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Author:	headandhand [ Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:38 pm ]
Post subject:	Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
FutureShock:2o5o>Explorers... Zen's Journal: Chapter 2: Into Amazonia... Verse I: A Bad, Bad Place... Starring... Zen Judah & Ananaya Escapana Foreward Zen's Journal is decidedly the best way for me to present these stories. As a compendium of adventures centering on these characters as they roam the world of FS:2o5o's NeoPangaea, the Journal will be divided first into chapters, with each chapter representing a number of parts, or verses. For reference, I will be adding updated character/figure posts as I go along. The story picks up here with Chapter 2, Verse I, a few weeks after Zen rescued his new companion Ananaya. Those parts of the story (Chapter 1, Verses 1-3 - with Chapter 1, Verse 2 being posted as Attack At Baghrat) will be separate of course. Chronology here seemed to be a secondary matter, but those tales too will be told. So a brief synopses just for clarity then: Zen rescued the N' damu tracker Ananaya Escapana from bondage in Baghrat, Abyssia (Chapter 1, Verse I) - a move that has them now hunted by the slavers. To make worse the situation, while camped outside of the Abyssian border, Ana was attacked by a couple of raiders who attempted to abduct her - not realizing that she were already branded and listed as a fugitive concubine (having killed her master, the gold merchant Doggard). Ana defeated the thugs (Chapter 1, Verse II: Attack at Baghrat) and fled south with Zen, who is following a special map he'd acquired at the Oasis in Baghrat. All of this should piece together properly, although I think it should be somewhat readily interpretable as is. In advance, thank you for looking, and I am always inspired by your feedback... Sincerely, Zenn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Bad, Bad Place... We left the road at Victoria Ruins, to jockey up along the southern tip of the Malbolge mountain range, then north into lower Amazonia. Although we were happy to finally be leaving the deserts of Abyssia behind us, we were now entering some of the worst bush on the planet... Our first objective was Mt. Erebus, where we hoped to pick up an old westward passage through the jungle, eventually to reach the region of Deadmarsh... That's where the old map that I'd acquired back in Baghrat claimed the location of something truly beyond value... Whether we found the passage at Erebus or not, we were in for a journey through a savage tangle... Fortunately, there is no terrain that the Cortez cannot negotiate... From the barren dunes of the Desolates to the swamps of Deadmarsh... She was built for this... Before reaching the half-way point at the base of the mountain, I drew into an unexpected clearing where there were some indications of recent foot traffic... Everything scanned out just jelly... I decided to take a closer look... Ananaya joined me a few minutes later... While on foot, I took a few decent samples for the NLS Log, and began a cursory cartospec... Meanwhile, Ana had befriended one of the natives... As a natural mystic, Ananaya is gifted with several instinctual abilities that some would simply call supernatural. Among them is an affinity with animals that is nothing short of uncanny... She tells me that animals of all types have always been just naturally drawn to her... After gearing down a bit, we opted to follow the tracks on foot for several kliks into the bush, where we would find ourselves stumbling upon the Moa 'Ambo village, secluded in a thicket in the valley at the foot of five local peaks... The Moa 'Ambo are an indigenous tribe that had drifted with the Tectonic Shift. They are perhaps best known for cannibalism, and not especially so their hospitality. The Moa are fearless headhunters - extremely skilled trackers who are notoriously savage and cunning... And we were walking right into the middle of them... I glanced at my map... "Indeed..." But it was too late to turn around; our presence would not take them by surprise... "Bad, bad place, Mah Gok," Ananaya whispered. "Just be calm, and continue walking," I'd advise her... ...

Author:	headandhand [ Sat Aug 07, 2010 12:47 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I

Author:	headandhand [ Sat Aug 07, 2010 12:58 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
The Moa represent the last branch of the Topis that had become displaced after the Cataclysm. They had never before ventured this far south, and would have been expected to be several thousand kliks up in High Amazonia. The Moa are currently at war with the nearby Soyas - another of the region's naked cannies - and their movements cannot be well predicted during these times. Unfortunately, the only recent experiences that these tribes have had with outside culture involve ruthless slavers from Abyssia buying and selling their people into labor, or strong-arming cooperation so that resources can be reaped without resistance. It would be necessary, I knew, to show them quite clearly that we were not there to exploit anyone... My Moambu is just minimal, but I had to think fast... "Bodundu," I said in a calm voice. I asked Ananaya to say it also. "Bodundu... No slaves." "Bodundu..." I pulled out a length of chain that I had pocketed from the Cortez which remained parked a mile or so to the east of us now. The chain had a shattered linkage, at which I was pointing... "Bodundu," I said again. "No slaves." The Moa seemed to relax somewhat by our passive demeanor, and began to gather around us, investigating our strange affects. I could see that Ana was becoming increasingly unsettled, and I reminded her to remain calm, as we were gradually ushered toward the center of the village... The Moa were naturally very curious of us - and it is indeed a bit unnerving to be huddled by cannies - but initially, they had seemed primarily interested in our gear and garb. In fact, one of the Moa took a particular, inordinate interest in Ana's machete... Now, Ana's folk, the N'damu, are an extraordinarily generous people, and although under different circumstances Ana would probably have just let the tribesman have it, that machete were clearly something that she needed herself... "No, Ana need! Good knife!" she remarked - sounding quite disappointed, and shocked by what I'm sure she considered ill manner... She tried to retrieve it, but the Moa refused to return it to her. I could see that this had Ana annoyed, and I promptly reached for her, saying, "Ana, just leave it"... Reluctantly, she let it go... "Bad trade," said Ananaya sadly... And that's just about when things seemed to take a bit of a turn... There were members of the tribe who were staring heavily at us from a nearby banshy. "Rantubo," I whispered to myself... The Rantubo are like the Special Forces of the Moa 'Ambo tribe. They are the hand-picked protectors of the Nagod, or chieftain, and are known for their ultra-aggressive style and supreme hunting abilities... They are all fierce warriors... The Rantubo commonly travel throughout the territory - essentially functioning like a sort of mobile recon patrol. But as luck would have it, that day they were making camp at the village... I'd been ever aware of the fact that few have actually survived to tell of such an encounter with the Rantubo. My knowledge of these Indians told me that it would be quite natural for us to be devoured - in honor of Chatahok, their serpent god, to which they sacrificed just about everything... (Moa 'Ambo Bonescratch, "Native Woman Sacrifices Newborn to the Serpent God, Chatahok", Etching on Human Femur; West Desolates, Amazonia, 2o5o) My first objective was to not get us eaten - or nummek't, as was the local parlance... The Moa were all eyeballing Ananaya - making us both even more uneasy than we already were. They seemed to be taking notice of the mystic's presence... Then one of the natives exclaimed, "Gongu Totra!" "Gongu Totra..." The rest of the tribesmen paused for a moment to review the Nagod's reaction. When he nodded, they all began to chant it out easily... "Gongu Totra". Indeed... The translation, loosely: "Witch". They were all calling Ana this now, and she was becoming quite concerned. Even though she did not speak Moambu, it were plain to see that this pertained to her... The Rantubo were intrigued by Ana, studying her up and down... Meanwhile, the Nagod was keeping one eye on me... Then suddenly, he bleated out words that would take me a moment to translate... "Bok! Daya na 'Agrok!" commanded the Nagod... "Mah Gok," uttered Ananaya, her voice laced with concern... "Be still, Ana," I replied... perhaps easier said than done... "Daya na 'Agrok!" The blood... To choose, to decide... The blood will decide... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As always, thanks for watching... Zenn Coming Soon...

Author:	Keenan [ Sat Aug 07, 2010 8:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
Where to begin?? Solid story. Great Dio shots. And a custom style I always enjoy seeing. Thanks for posting this!!

Author:	Cap [ Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:18 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
This is EPIC! The style, the diorama, the customs, and you supplied maps as well, which ring bells with my inner fantasy cartographer. This is huge. Rockage to the stratosphere.

Author:	headandhand [ Mon Aug 09, 2010 1:29 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
Hey thanks, guys. John, thanks - and my pleasure! Eric, inner cartographer? That's awesome, brother. I was hoping to achieve a certain texture by including such. I'm very happy to hear about your tintinnabulation.

Author:	drbindy [ Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:20 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
James, have no fear, you achieved texture, depth, and then some. The lead characters we were introduced to before, and it was fun to start out the adventure with that familiarity. The environment seemed truly alive, the tribe totally vibrant, as I could "hear" the chants just by viewing the pictures, and the stylized photography was perfect for this tale. With the eye candy came a great story that gave me some serious nostalgia for the Sunday morning adventure movies they used to show locally when I was a kid. I don't know if that context can explain the level of compliment offered, but it is intended to be a significant one. Back to the eye candy though, the Cortez damn near stole the show for me, and at a minimum had me at hello. Please get some of your vehicles submitted to the archive at some point - your JCAs await...

Author:	Darko [ Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:12 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
Pretty awesome. Is there a critique thread for the Cortez that I missed?

Author:	headandhand [ Sat Aug 14, 2010 6:42 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
Thanks guys! Dennis, thanks again for noticing those subtler elements. Any one of those Ughas would surely have qualified as an LBC, but when you're doing 20 of them and trying to vary, at the very least, character expression - and after the first dozen or so - it does then begin to garner some intensity, LOL. The "Sunday afternoons' adventure shows", yes I think I get that. They'd had, as I recall, a certain romantic ambiance, (as in Romancing the Stone, not as in Gone With the Wind, of course). If that is what you had meant, I would take that quite well indeed, and thanks.(If you'd meant something else please do expound). As for posting in the gallery, I know that I need to do that, but not so as to be in contention (or even eligible) for any sort of award. Recently someone who wasn't familiar with my customs had looked me up the gallery, and of course, all that stuff's about 2-3 years old now, I think. But you're too kind, brother. There are just too many fantastic vehicle customizers here for me to ever take a remark like that too seriously... It is completely cool of you to say that though. Darko, thank you for checking this out, and a heavy thank you for commenting. In response, no, you haven't missed the Cortez post. I had been (somewhat unconsciously) waiting for a certain indefinite part that would pull it all together for me - in my mind's eye, so to speak - and I believe that I have just found that part. I'm now putting a few "finishing touches" on it and will post it soon. Thanks again, brothers!

Author:	raptor [ Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
I've been looking up all the 2050 stuff here and there all morning. I just wanted to post some appreciation for posting it. The customs range from pretty good to awesome, but the Bios and dios are fantastic. A lot of effort went into making that and I really feel that I reaped the rewards in getting to see it. So in short, good work. - R

Author:	Dark Horse [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 2:16 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
Been waiting on this for a while! Epic. Can't wait for more. Great work, mate.

Author:	Outback 100% Argento [ Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:41 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Zen's Journal: Into Amazonia, Vs. I
Excelent the Story, the photography and the montage, very cool, very detailed.

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