Yes, it's a really fun system. Glad you liked it. :)
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Alright, unfortunately it seems like this game has run out of steam. It happens sometimes--no hard feelings! It was fun while it lasted. Thanks for playing, everybody. I'll mark it as inactive sometime later today.
Helen, are you still around? I'll keep going if it's still three of you.
I will be on a cruise next week from 4/1-4/6 without Internet access. It will likely take me till the following Monday or Tuesday to get caught up and resume posting.
As Henry searches the room, he accidentally kicks something shiny across the room. It falls into the water with a plop before he gets a good look at what it might have been...
The dog wags its tail again. It drops the keys at its feet as it takes the bone from Jen, holding it in its mouth.
Kicked under a table in the corner of the room is a large, plastic bone!
The dog eyes Henry and Jen as they approach. It wags its tail, but maintains its grip on the keys. It turns its head, then turns back. It seems like it wants something, but maybe not the stick that Henry is offering.
You pass under another bridge, and after a few more turns, the ride's track heads into a jail area. Two cells hang open, the animatronic pirates that are supposed to be inside likely some of the ones you encountered running amok previously. In a corner, an animatronic dog sits with a ring of keys in its mouth.
Sorry, got caught up in some other games. I will post by Monday morning for sure!
Unmoved by Jen's orders, the pirate lunges at her, but she braces herself and kicks the metal menace with all of her might. The pirate staggers back and splashes into the water, sparks flying as it thrashes and shorts out! The map that she snatched from the pirate seems to depict the attraction's layout. In the final treasure room at the end of the ride, an X is marked beneath the throne. There is a deep rumbling noise, and the ground shudders for a few moments. "Whoa! Was that an earthquake?" Greg asks.
Henry's hurled projectile wraps around the pirate's head, momentarily blinding it. Jen uses the distraction to dive past it and snatch the map from its hands. "Yarr! I've been hornswaggled!" the pirate declares. It rips the sports bag to pieces, eyes glowing with red menace! What do you do?
"There is a treasure room at the very end, right before the exit," Lizzie whispers.
Your haggard band of survivors continues on along the ride's path. You pass by a few other boats filled with the gory remains of guests that the pirates have ripped apart. Ahead, the boats pass under a bridge. On the side of the bridge, a single pirate sits on a barrel with a treasure map spread across his lap and a key in his hand. "Oh, yes! It's the treasure map for sure, and no mistake. We will take back what were stolen from us and be whole once again. I tell you once, landlubbers, you'll never find the treasure without a look at this here map... and this lovely key to the treasure room. Har har har!" It's unclear if the pirate is talking to you or just reading his pre-scripted lines.
Gomez replies to Helen. "Yes. There is great magic in Mouse Park, if you know how to call upon it," he says ominously. "We cannot risk letting those murderous atuomatons escape into the park at large. If you could find some way to stop their rampage, then we might be able to reevaluate our options. But I cannot count on that happening, so in the meantime, we will proceed with our original plans..." Gomez is silent as Mortimer goes on a tirade. At length, he replies, the slightest bit of a quaver in his voice. "Mr. Isney, I did not realize you were among the guests there. Of course, I will send Ethan in at once to do what he can to help." "ME?!?" you hear Ethan squeak in the distance. "But I--!" Gomez terminates the connection, cutting off any further comments. There is no response to any further attempts at communication.
"An unfortunate consequence. I can assure you that your next of kin will be fairly compensated for your sacrifice," Gomez says calmly.
Gomez hesitates before responding. "This is not the first time an attraction at Mouse Park has malfunctioned beyond repair. There are certain...methods known to Upper Management to remove the blemish from our facilities and uphold our pristine reputation. I'm afraid Pirates' Landing is past its prime, and it must be retired."
Patting his pockets, Henry discovers a colorful band-aid with the smiling visage of Mr. Mouse on it. Not knowing what else to do, he places it on Helen's burned cheek. Somehow, it makes her feel a little better.
Another voice sounds over Helen's radio. "Ms. Whittle? This is Blake Gomez, from Upper Management," he says, his voice smooth and calm. "We are working to keep the situation contained. I would advise finding a safe place to hunker down and not expose yourself or the guests to potential harm. If you just sit tight, I can promise this will all be over soon."
With the women released, you rush ahead around the corner before the other animatronic pirates can return. You're lucky to have survived that harrowing encounter. Still, Helen is badly wounded. Her radio crackles to life. "Helen? Helen, it's Ethan. Wh-what's happening in there?"
I was waiting to see if Helen or Jen would post. I will update in the morning regardless.
It looks like Mortimer is going to be too slow to dodge the rolling barrel, but a moment before striking the lawyer, it slows down signficantly. Instead of breaking his leg with the impact, it simply bounces off of it and wobbles to a stop. Mortimer will have a nasty bruise, but it could have been a lot worse. It's a miracle!
The pirate's metal claws rip through Helen's coveralls, digging deep bloody gashes in her stomach, but with Jen's help, the mechanic is able to shove the hefty animatronic into the water. It sparks and spasms as the water wreaks havoc on its internal motors.
"Hurry, before they come back!" Lizzie shouts. She and Greg move to start unshackling the captive women.
The pirate turns towards Mortimer as he emerges from hiding. With a snarl, he hurls the heavy barrel at the lawyer! He's succeeded in causing a distraction, but now a massive plaster barrel is rolling towards him at an alarming rate of speed!
Helen and Henry both rush in at the auctioneer. His pistol goes off, and while no bullet is actually loaded, sparks and flames shoot out, scorching the side of Helen's face! Her skin chars painfully, but she continues her charge.
Henry hits first, going low and shoulder checking the animatronic pirate. Its metal body gives way slightly, and it wavers unsteadily on its feet. Helen then smashes it on the head with her wrench, knocking it completely off-balance. The pirate pinwheels its arms and cries out as it plummets into the ride's waterway. Electricity crackles and smoke and sparks shoot from the animatronic before it falls inert. The remaining pirate lets out a staticky squeal and raises the barrel over his head, prepared to strike!
The two pirates turn their angry glares on Henry as he swaggers forward. The auctioneer pirate levels his pistol at the man. It doesn't look like they're falling for his bluff!
Definitely Be Bold and Daring if they are unaware of your presence. After you make the first attempt to push them in, though, then it would be a roll to Break Some Femurs, since they'll be trying to harm you, and you'd have to roll 10+ to be able to physically force them where you want them.
"Why is the rum gooone?" asks Captain Hank as his head rolls across the room. The two pirates who were heading towards you divert towards the head, chasing it as it bounces and skips into the far corner. It gives you a brief window of opportunity to act...
Helen doesn't see anything else here that might be immediately useful, nor does there appear to be anything secret or hidden about the situation. It is straightforward in its danger.
The mechanic's fiddling restores power to Captain Hank's head. His eyes blink open and he spouts one of his catchphrases from the movie. "Why is the rum gone?" Hearing the sound, the other pirates immediately cease their acting. Their blank, painted eyes begin to glow red, and two of them begin stalking towards your location. The auctioneer and the large pirate holding the barrel remain behind with the chained guests... What do you do?
Two of the animatronic pirates turn in the direction of Henry's ventriloquism and stalk off with metal claws bared. Four remain, continuing to play out the auction scene. "Four of them and six of us," Greg says. "Maybe we can take them if we get the drop on them."
Jen notices the auctioneer is waving around a flintlock pistol. It might be just a prop. Then again, it might not...
Peering closer at the mangled animatronic in the water, Helen sees that it is Captain Hank Starling, the main character from a popular series of movies based on the Pirates' Landing ride. This animatronic was added as part of the recent renovations and was not a part of the original ride. There must be a reason why it was destroyed... Captain Hank's head has been ripped off of his body. It is easily portable.
You proceed on around the corner and onto the next scene in the ride. Another boat sits stalled in the water with the corpses of a few guests staring blankly at the ceiling. Curiously, though, the smashed and mangled remains of a few animatronic pirates also poke out of the water. Ahead, a half-dozen pirates cluster around an auction block, where several women are chained up. But the women are humans--guests that the pirates have captured and shackled! They sob and cry as the pirates act out their scripted scene. "Ahoy there, swabbies. What be yer offer for this winsome wench here? Shift yer cargo, dearie, and show 'em yer larboard side!" The auctioneer slaps the nearest woman on the bottom, causing her to yelp in pain. The other pirates laugh. "Ye sellin' her by the pound? She's a right whale, she is! Thar, she blows!" "We wants the redhead! The redhead!" Caught up in their scene, the pirates haven't noticed you yet. Lizzie whispers, "This is one of the scenes they were supposed to have replaced after everybody started complaining! Why are they still doing it?"
Lizzie kneels on the other side of Jen and takes her hand. "Stay with me, Jen. We can't get out of here without you. We... I need you."
The pirate suddenly stops. You can hear the servos in its joints whirring softly as it stares blankly ahead. Without another word, it turns around and marches back around the corner and out of sight. "Wow, how did you do that?" Lizzie asks in awe. You're not sure why that worked, but you're probably lucky that it did.
The pirate stalks forward, completely unmoved by Helen's attempt at intimidation. It seems these machines cannot be reasoned with. They only seek death and destruction...
Helen and Henry manage to jam the door shut, but in the time it takes to do so, something comes around the corner of the path ahead. A burly animated pirate with broad shoulders and a prodigious gut carries a barrel of rum under one arm. He stops and stares at you, eyes gleaming red in the dim light of the attraction. "Where do ye think ye're goin'?" he asks menacingly... What do you do?
As the pirates close, Henry grabs Helen's hand and tugs both her and Greg through. They slam the door shut behind them, ahead of the animatronics' grasping hands. The pirates slam against the door, but it's holding--for now. "Thanks! That was too close!" Greg says, sweat dripping from his brow. There's a bend in the waterway ahead. You can see another empty boat, and hear voices around the corner--laughing punctuated by the occasional sob.
I'll let it apply retroactively. I'll update in a little while. :)
Yes, you could try that trick.
Opposite side.
You quickly and quietly attempt to move past the pirates without them noticing you. Lizzie squeezes Jen's hand tightly as the two of them make it past. Henry and Mortimer follow in their wake, slipping by without incident. That leaves Helen and Greg. The wounded teen staggers behind the mechanic as the two of them attempt to be stealthy. They're both almost in the clear when the pain from Greg's injury flares up. Despite himself, he can't suppress his groan. The pirates suddenly orient on the noise, glaring in your direction. "Oy! Look alive, mateys! We've got some landlubbers tryin' to escape!" "Gut 'em like fish!" another shouts, raising a bloody cutlass! What do you do?
I'll wait till everybody rolls their checks to get past the pirates to determine what happens. Still need rolls for Jen and Mortimer.
With Henry's advice, Helen's tinkering bears fruit. The lights begin to flicker and pulse, and the musical track slurs and glitches. The pirates glare at the "malfunctioning" equipment, servos in their joints whirring softly. "Avast! Thar be a gremlin in the works!" one says. "It be throwing off me groove!" another one complains.
Helen spots a panel on the wall that controls the audiovisual components of this scene. She might be able to use it to create a diversion.
If you succeed on FINDING SOMETHING THERE THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE, then you can find a panel like that.
Wrong lever! I don't even know why we have that lever!
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