atreideslioness: (Litany Against Fear)
Ghanima Atreides ([personal profile] atreideslioness) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2009-05-25 12:12 am

Keeping Your Advantage: Terrain and You, Week III [Monday, Period 4]

"Welcome back," Ghanima said as the students entered the Danger Shop. She was standing beside two large trunks, and the room was blank, not yet assigned an environment. "Today, we're going a bit farther north than many of you, myself included, are accustomed to."

She pressed a button on the remote, and suddenly the students would find themselves surrounded by snow and cold winds. "Welcome to the Arctic!" Ghanima said cheerfully.



She was cheating and regulating her own body temperature, which was why she seemed unbothered by the sudden change of scenery. Normally she wouldn't use her Bene Gesserit talents in such a flagrant way, but it was only for an hour, and was hardly going to lead to Abomination. "I hope you brought your mittens! For those of you that didn't..." she knelt to open the first chest, which was filled with coats, hats, mittens, and snow shoes. "Suit up."

"Long before brick or wood houses with indoor heat became commonplace, people had to be creative when building homes to protect them from nature's elements," Ghanima lectured as people got dressed. "Wealthy Europeans embraced the concept of a nearly indestructible castle built from stone. Native Americans in warmer climates favored the tepee, or tipi, made entirely of animal hides or bark."

"Unfortunately, for the inhabitants of Earth's more frigid regions, such as the Canadian tundra, neither of these were good options. Building materials were pretty much nonexistent, making it difficult to craft even the most rudimentary home. These people used the only abundant material to form a modest roof over their heads: snow. Thus, the igloo was born. The Inuit, better known to some of you as Eskimos, invented the igloo centuries ago. The igloo was a means for hunters to survive brutal winters in a vast area spanning more than 3,500 miles, including eastern Siberia, Greenland, Alaska and parts of Canada."

"Today, we will learn how to build the most basic of snow shelters," she continued. "Knowing how to make a snow trench shelter, a snow cave, or igloo can save your life in a winter survival situation. The great insulative qualities of snow can be used to help keep you warm enough to survive in even the coldest weather; but only if you know how to use the snow to your advantage."

"Only experts should try to make an igloo to spend the night in, least it collapse on you. A snow trench or cave, however, almost anyone can do," Ghanima said, quickly explaining the techniques behind making a trench. "I've provided shovels and knives for today's work, but you won't always have such equipment in the field. Snowshoes also make good digging tools, and if you're carrying a field kit, a cup or pot will also work."

"Now get to work," she said, opening the second chest to distribute tools to the class before taking a knife for herself. She wasn't going to ask the students to do something that she was unwilling to attempt herself. "Feel free to work solo or in groups. I programmed the room so that we've got one hour to dark, and you don't want to be caught out without a place to sleep."


[OCD Up!]
endsthegame: (+ valentine ready now)

Re: Sign-In #3

[personal profile] endsthegame 2009-05-25 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
Andrew Wiggin
solo_sword: (wintery)

Re: Sign-In #3

[personal profile] solo_sword 2009-05-25 07:13 am (UTC)(link)
Jaina Solo
solo_sword: (interested)

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[personal profile] solo_sword 2009-05-25 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
Jaina was listening, especially with this sort of subject. She'd been in this sort of arctic climate three times in the past year, she figured she should pay attention.

Re: Sign-In #3

[identity profile] blondecanary.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 07:16 am (UTC)(link)
Dinah Lance
solo_sword: (wintery)

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[personal profile] solo_sword 2009-05-25 07:20 am (UTC)(link)
And for as much as Jaina had been in these environments, she'd never had a hand in the construction. And the whole while she was digging, she couldn't help but think this would be easier with a dead tauntaun. Was that wrong?
solo_sword: (ooc)

Re: OOC

[personal profile] solo_sword 2009-05-25 07:21 am (UTC)(link)
And I agree with the three of you. *hides where it's warm*

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[identity profile] kestrelswolf.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
Blind Seer looked insufferably smug as Firekeeper was forced to bundle up (including shoes) against the elements.

The talk of different sorts of human dens was fascinating, though, and she paid careful attention to the lecture.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[identity profile] blondecanary.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
Dinah was layering away for dear life. "Cold cold cold cold cold..."

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[identity profile] kestrelswolf.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 07:30 am (UTC)(link)
Shovels? Hah! They needed no shovels. Blind Seer's paws made certain they had a trench dug out in minutes. Now, to set about creating the roof.
future_sandworm: (desert creature)

Re: Sign-In #3

[personal profile] future_sandworm 2009-05-25 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
Leto Atreides

Re: Sign-In #3

[identity profile] formerbrat.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 08:21 am (UTC)(link)
Elspeth of Valdemar

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[identity profile] formerbrat.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
Elspeth bundled up and listened intently to the lecture.

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[identity profile] formerbrat.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 08:33 am (UTC)(link)
Elspeth picked up a shovel and started digging a trench. She was perfectly capable of doing it herself, but a partner would also be welcome.
wannabehunter: (feeling blue)

Re: Sign-In #3

[personal profile] wannabehunter 2009-05-25 11:01 am (UTC)(link)
Jo Harvelle

Re: Sign-In #3

[identity profile] heartflames.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 12:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Eleanor Robinson

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[identity profile] heartflames.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 12:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Eleanor suited up against the cold, wondering if Ghanima would notice if she used a bit of Fire Magic to keep warm during the exercise.

Re: OOC

[identity profile] heartflames.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 12:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Where I'm going to in Australia, I'll never have to see snow ever again!

:D

Re: Activity: Make Your Shelter!

[identity profile] heartflames.livejournal.com 2009-05-25 12:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"Would you care for some assistance?"

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