Dairine Regan Callahan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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paradisa2013-06-28 05:16 pm
wizard_redfive) wrote in paradisa2013-06-28 05:16 pm
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Syntax Error 34
[Filtered away from First Gens, those aliens who landed in Terre Haute, exc.]
I know that some, scratch that, most of you probably don’t want to think about last week. But if Paradisa has taught me anything over the past year, there’s no pain without gain. Or, to put it differently, everything provides an opportunity to learn. And with the castle repeating old themes these days, we should definitely take notes. Now, since we were separated for most of the trip, I propose we round up all the things we learned over and share them here.
I’ll start off since I’m pretty used to this dinosaur business, but please do chime in as we go: especially if you were on the ship or Tembro’s team. I'll add more things as we go.
[The next section is written down.]
Brief history: As many might have read or even experienced, many years ago the castle residents went through a similar ordeal. They were transported to a place called Jurassic Park, made by InGen as a dinosaur theme park. Predictably, things took a turn for the worst, and residents had to try and survive in Dinoland. This incident was later buried in the notes and distant memories of those who went through it, who I suspect would be quite happy to leave it gathering dust. However, an expedition to Lastlook brought into question how far away these prehistoric creatures actually were. On the beach, we were attacked by a large pack of Phorusrhacids, or Terror Birds. Terror Birds are flightless, carnivorous birds that were native to the Americas during the Cenozoic Era. These also had the InGen logo branded into them, implying they too had come from the same source as the creatures in Jurassic Park. How they got there is currently unknown.
Summary: Residents woke up in three different spots: a cruise liner or two separate campsites on Isla Sorna. One was supposed to capture dinosaurs for InGen. The other (mine) was supposed to research their behavior on Hammond’s behalf, in hopes they could keep living on the island undisturbed. Both campsites had InGen equipment. We had one and a half relatively calm days, where we could watch herbivores' feeding habits or prepare supplies. Then on the second night, a pair of adult T-Rexes attacked the research camp, attracted by the injured baby Rex Sarah Harding had brought in earlier. They roughed up a couple of trailers, but thankfully there were no casualities. Between the research team and the other team arriving, the T-Rexes were driven off.
Both teams stayed at the camp overnight. We woke up to find a rain storm and a group of compsognathus in our camp. Soon though, one of the T-Rexes returned, and our group split up again. One half ran to a cave near the river, where Ms. Harding had found shelter. The T-Rex followed close behind. We stayed inside until an shockwave shook the cave, returning any powers to the residents. Sadly, this also caused the untimely demise of Sarah Harding. A small group of residents went out to confront the T-Rex, who was eventually stopped. The group waited out the night in the cave.
The next morning, we received a message from the cruise ship that they would pick us up. We had 24 hours to meet them at the given location.
Once we reached the boats, InGen representative were quick to apologize for the, in their words, “mix up.” As compensation, they promised a week long stay in San Diego (which by the way, we did not get). We were brought to San Diego, where we stayed for the next day. HOWEVER, that evening an docked cargo ship was torn up by the remaining adult T-Rex, who had been inside the ship. He went to the city for food and water, causing property damage and general chaos, but was thankfully distracted from eating the civilians. InGen then recaptured the dinosaur and supposedly sent him back to his island home. Not the most heroic of actions, since it was them who brought him there in the first place.
The Five Deaths: An island chain near Paradisa's San Diego. Natives were mentioned by Sarah Harding, though whether they still live there is questionable. Unknown if other islands also house dinosaurs or something else.
Isla Sorna: The largest of the Five Deaths. The terrain is a thick, temperate jungle. Spotted Redwood and rubber trees. For plant and soil samples, contact Dairine Callahan. This island is now being used as a nature preserve for Hammond’s creations.
John Hammond: Creator of InGen's dinosaurs and previous leader of InGen. Although he apparently selected the research group, physically he appears to have been absent during this event.
Peter Ludlow: Current CEO of InGen, and nephew of Hammond. Has less respect for the dinosaurs than his uncle and even fewer brains. Presumably the one who ordered the T-Rex to be brought to San Diego. Anybody know why?
Sarah Harding: Sent by Hammond to research the behaviors of the dinosaurs in order to protect them. Intelligent, brave, dedicated, and very passionate about her work. She cared strongly for the dinosaurs she was studying as well as her fellow researchers. Sometimes this lead her to more questionable decisions, like healing the baby T-Rex despite the risks. But she also did her best to keep the rest of her team alive. Sarah put aside her safety to help others. She died by T-Rex.
Roland Tembo: In charge of the team capturing dinosaurs. Gruff, a good fighter, but nice enough I guess. Anyone from the other group want to elaborate?
InGen: The company behind the dinosaurs and Jurassic Park. No longer under the leadership of Hammond, but his nephew. As illustrated numerous times, InGen is very good at making a mess and then hushing things up. Interestingly, both island groups had InGen equipment.
Dinosaurs: A wide range of prehistoric saurian life that dominated Earth for over 135 million years. Most were larger than modern creatures. It is widely believed that they died out due to an asteroid strike, though other theories exists. Those that survived evolved into the birds and reptiles we know today.Unless we're talking about non-Earth saurian species or those in that parallel Earth... nevermind.
The dinosaurs created by InGen differed slightly from their predecessors. While the brute strength and nurturing instincts are still there, much of the intelligence is not. They might not have yet evolved into the "Wise Ones" the manual knows. Oddly unresponsive to the Speech. I could have gotten more out of a rock, despite mineral life not being my specially. Is this the result of a species wide muting, and/or have they not yet reached the sentience of their original ancestors? If they were under a muting spell, who or what cast it? Or perhaps they simply were unwilling to speak to an outsider. Will test this further on resident Terror Bird.
Since these dinosaurs appear to have not yet reached sentience, it remains uncertain which version of the Choice applies to them, or whether it applies at all. They acted more like animals than the Lone One’s servants, which is a plus. Recreation gives second chances? Only time will tell.
Stegosauruses: One pack sighted. Originally alive in North America during the late Jurassic Period. Plant-eater. Has a distictive array of plates on its back and a spiked tail to fight off predators.
Pachycephalosaurus: One pack sighted by Harding. The largest thick-headed dinosaur. Plant-eater.
Compsognathus: One pack spotted. The smallest carnivore at only 10 inches. Compys are not terribly aggressive and will gladly scavenge for food as well as hunt. When hunting, they prefer to attack in groups. Their bite may be narcotic. I wouldn't suggest testing it.
Tyrannosaurus rex: The "Tyrant Lizard King," better known as T-Rex. One of the most well known carnivorous dinosaurs. Despite its small arms, its muscles and senses are strong and well suited for hunting. Has binocular vision and a highly-sensitive sense of smell. These InGen-made Rexes oddly seem unable to see still lifeforms. Three spotted. Details below.
I know that some, scratch that, most of you probably don’t want to think about last week. But if Paradisa has taught me anything over the past year, there’s no pain without gain. Or, to put it differently, everything provides an opportunity to learn. And with the castle repeating old themes these days, we should definitely take notes. Now, since we were separated for most of the trip, I propose we round up all the things we learned over and share them here.
I’ll start off since I’m pretty used to this dinosaur business, but please do chime in as we go: especially if you were on the ship or Tembro’s team. I'll add more things as we go.
[The next section is written down.]
Jurassic Park: Part II
WHY THE ISLANDS OF FIVE DEATHS ARE NOT A GOOD VACATION SPOT
WHY THE ISLANDS OF FIVE DEATHS ARE NOT A GOOD VACATION SPOT
Brief history: As many might have read or even experienced, many years ago the castle residents went through a similar ordeal. They were transported to a place called Jurassic Park, made by InGen as a dinosaur theme park. Predictably, things took a turn for the worst, and residents had to try and survive in Dinoland. This incident was later buried in the notes and distant memories of those who went through it, who I suspect would be quite happy to leave it gathering dust. However, an expedition to Lastlook brought into question how far away these prehistoric creatures actually were. On the beach, we were attacked by a large pack of Phorusrhacids, or Terror Birds. Terror Birds are flightless, carnivorous birds that were native to the Americas during the Cenozoic Era. These also had the InGen logo branded into them, implying they too had come from the same source as the creatures in Jurassic Park. How they got there is currently unknown.
Summary: Residents woke up in three different spots: a cruise liner or two separate campsites on Isla Sorna. One was supposed to capture dinosaurs for InGen. The other (mine) was supposed to research their behavior on Hammond’s behalf, in hopes they could keep living on the island undisturbed. Both campsites had InGen equipment. We had one and a half relatively calm days, where we could watch herbivores' feeding habits or prepare supplies. Then on the second night, a pair of adult T-Rexes attacked the research camp, attracted by the injured baby Rex Sarah Harding had brought in earlier. They roughed up a couple of trailers, but thankfully there were no casualities. Between the research team and the other team arriving, the T-Rexes were driven off.
Both teams stayed at the camp overnight. We woke up to find a rain storm and a group of compsognathus in our camp. Soon though, one of the T-Rexes returned, and our group split up again. One half ran to a cave near the river, where Ms. Harding had found shelter. The T-Rex followed close behind. We stayed inside until an shockwave shook the cave, returning any powers to the residents. Sadly, this also caused the untimely demise of Sarah Harding. A small group of residents went out to confront the T-Rex, who was eventually stopped. The group waited out the night in the cave.
The next morning, we received a message from the cruise ship that they would pick us up. We had 24 hours to meet them at the given location.
Once we reached the boats, InGen representative were quick to apologize for the, in their words, “mix up.” As compensation, they promised a week long stay in San Diego (which by the way, we did not get). We were brought to San Diego, where we stayed for the next day. HOWEVER, that evening an docked cargo ship was torn up by the remaining adult T-Rex, who had been inside the ship. He went to the city for food and water, causing property damage and general chaos, but was thankfully distracted from eating the civilians. InGen then recaptured the dinosaur and supposedly sent him back to his island home. Not the most heroic of actions, since it was them who brought him there in the first place.
Further Notes
The Five Deaths: An island chain near Paradisa's San Diego. Natives were mentioned by Sarah Harding, though whether they still live there is questionable. Unknown if other islands also house dinosaurs or something else.
Isla Sorna: The largest of the Five Deaths. The terrain is a thick, temperate jungle. Spotted Redwood and rubber trees. For plant and soil samples, contact Dairine Callahan. This island is now being used as a nature preserve for Hammond’s creations.
John Hammond: Creator of InGen's dinosaurs and previous leader of InGen. Although he apparently selected the research group, physically he appears to have been absent during this event.
Peter Ludlow: Current CEO of InGen, and nephew of Hammond. Has less respect for the dinosaurs than his uncle and even fewer brains. Presumably the one who ordered the T-Rex to be brought to San Diego. Anybody know why?
Sarah Harding: Sent by Hammond to research the behaviors of the dinosaurs in order to protect them. Intelligent, brave, dedicated, and very passionate about her work. She cared strongly for the dinosaurs she was studying as well as her fellow researchers. Sometimes this lead her to more questionable decisions, like healing the baby T-Rex despite the risks. But she also did her best to keep the rest of her team alive. Sarah put aside her safety to help others. She died by T-Rex.
Roland Tembo: In charge of the team capturing dinosaurs. Gruff, a good fighter, but nice enough I guess. Anyone from the other group want to elaborate?
InGen: The company behind the dinosaurs and Jurassic Park. No longer under the leadership of Hammond, but his nephew. As illustrated numerous times, InGen is very good at making a mess and then hushing things up. Interestingly, both island groups had InGen equipment.
Dinosaurs: A wide range of prehistoric saurian life that dominated Earth for over 135 million years. Most were larger than modern creatures. It is widely believed that they died out due to an asteroid strike, though other theories exists. Those that survived evolved into the birds and reptiles we know today.
The dinosaurs created by InGen differed slightly from their predecessors. While the brute strength and nurturing instincts are still there, much of the intelligence is not. They might not have yet evolved into the "Wise Ones" the manual knows. Oddly unresponsive to the Speech. I could have gotten more out of a rock, despite mineral life not being my specially. Is this the result of a species wide muting, and/or have they not yet reached the sentience of their original ancestors? If they were under a muting spell, who or what cast it? Or perhaps they simply were unwilling to speak to an outsider. Will test this further on resident Terror Bird.
Since these dinosaurs appear to have not yet reached sentience, it remains uncertain which version of the Choice applies to them, or whether it applies at all. They acted more like animals than the Lone One’s servants, which is a plus. Recreation gives second chances? Only time will tell.
Species of note:
Stegosauruses: One pack sighted. Originally alive in North America during the late Jurassic Period. Plant-eater. Has a distictive array of plates on its back and a spiked tail to fight off predators.
Pachycephalosaurus: One pack sighted by Harding. The largest thick-headed dinosaur. Plant-eater.
Compsognathus: One pack spotted. The smallest carnivore at only 10 inches. Compys are not terribly aggressive and will gladly scavenge for food as well as hunt. When hunting, they prefer to attack in groups. Their bite may be narcotic. I wouldn't suggest testing it.
Tyrannosaurus rex: The "Tyrant Lizard King," better known as T-Rex. One of the most well known carnivorous dinosaurs. Despite its small arms, its muscles and senses are strong and well suited for hunting. Has binocular vision and a highly-sensitive sense of smell. These InGen-made Rexes oddly seem unable to see still lifeforms. Three spotted. Details below.
Female: Attacked the research camp looking for her baby, then later chased half the group into a cave. Stopped by a blond fellow with wings and horns. Care to give me a name?
Male: Also attacked research camp with mate. Later brought to San Diego via cargo ship where he got loose. Found in Downtown. Less responsive than female, but also less angry. Willing to cooperate unless you take away its food. Was returned to Isla Sorna in one piece.
Baby: Leg injured when captured. Harding released it and set the leg before returning it to its parents. Location and status, unknown. (Please tell me none of you babynapped him, that would be unnecessarily cruel to all parties involved.)
Male: Also attacked research camp with mate. Later brought to San Diego via cargo ship where he got loose. Found in Downtown. Less responsive than female, but also less angry. Willing to cooperate unless you take away its food. Was returned to Isla Sorna in one piece.
Baby: Leg injured when captured. Harding released it and set the leg before returning it to its parents. Location and status, unknown. (Please tell me none of you babynapped him, that would be unnecessarily cruel to all parties involved.)
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