<div class="floatright">(http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/images/remedy_entertainment_5_inline_617x347.jpg)</div><strong>Welcome to Dead Woods</strong><br/>The drive to Dead Woods has been an eerie, experiences as the route enters straight into the endemic forests of the region, which rise like walls on either side of the road like walls.  Even on a sunny day, the light of the sun would have a hard time reaching the ground, and the past few days have not been particularly sunny either as dark grey clouds hovered and threatened rain.  Even an hour later, driving up hills and mountain sides on winding roads, the forest still does not relent, and it is almost forgivable for believing that one is entering an unexplored region of the world – at least, except for the tarmac road – but even that is a little bumpy and ever so slightly deteriorated from a lack of constant maintenance.<br/><br/>Pushing through, after all the gloom and everlasting wood, it is almost a relief when one breaks through to the logging town of Dead Woods itself.  With a break in the clouds, the sun shines cheerfully down on a great sparkling lake, of which the community has grown on its shores.  It is a somewhat rustic sight, though there is every indication that the modern world has progressed here as well – it is a small town on the cusp of becoming a large one – contrastingly different from the ghost town that its name might suggest.  Everywhere, there are people – walking for the most part – and whilst vehicles might seem rare, it is not so rare that the townfolk stop to stare when a new car, truck, or bus comes into town.<br/><br/>Although running late, it is fairly easy to find directions to the seminar where Jonathan Wade will be presenting his research and findings to the public – the community is still small and without much traffic, the local town hall is found, where it appears there are a fair number of arrivals to judge from all the vehicles parked outside.  The inside of the small hall must be packed with at least nearly a hundred or so individuals, and the windows have been shut and the lights dimmed so that the projector can work at its best.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Player characters can arrive in town on a transport of their choice; private vehicle or the bus that makes one trip per week.<br/><br/>As coincidence will have it, all characters find themselves seated next to each other.  In the few minutes before the talk starts, it's easy to mingle with those beside you.</div></div><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://www.townofstratford.com/images/Town%20Hall.jpg)</div><strong>The Lecture</strong><br/>Wade takes the scene in front.  A fairly tall gentleman of elderly bent, his eyes are still bright and vital by contrast to the greying hairs; it is as if this man's research gives him all the sustenance he needs.  Whilst it is often difficult to make heads or tails of what he's explaining at any given time, his enthusiasm shines through in everything he says.  There is no stuttering and pausing in his manner – Wade is either well prepared or else extremely well-versed in the subject matter he's presenting.<br/><br/>Much of what Wade expounds upon are matters of history, ancient civilisations, and various religions, whilst drawing out connections and irregularities from them.  The highlight of Wade's presentation culminates in his theories of an early and singular proto-human race that he believes is largely responsible for the similarities in human behaviour and social evolution – essentially setting a blueprint by which their descendants, no matter where they went, would follow through with such directives.  Whilst there is a sense that Wade might be alluding to something, no one present is<strong>intelligent</strong>enough to be able to pick on what he's suggesting, though there are slightly unpleasant connotations that leaves uneasy thoughts in the back of the mind.<br/><br/>Whilst it only seems short while, when Wade's seminar comes to an end, a glance at the clock reveals that hours have been whittled away.  Wade thanks those present for their time and patience at listening to his ramble, but there is applause amidst many murmurs as the elderly man begins to pack away his papers and pictures into a well-worn brown briefcase, informing everyone that the next seminar will begin at the same time in the morning tomorrow.  As he tidies up, he entertains a few questions from the few that approach him.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Players at this point are free to decide what they want to do.  Amongst the more pressing concerns are securing a place to stay, as with this large gathering of people, the small town's hotel and inn capacity has been stretched to it's limit.  Feel free to ask around or formulate a more structured search.<br/><br/>Any question, feel free to shoot them in the OOC.</div></div>