singindemonhq (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
singindemonhq) wrote2005-05-10 10:24 pm
singindemonhq) wrote2005-05-10 10:24 pm
Checking the dimension
I took a deep breath of the air of the new dimension and felt almost light headed from the oxygen. There still wasn’t a trace of hydrocarbons. The place smelled of greenery, bog and probably animals. That wasn’t too good.
A pre-industrial dimension usually means no refined sugars – and I use a lot of energy when I’m working. If the natives were anything like human they might have honey or treacle, but I’d checked the magic level earlier. It’s much higher than I’ve been used to lately. That meant they’d probably have wards, and charms against glamored coin and other spells. It was likely to change my mojo, too. It should have made it more powerful, but I’d had trouble getting the two-minded creature to sing.
My earlier attempt to smoke around had felt … sticky. I could teleport, after a fashion, but it took a lot of energy and effort and I suspected that I was more visible than usual. (When I thought of the abandoned van I found I was wishing for a motor bike and sidecar. I haven’t seen one for years and smoking back to get one isn’t an option.)
The Portal site was on high ground and I thought I’d taken a good look at the place before I set off. I soon found that there were hidden dips and valleys that could hide almost anything. Every time I turned my attention to the forest the trees seemed to have moved. I don’t mean that I was looking at different glens, the view wasn’t changing much. It was just that one or two trees seemed to have changed position while their surroundings stayed the same. I wasn’t picking up mind fires and I made up my mind to stay well away from it all.
I was checking out the trees, from a safe distance, when I started to hear sounds that reminded me of Zranth. A hard, regular, threatening beat. It startled me so much that for a moment I almost solidified – magic is different here. Then I drifted over a low rise and found it dropped away to a valley and a wider path. A mob of creatures were shambling quickly down the path, in a parody of military discipline, like soldier-boys from a planet of mutated apes.
The creature in charge carried a whip with its other armaments, he looked like a slave-driver, but the vibe was more like sergeant. I cast the singing mojo to learn more and the marching creatures reacted immediately – the effect was hardly spoiled at all by the Sergeant counting on his fingers as he started to sing…
Orcs,
Hup, two, three, more!
Hup, two, three, more!
Sound off! One, Two!
Sound off! Three, more!
Sound off! One, two, three, more!
And more!
We’ve been marching all the day,
(We’ve been marching all the day,)
When’ll we get to stop and play?
Tired of looking for the ring,
How the Hell d’we learn to sing?
Hup, two, three, more!
Hup, two, three, more!
March and run and fight and shoot,
When we gonna to get to loot?
Marching ‘till the day is done,
When we gonna get some fun?
Hup, two, three, more!
Hup, two, three, more!
When we going to get to eat?
Hungry here and need some meat,
All we’ve had this week is horse,
Manflesh will be second course!
Sound off! One, Two!
Sound off! Three, more!
Sound off! One, two, three, more!
And more!
*A few voices add*
Suddenly we got a voice,
We’re out here and got no choice,
Soldering is real hard graft
But it’s been our only craft,
*more join in,*
Got no love for that red Eye.
Sauron’s made us fight and die!
Fed us just on meat as well,
Officers might taste real swell!
*An arrow flies out of the band toward the sergeant and the ranks billow and waver as the Orcs struggle with each other. The fighting spreads. There are several dancers and the view starts to be obscured by smoke…*
Frag the creepers! Feel no shame!
Then we’ll go back home again!
Sound off! One, Two!
Sound off, three, more!
Sound off! One, two, three, more!
What for?
It was entertaining enough for a come-by-chance and I knew one thing by the time the dust settled. I wouldn’t need to worry about sugar for a while. These creatures packed a lot of energy if they got a hot number. I hoped the survivors would stick around for a while, they could come in useful.
Then I remembered the minions. If they had come to this place how long could they have survived? If I saw any more marchers I’d have to try to find out what they are and what ring they’re looking for. Nixi had a magic ring when she left LA and, from the vibes, the sergeant hadn’t been planning to buy one for his girl.
The surviving marchers had faded into the woods, and from screams in the distance, at least one wasn’t likely to make it out. I still wasn't picking up much in the way of mindfires and it'd started to feel as though the forest was somehow warded.
The fun was over for the time being, so I headed on down into the valley. I thought I’d caught a glimpse of a roof beyond a fork of the river.
A pre-industrial dimension usually means no refined sugars – and I use a lot of energy when I’m working. If the natives were anything like human they might have honey or treacle, but I’d checked the magic level earlier. It’s much higher than I’ve been used to lately. That meant they’d probably have wards, and charms against glamored coin and other spells. It was likely to change my mojo, too. It should have made it more powerful, but I’d had trouble getting the two-minded creature to sing.
My earlier attempt to smoke around had felt … sticky. I could teleport, after a fashion, but it took a lot of energy and effort and I suspected that I was more visible than usual. (When I thought of the abandoned van I found I was wishing for a motor bike and sidecar. I haven’t seen one for years and smoking back to get one isn’t an option.)
The Portal site was on high ground and I thought I’d taken a good look at the place before I set off. I soon found that there were hidden dips and valleys that could hide almost anything. Every time I turned my attention to the forest the trees seemed to have moved. I don’t mean that I was looking at different glens, the view wasn’t changing much. It was just that one or two trees seemed to have changed position while their surroundings stayed the same. I wasn’t picking up mind fires and I made up my mind to stay well away from it all.
I was checking out the trees, from a safe distance, when I started to hear sounds that reminded me of Zranth. A hard, regular, threatening beat. It startled me so much that for a moment I almost solidified – magic is different here. Then I drifted over a low rise and found it dropped away to a valley and a wider path. A mob of creatures were shambling quickly down the path, in a parody of military discipline, like soldier-boys from a planet of mutated apes.
The creature in charge carried a whip with its other armaments, he looked like a slave-driver, but the vibe was more like sergeant. I cast the singing mojo to learn more and the marching creatures reacted immediately – the effect was hardly spoiled at all by the Sergeant counting on his fingers as he started to sing…
Orcs,
Hup, two, three, more!
Hup, two, three, more!
Sound off! One, Two!
Sound off! Three, more!
Sound off! One, two, three, more!
And more!
We’ve been marching all the day,
(We’ve been marching all the day,)
When’ll we get to stop and play?
Tired of looking for the ring,
How the Hell d’we learn to sing?
Hup, two, three, more!
Hup, two, three, more!
March and run and fight and shoot,
When we gonna to get to loot?
Marching ‘till the day is done,
When we gonna get some fun?
Hup, two, three, more!
Hup, two, three, more!
When we going to get to eat?
Hungry here and need some meat,
All we’ve had this week is horse,
Manflesh will be second course!
Sound off! One, Two!
Sound off! Three, more!
Sound off! One, two, three, more!
And more!
*A few voices add*
Suddenly we got a voice,
We’re out here and got no choice,
Soldering is real hard graft
But it’s been our only craft,
*more join in,*
Got no love for that red Eye.
Sauron’s made us fight and die!
Fed us just on meat as well,
Officers might taste real swell!
*An arrow flies out of the band toward the sergeant and the ranks billow and waver as the Orcs struggle with each other. The fighting spreads. There are several dancers and the view starts to be obscured by smoke…*
Frag the creepers! Feel no shame!
Then we’ll go back home again!
Sound off! One, Two!
Sound off, three, more!
Sound off! One, two, three, more!
What for?
It was entertaining enough for a come-by-chance and I knew one thing by the time the dust settled. I wouldn’t need to worry about sugar for a while. These creatures packed a lot of energy if they got a hot number. I hoped the survivors would stick around for a while, they could come in useful.
Then I remembered the minions. If they had come to this place how long could they have survived? If I saw any more marchers I’d have to try to find out what they are and what ring they’re looking for. Nixi had a magic ring when she left LA and, from the vibes, the sergeant hadn’t been planning to buy one for his girl.
The surviving marchers had faded into the woods, and from screams in the distance, at least one wasn’t likely to make it out. I still wasn't picking up much in the way of mindfires and it'd started to feel as though the forest was somehow warded.
The fun was over for the time being, so I headed on down into the valley. I thought I’d caught a glimpse of a roof beyond a fork of the river.