Swamped

You still have a notebook with you, so you start writing down what you saw. Might be important if somebody has to track Rider and company later, who knows.

You have just enough time to make a note of the stone pillar in the desert and hear Claws shouting at you before you pass out.

VOLUME 2

Deserted

Your name is Marshall.

Seven years ago, you discovered a swamp beast at your home, and your father disappeared that very night.

Years later, you left home to find your place in the world. After a few miserable years, you heard about the Rider of the Swamp, whose beast sounded more than a little like the one you had seen so long ago. In desperation, you joined the Bogknights, a military organization operating in the Great Swamp.

You had a rough start, but you were just starting to adjust to things, make friends, even feel a little bit useful.

Then the rain came, and you were caught outside. You saw the rainspawn emerge, and one of them managed to take your arm.

You didn't have much time for self-pity, though. Before long, the base had to deal with a greatrat infestation, and you had to do your part in fighting them off.

The very next night, though, you had to deal with a bigger threat: an attack on your base from the Marshguards. You gathered up some people you trusted, and made your way to the Marsh Fortress, in order to scare them into calling off the attack.

You also hoped that being captured would give you a chance to meet with the Rider and get some answers about your father. But then Rider challenged Captain Long of the Bogknights to a duel, and it concluded with them both disappearing.

Now you know where they disappeared to: the desert you're standing in now. You've learned that creatures from here have been popping up all over the swamp lately, especially the Marshguard side. And it seems Rider and Long are caught up in that business now.

On top of that, Long's come down with desert fever, and apparently your father's romance novel is the key to saving him. You don't really understand that part yet.

In any case, you're all standing near a huge stone pillar. Rider's summarized everything for poor Starling, who seemed to be in a rush to tell her squad leader, Corvus, something important, and got stuck here. He also introduced you all to Yvonne, a grebling who got lost in the swamp, thanks to the strange gateways that are the cause of all this trouble.

Then there's Rivers, or Sandra as you once knew her. She didn't want to come here, but she tried to pull Starling clear of the gateway. It was too late, and she got dragged into this mess as well.

Right now, Rider is talking with Yvonne about how to get in touch with her "team", so you can all get some shelter and Long can get the book. You're sort of following the conversation, but mostly you're just lost in thought.

Now that you're here, what are you going to do?

catch desert fever immediately

catch desert fever immediately

Figuratively, that is. This desert is great! Just look at that thing! What even is that?!

catch desert fever immediately

Figuratively, that is. This desert is great! Just look at that thing! What even is that?!

I like this

Spot some swamp creatures in the distance.

catch figurative boogie fever

Your mask is a bit uncomfortable in this heat, but Rider warned everyone to keep fully covered to avoid catching desert fever. Although, given that his own armor's been noticeably pierced, you have to wonder if he's all right.

Since you don't have any particular thoughts on Yvonne and Rider's conversation, you turn your attention to your surroundings.

The most obvious thing in the area is, of course, the stone pillar. You're staying in its shadow for the moment to get what relief you can from the heat. A closer glance reveals some symbols carved into its surface; they go all the way up its sides, from what you can see.

You've got no idea what any of it means. Someone must have made this pillar, of course, but why? If not for the symbols, you would have guessed it to be a marker for something, perhaps an oasis that dried up long ago. But that wouldn't require such intricate writings.

You idly wonder if your father's book might mention this pillar. You didn't have a chance to read that much of it, after all.

Further out, you can see... well, you're not sure what they are, exactly. They look to be some sort of plant, covered in sharp needles. They seem to be sparsely distributed across the landscape. Maybe this is what sort of tree grows in the desert, though they're a bit short as trees go.

Luckily, when that grebling stopped by to return your mask, you got a pair of long goggles back with it, so you put them on and take a look further out. While no particular landmarks stand out, you see some unfamiliar creatures.

There's a mammal of some kind that keeps periodically poking its head out from the sand, then going back under. Aside from that, most of what you can see are reptiles. You see a pack of a dozen or so snakes slithering around; they nearly blend in against the sand. There's a large lizard that keeps stopping at the odd plants and sniffing them, occasionally biting into one. Then there's something that looks entirely covered in spikes; you think it's a lizard, but it's hard to tell.

But as you sweep around, something stands out - a lizard that's a shade of brown you associate more with tree trunks than with desert sands. You can barely make out its features, but its shape is readily apparent out here. It seems to be trying to climb one of the plants, without much success.

You remember something suddenly. Someone - was it Jackson? - told you about bark lizards. Is this one of them, torn from the swamp like you were?

"Hey!" someone says, startling you. It takes you a moment to recognize the voice as Corvus. "If you've got those fancy things, how about you use them to try and spot something helpful instead of just standing around here?"

He's got a point, even if you're not happy with how he worded it. Is there anything you can see?

Could those be tracks on that dune over there? Is that a wagon of some sort?

Everything looks so wobbly and watery out there, it's hard to be sure.

Could those be tracks on that dune over there? Is that a wagon of some sort?

Everything looks so wobbly and watery out there, it's hard to be sure.

Tracks, and what seems to be some Very Large Footprints alongside

At the edges of your vision, you can barely make out some kind of large shape. It might be a wagon; you think you can two long trails through the sand leading to it. Could be wheels.

Or sandsnakes, you suppose. It's hard to tell.

You can also see a large imprint beside it. It looks vaguely like a footprint? But you've never seen a creature that big.

You opt to walk closer to get a better look. As it happens, you can do this while staying in the pillar's shadow.

"Watch your step," Rider says suddenly. "There's dangers below the sand here."

"Right," you say. You pull up your long goggles and focus on the path ahead of you. A scorpion scurries past; it's probably just as well you didn't step on it.

When you reach the edge of the shadow, you put the long goggles on again. You can make out the wagon clearly now, but it doesn't seem to be moving.

You call out to the group about the wagon, but as you do, you hear something moving nearby. You might have made too much noise.

You turn around to see what's been stirred by your careless yelling.

The worm from Dune

A giant spineshrew. They only attack out of fear or necessity, but...

You see a large mammal emerge from the sand. Its fur forms into tough spikes; you've no idea if they're actually sharp or not, but it doesn't seem worth taking chances.

At the moment, it doesn't seem hostile. Just wary. It's watching you carefully; you probably don't want to make any sudden moves.

Before you know it, Yvonne's scurried over to you.

"Giant spineshrew," she says calmly. "It's not aggressive, unless it thinks you're going to eat it. They tend to get confused around us because we've always got our faces covered when we go out into the dunes."

"So, how should I handle it?"

"It'll probably back off in time. But, ah, best not to be too loud. Lots of things live below the sands and rely on noise to track prey. What's this about a wagon?"

You hand her the long goggles and point it out. She frowns.

"That's odd. Not one of ours. But who else would be fool enough to go all the way out into the desert?"

"Maybe they arrived through a gateway, like we did?" you ask.

"Could be, but that doesn't look like the sort of thing you'd see in the swamp, either. It's worrying enough if only two places are affected, I hope it's not more."

You watch the spineshrew finally back away. It dives into the sand very suddenly.

"Ah, good, it left," Rider says suddenly. You realize that everyone else has turned up behind you; you didn't even notice. "We should take a look at that wagon; it would speed up our trip significantly if we can use it."

"Gonna be real hot when we get out of this shade, though," Corvus mutters.

"You're fortunate," Rider says, stepping forward. "It's cooler in the evenings and at night. I was here in the noon sun."

That seems to shut down the backtalk.

But as soon as you take a step out of the pillar's shadow, you definitely notice it getting hotter. And you thought it was hot enough to begin with.

The group walks towards the wagon. When you get close, Rider suddenly tells everyone to stop.

"Someone's in the wagon," he says. You don't know how he can tell; you can't see in there, and you don't see any human or grebling footprints in the nearby sand. But he sounds sure enough of his assessment.

"Okay, so we send someone to knock on the door, then," Corvus says. "Any volunteers?"

Yvonne volunteers! She can at least say 'pardon me' in the regional tongue while knocking, on top of whatever y'all are speaking right now. It might make whoever's inside less wary of the obvious group of foreigners yammering outside.

Yvonne doesn't necessarily want to be investigating a strange wagon but she also doesn't trust these swamp folks not to screw it up so yeah she volunteers.

You're now Yvonne.

You're looking at this crew. Rider's been kind enough, but he doesn't look it, to say the least. The one-armed kid seems all right, but you don't want to send someone inexperienced. And Rivers is hardly personable.

The other two, you don't really have a read on yet. Point is, you're looking like the best bet out of anyone here.

"I'll go," you say. "Everyone else, stay back, and watch for trouble."

You walk up to the wagon and knock on the side door. You back up a bit as you wait for a response, just in case they think of you as a threat.

The door opens, and a human looks out. They're dressed in loose clothes with the ends tucked into their gloves and boots, and they've got a bandanna over their face, with a hood covering the rest of their head. They're also wearing goggles, but these ones look significantly lower-quality than the lenses built into your mask, or the ones the swamp soldiers are wearing.

All in all, they look like they've been preparing for a trip to the desert, but on a very limited budget. However, you don't see a weapon on them, or even an empty sheath.

"Who are you?" they ask suspiciously.

How do you respond?

pretend you don't speak their language. make bird noises instead

They probably know what a grebling is, that ruse'd just draw more suspicion.

Be relatively honest, explain that you're from a local research crew but you got separated from your base during a scouting patrol and could use a ride back.

If their response seems on the level, mention that you bumped into some other folks as well and were they aware of this weird swamp-desert phenomenon going on?

They probably know what a grebling is, that ruse'd just draw more suspicion.

Be relatively honest, explain that you're from a local research crew but you got separated from your base during a scouting patrol and could use a ride back.

If their response seems on the level, mention that you bumped into some other folks as well and were they aware of this weird swamp-desert phenomenon going on?

this is a good course of akshon

You decide to go with a version of events that's technically true. You can fill in more details if it becomes necessary later.

"I need to get back to my camp. I went out and got caught in a sandstorm, got badly lost. I was thinking your wagon would be a big help in getting back, if you were willing to lend it."

They pause for a bit.

"What's your camp doing in this desert?" they ask, a bit suspicious.

"We're researchers. We're studying the desert creatures, and trying to better our understanding of desert fever in hopes of devising new treatments."

"Desert fever, you say."

They glance behind you.

"And who are those folk over there? They seem a bit heavily armored for researchers."

You were going to get to that later in your explanation, but it seems your hand has been forced.

"Funny thing," you say. "They say they're from the swamp, of all places. I'd think they were mad, but I've seen odd creatures popping up here, so maybe there's something to it. Of course, it'd be easier to ask them questions if I had the rest of my crew to back me up."

"I'm afraid I can't really take on passengers," they say. "One grebling is one thing, I could make an exception for the right price. But throw in five humans? No thanks. Way too much risk. You might break something."

You're getting the distinct feeling this human is hiding something. How do you handle this?

Ask in a roundabout and or casual way if they're carrying delicate wares? Add that, being a researcher, you know how to conduct yourself around sensitive equipment and are Very Unlikely to break anything.

Tell them your research expedition has been generously funded and you could compensate them for their troubles. See how they react to the prospect of wealth that's up for grabs.

"I can understand why you're worried. We've got sensitive equipment at camp that's expensive to replace. So I certainly wouldn't break anything, and I'd keep an eye on the others..."

"You can't watch five people. Can you say for sure they'd all be as careful?"

You can't, but you have another angle to approach this from.

"I'd naturally assume all responsibility for anything damaged. That includes paying for a replacement."

They seem to be thinking about it. Maybe contemplating a little self-sabotage for money?

You might be a little over your head. Fortunately, it seems you have backup, as all of a sudden Corvus speaks up. You're not sure when he arrived here.

"Hang on a sec," he says. "You're here to meet someone, aren't you? For a handover."

The wagon's occupant seems to stiffen in posture. Seems Corvus struck a nerve.

"Surely you don't mean to suggest it's you," they say.

"A golden rose has silver thorns," Corvus says suddenly.

"That's years out of date," says the wagoner, before realizing how much they just gave away. They slam the door in your face.

"They're not going to get far," someone says. You turn towards the voice - it's Starling, sitting on the hump of a desert horse with a noticeably loose harness.

"What's going on here?"

"Shady business," Corvus says. "To be precise, the same shady business I used to be involved in. Don't know if they're making a pickup or a delivery, but either way, taking on passengers is asking for trouble."

"Oh. So what should we do now?" you ask.

You'd all hoped it wouldn't come to this, but it looks like you might need to commandeer that wagon. Temporarily, of course.

"First of all, you should stand back," Rider says suddenly.

You know enough to listen when he says that sort of thing. You and Corvus back away from the door, as Rider wedges his spear into the frame and starts prying. Before long, the door pops open, and Rider marches in. Corvus isn't far behind.

You decide to follow them, though you make sure to watch from a safe distance.

"We're commandeering this vehicle," Rider says. "You can have it back once we reach shelter, at which point you're free to do what you will with it."

"You can't do this! I'll be late! Do you even know what they'll do to me?"

"I know exactly what they'll do to you," Corvus says. "They'll yell at you, whip you a few times, yell at you some more, and keep it up until you're begging them to let you take on another job. A harder job. And all you'll ask for in return is for the beatings to stop."

There's an uncomfortable silence for a while, before the wagoner finally speaks up again.

"Who the hell are you? How could you possibly know so much? You can't be a runaway, or you'd be dead by now."

"That isn't your concern," Rider says. "Corvus, is there any rope around here?"

"Yeah, hold on, I think I see some."

Corvus ties up the wagoner, with Rider watching out. After it's done, Rider starts walking away.

"I'll take care of the horse now. Corvus, I trust you can keep an eye on our friend here."

"Sure," Corvus says. "It's no problem."

You're now Corvus. You've got to watch over this poor sap of a courier. That grebling is hanging around; she seems unsure of what to do with herself.

What are you going to do?