The Adventure

[Kikacat123]

I hope that you like this one. You are going on an adventure. Your goal is to find the hidden city of Atlantis. The problem is, you have enough food and water for your journey, but the only other things you have are a 200 foot coil of nylon rope, a full box of matches, a knife, a backpack, a fold up tent, a long walking stick, and your wits. You will face many dangers as you travel. It is your job to avoid the dangers and decipher the clues that will lead you to the Lost City of Atlantis. The way this game is played is simple, but there are a few rules.

1. I will periodically give you a clue or an obstacle to solve or evade.

2. The story will only continue when someone solves the riddle or figures out how to get past the obstacle.

3. When you have an obstacle, you must get past it using only the items that have been given to you.

4. There are ten obstacles and ten clues. If you solve all of them, you win the game!

5. Everyone can work together to solve riddles or obstacles. Go teamwork!

Your first clue is this:

I have a bed but do not sleep, have a mouth but do not eat, have a bank but have no cash, have no legs but run quite fast. What am I?

There you are! Now, go and reach that city!

[Kikacat123]

Okay, forget my obscure, complicated plan. Most of your methods would work, I am just being picky.

On with the adventure!

Thinking quickly, you cram some food from your pack into the propulsion device and blast it past the shark. Just as it is about to eat the merman, the sudden movement catches its eye. The behemoth swivels its enormous head around to face the food, giving you a golden opportunity to grab your knife. Perhaps you can blind it in an eye or slash its nose so it cannot smell you out! While the shark hungrily devours the food, you creep up behind it, inching closer...closer...closer... Lifting your knife high, you slice downward forcefully. The shark's eyes dilate and it begins to thrash in agony, swirling the blood of its wounded nose with the water in garish stripes. You try to swim to escape, but the shark, enraged by your audacity to attack it, whips around and prepares to swallow you whole! Is this the end?

At the last second, the merman shoves you out of the way. You watch helplessly as monstrous jaws snap around the merman's scaly neck. You fear you are going to be next, but, surprisingly, the shark swims away with unimaginable speed until it is just a menacing speck in the distance.

Your tears mix with the saltwater as the merman's body floats gently to the sandy bottom. You knew your adventure would not always be happy, but it still pains you to think of how the merman sacrificed his life to save you. As you start getting ready to resurface and journey back home, you feel an icy band around your neck. It tightens, and a stiff voice says, "Save your false tears for the trial, Land-dweller. You will pay for murdering one of our brethren!" Your last memory is gasping for air before you black out.

***

You awake in a rigid chair with the taste of underwater-breathing seaweed in your mouth. Surrounding you is a roomy, cavernous stadium filled with merpeople. An official-looking one raps a rock on her desk and calls the assembly to order. You are reminded of the time you had to serve jury duty. The setup here is very similar, but with (you gulp) the merman's body in the center of the room as a piece of gory evidence. "The alleged murderer is awake," The official merwoman announces. "Let the trial begin."

Now, adventurers, it is up to you to defend your innocence. How can you convince the merpeople that you were not guilty of murder?

Please write an accusing and defending argument for the trial. The best one shall be used as your case. Remember, all evidence must be true!

Begin!

Edited December 9, 2013 by Kikacat123

[plasmid]

We're writing both the accusing and defending arguments?

If we get to decide what the prosecutor's arguments will be, this should be an easy defense.

[Kikacat123]

Sorry, I meant one person writes an accusing argument and another writes the defending one. I should have clarified.

[plasmid]

"Young sir or madam, if it were not for your actions, would the merman whose remains are before you still be alive?"

*Realizes after saying this that it might or might not even be relevant*

*Searches for book on Atlantean law to find out how they define murder*

*Realizes that underwater critters have no feathers and therefore the Atlanteans never developed the quill and paper, and therefore never went on to write law books*

*Acts like I knew that all along*

[kestrelknight]

*ahem*

Well, no, actually. I seriously doubt it.

Before I begin to tell you why, however, I would like to direct you to the remains of my dear friend... er... Steve... *cough* I mean, *sniffle*

Just minutes/hours/days ago, I witnessed his tragic demise... *sniffle* And I would like to point out that my bestie Steve's body sank. Now, human bodies float. And animal bodies usually float. So why would he sink?

Anyway, Steve... *sniffle* Sorry, I'm just hit with... with the tragedy of his death. Steve would have been killed by that shark even if I had not been there. And even if he died because of me, this was not an act of murder on by part. This was my friend - nay, my BROTHER! - giving up his life for mine. *sniffle* This was a gift that I have no choice but to accept.

If you intend to imprison/execute me for something I had no say in... Well... You. Repel. Me.

(Besides, how would you know that humans aren't invincible with extraordinary strength?)

[Kikacat123]

"Don't pretend to be sorrowful! This was an act of murder! Were you not discovered at the scene of the crime with a weapon?"

[kestrelknight]

Hol'up, hol'up, hold UP. You think *I* killed him!? Wow, don't you people know how to analyse blood? My knife had shark blood on it, not merman blood! Sheesh, learn some science...

I mean, uh, yes... I was found at the scene of Steve's death with a weapon, but the only death I caused was that of a vicious, soulless beast at the defence of myself and my friend. Speaking of which, did you guys not find its body?

[Kikacat123]

The court has no idea where this fanciful sea monster of which you speak resides, besides which, why were you and "Steve" near it in the first place?

[phaze]

"Steve" asked me to follow him. Either he reasoned that it was expedient to go near the beast or meeting it was as much of a surprise to him as it was to me. I don't see the relevance of your question to the crime I am accused of, unless you have already acknowledged the shark presence and thus found me not guilty.

[harman]

 

 

 

 

River is the answer