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xyzzysqrlEither this winter goes or I do. *yawn* I keep hibernating. It's starting to really irritate me.
All right! Day 8. This day is a little weird for a couple of reasons. It's absolutely the shortest day, but it's pretty densely packed. There will be very little in the way of screenshots today, for reasons I'll go over in a moment.
Y'all watched that video at the end of the previous post, right? Remember the key the dragon turned into, after turning into some kind of freaky plant person, after turning into Gabe's Dark Evil Self?
... That's a thing that happened. Anyway. What do you know, in an AMAZING coincidence, that key's shown up at the foot of Gabe's bed somehow! It's kind of weird on an ontological level, but since Gabe probably can't spell that I think he's okay with it. Does it unlock the mysterious door? You bet your bippy it does.
And it leads to Gabriel's personal heaven: The Schattenjager private library. The books in the close foreground are in German. (Gabriel still does not read or speak German. He did not learn via osmosis overnight.)
Aside from that, every bookshelf has a top row and a bottom row. From the far left: The bookshelf on the far left has History books on top, Ritter family history on the bottom. From there, the low bookcase contains (on the top row) Religion, Occult, and Sociology books, while across the bottom from left to right it contains Science, Geography, and Archaeology themed books.
Oof, where to start...
Oh, that might help. Note: A lot of the stuff referenced in these books just plain doesn't exist. I will help you seperate fact from fiction!
The People's Republic of Benin - Loel Caley
"The People's Republic of Benin is an area of rich and diverse cultures and a proud heritage. Before slaving devastated many tribes, this area was populated by some of the oddest, fiercest, most powerful tribes in tribal Africa: The Fons, the Dahomeys, and the Agris. The book 'The Primal Ones' by John Roots provides insight into these fascinating cultures."
Wow, that read like a fifth grade book report. "The (x) is a rich cultural experience, in ways I will not explain because I only have to write fifty words." Okay, insight into cultures... Sociology? Ah-ha.
The Primal Ones - John Roots
"...In contrast with the peaceful nomadic tribes of Northern Africa, certain tribes of the Southwest were vicious and xenophobic. This part of Africa is called the Red Basin, because of the vast amount of bloodshed there over the centuries. In this one area of Africa existed, in a perpetual state of war and raiding, some of the most powerful and efficient fighters the world had ever seen. Why did this region inspire such violent behavior? See 'Ancient Roots of Africa' by Earl Lee Days."
Hmm. I'd give this one a B-. Stays on theme and has good structure. (Note: The Red Basin does not appear to exist.) Uhm... that would be a history text, right?
Ancient Roots of Africa - Earl Lee Days
"The ferocity of the tribes in the Red Basin region is traceable to their predecessors. In Egyptian times (4000-2000 BC) this region was ruled by powerful sun worshippers. We know a little about this mysterious cult by the remnants of ruins far older, and a culture far more advanced than any that exists in Africa today. See 'Sun Worshippers' by A. Curate."
(Far more advanced that any that exists in Africa today? M'gonna call bullshit, because I am pretty sure the dudes in 3000 BC or whatever did not have Internet access, the peak of all human invention forever.)
Sun Worship. That's a religious text, right?
Sun Worshippers - A. Curate
"One of the earliest religious practices was that of sun worship. The most powerful of the sun worshipper cults lived on the continent of Africa. The African sun god was violent and terrible, and so became his worshippers. They practiced a particularly bloody form of ritual sacrifice. The homeland of this ancient cult is still considered a sacred site of power. See 'Ancient Digs of Africa' by Professor Seymore Shards."
(So far as I can tell, THIS one's straight up BS. All I can really find on African sun gods of this region is "Liza", Sun God to the Fon tribe mentioned above. I can't find anything on him advocating murderous sacrifice, the biggest dirt I can locate is that he really REALLY liked sex with his twin sister, the Moon Goddess Mawu. Fricking gods are all OVER each other I swear.)
Anyway, Ancient Digs. That's... ah-ha.
Ancient Digs of Africa - Professor Seymore Shards
"The most fascinating archeological site in Africa is the great snake mound in the People's Republic of Benin, located 50 miles south of the capital in the Red Basin. Like the great snake mounds of North America, the origin and meaning of these great mounds remains a mystery, though clearly they were the result of a profound and urgent spiritual belief.
Unlike other snake mounds, the African example is a double snake mound -- a small snake ring within a larger snake ring. The mound is thought to have housed an ancient temple. Although archaeologists explored the mound site, the interior remains unchanged from ancient times. This is in part due to strict Government regulations, and in part due to fear. The local people regard the mound with intense superstition, and refuse to go near it."
(Also doesn't exist, but damn that sounds plausible, doesn't it? I did find a few references to a snake temple in Whydah, which was close to Dahomey lands. Didn't find MUCH though.)
Gabriel perks up at the words "double snake mound" and goes hunting for a picture in a desperate attempt to give me something to screenshot.
Boom. We got it. We know where Uncle Wolfgang went.
While we're here, we also poke at the Ritter section of the library...
And a few of the supernatural books. Books on Werewolves (various kinds) and Vampires (even more different kinds, including a few viral variations and sorcerous types ... and as Gabe quips, there's always law school.) Gabe notes that the topics of werewolves and vampires are both FASCINATING and he really hopes he gets a chance to spend some time reading up on them. When he's dealt with the Tetelo situation, of course.
Down the stairs we go.
Oh boy. Fruhstuck. Is it potatoes? I bet it's potatoes. We thrust the book at Gerde and explain that Wolfgang's PROBABLY in Africa. She blinks a few times and shrugs. Well, she'll have to make us a plane trip. Do we have the money?
Errr... can the Ritter estate pay? No, Gerde does the credit books. She is quite sure there is not enough money for that. She's not sure how Wolfgang paid, but Gabe will have to book his own fare. ... Sorry, Dead Mosely. I'm sorry about this. Gabe passes that credit card to Gerde.
...oh boy, potatoes. Gabriel just whines about getting some coffee. Suck it up, Gabe.
And so, off we go to Africa.
Thus ends day 8! I told you it was short.
All right! Day 8. This day is a little weird for a couple of reasons. It's absolutely the shortest day, but it's pretty densely packed. There will be very little in the way of screenshots today, for reasons I'll go over in a moment.
Y'all watched that video at the end of the previous post, right? Remember the key the dragon turned into, after turning into some kind of freaky plant person, after turning into Gabe's Dark Evil Self?
... That's a thing that happened. Anyway. What do you know, in an AMAZING coincidence, that key's shown up at the foot of Gabe's bed somehow! It's kind of weird on an ontological level, but since Gabe probably can't spell that I think he's okay with it. Does it unlock the mysterious door? You bet your bippy it does.
And it leads to Gabriel's personal heaven: The Schattenjager private library. The books in the close foreground are in German. (Gabriel still does not read or speak German. He did not learn via osmosis overnight.)
Aside from that, every bookshelf has a top row and a bottom row. From the far left: The bookshelf on the far left has History books on top, Ritter family history on the bottom. From there, the low bookcase contains (on the top row) Religion, Occult, and Sociology books, while across the bottom from left to right it contains Science, Geography, and Archaeology themed books.
Oof, where to start...
Oh, that might help. Note: A lot of the stuff referenced in these books just plain doesn't exist. I will help you seperate fact from fiction!
The People's Republic of Benin - Loel Caley
"The People's Republic of Benin is an area of rich and diverse cultures and a proud heritage. Before slaving devastated many tribes, this area was populated by some of the oddest, fiercest, most powerful tribes in tribal Africa: The Fons, the Dahomeys, and the Agris. The book 'The Primal Ones' by John Roots provides insight into these fascinating cultures."
Wow, that read like a fifth grade book report. "The (x) is a rich cultural experience, in ways I will not explain because I only have to write fifty words." Okay, insight into cultures... Sociology? Ah-ha.
The Primal Ones - John Roots
"...In contrast with the peaceful nomadic tribes of Northern Africa, certain tribes of the Southwest were vicious and xenophobic. This part of Africa is called the Red Basin, because of the vast amount of bloodshed there over the centuries. In this one area of Africa existed, in a perpetual state of war and raiding, some of the most powerful and efficient fighters the world had ever seen. Why did this region inspire such violent behavior? See 'Ancient Roots of Africa' by Earl Lee Days."
Hmm. I'd give this one a B-. Stays on theme and has good structure. (Note: The Red Basin does not appear to exist.) Uhm... that would be a history text, right?
Ancient Roots of Africa - Earl Lee Days
"The ferocity of the tribes in the Red Basin region is traceable to their predecessors. In Egyptian times (4000-2000 BC) this region was ruled by powerful sun worshippers. We know a little about this mysterious cult by the remnants of ruins far older, and a culture far more advanced than any that exists in Africa today. See 'Sun Worshippers' by A. Curate."
(Far more advanced that any that exists in Africa today? M'gonna call bullshit, because I am pretty sure the dudes in 3000 BC or whatever did not have Internet access, the peak of all human invention forever.)
Sun Worship. That's a religious text, right?
Sun Worshippers - A. Curate
"One of the earliest religious practices was that of sun worship. The most powerful of the sun worshipper cults lived on the continent of Africa. The African sun god was violent and terrible, and so became his worshippers. They practiced a particularly bloody form of ritual sacrifice. The homeland of this ancient cult is still considered a sacred site of power. See 'Ancient Digs of Africa' by Professor Seymore Shards."
(So far as I can tell, THIS one's straight up BS. All I can really find on African sun gods of this region is "Liza", Sun God to the Fon tribe mentioned above. I can't find anything on him advocating murderous sacrifice, the biggest dirt I can locate is that he really REALLY liked sex with his twin sister, the Moon Goddess Mawu. Fricking gods are all OVER each other I swear.)
Anyway, Ancient Digs. That's... ah-ha.
Ancient Digs of Africa - Professor Seymore Shards
"The most fascinating archeological site in Africa is the great snake mound in the People's Republic of Benin, located 50 miles south of the capital in the Red Basin. Like the great snake mounds of North America, the origin and meaning of these great mounds remains a mystery, though clearly they were the result of a profound and urgent spiritual belief.
Unlike other snake mounds, the African example is a double snake mound -- a small snake ring within a larger snake ring. The mound is thought to have housed an ancient temple. Although archaeologists explored the mound site, the interior remains unchanged from ancient times. This is in part due to strict Government regulations, and in part due to fear. The local people regard the mound with intense superstition, and refuse to go near it."
(Also doesn't exist, but damn that sounds plausible, doesn't it? I did find a few references to a snake temple in Whydah, which was close to Dahomey lands. Didn't find MUCH though.)
Gabriel perks up at the words "double snake mound" and goes hunting for a picture in a desperate attempt to give me something to screenshot.
Boom. We got it. We know where Uncle Wolfgang went.
While we're here, we also poke at the Ritter section of the library...
And a few of the supernatural books. Books on Werewolves (various kinds) and Vampires (even more different kinds, including a few viral variations and sorcerous types ... and as Gabe quips, there's always law school.) Gabe notes that the topics of werewolves and vampires are both FASCINATING and he really hopes he gets a chance to spend some time reading up on them. When he's dealt with the Tetelo situation, of course.
Down the stairs we go.
Oh boy. Fruhstuck. Is it potatoes? I bet it's potatoes. We thrust the book at Gerde and explain that Wolfgang's PROBABLY in Africa. She blinks a few times and shrugs. Well, she'll have to make us a plane trip. Do we have the money?
Errr... can the Ritter estate pay? No, Gerde does the credit books. She is quite sure there is not enough money for that. She's not sure how Wolfgang paid, but Gabe will have to book his own fare. ... Sorry, Dead Mosely. I'm sorry about this. Gabe passes that credit card to Gerde.
...oh boy, potatoes. Gabriel just whines about getting some coffee. Suck it up, Gabe.
And so, off we go to Africa.
Thus ends day 8! I told you it was short.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-05 04:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-15 01:56 am (UTC)Gabe: "No problem." *Proceeds to wake up the very next morning use Mosely's credit card AGAIN*