seem to go off without a hitch, though, and the caravan will be moving right on time. The only thing that might seem a bit strange is that there is one Native that seems more interactive than the others. He might smile directly at you or ask some seemingly harmless questions, like how long you've been in Asgard for and what kinds of things you like to do during your day. He might comment how it's great that you're doing so much for them, and isn't it wonderful that we're in a time of peace? How long do you think it will last?

You can feel free to be suspicious about this "Native"'s behaviour, but as per the RNG, it will be Percival (sleeveless) that catches the spy! When it happens, the caravan will come to a halt and one of Heimdall's Natives will welcome Percival and a few others to come sit and guard the spy in one of the emptier wagons where none of the actual Natives will be at all inclined to give anything away, even by mistake. The mods will try to handle a couple threads for him. He won't have much to say after being caught, though, half because there will likely be several threads for him that we will have to devote time to and have because spies are such sour things when they get caught. :( No harm is to come to the spy or anyone else until Percival has had a chance to put up an open post on the network to discuss what to do with the spy. ]

[ OOC NOTES: This is the mingle log for the Your Friendly Neighbourhood Utgard plot! Please put the day/location in the title of your comment, along with [OPEN/CLOSED]. Also, if you haven't already, please check out the poll regarding how to handle Thiazi's spy over here.

edit: The IC network post regarding the spy is up over here! Let us know if you have any questions! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lizards. They always mentioned lizards. Why not starfish? Well, at least it wasn't worms. Eight grinned with pride at Leonardo, though. It was amazing how well some humans managed to cope with the strange once they'd had a taste of it.

"I knew you'd figure it out, Leonardo. Well, close enough at least. And yes, we do. Most Time Lords who stay safely tucked away back at home could live for damn near forever, really. Someone like myself, well...I'm not even nine hundred yet and I've already gone through eight bodies."

He shrugged. Saving the universe was dangerous work, even if his peers would be appalled at how quickly he was throwing his lives away.

"Well, it is said that we can have thirteen lives, but that could be just a way to keep us from being too reckless."

He could have said starfish but lizards were so much more common. And they did get into everything... something like the Doctor did, actually.

"Nine hundred is still an impressive achievement. Some buildings do not even last that long."

Leonardo himself couldn't imagine that! There would be so many things you could do and so many things to see. Technology would grow and change over time, you could watch it's progress! But, there had to be downsides. Friends without the same gift would not be around to enjoy these things with you, for one.

"It does not seem to have slowed you down very much. Hopefully it is just a rumor."

"You'd be surprised how many things last longer: stars, solar systems, constellations, galaxies..." He caught himself getting ready to ramble and stopped, smiling. "You get my point."

Eight laughed. "You know, sometimes I feel every bit my age, but for the most part I do alright. One of the advantages to regeneration is that I get a whole new body to run ragged."

Surely, he didn't want the whole conversation to be about himself. Not with the great Leonardo da Vinci!

"Tell me, though, have you had many chances to paint here? This place must be a goldmine of new subjects to capture."

He nodded as the Doctor spoke. All of that sounded very reasonable. The Earth itself had to be very old, so the Doctor compared to that, well, he was a young man still in comparison to the whole galaxy! That was a different way of looking at things.

As for the paintings... er... actually...
It would not be much of a surprise for the Doctor really, when Leonardo looked to one side and very sheepishly admitted he hadn't done very many. He was a notorious procrastinator when it came to paintings and there were so many things in Asgard to keep him distracted.

"I did begin one, but I abandoned the painting when the flowers faded away... Since that time I am afraid I have not really touched the paints."

Ah. Yes. It had slipped his mind that there would be too many distractions in Asgard to keep a rather flighty artist (that was a redundancy, wasn't it?) from finishing anything.

"I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised," he chuckled, shaking his head, "Then again, maybe something at some point will capture your attention so fiercely that you'll actually sit down and finish."

"It is always a possibility."

Maybe some day... when the subject matter of the painting was intriguing enough. ~~Like a handsome knight riding a horse...~~

"Until then I do have other projects to work on."

Now you're talking. Eight brightened further, looking intrigued.

"Really? What sort of project?"

Be prepared for a long list...

"Well, I have been investigating both the magical powers the Gods give those they bring here and the greyness, I have heard of a small experiment I would like to try... that of making electricity from a potato, I have the sniper rifles some one requested to finish, there are the runes I would like to know more about, at the teacher's counsel meeting I proposed making a steam weapon to fight against the ice giants, and I would like to paint something again... once I decide on a subject interesting enough."

The man keeps himself pretty busy with his little projects... when he isn't procrastinating.

He listened with interest, frowning a bit at the mention of weapons, but saying nothing. He was in the middle of a war, and he couldn't very well ask them to fight it without arming themselves.

"The electricity with the potato does work, actually. But I'll let you figure out how yourself, of course." He grinned. "Wouldn't want to spoil your fun after all."

Leonardo had kind of a love/hate relationship with weapons himself. He loved designing them and seeing if they would work... but the killing they would do was tragic. Still though, ideas took precedence. Discovering if something would work was the most important thing.

"Amazing. If energy like that could come from a simple root it makes you wonder... maybe energy exists in everything."

Eight pondered for a moment on how much he should say, versus how much he should let Leonardo find out for himself. It was a tough choice; imparting a lot of information on someone was one of his favorite things.

Still, nothing wrong with confirming what he was already guessing. He nodded, "Yes, everything has some sort of energy. Though, not necessarily electrical energy."

"There are other forms of energy?"

He knew the basics: wood could be burned to produce energy, the light of the sun could be used for energy, the force of a spring, water could be harnessed to turn mill wheels and now electricity but there was more still?

"Maybe I will be able to learn about those kinds of energy as well."

"There are many forms!" He picked up a stray pebble from the floor of the cart and tosses it over the side. "A thrown object has kinetic energy, a candle produces heat and light energy, a shout has sound energy, and so forth.

And, knowing how clever you are, I'm sure you'll figure it all out soon enough."

[OPEN] Your Friendly Neighbourhood Utgard

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