~ two

Approaching the gate, the guard atop the parapet next to ~

Guard 1 - "Ahoy there ... so I should tell ya.  The uh ... 'Mayor' told us to let you out but to let you back in and that's just not ..."  Arrow through the head, he falls off onto the other side.

Guard 2 - Steps out, "Hi !  So you're here to save us !  That is So Cool ... carry on then !"

The gate opens ...

Learner - Yelling up, "Hey do you know what a Gecko Gun is ?"

Guard 2 - "Umm ... no ... are you under arrest ?"

Learner - "No.  It's like a grapple-gun theorized by DARPA, based on the principle of a gecko's footpads which if you don't know, stick to like anything.  And then, it pulls me up like a frog's tongue, reverted to its original length via electrification.  

 

"The Gecko Gun.  It's for reals."

 

Explorer - "See that I actually understood."

Guard 2 - "Oh !  ...  What's a Darpa ?"

 

Learner - "Thought so.  It means I was just being polite not coming up there right now and punching you in the socket, or just pulling your smart ass down here to me." (optional)  "Don't.  Need.  Your Damn.  Gate !"

Explorer - "And I can fly."

Guard - "Hmmm ... Gecko Gun ... hey is that supposed to be your ... 'companion' ?"  Gigglesnort.

 

Learner - "Absolutely.  Isn't it awesome !?" 

Explorer - "I like to eat eyeballs."

 

Guard 2 - "Uh ... yeah I guess if you're into that sort of thing.  ...  Carry on then."

 

Through the gate it slams hard behind.  You can take the dead guard's stuff, rifle service pistol and blade.  And ... a note from the Mayor ordering the exile of the Learner for crimes against humanity.

Learner - "Well that's rude.  And also a total mis ... under ... stan ... ding are you eating that man's eyes !?"

Explorer - "What did I just say."

Learner - "Hmmm ... I guess if it comes with the points ... carry on then."

 

Looking around awaiting the slurping to stop, a camera over of the region, a lot of strange motion of trees and mushrooms.  Strange beasts of a child's imagination (the Founder's 'inner child').

Explorer - "Um."

Ignored ... 

Explorer - "Um."

Learner - Eye twitching ... "That is not a word."

 

The view slams back annoyed to the Learner turning to see, the Explorer bouncing high atop a giant mushroom grimacing a "Meh."  

 

Another surly looking mushroom walks up eating grass ...

Learner - "Ho.  Lee.  Shit."  

Jumps on the patiently annoyed mushroom and starts bouncing ...

 

~ The Many Hours Pass ~

 

('Little Devil Parade' by Lisa)

This song would also be my first pick for the non playable preview.

 

When activated, the Learner has a HUD showing all the nearest jump and grapple points, including to the backs of riding beasts.  Most of these points involve things like walking trees and mushrooms etcetera to be brainstormed by all.

But as all moving jump points which are independently intelligent, this appears as a constantly shifting web from which paths are chosen.  In a filed full, the points are many and the speed become high.  The faster the motion the further the jump points and likelihood of cartwheeling.

~ A unicorn crashes through a charge of demonic javelina.  Small pigs that live in the southern deserts, charging in herd, though small these charges are extremely effective in large number and their given ferocity.

 

Here they're larger (and demonic).  

 

One can jump to and off their backs but they overrun if one falls in the group or in front of the charge.  Usually sticking to the overall path unless forced to dissipate their numbers into the woods. 

________

As the night carries on closer to the point guided to on the map ('Founder's Keep), the woods become darker, and behind the player the wolves start gathering as the moon rises.

Bent werewolves running on fours, seen to be in the length of legs with greater ability to leap, and broad upper-bodies, the females clearly humanly female.  On their so wolven lengthened feet, they occasionally stand upright to re-sight their prey before leaping back to fours in chase.

They begin pouring from the woods all around, while the mushrooms seem to want to help the player's path to the safety of the keep.  Even walking trees, usually uninterested, swipe them from their leaps when they can be reached.

Significantly faster than the player, don't need the flora to leap.

 

('Breathing in Pain' the remix unknown)

 

If they catch you, you'll die and the crow just flew by you safely.

 

Learner - "Coward !" 

 

The nice thing about using songs like these is that it's easy to loop individual parts to time through a player's path regardless of how long it takes.  

 

At the spoken break, the player enters the deeper swamps, an area even in the day overshadowed by thicker and larger trees.  I'd interested in something like Donkey Kong Country, a whole world you could whatever through for secrets without ever touching the ground.

 

We'll see where that goes.

 

Deeper still the torches show light to show the way to the keep, like a small castle grown from the trees themselves over ages, two paths worn into heavy trunk-like horizontal vines off from the far two points of the triangular structure, entry at the front. 

As the torches light the wolves roar their howls before dissipating, only returning if the player leaves their light.  A thick muck surrounding pads of grass extruding to leap here and there to, the more beastly gators watching.