Day 4:
*Kssshk* This is Garry. I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is we made contact with some sentient natives. They’re a bit hunched over, but definitely humanoid. Dark green and purple striped skin. Some of the nerds are arguing whether they were Troglodytes or Merlocks or something… Anyway, we were met in the clearing by them, and thankfully they weren’t overly hostile. Though they were certainly cautious, spears in hand. Our translation expert, along with the help of the translation bot, were able to communicate with them after a little while, and we’ve built up rapport with them. In their language, they call themselves “The Grem”. They even invited us back to their village for dinner and to talk somewhere more comfortable. They’ve been kind so far, and we’ve provided the gifts that the higher ups gave us to them to help them like us more. Their food… was interesting. A slimy blue fruit pulp that smelled like blue raspberry, paired with a spit roasted beattle thing the size of a horse! But, as we aren’t sure if it’s safe to eat this world’s food yet, I stuck to my travel rations. Better to have bland food than have an upset digestion, as I don’t think food poisoning in an alien world would be pleasant. Beatle smelled tasty though. As for the bad news… Jenkins lost 3 men by the river. They got snapped up by some sort of massive fish with a dozen strong legs and hundreds of sharp teeth. It exploded from the river at high speed and caught them off guard. I wouldn’t want to go that way, that’s for sure. They couldn’t catch it, but the higher ups are already thinking up ways to trap it. I call Not It for that mission, by the way. And the even worse news is that Timmy’s entire team went missing. The signal from inside the cave wasn’t good, but from what radio contact and images they did transmit, it seems the cave is inhabited by large blanket-like creatures covered in teeth that hang from the ceiling and drop on you when you walk under them. The last thing we heard was gunfire and screaming… and then nothing. Despite the loss of good men, it seems we’ll get the locals permission to set up permanent buildings, and they’re moderately interested in our arena idea, if the prize is worth it. So… mission accomplished? I guess… sigh Garry, over and out. *Kssshk*
Day 14:
*Kssshk* This is Thomas, leader of Reconnaissance Team Tango-19. So far, Cascadia is reminding me more and more of all those fantasy books my younger brother used to gush about. All the buildings and cities look like they came out of the middle ages. Based on the maps we got from the locals, it seems they only know of one continent on this world, surrounded by a massive ocean with a few island clusters. On land, I’ve seen men in full plate armor riding horses into battle against Ogres, and have heard of dragons ruling over the northern mountains. Pirates and giant sea monsters roam the seas. It’s pure madness. How can any man feel confident in himself knowing there are creatures 10 times his size that would gleefully crush or eat you whole? But, the citizens are just going about their lives behind their thick stone walls as if they didn’t have a care in the world. One thing’s for sure though, they have plenty of good candidates for our arenas. Master Swordsman, Expert Archers, and all the other types of people you’d expect in a fantasy world. They even have actual Magic! Though, the nerds back at headquarters keep trying to come up with explanations of how it “actually works”. All I know is, if a man can make a fireball in his hand and use it to blow up the side of a mountain, then it’s Magic. Plain and simple. Anyways, the King of “The Kingdom of Mardessa”, the land the portal opened in, is very interested in trading with us. He’s a shrewd and greedy man, but we can work with that. He’s given us permission to start building our facilities and the arena, and will be happy to send out a call across the lands for skilled fighters to sign up when we finish building it. But, he’s demanded both a fee from us, and also a cut from the winnings of anyone who survived the arena. For now, this is our best option. Perhaps once we’re better established here, we could consider taking over these lands. I doubt their bows and swords could do much against guns and artillery fire, once our scientists know how Magic works and how to stop it. But for now, we’re making steady progress. And I’m sure that as long as I’m in charge, I’ll be getting huge bonuses for capturing all the different monsters this land has to offer! After a year or two, I’ll retire and buy an island! Margaritas on the beach for the rest of my days… It’s good to be in charge. Thomas, signing out. *Kssshk*
