Treustein Forest (Open to all)

[James Ramort]

[USS Discovery | Deck 6 | before Holodeck 3]

He was the first to arrive. That meant he had to walk here from his quarters alone. Walk here in full costume. Accompanied by the faint sounds of metal hitting on metal and wide garbs flowing behind him in the air. He definitely had drawn some eyes on him from other members of the crew, officers on duty and Crewman on their way to their station as the rotation to Gamma Shift was in full swing.
Since he had been assigned to Alpha Shift, this meant he still had multiple hours of time before he would have to return to his station and his uniform. Until then he was able to spend his time like he pleased, and he was thrilled to finally have a go at Discoveries advanced Holodecks.
Talking with some other people in the Mess Hall the other Day he had found he was not alone wanting to try out a new Program and so they had decided to meet in their next free shift and give it a go. He just had arrived a couple of minutes early to set up the program before the others turned up.

The large door to the Holodeck was framed in on its left side by a large console. The main Holodeck controls, he quickly used it to check that his reservation of the Holodeck had indeed been upheld and found all to his satisfaction. The Holodeck was empty and ready to receive the program. Turning to the doors, they opened automatically, revealing the silver outlines with the faintly blueish glowing projectors behind them that formed the Hologrid.

[USS Discovery | Deck 6 | Holodeck 3]

He entered the Holodeck and heard the doors close behind him, their seals engaging to cut out all the small sounds a busy ship like Discovery usually produced and that could have disrupted their illusion.

"Computer, activate Holodeck 3 and configure the following parameters. Load geographic and climatic scene corresponding to Central Europe, circa 1240, Spring. Black Forest Region, specifically the Village of RÁ¶tenbach. Arrange appropriate plants and structures. Set local time to 11:30 am. Create a fitting population for the Village, but freeze until everyone has arrived. Move scene to slightly outside the village on the main road. Create a small camp with supplies and some horses. Load narrative parameters from my personal Files: Entry Holo Import 12 Theta-Europe. Confirm when ready."

Around him the Computer began to pull object after object from the Ships Databank, resulting in a slightly disorienting scene as mountains and forests formed around him. The silver grid above his head made way for a wide open sky, with the warm rays of the sun suddenly shining on his face, slightly blinding him.

As his eyes got used to the brighter scene, he found before him a small camp with multiple tents set up as well as several small crates. Behind it 4 horses were tied to a post, some of them beginning to eat the grass before them. Further behind them, some small clouds of smoke emanated from within the trees, hinting at a clearing populated by humans.

"Set up complete. Holodeck configured to specifications."

With everything prepared, he went to one of the crates and pulled out a small dagger. He didn't want to carry a weapon through the ship, even if regulation technically allowed it, so he had set up the narrative files to include it here. With the dagger now secured to his belt, he sat down in the tent and began waiting for the others to join him.

Far of a Song Trush began to sing its song.

[Vadok Alvarez]

[Holodeck 3 | RÁ¶tenbach Village, Black Forest Region | Central Europe, 1240, Spring]

As Vadok entered Holodeck 3, the automatic doors gracefully closed behind him, sealing off the ambient sounds of the Discovery's bustling corridors. The holographic grid materialized around him, creating the illusion of a picturesque scene from Central Europe circa 1240, in the Black Forest region. The warm sunlight bathed the surroundings as mountains, forests, and a quaint village named RÁ¶tenbach unfolded before his eyes.

Dressed in a medieval ensemble that echoed the fashion of that era, Vadok's attire bore a striking resemblance to the costume worn by a legendary Earth hero in an old classic movie he had once come across "" a valiant knight embarking on a quest for honor and glory. The intricate details of his garb, from the chainmail to the flowing cape, were meticulously crafted to capture the essence of a bygone era.

With a longsword securely fastened to his belt, Vadok surveyed the camp around him. Tents were pitched, crates strategically placed, and four horses idly grazed nearby, their presence adding authenticity to the medieval setting. The distant song of a thrush further enriched the ambiance.

As he immersed himself in the medieval atmosphere, Vadok noticed Lt. Junior Grade James Ramort already present, having taken the initiative to set up this captivating adventure.

"Ah, James! My apologies for my tardiness," Vadok greeted with a friendly nod, a warm smile on his face. "I see you've orchestrated quite the immersive experience for us. Your choice of setting is truly remarkable. I'm eager to delve into this medieval escapade. Shall we await the others before setting forth on our quest?"

[James Ramort]

[Holodeck 3 | RÁ¶tenbach Village, Black Forest Region | Central Europe, 1240, Spring]

[...]

Dressed in a medieval ensemble that echoed the fashion of that era, Vadok's attire bore a striking resemblance to the costume worn by a legendary Earth hero in an old classic movie he had once come across "" a valiant knight embarking on a quest for honor and glory. The intricate details of his garb, from the chainmail to the flowing cape, were meticulously crafted to capture the essence of a bygone era.

With a longsword securely fastened to his belt, Vadok surveyed the camp around him. Tents were pitched, crates strategically placed, and four horses idly grazed nearby, their presence adding authenticity to the medieval setting. The distant song of a thrush further enriched the ambiance.

[...]

"Ah, James! My apologies for my tardiness," Vadok greeted with a friendly nod, a warm smile on his face. "I see you've orchestrated quite the immersive experience for us. Your choice of setting is truly remarkable. I'm eager to delve into this medieval escapade. Shall we await the others before setting forth on our quest?"

Clearly visible in amidst the lush green backdrop the Holodecks Doors opened and let a Knight in fully polished chain mail into the forest. A great two handed sword fixed to his back.
It took Ramort a couple of seconds to recognize the person now with him in the Holodeck, it was Vadok Alvarez, dressed very appropriately for the setting.

He stood up to walk to greet the incoming fellow, his own costume now also unfolding. He was wearing a dark green tunic embroided with shapes and figures portraying leaves and intertwined geometric shapes flowing into each other to create a pattern astonishingly complex for its time. Furthermore, he wore boots made from a soft brown leather and a belt from the same material, a small bag for a couple of assorted coins and his ornate long messer attached to it. To finish this look, he had chosen a cloak in a similar colour to his tunic. All in all portraying a display that would have been among the finer wares of craftsmanship in the actual 13th Century. Though not not of such quality that one would have assumed a status above the actual station he portrayed, that of a lower ministerialis.

Crossing the short distance of the Camp he greeted the first of the arriving of his fellow Crewman.

"Great to see you made it. This Sword looks amazing as does this chainmail. I assume you will assume a position as a knight then?"

Turning around to give a quick overview of the Camp: "I prepared a small camp for us while we wait for the others to arrive. Feel free to take a look through the supplies as well, there might be some useful items in there, depending on where this journey will take us."

[Vadok Alvarez]

Clearly visible in amidst the lush green backdrop the Holodecks Doors opened and let a Knight in fully polished chain mail into the forest. A great two handed sword fixed to his back.
It took Ramort a couple of seconds to recognize the person now with him in the Holodeck, it was Vadok Alvarez, dressed very appropriately for the setting.

He stood up to walk to greet the incoming fellow, his own costume now also unfolding. He was wearing a dark green tunic embroided with shapes and figures portraying leaves and intertwined geometric shapes flowing into each other to create a pattern astonishingly complex for its time. Furthermore, he wore boots made from a soft brown leather and a belt from the same material, a small bag for a couple of assorted coins and his ornate long messer attached to it. To finish this look, he had chosen a cloak in a similar colour to his tunic. All in all portraying a display that would have been among the finer wares of craftsmanship in the actual 13th Century. Though not not of such quality that one would have assumed a status above the actual station he portrayed, that of a lower ministerialis.

Crossing the short distance of the Camp he greeted the first of the arriving of his fellow Crewman.

"Great to see you made it. This Sword looks amazing as does this chainmail. I assume you will assume a position as a knight then?"

Turning around to give a quick overview of the Camp: "I prepared a small camp for us while we wait for the others to arrive. Feel free to take a look through the supplies as well, there might be some useful items in there, depending on where this journey will take us."

[Holodeck 3 | RÁ¶tenbach Village, Black Forest Region | Central Europe, 1240, Spring]

Vadok returned James Ramort's greeting with a nod, appreciating the intricate details of his fellow crewman's medieval attire.  The ensign inspired by JRR Tolkien's works and the 21st-century films based on his literary creations, smiled and replied, "Indeed, this knightly attire seemed fitting though perhaps not as historically accurate as would be appropriate."

He continued, "Interestingly, these choices were inspired by the works of JRR Tolkien, a favorite of my father and brothers back home. I found it...exciting to bring a touch of that legacy into our medieval escapade."

[Malik Grippen]

[Holodeck 3, RÁ¶tenbach Village]

Malik entered the holodeck dressed as one of his favourite characters from Earthling texts, Geralt of Rivia. Apparently Malik and Geralt looked very similar. A Witcher, a person from old Earth that used to hunt monsters for coin. Plus they didn't carry just one sword, but two. The Risan had even went the extra mile and adorned a silver wig and contact lenses to complete the look.

The holodeck scene was the perfect setting to act out this character. It had been a long while since Malik had spent time on the holodeck, and he had to pinch himself to remember it wasn't real. The latest upgrades were truly amazing and easy to get lost in. One could probably spend their entire lifetime on a holodeck and live a perfectly happy life.

Geralt strode over to the pair and introduced himself, "Greetings. What a formidable trio we make."

[James Ramort]

[Holodeck 3 | Camp outside RÁ¶tenbach]

The doors opened yet again to let in another impressive figure. Ramort quickly appraised the figure in the dark leather armour and with not just one but two great swords, one shining as silver as his hair. He wasn't familiar with the character he was going for, but the result was impressive.
If they found themselves in any trouble, he had no doubt, having impressive fighters by their side would be handy.

"Welcome mighty warrior, take at seat amidst our rounds.
Good to see you could make it, to you also, I prepared some helpful gear in the crates, if you want to take a look through them feel invited to do so.

Allowing him to settle into the Holodecks Setting for a minute he went over to the Horses. On Cerberus there had been no horses and actually he never have had the chance to see a Horse in Reality. On the Holodeck though, he had encountered them multiple times and quite liked them.
From a nearby crate, he took a carrot, and fed it to the nearest horse. A Courser with Hazelnut brown fur and a long mane.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

Tanner grinned at the sound of the cloak billowing behind her as she walked. A few startled crewmembers moved out of the way, whispered voices commenting on who the hooded figure was that was heading towards the holodeck. The invite to join the adventure had been eagerly accepted, and Tanner looked forward to spending time with her crew mates. After building her character, she had far too much fun designing her outfit. Specifically the cloak.

Tanner entered the holodeck and took in the setting. Drawing back her hood, she let the newly fashioned points of her ears show. The quiver attached to her back was the same dark colour as the bow on her shoulder.

"Hey!" Tanner looked at the tents, "This looks amazing. I'm so excited!"

[Vadok Alvarez]

Vadok nodded in greeting as the Discovery's Chief of Security arrived, dressed to the nines like his other crewmates.  He had to admit to himself there was a level of excitement at some downtime, and of course his ulterior motive.   Ever since the Frontier Day massacre he had been dealing with a lot of the usual stressors of PTSD, chief among those was a bad case of survivors guilt and feelings of inadequacy.   He needed more time with members of the crew that had more extensive field work and combat training, he had seen what Malik can do in a fight, plus with Tanner here he was hoping to observe and learn from some of the best the Discovery had.

"I must say Lieutenant, the cape really ties everything together."

[Malik Grippen]

[Holodeck 3, Camp outside RÁ¶tenbach]

Geralt nodded in greeting to the arrival of their security chief and moved over to the next horse. There were similar creatures on Risa, though more vibrantly coloured.

"I shall call you, Roach."

Grabbing an apple, he let Roach eat it out the palm of his hand.

"So what's the mission of this fellowship?"

[Tanner Lachlyn]

"Thanks! I am rather fond of it," Tanner swished her cape gently, "I may keep it for off duty wear."

Glancing at Vadok with a grin, she offered a polite wave. Knowing Vulcan's didn't normally do handshakes, she avoided that option, "Call me Tanner. It's nice to officially meet you. I know we were aware of each other but, hadn't technically done the name exchange ceremony."

She watched as Malik claimed a horse, commenting, "Just to confirm, ranks don't matter in the holodeck. So if I accidentally maim you with an arrow I am not liable. Correct?"

[James Ramort]

[Holodeck 3 | Outside RÁ¶tenbach]

With the last of their little group for now having entered the Deck time had come to start the Adventure for real.

He gave the horse another carrot then went to the other Players. "Welcome to the Forest, also nice touch with all of your costumes. I am very excited to run this with all of you. I have prepared some surprises and hopefully some opportunities for fun in this setting. If you are all ready lets start!

Computer, unfreeze Simulation and initialize main narrative parameters."

The Computer only responded with an affirmative beep, then went silent as the sounds of the Forest took over.

"I think you have seen the signals of the Village in the far. I think we should make our way towards it. Maybe you can give me some help in packing up the tents and tell me something about your characters on the way."

[Vadok Alvarez]

"I'll do my best Lieut...Tanner.  Here's hoping we can learn a little about each other during this sumulation."

Vadok approached the waiting white steed. The majestic creature acknowledged his presence with a gentle nuzzle as Vadok gracefully mounted the saddle. Clad in a costume reminiscent of tales of knights and adventurers, he was striking an impressive figure astride his steed.   Although now that he was on the animal, he realized the only time he had ever seen one being ridden was in old films, there wasn't really much use for draft animals in colony enviroments.

"Ah...hm" he furrowed his brow in thought, thinking back to his time watch those shows and playing pretend with his siblings.  He clicked his tongue

Click-click

The horse started off at a casual pace, giving the Ensign a moment to figure out the reigns as it went in a little circle around the tents while he waited on the others.

To James query Vadok truthfully not given much thought to his "character", was he supposed to be using a different alias?  Tactically he gave a very Vulcan response to James and the others, waiting to see what his fellow crewmates had to say.

"If it is not apparent I have elected to portray myself as a knight.  While I have the standard CQB training at the Academy, this will be a nice way to expand on my repertoire of skills.  Given the rigidity of the composite pieces of this armor, I would best be suited for frontline combat in a given skirmish.   The horse could prove to give me a height advantage as well." he said, satisfied that he gave the best answer he could to deflect any suspicion.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

"So what's the mission of this fellowship?"

"I hope I get to shoot something," Tanner grinned, "Not one of you, of course."

"I think you have seen the signals of the Village in the far. I think we should make our way towards it. Maybe you can give me some help in packing up the tents and tell me something about your characters on the way."

Tanner nodded, placing her bow on the saddle of a beautiful chestnut horse that hadn't been picked before helping pack up camp. She'd been camping before, but these tents were a new variation to learn to put away. It required actual thought to fold them up so they could fit on the horse's pack.

Once they were done, they set off, it opened a door for casual conversation.

"If it is not apparent I have elected to portray myself as a knight.  While I have the standard CQB training at the Academy, this will be a nice way to expand on my repertoire of skills.  Given the rigidity of the composite pieces of this armor, I would best be suited for frontline combat in a given skirmish.   The horse could prove to give me a height advantage as well."

"Of course, we can just use you as a metal barricade," Tanner laughed, "Kidding."

[James Ramort]

[Holodeck 3 | Path to RÁ¶tenbach Village ]
While packing his part of the camp's supplies onto his horses back he also had to focus a lot on the tents. They were far from the standard issue Starfleet Versions designed to just be opened, build up, and broken down again quickly on various planetary surfaces. These were a lot more difficult to handle. The Sticks forming their frames not geometrically perfect and the walls of fabric not nearly as light or compact as the modern versions. Still, with a bit of time, it eventually was done.

Beginning to lead his horse the Way to the Village, he heard the others talking.

"I hope I get to shoot something," Tanner grinned, "Not one of you, of course."

"Of course, we can just use you as a metal barricade," Tanner laughed, "Kidding."

"Hey, I still need him in one piece for the next shift", he interjected, "but I am sure we can find something shoot and slash for everyone. Maybe just don't start with the villagers please."

"I think it is my turn to present you my character for today though: I'll be Marcus of Repgo, a Ministerialis of a nearby Count and hopefully travelling under your protection. If you are willing to extend it that is. I have been sent here by my Lord to investigate strange happenings in the nearby Village but don't know much more besides that.

He turned to see how the others reacted to this first hint. It was the most basic introductory he could have formulated this but still he feared to have given away to much still. At least they knew before that the Village would be the most likely site of whatever awaited them.

[Malik Grippen]

[Holodeck 3, Path to RÁ¶tenbach Village]

Geralt raised an eyebrow at Tanner's eagerness to main, that's security for you. As they travelled along the road at a gentle pace, Malik introduced his character.

"I am Geralt of Rivia. A witcher. A professional monster hunter for hire. We are mutated by means of magic and alchemy to gain new abilities. I wonder what this Lord has in store for us, and the coin better be good."

Geralt patted Roach on the side of animal's neck and took in the scenery.