why i love statues! (museum quest part 18)

ms. rhonwyn realized that my posts on the quest are not as informational packed as they could be, due to my peanut sized brain and all... so she's gone through and added some stuff that i didn't know at the time of these events. their the bits in the [ brackets ] and in this colour and font.

Location: Picton

Baskets Left: 3

things couldn't have gotten more scary in my mission to get rid of these ancient artifact baskets!


as you know whiro the maori god of darkness will stop at nothing to get his hands on these flax baskets because they contain ALL the mystic knowledge of the maori people.


well the thinkable happened while i was in picton. not only did whiro track me down... again, i guess (he's done that 1, 2, uh 3 times before to be fair)... and is currently on my heels chasing me around town!

i don't have an escape plan people of the web wide world. i'm hoping i can outrun him to the ferry terminal... why he'd stop chasing me there i don't know...


the bigger problem (if that were possible!) is that ms. rhonwyn in her instructions was very specific. take the baskets to EVERY place on the list she provided. there are two museums in town on that list... i haven't hit them. i couldn't hit them till tomorrow... even without an evil maori god on my heels!


like i said people of the innerweb i didn't have an escape plan, and thinking on this problem was eating up a lot of my mental power (can you blame me with a brain as small as mine really?!?)... and again... whiro was right on my heels!!!


had it not been for my gracile [That is a science term for light and sleek] young tyrannosaur body and its ornithimimid like build whiro'd have caught me by now...

the ferry terminal was close now. it was only just a little further. maybe if i made it i'd be alright.

from behind me almost as though whiro could sense my hope. "you really think you can escape me kauwheke te kura [Translation: Ancestor of the Moa]?" his voice didn't gasp or fluctuate despite the effort he was putting in to keep up with me. i on the other hand was shattered (kiwi for exhausted or tired). i'd sprinted from one end of town to the other at full speed. my lungs were just about ready to give up.

even if i made it to the terminal i was certainly toast, and my mission a failure. i didn't even want to know what whiro could or would do with the knowledge contained within the kete o te wananga. i was certain it would not be a better world. not that i was likely to be around to see it...

my legs and even more so lungs were giving out on me. there was no way i could keep going. i made my final desperate push to the ferry terminal. i made it just inside the threshold of the door where i collapsed. right in front of a maori wood carving (i note this because in my exhaustion i freaked out for a moment thinking it was a second maori deity after me!).

behind me the all too familiar snarly growl of whiro could be heard as he detected my weakness, and sensed his moment to strike...

just as whiro approached the door i was overcome with dizziness... the sort i've come to expect when something magic is going on around me. [Mystic Gradient Radiation being its scientific name]... i thought it was due to my close proximity to whiro and his magical essence... boy was i wrong.

suddenly the lobby lite up with furious mystical activity... which i'll note got me some really weird or nasty looks from the humans there. they couldn't see what i was, but i assure you people of the web wide, had you seen it you'd have made some noise too!

this magic was pouring forth from the maori statue just above me, and it was pretty serious stuff. not like the presence of an atua like whiro or the magical essence [Mystic Gradient Epicentre. The equivalent of a magical nuclear reactor or sun] of the baskets themselves. this wasn't a manifestation of magic like an entity or framework. this was a machine made of it designed to do some serious alterations of the world as it went... it was a spell!!!

this spell sure didn't like something about whiro. whether it was due to his being an atua, magic critter, or god of darkness the magic zoned in on him with force!

i didn't stick around to find out what it was going to do to him... in hindsight i probably should have. how often to you get to see an action movie scene play out in front of you? (of course in real life their not fun like the movies!!!)... all i can say is whiro was not enjoying whatever was happening to him. though i was certain it wasn't going to kill him (can you kill a god?) that alone stop him for ever.

i did quickly catch the name on the plaque of the sign as i sped walked towards the counter to buy my ticket. the name said ao-kehu. i'd have to look it up later. after the sales lady finished looking at me funny for my earlier outburst she gave me a ticket for the next ferry. which left in 10 minutes... would whiro be warded off long enough?

[Ao-kehu was famous and revered Maori warrior of ancient mythology. In Maori lore Ao-kehu was renowned for being a slayer of Taniwha.

Taniwha were Maori monsters. They took many forms varying from the mundane such as giant whales, sharks, or lizards to outlandish and fantastic extremes of indescribable beasts. Though some Taniwha were benevolent guardians of a certain tribe or region most were malevolent or if not they were still a threat to outsiders of their realm. In such case Taniwha were a dreaded force for mortals to contend with, and most perished if they came up against one. Though there are tales of mortal warriors killing Taniwha, Ao-kehu is among the few to have killed many and survived these confrontations.

The most famous of these stories is Ao-kehu's slaying of Tuae-poroporo a very furious Taniwha of the Whanganui River. To slay the giant chimera {that is to say made of the parts of many animals} creature Ao-kehu devised a plan that used intellegence rather than strength to defeat Tuae-poroporo. He hollowed a log, and sealed himself inside it while baiting the outside. Unable to resist the lure of the bait Tuae-poroporo swallowed the log. Protected until he was in the stomach, Ao-kehu emerged from the log in Tuae-poroporo's belly and hacked his way out of the beast killing it.

Many modern Tohunga {Maori word meaning many things, but in this case refers to mystic priest} like to use statues of Ao-ketu as a focal point for spells and blessings designed to ward off evil spirits. This would seem the likely explanation for Traumador's experience at the Picton Ferry Terminal.]

i boarded the boat as soon as they'd let us. at least that way if whiro got inside the terminal he won't find me so quickly...

as i got on deck and looked back on picton a new dread filled me...

there on the harbour front was the edwin fox museum. a place i was supposed to have taken the baskets...

what if that was THE place that the baskets would have jived with the mana of?

what i did now was in vein. it wasn't like i could come back easily to try again. more to the point whiro was still after me. even if the boat got out of here without him it won't take him long to figure out a way to follow me. i was sure of it.

that alone the other possible mystic creatures that could be waiting for me on the north island!

doubt and worry ate away in my head even as the loud fog horn sounded to indicate we were leaving.

i started to feeling slightly dizzy. something mystic was getting closer.

leaning over the railing i let out a slight gasp at what i saw on the dock. whiro!

i knew he wasn't going to be stopped so easily...

though to both my surprise and his the boat started to move... i was underway... but would whiro be along for the ride?

though as the ferry's engines worked up to full power, and got us moving very fast for a ship this side it seemed to take forever!

in the meantime whiro struggled to find a way aboard... the one saving grace was not only was the boat moving steadily, but it had no easy accesses from dock level.

contrary to what i expected the ferry pulled out of port leaving whiro behind... well okay i expected the boat to leave port, but i was expecting whiro to have gotten aboard knowing my luck...

whiro just stood there clearly off put by this development. yet he was also eerily calm. i could just tell i hadn't seen the last of him...

the view of picton was lovely as he hit the open water of the harbour.

yet the museum's that lay in town, that i hadn't visited, caused me to not enjoy this and the other views as much as i should have. guilt, doubt, and worry were all i could think of...

we quickly left the harbour and picton behind. we were hitting the beautiful queen charlotte sound.

i'll let the pictures speak for themselves as i missed this going through them. i was picturing the quest's disasterious ending due to this turn of events...

a cool salmon farm operation (even if their bad for the environment i think they look neat at the very least).

here we reached the literal end of the south island. i left behind all i'd known and experienced of new zealand this past year, and set forth to a new frontier...

after the pretty islands and cliffs of the sound's natural breaker.

now we set forth into the cook strait over which lay the north island. site of the second half of the museum quest...

the end of one chapter.

the beginning of a new one...

(Production Note: We at Prehistoric Insanity applogize for the delay that has occurred in the Chronicles the last two weeks. In addition to the pre-production we're busily engaged in for the exciting new direction of Year 1.5, Craig's current immigration and employment efforts have been eating up a lot of time. Be sure to check out our blog to see some of this pre-production like this, that, and those.

_

Also over at Laelaps there's a contest on May. 17th that The Tyrannosaur Chronicles will be submitting a special entry for. So definately be sure to check back here than!

Between now and than expect a post every day or two as we try to catch up and finish the Museum Quest.

_

As always thanks for stopping by and checking out Traumador and his adventures!)

all roads lead here... (museum quest part 17)

Location: Picton

Baskets Left: 3

i can't get over how hard it has been to get rid of these maori artifact baskets (the containers maori peoples mystic knowledge!) for my boss ms. rhonwyn.

things had been going fine since queenstown. i'd made it all the way up here to the end of new zealand's south island. due to bad timing everything in picton was closed forcing me to harmlessly explore.

the plan was tomorrow to hit the two... that's right TWO... museums in town, maybe the aquarium too, and than catch the ferry up to the north island.

of course like always in my life it wasn't to be...

having checked out a rather dull and boring picton on ANZAC day (good excuse for it to be boring mind you... just didn't help the events that were about to unfold) i decided to head back to the hotel i was staying and enjoy some TV.

just my luck would have it the british prehistoric related show primeval was on!!! i soooooo enjoyed watching it (review coming after i've finished this whole museum quest thing), but i didn't get much further in my relaxing couch potatoing...

as the next show's teaser came on an intense wave of nausia over came me... it was an all to familiar dizziness... just like when i'd opened up one of the baskets... that could only mean one thing...

MAGIC!!!... or sorry mystic gradient radiation the scientific name for it.

i froze with fear as outside my window a strange rhythmic clicking sound grew louder.

finally it stopped. for a couple minutes, it must have been, i simple sat there listening for anymore sound. all i heard was the deep and deafening pounding of my own heart as my limbs went completely numb.

finally i was able to peel myself off the chair and creep to the giant glass doors. i couldn't see anything directly. however i could make out a shadow being cast by something just outside my field of view. cautiously i unlocked the door and poked my head out the door.

just some deck furniture... PHEW!

than suddenly from behind me a monstrous growl...

spinning around there just on the other side of my table set was whiro the maori god of darkness himself (or is it itself?)...

the fear and pounding heart came back!

we just stood there for almost a minute staring at one another... i realized this was a chance. with that furniture in between us it'd take him a few second to pursue me. i very slowly shifted my feet so i could sprint.

he just stood on watching... right when i was about to dash...

whiro launched himself at me. flinging the deck furniture out of his way! (why i thought he would respect the hotels property i'm not sure... cut me some slack though people of the innerweb i do have that tiny brain and all!).

i stumbled backward tripping over the potted plants behind me and fell onto the ground at the bottom of the stairs.

"we meet again kauwheke te kura [which when i looked it up, after the fact, means ancestor of the moa]," whiro gloated as he towered over me.

"you did an admirable job trying to hide your route across te wai pounamu [the maori name for the south island meaning place of greenstone]. yet you were all too easy to track the same. i can see you are trying to scatter the kete o te wananga across aotearoa [maori name for all of new zealand meaning land of the long white cloud]. the only place you could be going than is te ika a maui ([the north island] meaning you had to come to this place," whiro confidently informed me.

oh man. i should have realized there was a flaw to this plan. he was right. obviously i'm making my way across the country, and unless i flew [which ms. rhonwyn informed me after the quest flying with the baskets would have been disastrous] there was no way to get across island to island than here... meaning whiro just had to come here, and wait for me!!!

"you have failed kauwheke te kura , and my victory over tane has finally arrived," whiro advanced once more towards me. his sharp jade fingers being propelled at me. "give me the kete o te wananga and i may spare your life."

i've watched enough movies to know that evil things like him always keep to those sorts of promises... NOT!

that and knowing the legend [plus what ms.rhonwyn told me at the conclusion of the quest] that there would be dire consequences if whiro got his hands on the ultimate in mystic knowledge...

his claw infested hand came down on my shirt... the only place i have pockets, and started patting me down.

after frisking my single front pocket "where are the baskets?!?" whiro demanded... oh boy did i just luck out! i'd left the baskets in the hotel room... normally i kept them in my pocket. whiro must have detected the magic residue on my shirt...

i might still somehow get out of this i thought...

the thing is he had me trapped. i couldn't run, i couldn't hide. i wasn't even on my feet. i needed a distraction...

than it occurred to my peanut sized brain... whiro was old. not as ancient as us dinosaurs, but old none the less. he was kinda clueless and gullible when i came to the modern world.

"uh their not in my truck," i lied, and acted like i was trying not to look at the random truck parked in the lot beside us. i hoped he bought it.

he didn't move, and his literally stone cold face didn't give away what he was thinking or emoting. i decided to gamble. "their in my room. i'll get them for you."

"very well," whiro agreed... oh no!

that wasn't the plan at all. i was hoping he'd think i was trying to trick him... now i was leading him right to the baskets. if he could pick up on their having been in my pocket he was sure to detect them in my room...

i reluctantly got up, and turned towards the door with whiro at my back. what was i going to do?

than it hit me!

i slowly walked towards the door in as suspicious a manner as i could. i was rewarded with a "do not even think of trying to tricking me kauwheke te kura," whiro warned me... man if not for the fact he outdated movie stereotypes by a few thousand years i'd have sworen he was the most cliche bad guy ever.

it was now or never.

"what are you talking about?" i deceitfully asked trying to be as obvious as i could. "i wouldn't try anythi..." i suddenly veered away from the door, and sprinted towards the truck.

i made it maybe 5 steps (which considering how built for speed my juvenile tyrannosaur body is not too bad a distance for the time it took me) before from behind i was struck. whiro had taken a lightening quick swing at me, and fortunately for me hit me with his wrist as opposed to the razor sharp ends of his fingers.

i'm sure glad i hadn't planned on fighting my way out! he is superhumanly fast, and strong! i think the only reason i wasn't dead was that i was faster than he'd expected... a mistake he probably wasn't going to make again!

i fell in a heap in the middle of the parking lot...

whiro rushed to the decoy truck as planned. boy i feel kinda bad for the owner of that truck. at the same time it was life over property... granted i never did get the chance to inform the owner of how, what, and why his vehicle was trashed.

needless to say i didn't stick around to check out what whiro did. based on the noise i heard in the hotel as i popped in to grab the baskets he was doing a number on it...

with the baskets "safely" in my pocket i opted to slip out the bathroom window (on the opposite side of the hotel building from the whiro occupied parking lot)...

running through town i had a blood curdling realization with my peanut sized brain... and i'd had a lot to curdle my blood up till this point people of the innerweb!... what was i going to do???

my running had brought me in front of the picton museum. a place i needed to try to use to get rid of the baskets, but how could i? it was closed till tomorrow...

even if i could outrun whiro right now, how was i going to keep away from him standing around in a museum?!?

making my current situation all the more pressing up the block from the hotel... i'd picked a hotel close to the museums and the ferry... came a most inhuman terrifying scream. whiro had just figured out he'd been had.

there was only one option left for me...

i booked it, as fast as my ornithomimid like legs would take me, towards the waterfront.

i had to get across the straight to the north island where i could lose whiro again on the open road.

i just hoped against all hopes that these museums in picton weren't the key to disposing of the baskets... ms. rhonwyn had been quite clear i had to hit every museum and location on the list... i was about to blatantly ignore those orders...

there was no more time to think. behind me came a louder version of the clicking i'd heard outside my hotel. whiro was sprinting after me, and for a guy made of solid greenstone he was getting some pretty good speed!

how was i going to get out of this one? even if i could outrun him to the ferry, how was i going to get my ticket or wait for it without him getting me?!?

to be continued...

picton

Location: Picton

Baskets Left: 3

the quest to get rid of these ubber important artifact flax baskets (the containers maori peoples mystic knowledge!) goes on.

i still haven't heard from my boss ms. rhonwyn, and am still in the dark on a few things. i still haven't even seen any signs of whiro the maori god of darkness.

finally it feels like at least progress wise i've made headway (though i still haven't gotten rid of any of the baskets... i did come CLOSE a few days ago). i've covered all my stops on the south island!

meaning i've been to half of new zealand... which in and of itself is kind of a big deal!


the end of the south island is a town called picton. its not a huge place, and its spread out funny so you'd think it's even smaller than it is.

i however had lots of time to explore it as it was a national holiday called ANZAC day and everything was closed. ANZAC day is kinda like remembrance day back in canada, but it is for remembering the sacrifices of the men of the Australian New Zealand Army Corp.

once everything opened tomorrow the plan was to hit the museums in town, and if i had time the aquarium, then hop onto the ferry to the north island.

speaking of the ferry it was about the only thing open today.

the whole town was kinda built around the ferry. its the main emphasis of the harbour, and all of town leads you to said harbour.

wandering around a shut down town is kinda boring.

though a few things are both free and never stopping. like fountains!

it wasn't anything too fancy. in fact as fountains go this is pretty average, but it killed a good 30 minutes...

the coolest thing i found in town that i could do was head into the civilian harbour. you got to walk over a huge as walk way which was fun.

from up here i could see most of the waterfront. there were a lot of boats. i hadn't seen this many boats since vancouver!

new zealanders seem to owe less boats than other places i'd been in north america. in NA if there's water there's bound to be tons of boats... there are boats down here, but picton is the only place i've seen this many (non professional fishing) boats in one place or concentration.

my favourite of all the boats i saw was this one. coolest name/picture combo i've ever seen on a boat... cutest too.

the walkway itself was kinda fun. i mean look how big and curvy it is when you're standing on it!

one of the neatest restaurants in town had to be the echo. this is one of the oldest surviving ships used to transport people and goods to new zealand left. now its on dry land, and living out the rest of its days as a restaurant.

was neat to get that close to a real ship, and you know. not get wet...

i came across the local regimental club in my exploring. the place was packed for ANZAC services. i didn't want to interrupt or intrude on the event so i just checked out the old artillery gun they had out front.

it wasn't much i grant you people of the web wide world, but it was my little way of paying respect to those who were in those awful wars... sure won't want this thing shooting at me!!!

as i typically do i checked out the beach. this time i got one of my toe claws snagged on a rock which flipped over...

on the underside i found the most amazing thing...

a tiny sea slug!

i'm used to all sorts of invertebrates, but they almost always have a shell or are a worm. this a crawling moving disc of sliminess.

way too cool!

things were sooooo boring that i even started paying attention to the signage in town...

which turned out to be worth it...

including one of my favourite words for getting things done... with gusto! i always say...

my faourite sign had to be this one though!

evolve... nuff said.

into what i wonder?

i figured maybe i'd head back to the hotel and watch some TV to kill the rest of the day...

i should have guessed, i wasn't the only one heading to my hotel though...

to be continued...