Bacchus : The Pleasure World

Lady Frieda stumbled upon Bacchus, the Pleasure World, years ago on her quest to find Weldon, who had been lost and abandoned in a failed military mission on Troppenwold, the Jungle Planet. It's on Bacchus that she was refreshed after her ordeal and where she was able to formulate her plan for bringing Weldon home and marrying him.

Bacchus has everything a vacationing Subetan could want; plenty of sun, lots of water, and myriad of activities to entertain, excite, or relax you. There are fine restaurants of every conceivable cuisine, lodging that ranges from rustic mountain lodges to the most luxurious suites imaginable (with caves, under-sea pods and treehouses in-between). There are theaters, concert halls, movie houses, casinos, dude ranches, water sports, camping, zoos, amusement parks...if you can think of it, it is here on Bacchus.

Despite being named in the press as the "Pleasure World" Bacchus is not the place to go to indulge in wanton hedonism, lawlessness or trafficking. Bacchus is self-policed and it strives to maintain a generally wholesome image. One shouldn't fear that they are going to be taken advantage of or put in danger from the underworld.

After a very restful sleep, Frieda's alarm "Spiders" by System of a Down woke her up and alerted her that The Terrapin Glider had detected Bacchus' gravity field. Any modern space ship's computer would normally turn the ship around for it's orbit insertion burn, fire the retro engines for de-orbiting and atmospheric entry, and then make the final approach to the Main Spaceport. But The Terrapin Glider is an older ship and can only calculate and display these parameters, Frieda will have to perform all the functions of landing the ship herself. Frieda eagerly awaited a message from Bacchus Central Space Port Command with instructions for her final approach.

But instead of final approach instructions, she received this message:

[B]DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZED IMAGE HERE[/B]

She didn't have time to interpret some strange language, she had a fully loaded space ship to land. It's going to be up to the passengers to interpret this cryptic message before the communications are disrupted by the fiery entry into the atmosphere.

((OOC Please translate the message and email it to me by Sunday, September 9, at 11:59 PM Subeta Standard Time. Please do not post your solution here. This puzzle is worth 100 points. As always, if you have questions, please sMail me, ">or leave a comment in the OOC Forum.))

You may continue to Role-Play here, we can pick up where we left off from Part 1 and carry in on here.

Lypsyl wakes up with a huge yawn and stretch. She feels surprisingly good, considering imbibing a bit too much beer. But after returning to her stateroom, she poured herself a large glass of water and drank it all with a couple of aspirin before going to bed.

It was fortunate she did so, because she was going to need all her faculties to read the mysterious message she found slipped under her door.

With the message being decoded by her friends, Frieda strapped herself into the pilot's couch and donned her headset. Within moments, Weldon appeared and took the co-pilot's position and buckled in. Weldon entered the data from the computer into the engine controls and Frieda turned the Terrapin Glider around 180 degrees. After that is was simply a matter of firing the engines with the space ship aimed backward and it would cause the ship to fall out of orbit and enter the atmosphere. Frieda loved this part.

After four minutes of free-falling, they had lost enough speed that it was possible for them to turn the ship around in atmosphere and fly her like an airplane and land her at the spaceport, just a few hundred kilometers away. Frieda clicked on the intercom. "Good Morning Friends! We have entered the atmosphere of Bacchus and we will be landing in port within fifteen minutes."

To say that Gene loves thinking puzzles would be an understatement and anyone hanging around the kitchens while he works to translate the apparent gibberish of the message from Bacchus could probably guess as much from the gleam in his eye and the general air of delight each time he cracks another little bit of the code. He was baking up some snacks between his nap and the landing (a necessary measure of precaution for anyone who tends to wander and occasionally forget to stop for food). Technically he still is baking but deciphering this message is a lot more interesting than just watching and waiting for an oven timer to go off. Besides, it's probably for the best to be sitting down for most of the actual landing process.

i don't have any ink /toner left in prnter. So I have been spending a LOT of time trying to line up your image with a table i can write in a Word document. So frustrating and tiring! Gack! I have done 3 NPC quests requests in 2 hours. Not my finest speed...

"What shall we do first Welly?" Frieda sat on the edge of their bed and pulled off her flight boots. "I'm thinking of getting one of those cabanas out over the water, then going for a horseback ride along the sea shore looking for shells."

Weldon snickerd at his mate. "My darling, a horse is much too big for the likes of us, you're...what...four foot three inches tall, and ninety pounds dripping wet? Maybe they have a pony for you."

"I'm four foot four inches, thank you very much and I am ninety nine pounds, just right for a Subetan Weasel-girl my age. I can ride a full sized horse." Frieda giggled and pulled off her flight suit.

"Well, you're more daring and brave then me and I'm a full four inches taller then you. I'd be happy riding a pony rather then a monster like that." Weldon had stopped what he had been doing and was mesmerized by his mate's state of undress. He gave a smirk and a low whistle. "You know, we don't have to check into the orientation meeting for another couple of hours..."

Frieda threw a Hawaiian printed shirt at her mate. "Oh, do stop! Honestly Welly, I'm not going to stick around in this tin can and fool around with some smoky old weasel-boy when we have this whole world to explore. Finish dressing and we can play old married couple later."

Weldon just smiled to himself, satisfied that he had once again got his precious mate's goat.

 Getting very excited about the announcement i heard on the intercom about Landing in 15 minutes I quickly packed my stuff into my red suitcase so that's ready to go in case we need to take them with us. But if not I have packed my rich brown leather over-the-shoulder book bag large enough to keep several things in that I might need on an outing in town. It's just the right size to put trinkets in that I might be able to buy there.
I'm very excited about the orientation and since my short-term memory is not so good I brought my phone along so I could record  it and listen to it again later so remember all the things that we get to do while we are here.  So far the glider has been doing very well and not upset and the other passengers that I know of so it's smooth sailing and our captains very good at what he does.

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With the Terrapin Glider safely docked in spaceport and the Bacchus Orientation Meeting complete, it's time for the Love Truck Tour to go off on their adventure. There's so much to see and so much to do that one simply cannot do them all in a lifetime on this world, so one has to decide on the one activity they would most like to do and do that one thing. It's the most difficult decision on this trip, but with expectations high, it's the most important decision. Maybe writing in your journal would be a good way to help you decide what you would really love to do if you had all the time, energy and money in the world to do it.

((OOC Your task: Write a journal entry on this forum about the 'number one' item on your "bucket list" and Role Play why it is your number one dream adventure. Also, dress up your HA in the outfit that you would wear whilst accomplishing your number one adventure dream. You have until Sunday Night, September 16 at 11:59PM Subeta Standard Time to accomplish this task for 200 total points ( 100 for the role play, 100 for the HA) Good Luck! I cannot wait to hear about your dream adventure! As always, discuss any questions you have here on the Discussion Forum. ))

((OOC))Thanks to for the [item2=Oatmeal in Lederhosen Plushie] He reminds me of Weldon in his Lederhosen...the old goat.

Also : I have updated the scores to include the last puzzle, as the deadline was earlier this evening.

My number one bucket list adventure is not really stupid more insane.

I ventured into the casino on Bacchus. Dressed in my best finery, makeup impeccable and hair coiffured. I was not comfortable but to get entry to the gaming rooms there was a dress code. I had been given for services rendered, (not telling what those services were but you can use your imagination), a certain amount of money. I figured what the hell. The currency was no good back on Subeta so may as well have a bit of fun gambling and I could always find someone interested in the services I offer if my funds were running low.

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I totally went silent in here with work I've forgotten about this till your ping lol :( Is it okay? As far as my dream adventure, I'd like to just walk around and identifying strange plants and trees :D I love exploring and learning about interesting stuff :) I'd bring a phone and a notebook to take pictures of these plants and jot down some interesting facts I've found. I'd also wear gloves in case some mysterious or even poisonous liquid got on me. Everything I needed are in my suitcase that I brought with me on this trip. Outfit Not Found

((OOC)) all right folks get your reading glasses on hahahha))

most days i am too busy to think of my dream..not today!
glancing at the two wonderful tickets to Bali where our treehouse is now ready for us. it is not like santpta barbara where it gets noiser every day it but in the small beach town[size] ]avatar=fabulousviolat=] Kuti Bali Private Outfit [Outfit Not Found

To the south, the beachside city of Kuta has lively bars...an exeptionalff for me :) whoots. As i see our treehouse for the very first time i clung onto bobby my hubby. "it is so very peaceful where we will live ...no traffic and we have some neighbors near enough not too feel too alone ..walking distance i suppose.
AND it fully loaded with all the modern electronincs need..HAHHA i will still have UPS ...yeahhh.

thel lushness of the mossy limbs and these tropical trees will surely make it fun for Purr (our fostered lioness) and Imp"()our cute lil monkey)to frolic and hone their skills :)..Hoot my owl will stay with me except for some night hunting.[/color] "Lets go in and savor all the senses ..the soft light of the lanterns the richly oiled hand rail, warmth in your heart that just matches the beautiful treehouse"

We spent the whole rest of the day just ooing and ahiing over this and that. First the room la

youts then the quality of each well place and thought out item in our home. A gorgeous master suite with a jett tub.. there is even a hanging swing bed under the house with soft white netting over it next to our lap pool on the hills edge oh look at this come see the view just what we asked for ...the ocean is right there in the near horizon... so we are ONE with the trees hehhe a jacuzzi on the back deck an outdoor firplace ..mmmm its already hot for us....ogm bobby the fire.. He turned around to see what i meant and there around the huge tree trunk the low flat outdoor fire. a metal band with small glass pebbels of blue strewn all fully around in the pit the flames were dancing slow and pretty. also in blue color...so totally breathtaking and especially cause it is ours!! Up in the trees you can here the whispering of the breezes as they pass there through them. champagne set up with glassware on ice and my some local favorite dishes wrapped in lemon leaved that our chef has presented us with meats wrapped around lemon leaves (oh yes i forgot to tell you i have a most wonderful chef..hhhee he wears a loincoth when he is here:) ) (but dont worry i have a maid that wears a tiny maids dress and stockings only thigh high.so she dusts n cleans in her lil outfit! so we are even).

There are so many foods here that are different than anything our palletes have experienced! the people of Bali are steeped into tradition..they especially honor their ancestories as well those family here now. most of the population's (83%)religion is hindu.. balinese is full of sacred rituals and festivals which make my eyes dance with them and my mind to soak it all in the lavish colorfull dressings and headresses and the intricate movemnet of dance .Outfit Not Found((this not the entered HA)) https://www.bali.com/etiquette-customs.html ok now lets hit the jaccuzi i am so satisfied with the gorgeous meal we had ..arent you bobby??? then all the brochures to look through endless things to do here MANY MANY wonderful things that will last us through the years to come together here" "thats all fine n dandy but now slow it down on the brochures lets get a jetted soak!!aaahhhhh":'

as we slip into the jacuzzi right up in the trees with ALL our beloved itams in our beatiful home with two extra large master bedroom suites as well that are there set up just for the girls anna and julie and their friends that will come with them.they will come on a private jet that we have at our disposal .since we bought it hahahha. we drink our champagne in bliss and hear the soft whispering of the trees that surround us. TIME GOES BY: we are now mostly at home climbing along on huge limbs of green with Imp who takes full advantage of his climing abitily. .Purr well, he could come n go as he pleases in all the surrounding land that is ours. of course Hoots again stays with me at all times teaching me wisdom.. ~like when to know good enough IS good enough ~and be careful what you say and do because it all comes back to you.

[color=orange]Now since we have plenty of money to live on i also dedicate some time to creating habitats for extinct birds. it is the one thing i always said i would love to do ..and NOW i can do it!!

invited us all over. said she was organizing a barge that would get us all there mostly by water but with some flying (teleportation?) capacity. Looking forward to catching up with and other buddies and and maybe her author ;) Maybe after a nice long vacation Down Under I could go back with the USians and visit my niece in California whose daughter is getting married in December.... :D

For me it's about connecting. Being slightly more than an arm-chair traveler I have many lovely memories, but my bestest best ones are the ones with people.

Frieda sat quietly and listened to the presentation by the pretty woman who was speaking on behalf of the government of Bacchus. They were certainly organized here, everything was so clean and perfect. They had a very low crime rate, health care was free and disease was unheard of on this world. It almost seemed too good to be true. Unemployment was at an all time low and that there was anybody without a job was due to the fact that about 1/2 of one percent of the population at any given time was between jobs and were being retrained for new positions. Oh, how she wished it were so on her home world. In some parts of California near where she came from, unemployment was at 14% and there were school children who lived in cars or under bridges.

Frieda's mind often wandered like this and she realized that she had missed part of the presentation when everybody stood from their chairs and headed toward the automatic exit queues. "What did I miss Welly?"

Weldon put his paw in the small of Frieda's back to gently guide her as he whispered into her ear, "More propaganda then you'll ever believe, mostly harmless. It was just one big commercial. Nobody believes 100% of it all."

A big man in a military-style business suit quickly stepped up to the couple and gestured with his hands toward the sign-up queues. "Right this way Lady VonSteuben, Lieutenant Colonel Saint George. Mind your step, quickly now, you'll not want to be delayed in getting your first choice of activities by any unforeseen circumstances." His manner wasn't polite in the least, but intimidating and forceful. His words betrayed his officious agenda. Frieda observed that the big man was now speaking into the cuff of his sleeve and patting his breast with his other hand. Was that the outline of a semi-automatic weapon under his jacket?

The big man stopped at the sign-up queue and gestured again for Weldon and Frieda to step up to the mark on the floor and wait in line to speak with an activities counselor. He looked down through his dark glasses and spoke in a mock-conspiratorial tone. "I suggest you believe all 100% of it all Sir. One government's propaganda is another government's punishment. Watch what you say in public, you are now on our watch list. What Lady Frieda missed was the part on subversives infiltrating our world and upsetting the populace. We wouldn't want to do that now, would we?"

Both Frieda and Weldon knew exactly what the big man meant and had no intention of getting into trouble on their holiday. Frieda really really really wanted to say something snotty to the big man, but she took one look at Weldon and changed her mind. Nobody wants to get kicked out of Disneyland when they were queued up for the Matterhorn. "No sir, we wouldn't want that."

As they waited in queue, Frieda thought about her dream vacation. Weren't they on it right now? Well, perhaps they were, but there were other things that she had dreamed of doing back home on Terra. She had always wanted to go to Australia with Weldon to visit and Minnesota to visit . One of these days, her Author Mark and his mate Francine had said that they were going to go to Israel to visit the Holy Land and meet up with in Jerusalem and that they would sneak Frieda and Weldon in their luggage.

Of all the places that Frieda loved the most besides her home in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Central California, it was Monterey, California. She loved the big ocean, the sand, the kelp beds, the seashells, the food, the gulls and her cousins the sea-otters. She concluded that her dream vacation would be to visit Monterey as often as she liked. Perhaps they had a little town here on Bacchus that reminded her of Monterey. Hopefully it was far away from this big spaceport and far away from the big government man with the poorly camouflaged automatic gun under his coat.

Bohicon watched everyone leave the ship for adventure and fun. She was embarrassed to tell anyone what her idea of fun was as she explored the ship looking for the kitchen. Bohicon always felt that there was a great chef in her just eager to come out but the truth was she was not very good in the kitchen. Sharp knives scared her. She wanted more than anything to conquer this fear and learn.

As she entered the kitchen area she saw a few people at work preparing some dishes in advance for anyone who wanted to dine in this evening. Bohicon was so afraid of being rejected or being in the way she just watched for a minute till someone noticed her, greeting her with a warm welcome. Bohicon relaxed right away and explained her dream, speaking so fast she was afraid she was not making sense but knowing if she slowed her speech she might lose her nerve and run back to her room. There was no need for concern as the kitchen staff welcomed her like a long lost friend and patiently began to show her around the kitchen. Soon she was chopping vegetables with an intimidating knife under the watchful eyes of her new friends. Confidence was coming to her as she moved along to other preparations. They were in a beautiful locale full of adventure and the kitchen was the only place Bohicon wanted to be.

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Lypsyl failed to concentrate on the task at hand. She was far more interested in becoming immersed in ideas of what she hoped to have happen on this vacation, or generally at some point in her life.

She had always loved the water - seas, oceans, rivers, lakes even pools! But she had never gone underwater. Never saw fabulous coral reefs, watery life doing its thing or amazing creatures she'd only ever seen images of.

What would it feel like? The cool embrace of the water. A soupcon of fear at being dependent on her equipment to let her breath. What wonders would she see? Private Outfit

Frieda and Weldon spent the next hour with the Activities Counselor who turned out to be a very fun and capable host. He was very good at asking the right questions, and coming up with a list of activities that would not only be fun and rewarding for both young weasels, but relaxing as well. He had sensed that both had mixed emotions about being away on such a large place with so many possibilities and with such tight security measures in place. "You have to understand that some of the most wealthy creatures in the Subetaverse visit here and we must take measures to insure their safety as well as their enjoyment. Surely, as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Subetan Air Command, you are aware of those responsibilities." His smile was genuine as he turned to Frieda, "And Lady Frieda, as Queen of your tribe, Master Healer and leader of all Free Creatures in the Glen Meadow Watershed, you understand that all we desire is your safety?"

He quickly changed subjects and pointed to the 3-D display he had selected. "This is a graphic of my top pick for your visit. The name of this village is Mendota and it is on the opposite side of the planet. It is a small artistic resort with quaint restaurants, shops, art galleries and very pleasant temperatures. It's quiet too, nobody rides motorcycles through this village at the hight of racing season like they do in Carmel on your homeworld. Currently, there is a music festival going on with performances from all the classic repertoire of Terra including Bach, Beatles and Bachrach. You have been scheduled to see the St Matthew Passion, Hey Jude and Breakfast at Tiffany concert at the Opera House on the beach."

"There's a Wharf with kitchy little curio shops, candy shops, and seafood restaurants, and there are boat tours too if you are so inclined. Lady Frieda, there is scuba-diving or snorkeling if you desire to go fishing. Every night on the beach there is a cookout and you are welcome to bring your catch and have it prepared for you."

You will be staying on a villa overlooking the village from the cliffside, it has one of the best views anywhere on the planet. You will love it there. Talk about privacy! The staff there knows how to meet all your needs. Weldon I hear you like to cook, the gourmet kitchen is fully stocked and you can make everything form your famous biscuits and gravy to Beef Wellington and macarons."

Frieda loved the presentation and after only a short conference with Weldon, they both agreed to the plan. "Good choice My Lady, Sir Weldon. I will call for your luggage to be delivered to your rooms. Your flight for the other side of the island is scheduled to leave in two hours, so you may wait in the spa, the lounge or the pool. Congratulations and have a wonderful stay at Bacchus." He stood, shook the couple's paws and gestured toward a waiting steward. "Marcus will stay with you until your departure and tend to your needs."

Ah! While everyone else was making their bucket list, Tinkerbabe slipped out of her hiding spot aboard the Love Truck to go get souvenirs for her family. I mean, who would believe she was a stowaway on such a fantastic voyage unless she brought back something for everyone to give out as she told them about everything she had seen. Just walking barefoot in the sand on such a beautiful beach was bucket list worthy, wasn’t it? And, she’d tell them how she was wearing the most beautiful dress instead of a swimsuit. One that looked like a beautiful sunrise in Hawaii! Of course she would let them know she did remember to wear her hat to protect her from too much UV exposure just as she is always telling them to do.

Speaking of buckets, maybe bringing some sand back would work. Then they could build a sand castle and get to feel like they had been there too. I mean, what good is a fantastic voyage unless you can bring your family and friends along to enjoy it with you!! Next year they’ll all come along! ❤

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Here is the final challenge for this section.
It is a HA Challenge:

Your HA must be posted here, a RP is not required. It will be worth 500 points and is due by Sunday September 30 at 11:59 PM Subeta Time. As always, post your questions to the ((OOC Forum))

Also, I have updated all the scores as I promised, only a day late...sorry.....

All set to play the didgeridoo to aid the rollicking and to use my boomerang to help with some fresh kangaroo to add to the sumptuous foods. But alas I am from inland and have no idea what a sea is let alone a beach or a sea-faring culture. Maybe I misunderstood ... maybe I had better do some research ... me thinks. It is the spring equinox here so have to turn upside down.

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[avatar=fabulousviolet] dream thing to do ...MONEY I S NO OBJECT

((ooc)) where do we fin dthe points you posted?