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Amelia Johnson, Chumley Metrodora
Beth, Jenny
[5:17 PM] GM: So ... the setting for this conversation would be after an interesting lecture, by Amelia that Chumley attended, and the after-gather there was an interest in conversation. Some of the images produced were of amazing quality that caught Chumley's attention, so ... I think that is sufficient to get the two of you talking? If you need more from me, let me know and I can fill in more of the background setting.
[5:19 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Hi.
[5:25 PM] Athena: It was images from the lecture itself? Also, does it matter what the lecture topic was?
[6:01 PM] Amelia: Hello there! I hope you enjoyed our little presentation.
[6:52 PM] Chumley Metrodora: I did, Some of the images particularly had my attention.
[6:56 PM] Amelia: That's wonderful to hear. I especially enjoyed working on images for this project. Our iconic bridges are just so beautiful and full of rich historical significance.
[6:58 PM] Amelia: Of course I can't take all the credit. My friend Jenny helped with this one.
[6:59 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Maybe we can all get coffee some time and talk about some of these images for a while.
[7:28 PM] Amelia: Actually, I have a somewhat private event happening tomorrow. It just a hobby of mine, but you might appreciate the artwork. We could talk more there if you like.
[7:29 PM] Amelia hands over a business card with an address written on the back.
[7:29 PM] Amelia: It's just around the block. Will is see you at 3:00?
[9:52 PM] Chumley Metrodora: That sounds lovely, I will see you around 3:00 tomorrow
[10:09 PM] Amelia: I have reserved a hotel ballroom for her little side-project. The display there is massive. A series of tables together hold up a small scale model of a civil war era siege at Vicksburg. It takes up almost the entire room and it includes every detail of the city inside and out. Everything is to scale with a perfect representation of each building, soldier, barricade and weapon. Along the walls are photo-realistic color images of skirmishes that likely happened during the final assault of the city. The life-like details of these scenes are even more eye-catching than the stills displayed during the previous day's lecture. There are not many people in attendance this time, and Amelia herself is just casually standing around watching the other guests.
[10:51 PM] GM: Quietly applauds.
[7:40 AM] Chumley Metrodora: Approaching Amelia.
[7:40 AM] Chumley Metrodora: Hello, again.
[7:41 AM] Chumley Metrodora: Can you walk me through this wonderful model?
[9:33 AM] Amelia: Hello again! Umm... I still don't know your name yet...
[11:31 AM] Chumley Metrodora: Oh, right... I guess I should introduce myself.
[11:31 AM] Chumley Metrodora: I am Chumley
[11:31 AM] Chumley Metrodora: I am an engineer for Kodak, in the research labs.
[12:29 PM] Amelia: It's a pleasure to meet you, Chumley.
[12:29 PM] Amelia: This little bit of art you see took me quite a while to build, but I'm proud of it. What you see here is the famous battle of Vicksburg. This was a pivotal point in the war. Defeat here spelled the beginning of the end for the southern states resistance.
[12:31 PM] Amelia: This scene is a less than halfway through the siege. Northern forces set up encampments here points here points and there points and across the river there and there.
[12:32 PM] Amelia walks around pointing at little clusters of figures.
[12:34 PM] Amelia: They launched bombardments mostly at night from here points and here points. The whole thing lasted for over 40 days.
[12:48 PM] Chumley stares seemingly off into space for a moment. While referencing details about the battle of Vicksburg, on his headset.
[12:49 PM] Chumley Metrodora: 40 days, was a long siege for the time, but if you look at the Europeans, some of those castles would be under siege for years.
[12:50 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Were there any hints Vicksburg had tunnels, or other ways in and out, that the north might not have seen, or known about.
[12:53 PM] Amelia: Certainly, yes, but only by land. That was not much help when they were so close to the undeveloped frontier. The opposing army had effectively blocked all imports coming by water, and that was devastating.
[12:56 PM] Amelia points to the edges of the river where tiny boats sit idle.
[1:19 PM] Chumley Metrodora Gesturing at the map: I wonder if there is anything interesting in this area they might have slipped out into the frontier.
[1:21 PM] Amelia blinks and then turns to walk to that section of the table.
[1:24 PM] Amelia: It's interesting you say that because there was in fact a tunnel right here leading to that area. All records show the North knew nothing about it. She points to a tiny mound which on a closer look is clearly a tunnel exit.
[1:25 PM] Amelia: Jenny said there should be a fancy little chest right here, but that makes no sense. I didn't add it.
[1:28 PM] Chumley Metrodora: What does the area look like today?
[1:28 PM] Chumley Metrodora: is it worth going and looking?
[1:28 PM] Amelia shrugs.
[1:29 PM] Amelia: It not something I looked at closely. This was many years ago, and much has changed since then.
[3:15 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Perhaps an expedition is called for to see if this "fancy little chest" is there?
[3:15 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Are there any hints as to what might have been stored in it?
[4:42 PM] Amelia waves her hand dismissively.
[4:42 PM] Amelia: Faerie dust and moonbeams, maybe. It's not a real thing.
[4:43 PM] Amelia: Jenny just does this sometimes. She insists on adding things that don't belong in that place or time period.
[5:08 PM] Chumley Metrodora: You have mentioned Jenny a few times ... who is Jenny?
[5:11 PM] Amelia: Oh, just a friend. She helps me create these beautiful scenes.
[5:13 PM] Amelia: By the end of the siege, there were actually many caves and tunnels. They served different purposes. Often, citizens were just trying to get underground to avoid the explosives.
[5:14 PM] Amelia goes to point out several more underground entrances inside the city.
[5:20 PM] Chumley Metrodora: I wonder what is down in those tunnels now, if anything.
[7:06 PM] GM: If you wanted to go off on the adventure, my world can definitely support it.
[7:08 PM] GM: And yes, there are some interesting tunnels, and some interesting historical things stored there, including a few diaries, and other things that might pull Kiara's attention, should you publish about what you find.
[9:27 AM] Chumley posts in appropriate periodical: Wanted exploring party members, for Civil War era exploration and starts packing bag for trip.
[8:18 PM] Amelia: I wonder.. Maybe there is more to learn there. I hear the Society in Vicksburg is very friendly too.
[8:20 PM] Amelia: Amelia responds to Chumley's post with appropriate contact information and makes plans to meet up again.
[8:29 PM] Amelia: I actually looked up some info about the battle, and I am now ashamed of my BS summary from before. Both Grant and Pemberton were far better at strategy than I will ever be. Things to know going forward - 1) Vicksburg was nowhere close to the ‘frontier'. Supply tunnels wouldn't help because they had to feed and army of 30,000 soldiers who were already low on supplies at the start. 2) River was blocked by basically tanks on water, but ALSO the major railway going east was blocked. I'm going to say that part was too obvious to mention. 3) Caves and tunnels did exist and were in fact inhabited. The city is basically on a hillside and had natural caves to start with.
[8:33 PM] Chumley Metrodora: The appointed time comes... and Amelia and Chumley pack their bags in a Jeep, and begin the journey to the Vicksburg, Mississippi area.
[2:46 AM] GM: Nothing odd happens along the trip down, conversation into and around what Grant and Pemberton were thinking and their possibilities can naturally flow.
[8:14 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Amelia, We are here, where do we want to start our exploration?
[3:13 PM] Amelia holds up a printed map with marked locations.
[3:16 PM] Amelia: There are several cave formations just north of the city here. I looked up some hiking trails that run near them. Are you ready for a little exercise?
[3:37 PM] Chumley Metrodora: I grab my bag from the back, and tuck my firearm into its holster, as we set off.
[3:41 PM] Amelia: I don't think you'd need that. I'm pretty sure all the enemy soldiers are dead by now.
[3:42 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Some habits die hard. You probably did not notice I had it with me the other day when we met, or the time before at your lecture.
[3:43 PM] Chumley Metrodora: It is just un-comfortable to sit with it for long periods. Especially while driving.
[3:45 PM] Amelia: I didn't mind when it was a private event, but the museum does have policies about weapons in the building.
[3:46 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Federal carry conceal permits cut a lot of that red tape.
[3:47 PM] Amelia shrugs and retrieves her own bag from the Jeep. She takes out a small notebook and writes a short message.
[3:49 PM] Amelia: Alright, the trail starts over here. We can stay on it for a couple miles, and then we'll have to look for landmarks toward our first location.
[3:50 PM] Amelia: Oh, I almost forgot.
[3:50 PM] Amelia grabs her sunglasses from the glove box.
[3:51 PM] Chumley Metrodora: And so our Duo sets off down the trail, over there.
[3:58 PM] Amelia: The pace is brisk, but Amelia frequently stops to snap photos and/or type messages into her phone along the way.
[7:00 PM] GM: There are many signs of aging and neglect. A lot of time and careless people have passed, but your sharp eyes and animated conversation pulls together things of more geologic time frames, rather than human time-frames, that Grant and Pemberton, both in their ways, would have taken advantage of, to try and get the better position.
[7:01 PM] GM: You build camaraderie by noticing and calling out the same things. And both of you seem, equally to get distracted sometimes as if lost in thought or as if mentally taking notes.
[9:39 AM] Chumley Metrodora: As we approach the trail head, we begin looking for the landmarks, so we can find the tunnel(s) we are looking for.
[2:47 PM] GM: They are slightly harder to find, than expected, as if some folks have gone out of their way to give them extra concealment, without making them unusable.
[2:49 PM] GM: And there are a few more modern (or very modern) "nests" of human occupation of various sorts in the first few turnings and sections, but after you get in a bit deeper, you can see where the modern incursions trickle off, and you are in the earlier works.
[2:52 PM] GM: The modern nests show evidence of homeless camps, places where teenage children hid their porn stashes, rave/drug hangout areas repainted obviously while altered, etc. in the in use sections, and then when you get deep enough, to where people would have had to work more to get in, that's when you start seeing the period tool-markings still raw on the walls, seeing the human detritus that is more than a century old, and the like.
[3:25 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Presumably as we get further and further into the tunnel, it has become darker. I have pulled a flashlight out so we can see as we proceed further into the tunnel.
[9:49 PM] GM: Down, in a darker, possibly overlooked section, Jenny's map indicates there should be a feeder-line tunnel behind where some shelves seem to be propped in place.
[10:08 PM] Chumley Metrodora: I work with Amelia to move the shelves, and see what is behind.
[7:12 AM] GM: There is definitely a tunnel, with period arms (not in very good condition, rodent gnawed and rusted and the like) what probably is the remains of period food and medical supplies. And a pile of bones just behind where the shelves were, with an obvious hole through the skull, as if said individual had pulled the shelving in place, just before finally collapsing.
[7:40 AM] Chumley Metrodora: Makes a mental note to poke through the bones on the way back, see if there is anything of value. As we start down this side tunnel.
[4:11 PM] Chumley Metrodora: I assume at some point we see something in the tunnel, or come to an opening, doorway, portal, or something?
[8:23 PM] Amelia: As they venture deeper into the tunnels containing older relics, she walks more cautiously, and advises her traveling partner to disturb as little of the remains as possible.
[8:23 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Noted.
[8:24 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Are we concerned there may be traps, or other nasty things?
[8:25 PM] Amelia: she indicates the position of the tunnel for Chumley, but did not credit Jenny with the discovery.
[8:26 PM] Amelia: It's not like in the movies. When you're digging through artifacts, the first rule is to keep as much of it intact as possible. The record must be preserved carefully.
[8:27 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Fair enough,,, we are preserving for later research, and recovery.
[8:30 PM] Amelia: She looks closely at the skull, and writes some notes in her notepad. Can she tell what weapon was used?
[8:34 PM] Amelia: I wonder... were they being chased, or were they defending something here?
[8:38 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Do you want to study this in detail, or would you like to go down this hallway you pointed out?
[8:41 PM] Amelia: We can return to this on the way back. I want to see what's down in this passage. Isn't this exciting?
[8:41 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Very.
[8:42 PM] GM: This tunnel is defence, communications, and supply storage.
[8:42 PM] Chumley Metrodora: With that, we start down the tunnel.
[8:44 PM] Chumley Metrodora: With the knowledge this was used as a defensive position, looking for things that seem different from everything else, or just out of place.
[8:48 PM] GM: After much conversation, gentle searching, with as minimal (and documented) disturbances as possible, you find two treasure troves. One almost entirely intact set of supply boxes, of uniforms, and the accouterments that normally accompany, and a stash of diary or journal books.
[8:51 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Shall we leave these here, and grab them on the way back? Or do you need to take a few minutes to review the diary's and journals?
[8:51 PM] Chumley Metrodora: How many are there? How big are these stashes?
[8:52 PM] Amelia: Well, this makes the whole trip worthwhile, I think. To think no one else thought to look here.
[8:53 PM] Chumley Metrodora: It is certainly a good sign, and this should give you lots of material for publication.
[8:53 PM] Amelia: I want to look at a few of these books for a bit.
[8:54 PM] GM: On the order of 15 journals, in a few different hands.
[8:55 PM] GM: The uniforms and bits would probably cloth about 40-45 people.
[8:56 PM] Amelia: She takes an inventory of each of the boxes, writing notes and taking photos. She tries to send messages back to Jenny. Is the reception here still strong enough to reach her?
[8:57 PM] GM: Interestingly enough, you do have signal.
[9:00 PM] Amelia: If the condition of the books is good enough to read without damaging one, Amelia will spend a little time scanning through the entries in one of the journals.
[9:01 PM] Amelia: Does the tunnel progress deeper still from here?
[9:02 PM] Chumley Metrodora: While Amelia is reading, I will look further at this area of the cave, see if there is anything else of interest, or interesting.
[9:16 PM] Amelia: Do either of us find anything interesting, and noteworthy?
[9:31 PM] GM: Beyond the skill of digging, reinforcing, and apparently animal proofing of this whole section, nothing more of any interest or note.
[9:33 PM] GM: The books are a recounting of some of their daily struggles. Including points of view from "the people (literally) in the trenches".
[9:34 PM] Chumley Metrodora: Shall we continue further down the tunnel? We can collect these things on the way back.
[9:37 PM] Amelia: Alright, let's do that. I'll just hold onto this one for now.
[9:38 PM] Amelia: She carefully wraps and packs the journal she was holding into her bag, and then prepares to venture further down the tunnel.
[9:39 PM] Chumley Metrodora: With that, our intrepid team continues down the tunnel, in search of other things.
[7:01 PM] Chumley Metrodora: As we are making our way down the tunnel, does anything stand out?
[7:02 PM] GM: Alas, that was the only stand-out bit. Further exploration is ... fascinating, conversation is delightful, but ... no other stand-out discoveries down this particular tunnel.