Hippos

Don't worry, GK. Ranting against hippos is a right permitted by our great society.
We encourage alternate viewpoints no matter how misguided they are...

Besides, nowhere is it written that people HAVE to get the joke... whatever it might be...

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"Foolish girl!" hissed the faux hippo. "You seek petty revenge for your POOR father's loss, as if destroying his killer will bring you comfort..."
The zombie then paused, and glanced with disdain at each hippo in turn. "All of you... you reek - of your vengeance unquenched. Would you be so eager to slake your bloodlust if you knew the TRUE cost of your success??"

Maw looked up, finished with the reloading of her rocket launcher.
"You don't impress me, impostor - and I'm really in no mood for your riddles."

Slinging the weapon into firing position, she brought its muzzle to bear on the zombie hippo.
"Now - we want answers! Or you can make your peace with those who rendered you."

=SV

*bump*

...Sinclair waits patiently for someone else to contribute...

I'd hate to think that I was monopolizing the hippo thread. Maybe everyone is mesmerized by my deathless prose?

Pshaw. Maybe not.

Well, the story can continue... I just figured I'd give someone else a chance (hint hint).

BTW, Garoad, these Python references are getting increasingly harder to work into the story coherently. Assuming this passes for coherent.

=Sinclair

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The hippographic zombie smiled back at the scripted weapon - and its hippo wielder.

"Then shoot, my truculent little hippolet..." sneered the wireframed figure. "But never let it be said that Meretriculus was anything less than gracious, even to those who would seek his destruction."

Its grin, a disturbing melange of razor-edged prim teeth and icy alphas, grew broader as Maw braced, preparing to fire.

"Cease!" came a weak cry from the grasses' edge. "You MUST NOT!..."

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All three hippos - and their semi-rendered adversary - turned to see the scorched monkey struggling painfully to its feet, smoke still curling from its outstretched arm.

"Hear me, hippopotomi!" the wounded ape quavered. "I am Erejone. You must not harm this creature!"

Stomp and Maw cast quick glances at each other, each seeking some sign of recognition in the other's face. Surprisingly, though, it was little sister Wallow who spoke first.

"No, he's right! Didn't you hear that name? Have you so soon forgotten all that father taught us?"

Stepping boldly before the zombie hippo, Wallow uttered words that crackled the very air around her.

"Quintusdecimus Aprilus!!"

"NO! ..." started the skeletal creature... but with a brief shriek of photons, the hippo wireframe was gone.

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Lol, Sinclair, either Garoad died or gave up on this thread.

You're our last hope Sinclair, keep it going!

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Maw and Stomp stared in shock at their little sister, jaws agape.

"Wallow... you... have the gift?" Stomp rumbled, unbelieving. "But I am the Eldest... and the only son... how can this be...?"

"My sister..." breathed Maw. "An Acolyte! By the River - what fortune is this?" She paused, and reslung her launcher before stepping closer to Wallow. "How long have you known?" asked Maw.

Wallow, dazed and trembling slightly, shook herself and hesitantly snuffled the ground where the apparition had been.

"I..." began Wallow, "...known? What are you talking about? I can't do this!" Her voice faded to a murmur. "I'm not... an Acolyte..."

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"Most assuredly," replied Erejone, "you are not." The monkey coughed and spat aside a clump of singed fur - which disappeared! "Your pardon - that weapon of yours was quite painful to me, even in my rendered form. I imagine it would be most unpleasant to actual living creatures."

Erejone limped over to a nearby stump, and carefully lowered himself to sit. "I must ask your forgiveness, Wallow. In my urgency, I have opened a door in your mind... behind which you have found words left by your father."

Stomp spluttered and lumbered over to the stump. "What madness is this? She cannot be an Acolyte! I am my father's only son! I am the eldest! My father's teachings would pass to me!"

Maw rolled her eyes. "Yeah, they've certainly sunk in so far..." Stomp growled but ignored her. "Maybe you should ask the Acolyte ape here why you've taken so long to grasp any concept of prim creation."

Wallow spoke slowly, still not fully comprehending her newfound knowledge. "But he's not an Acolyte... are you? You spoke of your rendered form..."

Erejone's eyes twinkled. "You are correct. Perhaps it is time that you all know the rest of my tale - and that of your father." His eyes became unfocused for a moment, as if summoning thoughts long buried. "I am not an Acolyte - and neither was your father, though long you have been led to believe such."

His eyes met each of the hippos in turn. "Your father was like myself - one of the Embodied."

"An Avatar."

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=SV

I had never paused to consider the Hippo before perusing this thread and now, I am hooked!
Never have so few done so much for such a beast!
Hurrah for hippos and long may the thread survive!
Can't wait for the next installment....

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<Part II - Tales and Those Who Wear Them>

Stomp looks pretty pissed, thought Maw as the three hippos shuffled through the shoulder-high grasses, their wounded simian companion now stretched out atop Maw's back.

Erejone would have continued his tale in the clearing where they had exposed the false hippo, but dawn was approaching, and the herd was beginning its return trek to the cooling water of the river. And Wallow - Wallow! - had been the one to suggest they move with the herd, rather than risk the day's sun - and predators.

Stomp had been too agitated to consider that little mundanity; in fact, he'd spoken not another word since Erejone's revelation, but glared sullenly ahead as he followed his sisters toward the herd.

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=SV
<edited for a chapter stop>

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Wallow looked equally distracted, but hardly agitated; rather she seemed to be focused inward, her eyes half-closed as she uttered unheard words. Maw had never seen her behave this way, and grew concerned; but when she attempted to prod her little sister into conversation, Wallow replied, “Please leave me alone, Maw, I’m trying to think.” That’s not like her, thought Maw, but at least she seems pretty with it. Heck, if anything she sounds better than Stomp looks - or I feel.

And Maw’s head, too, was reeling from the past hour’s events - the sudden encounter with the being called Meretriculus, the words of power that her untrained sister suddenly commanded, and the news that their father, Herdmaster Sturm Gnomecrusher himself, had been an Avatar. The hours she had spent enthralled by her father’s tales of the Avatars - despite the evident disapproval of her mother - suddenly took on a new cast in her memory - yet curiously, Gnomecrusher had never once laid claim to be one of the Embodied.

Another puzzle to be unraveled, she mused, once we and the rest of the herd reach the safety of the river.

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=SV

Toldja this was an organic time-spanning story... the diatribe continues below... I'd be interested in hearing what people think so far of my little exercise in thread hijacking .

PM's welcome if you don't want to interrupt the <ahem> smooth flow of the story <cough>.

=Sinclair

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A few dozen meters ahead of them, the rest of the herd could be seen making their way by ones and twos along the well-worn paths of the veldt. The long grasses - those that hadn’t been munched upon during many previous trips - swayed as members of the hippo herd brushed by their stalks in the cool dawn air. Maw sniffed the familiar mudscent of the nearing river, grateful for the approaching end of the nightly trek, then caught another, more dangerous scent. Leopard!

As she raised her head to locate the interloper, squeals and grunts arose from the herd ahead, where a pair of older females shepherded a half-dozen babies along the paths. The younger hippos too had picked up the scent of the cat and were nervously sounding their alarm. Maw sighed and broke into a trot, calling back to her brother, “C’mon, Stomp - we’ve got a leopard up ahead.” Both hippos knew that a leopard was unlikely to try to take a hippo, especially from a herd, but certainly might try for a calf that wandered far enough away from adults.

Maw and Stomp loped into position near the calves, scanning the nearby trees for signs of the leopard. They did not need to look extensively; the cat was sprawled in the branches of a boscia tree, no more than 10 meters from the path. Stomp bellowed a challenge at the leopard, while Maw began to unsling her launcher. She stopped, however, as her forgotten passenger piped up from his position on her back.

“Now, Sindonis,” Erejone chided the leopard. “Have you nothing better to do than spend your days frightening children?”

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The leopard stretched, its front paws drooping lazily over the branch. "Sorry, hun," she yawned. "Didn't mean to scare the kiddies. It's almost morning - time for my nap."

"Daytime nap," corrected Erejone, "to complement your nighttime one. "I've never seen anyone sleep so much."

"I'd prefer to be sleeping now," complained Sindonis. "This couldn't have waited a few more hours?"

"I'm afraid not," Erejone said. Sitting up on Maw's back, the monkey waved introductions all around. "Sindonis, these are my friends Maw, Stomp... and Wallow," he motioned as Wallow arrived. "They are the children of Strum Gnomecrusher." The cat's ears twitched perceptibly at the name. "Hippopotomi, this is Sindonis. A comrade and most valuable ally of mine, despite her usual state of somnolescence. She, too, is an Avatar."

Stomp huffed. "Years of Avatar fairy tales, and suddenly we're tripping over them in the roads."

Maw nodded in the cat's direction and grunted an okay to the matron hippos. The three hippo adolescents watched as the calves and their escorts dashed by the leopard, shrieking excitedly as they raced into the river.

"In truth," replied Erejone. "I've asked her to meet us today, that we may discuss a matter of grave import." The monkey glanced around briefly, and indicated a nearby section of river. "Let's move a bit closer to the water for our friends' sake. They'll need to stay cool as the sun rises."

"Discuss is one thing," remarked the leopard, as she stood and gracefully transitioned from tree to ground, "but I hope you're not expecting me to wade through mud - rendered fur or not. Speaking of which, nice haircut you've gotten there." Sindonis eyed Erejone's singed fur, which in the recent hours had grown back to a brown fuzz.

"Thanks for noticing," dryly replied Erejone. "There's a rock outcropping next to that pool. We can discuss our business there."

<edited for spelling>
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Sindonis loped down to the water’s edge and staked out a location atop one of the partially submerged boulders, facing the rising sun, and settled down into a relaxed crouch. After quickly scanning the surrounding shore for crocodiles, Erejone clambered atop the rock as well, while the three hippos stepped into the river. The cooling water flowed over the hippos’ leathery hides, and they whuffed contentedly. Further downstream, the rest of the herd bathed and rolled on the muddy shore, only occasionally casting curious glances in the direction of the monkey and leopard.

Eyes and nostrils protruding from the water, Wallow gazed silently at the Avatars as they patiently waited for the hippos to refresh themselves. Stomp, too, seemed a bit more at ease as he silently swam just off the rocks, but his eyes were slitted with caution as he kept watch on the two newcomers - and on Wallow.

Maw stayed in the deeper water only briefly, then waded to the shore near the rockpile and shook herself gently, taking care not to spray TOO much mud onto their guests. She eyed Sindonis as the tawny leopard absently licked away a few mud splatters, then turned to address Erejone. The monkey looked expectantly in Maw’s direction.

<edited for typo>
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Eeeeekkkk! I knew I shouldn't have clicked on that, I got blasted out of my chair. hehehe

My God, they're alive... the silence was deafening...

Story continues...
= = = = = = = = = = = =

Maw paused, listening to the echoed squeals and splashes of the hippo herd as they romped downstream. “All right, Erejone,” began Maw, “I think it’s time you told us more.” She glanced over at her siblings before continuing. “You say our father was an Avatar. If this is true, then why would he not tell us himself?"

“He felt it necessary,” replied Erejone. “You were too young. He’d intended to tell you when you came of age.”

Stomp swam closer and lifted his snout defiantly out of the water. “Sturm Gnomecrusher taught us much - and told us many tales about Avatars. But tales they remained for us - until now. Never before have we met Avatars - if indeed we have now.”

“If indeed, he says,” purred Sindonis. The leopard rose from her crouch long enough to stretch, then sat back on her haunches. “See, Erejone? I guess we’ve kept a sufficiently low profile.”

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=SV

Hippo Creative Writing Class 101 is back in session...

Still looking for commentary - I hope you like the story so far. It might even begin to make sense soon!

=Sinclair

Story continues...
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“Hmf,” grunted Erejone. “I’m not surprised to hear you say that, Stomp. No doubt some of the tales are less than believable. And you, Maw - do you feel the same?”

Maw pawed at the muddy riverbank for a moment. “My brother often speaks before he thinks,” she replied, “but now he speaks to a valid point. We don’t know you - only the names our father taught. We can listen to your tale, but we don’t know how far - or whether - we can trust you.” Or each other, the hippo added to herself.

“Fair enough,” said Erejone. “To be blunt, we are risking much ourselves. We have no reason to mistrust you, but the stakes are far higher than you yet realize.” The monkey sighed, and wearily glanced up at his feline compatriot. Sindonis returned his gaze for a silent moment, then nodded briefly.

“Children of Sturm Gnomecrusher,” Erejone continued, “your father was killed BECAUSE he was an Avatar. And if we do nothing, the same fate likely awaits us all.”

= = = = = = = = = = = =

=SV

Story continues...
= = = = = = = = = = = =

* * *

“In the time before,” spoke Erejone, “the time of the Renderers, this world was filled with prims - arrays of order and precision, but without purpose, for the Renderers stood alone with their creations, and their work went unseen by any others. Eventually, the Renderers found that they had mastered their craft, and they grew jaded and less attentive of their world.”

The three hippos sat together in the shallows of the river. It had become clear to them that whether or not Erejone - and his companion - were indeed Avatars, he seemed to be quite troubled by what he had told them. After falling silent for a time, and upon some quiet urging from the Sindonis, the monkey had sat back upon the rocks, his hand stroking the cat’s head as she rested it upon his knee.

“Then came the Avatars - a very few at first. Some say they were born of the Renderers; others believe they came upon the world in their travels and lay claim to it. They named our world Altanima, and crafted it as their own. They adopted the creations of the Renderers, and made from them works of great beauty and power.”

“Soon they found that their new creations could be possessed of life as well. Altanima flourished with alpha-channeled trees, hedges of prim rows, and all manner of creatures - ants, butterflies, birds, fish, deer …”

“Among them, in time, were Hippos.” Erejone raised his hand, and gestured toward the three rapt siblings. “It has since become unclear how Hippos first were born. There have been claims that the Hippo race was spawned by a single Avatar, who was named Arwin-De; some feel that Hippos were spontaneously created from the prims and life force of Altanima itself. It was obvious to most of the Avatars, though, that however they became, Hippos were destined to occupy a special niche in this world.” For the moment, his face was steady, and his eyes revealed only the admiration he held for the hippos.

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=SV

*uses magical hippo thread resussitation.. resessit... resus... bringing back to life potion*

Story continues...
= = = = = = = = = = = =

Stomp grumbled softly, “A lot of this we know… it’s not like we’re yearlings…”

“Stomp is right,” concurred Maw. “We know already know a lot about Altanima and hippos and Avatars - Father told us stories, and made us study the Forms since we were little.”

Sindonis smirked and choked back a laugh; Erejone pointedly ignored her. “Your father was very wise. The Forms are the fabric of our history, each thread a tale of success or woe. But they do not always tell the entire tale, and many times the writer colors the lesson with opinions. The stories of the Forms are best read with an open mind. Of course, the grace of a tale lies in its telling…” he smiled.

= = = = = = = = = = = =

=SV

*hits thread with stick*

Hits Dio with stick.....


Ooops I thought you were a damn cow, nevermind....

JV

Hits Dio with stick.....


Ooops I thought you were a damn cow, nevermind....

JV

I always knew that Jon and Dio were closet Cow worshippers.


I took this picture in front of Jon's house in Shipley last August.