The Prologue (1941) - Part I

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Having fished for two hours, Eisen decides to give up on the task; after all, the moving boat probably isn't helping in luring in the damned things anyways. Instead, Eisen went to go unpack and pack his belongings, to make sure grenades and all were still in prime use. Sufficiently bored, after the whole twenty minutes he wasted unpacking, he decided to instead keep an eye out into the jungle, and an ear open. While he did, he kept the rifle next to him, and a rod in his hands, not expecting to catch anything (which he did), but hoping to at least not trod on the fun the others were having. Though the jungle provided good cover, his sight was in this case much better than his hearing, with the roar of the motor and the ridiculous celebration of the one caught fish. Still, he at least could do his job, no matter how much safer they were supposed to be in the middle of a river....

(Spot:23, Listen:12)

[jacemachine]

Pingo spends the whole morning fishing-- catches two smaller fish, and one two pounder! The afternoon was uneventful, and he gave up after 2PM.

The Kid fished unsuccessfully up until noon, but then he managed to pull in a nice two and a half pound fish!

PINGO
10AM 1d20 ? [15] = (15) Tiddly
11AM 1d20 ? [15] = (15) Tiddly
12PM 1d20 ? [19] = (19) 2lbs!
1PM 1d20 ? [4] = (4)    Nada
2PM 1d20 ? [4] = (4)    Nada

THE KID
10AM 1d20 ? [10] = (10) Nada
11AM 1d20 ? [4] = (4)    Nada
12 PM 1d20 ? [20] = (20) Booyah! 2.5 lbs!!

[BowenSilverclaw]

What about Kestrel?

[Nanshork]

Richard fishes alongside Pingo, but spends more time on the lookout for danger than paying attention to his rod and so only catches a small fish.

10 am -7
11 am -10
12 pm -6
1 pm -12
2 pm - 15

[j0lt]

Emerging sluggishly onto the deck with a cup of no-longer-hot coffee in his hand, Loder staggers over to the side and stares out into the passing jungle.  He watches the others fish momentarily before heading back down to the lounge to pore over Dunning's maps.

[Neull//]

Max stayed downstairs checking out his equipment and explosives and cleaning his weaponry. Once Dr Loder heads down and starts poring over Dunning’s maps, Max join him.

“….what is your feeling about that Loder? Supernatural entities and a lost Mayan city…”     

[j0lt]

Loder looks up from the maps with a tired smile.  "Well, the lost Mayan city is of no surprise to me.  These jungles are probably FILLED with lost cities just waiting to be found.  I have absolutely no idea about any of this supernatural stuff though."

Pulling out a compass and checking over both Dunning's blood-printed map as well as a topographical map of Guatemala, Loder mumbles.  "If we go through this way, we may be able to cut some time off the journey..."

Navigate = 26

[BowenSilverclaw]

After a couple of hours of fishing Sgt. Kestrel finally gets lucky and catches 3 fish large enough to be used for dinner in a relatively short timespan, each fish weighing about 1.5 pounds.

Even though he didn't catch anything else in the hours after that, he was still quite pleased with his results for the day, as evidenced by the grin on his face.

[jacemachine]

Fresh Fish for lunch. The scent of frying fish leaks from the Galley porthole as well flows from the hall and up the stairs. Fresh bread, jerky, and a variety of fruits and vegetables round out the spread. The Kid has cooked all of the fish that have been presented to him. He whistles happily while he cooks your food.

The pattering of the rain upon the roof of the boat continued starting in the mid-morning towards early afternoon. It took away the normally lingering bugs, or at least decreased their interest in buzzing around your heads.

Pingo has returned to his hammock to relax. Through the open windows of the top deck cabin the shouts of howler monkeys echo loudly at the boats passing, joined still by the never ending cacophony of frogs.

Up in the wheelhouse Bones and Russo share the wheel, and talk about their exploits.

RUSSO

"I can't believe that you got yourself mixed up with two dames at once! Crazy! One girl at a time is plenty for me, I ain't got that kind of stamina anymore." Bones says over a glass of bourbon. His hand on the wheel.

"The problem with the girls down here, is that their fathers all want to marry them off." Bones says with a smile. "Though sometimes I wish that Kid had a mother of some kind. This is no life for him." He takes a mouthful of bourbon. "Ah, what do I know. The Kid is better off with me, than being on the streets right?"

[ragincajun2288]

Pingo lays with his hands behind his head, wishing the jungle didn't breathe and scream on a constant basis. Oh well, probably better if he didn't get too relaxed. Pingo wasn't entirely sure he could relax while being out. Ever since that day with the cannibals... if Bones hadn't been around he would have lost more than his tongue, his life as well. But sometimes Pingo would wonder if he would have been better off as dead, at least then, joining his loved ones in the afterlife.

Pingo misses his wife and kid. The adventure was a welcome distraction.

Maybe time for just a small light nap, Pingo thought, the others will hoot and holler if something were to happen for sure. Pingo closes his eyes.

[jacemachine]

Max & Loder

As the two men discuss the map, and their options. The sun's progress across the sky continues. Late afternoon approaches. By this time, both Max and Loder have poured intently over the Map of Blood and cross-referencing the Map of Guatemala and environs that Loder had spread out across the table. (Max has also had plenty of time to get Loder up to date on what Bones had had to say the previous evening.)

Armed with the Map of Blood there was no way that the Nazis could beat them to the Lost City now... could they? However, there was the matter of this demon. According to your interpretations of the Dunning Letters, the demon had already been to this city once before... perhaps it could give the Nazis an edge even without the map.

Of course, this was something none of the party members could control, and dwelling on this possibility would do no good. Hope for the Best, but expect the worse.

The Kid carried something in his hands, walking quietly up to the sleeping Pingo wearing his baseball cap and a smile as wide as his face. A moment later he runs out of the upper deck's cabin, and back down to the lower decks.

Pingo

You find that you are dragged from sleep by an unusual sensation in your pants. There's seems to be a small fish flapping around against your skin.

From downstairs the boys uproarious laughter breaks his silence, and his amused cackling is easily heard.

[j0lt]

Standing up and stretching out the tension in his shoulders, Loder excuses himself and heads up to the deck for some fresh air.  Strange thoughts of magic and demons and lost cities buzzed through his mind making it nearly impossible to concentrate on any one thing.

[Tarotdragoon]

Russo continues talking to Bones though most of the day, regaling the man with his own daring exploits and being told a few in return

"Tell me about it! Its not much better no matter where you go, never let an italian father catch wind of your exploits or else he'll have you married quick as a frenchie's surrender, and never let the mother find out, she would more likely kill you, have you limping for the wedding and make you think twice about a wedding night." he takes a break from the anecdotes and stares out across the river
"So where did you pick that kid up anyway? He's like a little puppy following you around, not that I'm not gad he's here" he lights a cigarette "Saved my life at least, he's a good kid, would probably be bored with a normal life anyhow"

[jacemachine]

Russo

Bones responds to Russo's question about the Kid.

"Well, I had been traveling through Tijuana at the time. I had an enormous gambling debt hanging over my head with the notorious Al Capone. This was before he was sent to prison, mind you. Or did I already tell you this part? Shit. This is good bourbon." He gives a winning smirk.

"Whatever. I was traveling through Tijuana to avoid a hit that was put out on me. I figured that if I ran away even beyond Mexico, there'd be no way they could find me.

"Man... I was wrong though. That was when I met Max. I'm lucky to have met him though. He's like a brother to me-- or at least like a cousin. But that is Max's story, if he wants you to know it.

"I met the Kid when he picked my pocket at a Tijuana pit fight I was attending. I actually broke all of the fingers on his right hand before I realized that it was just a kid. I felt pretty bad about it, and I got him help. I dunno, he just never stopped hanging around, I guess."

"Well, it doesn't look like it's going to be too long before we stop again for the night. Take the wheel once more?"Bones thanks Russo and went down the stairs to the top deck cabin.

"Whoa, whoa! Pingo-- is that a fish in your pants or are you just happy to see me! Hah hah hah!" Bones says arriving on the scene of the prank. "Nice one, Kid." He muttered to himself with a smile. He grabbed his fishing tackle, and tried his hand, relaxing and drinking. It was clear that he was going to sleep well that night... it was his awakening that would be rough in the morning.

1d20=9
1d20=13

Though he caught nothing, he looked more at peace with himself since leaving the shattered village of Orino Perro. He took control of his boat once again, asking Russo if he would be so kind as to be ready to drop anchor.

Outside the day gave way to night as dusk nestled down around the rivercraft. The day had been peaceful, and travel by boat was by far the best part of your journey up until now. A few small canoes had been passed with shirtless fishermen. They would wave in recognition of El Halcon, a well known boat along the rivers in the area. Bones found a nice tributary to tuck the boat off away from the sight of the main river. Russo dropped anchor, and the boat came to rest safely in the middle of the vein of water.

The Kid prepared dinner as well, a hearty stew with vegetables gotten from the Villagers of Orino Perro. He seemed to know his way around the kitchen, and he made it clear that it was his in his mastery of it. A short as he was, he made a good cook. Over this very discussion during dinner a nickname arose "Short Order" as in short order cook. The alcohol imbibed made it more amusing at the time.

[If there is anything you'd like to clear up or do before the bedtime watches start, now's the time to do it. I will run them just like the previous night unless anyone has any objections. Then we will be close to getting to Machete Landing aka The Old Mission...]

[j0lt]

Loder heads back downstairs to collect the maps and returns a few minutes later with his holster strapped back on and a flashlight.  "I'll take first watch this time, if that's alright with you fellows."

[BowenSilverclaw]

"Sure thing, Doc." John says as he goes downstairs and lays out his equipment on the table now that the Doc's maps are out of the way. He wants to make sure all of his gear is in perfect working order by then, 'cause you never know when you might need it.

He then starts by inspecting and cleaning his guns, one by one.

[jacemachine]

Bones, drunk like it's New Years, wobbles to the door to his cabin, passing the open Lounge doors. Inside he notices the good sergeant fussing with his gear at the rounded couch.

"Hey! You know that's a chessboard you've got your junk on--" He says with a belligerent tone. Without waiting for Kestrel's response... He immediately goes into his cabin, and shuts the door behind him.

The Kid wraps up his evening card game with the two brothers, taking his wins downstairs to his bunk. Tonight he got around ten dollars and a Tijuana Bible featuring Wimpy making whoopie to Olive Oyl and Bettie Boop. The Kid counted it as a good night.

He stowed his belongings in a dented old foot-locker and climbed into the top rear bunk.


Rain beat upon the tarped-roof over the mules. The animals had been mostly docile for the journey, and Esteban and his brother Paco had done a good job of cleaning up after the animals, swabbing the deck, and keeping the beast fed and watered.

They camped near the steam pipe towards the rear of the overhang. The rain that came down was within feet of them, but they insisted they were fine when offered alternative sleeping arrangements. Tonight was no different as the sky brought a steady rain. It was loud drowning out all but the frogs who were glorifying its coming with an even more forceful zeal than before.

[ragincajun2288]

So The Kid liked to play jokes eh? Well, Pingo's got jokes. As The Kid settles into bed Pingo slowly slides out from underneath it, reaching up to shake The Kid and moan as loudly as a man with no tongue can.

Fish in pants still funny Kid?

How about you pissing in your pants? Cause that'd be hilarious.

[jacemachine]

The Kid responds with the desired response as he gives a shrill cry! He curses loudly at Pingo in Spanish and English.

"KEEP IT DOWN DAMMIT!" Bones shouts from within his cabin.

[jacemachine]

Dr. Loder

Night settles in, as does Dr. Loder for his first watch. The brothers talk softly to each other in their corner, back with the animals. The rain continues its steady droning. It certainly was nice to have this boat, traveling by land was bad enough, but dealing with these rains... The Nazis could have been more considerate and planned the expedition when the rainy season had ended.

Loder sat up in the wheelhouse during the majority of his watch. He peered out the windows from time to time while spending t he rest of the time reading through the book that had contained the map. Rain pelted the window panes with heavy drops of water. Outside the night was as dark as any he'd seen out in the countryside of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania.

When his shift is over, he finds both Eisen and John down in the Kitchen area. Russo is passed out again, this time on the couch that the sergeant had slept on during the previous night.

Kestrel & Eisen

The Doctor found the two of you in the Kitchen with the coffee pot. Both of you had managed a short nap before your shifts, and since Bones was out cold, you decided to share the second. Russo was passed out again, though this time the Italian had taken the leather couch Kestrel had slept in the previous night.

Rain continued as the two men made there way upstairs. They made certain their weapons were cleaned-- and they struck up a conversation about various firearms that they've known and loved over the years.

Next they woke up Richard and Pingo, both men were already sleeping on the upper deck. Pingo in his hammock, and Richard in his sleeping bag on the floor in the corner.

Richard & Pingo

Rain greets you as well as both John and Eisen. The changing of the guard. The two men head back downstairs, presumably to sleep in the lounge or galley as they had the night before.

Darkness greeted the two men, and again the began their watch in silence, with nothing but the droning raindrops...