From TamsinP: Evil Skulls on Awdry's Atoll (50 points)

Extract from the journal of TamsinP, Time Traveler, Society Girl and Adventuress

!9th January, 1928

Awdry's Atoll comes into view, signalling the imminent end of our lovely flight aboard Lady Sarah's hot air balloon. The champagne and cocktails have been most enjoyable, as have the horses doofers (as my Nan used to call them). But end it must, and we shall soon alight on the atoll and continue our tour.

The balloon touches down and I bid our fair lady aviator farewell for now, but remind her that I will be seeking another flight in due course. My three companions seem to have overindulged on the libations and are passed out on the gondola's floor, atop a pile of blankets and sheepskin coats. "They'll be fine where they are" says Lady Sarah, "But they'll have to work behind the bar to pay off their passage." I don't think that's a good idea; there'll be no alcohol left for other passengers if they are in charge of the bar.

I make my way from the landing site into the village, to find a guide to show me the mysteries of the atoll. A kindly villager points me to the cantina and tells me to ask for Jerome.

In the cantina it is quite obvious which one is Jerome; a tall negro standing with his elbow on the bar, a Thompson gun propped against his stool. I ask him if he would be willing to act as my guide.

"Sure, lady, but dressed like that?"

"Of course, I've explored many parts of Challenge Island dressed like this. Besides, I seem to have left my luggage aboard Lady Sarah's balloon."

"You know the Lady Sarah then? That's good - I'll be able to show you something real weird up the mountain and not worry about you freaking out."

He drinks off the last dregs of rum from his glass and picks up his gun. "Follow me then, lady."

We set off on a trail up the hillside and into the dense forest, reaching a plateau after an hour where the trees give way to tall kunai grass. "Stay close, missy, and don't step off the path" he warns me. Above the top of the grass, in the distance, I see a ghostly purple haze that looks like the tops of boulders or mounds. We are heading straight for them.

Just ahead of me Jerome parts the last of the grass and steps into a clearing. I follow close behind and...

"Good heavens above! Where has everything gone? What is this blackness surrounding us? Why am I standing on a circle of white carpet? Why are you standing on a circle of rough planks? And what the heck are those?"

"Missy, I told you I was going to show you something real weird. I don't know why we're standing on what we're standing on. All I know is that when you step into the clearing this weird shit happens."

"But those statues. I've never seen rock that colour. What are they?"

"I dunno myself. But what the islanders say is that back in their first days, a long, long time ago, maybe thousands of years, three great monkey gods - Ceeano, Heeano and S'Beekano - came to this atoll. They were brothers and they were evil. They enslaved the islanders and demanded sacrifices of the children. The islanders hated them and plotted to destroy them. They lured them to a clearing where a great pit had been dug, then when they fell in, the islanders released rocks and stones onto them which filled the pit, trapping those gods. Only their heads and hands were left uncovered."

"Well, really, that must just be a myth told by adults to scare their children into not being naughty. Those are clearly roughly carved statues, even if the rock is a very strange colour."

"Rock, lady? Go on, have a feel of them if you dare!"

Not one to pass up a dare, I go up and feel the statues. "My God! That feels like bone, not rock!"

"Lady, I dunno. Maybe they are what's left of those gods. Maybe not. But you must admit this is a real weird place."

"It is indeed. Now, shall we get out of here and back to the cantina - I believe I am going to need several strong drinks!"

We depart the clearing and thankfully normal skies return above us. Taking one last look back over my shoulder, I am convinced that I see a glow in the eye of one of the statues...

The two figures are just included to show the size of these skulls, which I found in my local Poundland in the run-up to Halloween last year. They seem to be cast in resin. And as they are for Awdry's Atoll, they are mounted on old CDs.

I shall be availing myself of another trip on Lady Sarah's most excellent and hospitable balloon service in due course, to take me to my fifth island location.

For scoring:
Now this takes a bit of calculation...
12cm diameter CD has an area of 113.1 cm2
x 7.5 cm height  = 848.2 cm3
convert to cubic inches = 848.2/(2.54 x 2.54 x 2.54) = 51.8 ci
Converting to terrain cubes -= 51.8/216 = 0.24 terrain cubes
@ 20 points per terrain cube, each of these pieces scores 0.24 x 20 = 4.8 points

So, let's call that 5 points for each one, giving me 15 points for the skulls.
Add on 30 points for completing Awdry's Atoll

Total = 45 points.

From MilesR: I see you're depicting the Republican Congress in terrain here.  Very nicely done.  I'm adding 5 bonus points for the wonderful story because (i) it was very good, (ii) I'm drunk with the awesome power of minionhood and (iii) you've managed to actually fill in all the needed information which is proving difficult for a lot of other today.