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I'm still willing to resume if the GM announces he is ready to reactivate it. But I'm now a GM for 3 PBP games and player in two others, so my dance card is pretty full. I would not be able to post every day some weeks. But the GM said he needed a week or two but that was 2 months ago now, so I expect it's dead.
Hanging in there. Do what must be done.
I'm working on transcribing letters from my parents to their families during their sojourn in Asia. It's a fascinating time in history and interesting to compare the cultures and religious ideas as they intersect.
By about a decade, yes.
"Wait," Cooil calls out and steps closer to Grendel. "If we are to go to the Citadel, please educate us on what to expect there. We do not want to get trapped there. What do we need to know about the place and the people who run it? If we can do anything to repay you for this information, please tell us what we might do to help you or your community."
Safe travels. My parents were missionaries in China during the late 1940s. If you get anywhere near SW China (Yunan Province) you'll be in the same general area where they ran a hospital (in a little village called Tengchong).
Cooil watched and waited. He wanted to know so much: how does magic work? What dangers lurk in the Citidel? Where was this place in relation to earth? What had happened to Father McKinley? Why was the witch unable to heal him? But he knew that sometimes the answers only come to those who wait patiently and observe carefully. A favorite aphorism he had come across while studying philosophy was "The reward for patience is patience." And the flip side of this quote was the joke "Lord, give me patience, and give it to me now!" So he watched the witch and kept quiet.
Cooil frowns but says nothing, waiting to learn whether or not Desmond's hearing can be restored.
Cooil hangs back and observes what he can through the door, with Splash on his shoulder so as to have an extra set of eyes on the hut. "Let me know if you see anything I should know about," he thinks to Splash. Cooil:
Safe travels.
During the trip, Cooil helps lead Father McKinley through the landscape, making conversation to pass the time. Splash bounds along beside him for a while until he tires and rides instead in Cooil's pack, poking his head out and chattering about what catches his curiosity. From time to time, just for practice, Cooil tries is directional sense to keep track of the general direction of the trip. When not talking to Desmond, Cooil practices a greeting in the local language. Once in the new village, Cooil tries out his greeting. "Greetings and blessings on you all." Then he reverts to relying on the magic to translate his words, "My name is Cooil. This is Janice, Gordon, Desmond, and Jasper." Splash scampers down to the ground and capers about at Cooil's feet as he talks.
Cooil contents himself to enjoying the walk. He converses with Splash or his companions to pass the time pleasantly.
"Hessin, we thank you for helping us out. Let us know if we can do anything in return," Cooil says warmly. Eventually, he asks, "So, Hessin, if you're a scout, you must have some sense of adventure. If you could pass through the door into the hall of doors, would you? Or would you prefer to remain here to deal with the world you know?"
I'm still willing to carry on, but I confess the more long gaps, the lower my interest. I expect the GM is strapped for time dealing with RL issues. I hope we'll get an update at least on the situation from the GM.
Cooil will confer mentally with Splash to see if he has any suggestions, but is prepared to go when everyone else is. Going forward, Cooil begins to make a concerted effort to learn the local language. If Splash can help, he will think of something to say in English and then hopes Splash can give him a mental 'sound' of the words in the local tongue. Then Cooil will speak the words as he hears them and practice them a few times.
Cooil will make a mental inquiry to Splash about whether he thinks he could help Cooil learn the local language more quickly than might normally be the case.
To the group, Cooil says, "Our people have many legends and myths about what dwells in the depths of the earth and the sea. Getting the help of the witch will be much appreciated. We can learn a bit more about the locals before going to the Citadel. It seems all roads lead there, so I'm willing to go when we all think it best to do so." Giving a glance at Desmond, Cooil adds, "I imagine the Father might quote Moses here. 'I am a stranger in a strange land.' We thank you all for your help." Cooil will get out his tablet and begin to write some of what has just been said for Desmond to read.
Cooil glances at the others. "What can you tell us about the war and who are the Forsaken? For myself, I wonder if we might not be better off avoiding the Citadel and dealing with people who are known to be decent and trustworthy. If we must enter the Citadel, it seems it would be better if we could blend in and learn to speak your tongue so as not to give ourselves away as aliens to this world. We've had religious zealots build kingdoms and even empires in our world and they are never a pleasant bunch to deal with, especially if they view you as an outsider."
Cooil longs to get Desmond's story but senses there is more to get from the elders. "We've heard of people who live near the water. Qualin mentions a witch with powers at his village. Whenever people talk of the citadel, they qualify the help they could provide with other concerns. Would you think it wise that we first visit people outside the citadel searching for those with wisdom who might be able to help us. And if we go to the citadel, is there any reason to think they will retaliate toward you for helping us?"
Cooil watches the faces of the elders and Qualin, and marvels as the surreal events of late. He smiles and feels relief when Father McKinley returns, standing and making room for him to sit with the group. "Welcome back, Father. We were getting a little worried." to sense anything off about Desmond. to notice the difficulties the elders are having understanding intervals of time. "Let me assure you," Cooil says, addressing the elders, "that we don't want to cause anybody any distress or harm. We all know," Cooil gestures to his colleagues, "stories of people on our home world who were given goods and services meant to improve their lives, only to cause unintended pain and suffering. We will do our best to shield you good people from any problems. But we must learn more about this place and these strange gates. We've heard of a place called the Citadel where there is great wisdom and many secrets. Can you advise us about what we might find if we go there?"
I'm still watching for the GM to post.
Cooil communicates to Splash, If you have anything to tell me about this nexus of doorways, let me know.
Getting no questions, Cooil continues, "As I said we are all experts in the study of ancient civilizations back on our world. We were brought together to study an enigmatic site deep in a desert, suggesting the site was constructed a very long time in the past, when the land supported more vegetation. We were trying to figure out who constructed the site and for what purpose. In the process, we came across a room which had six sets of concentric circles close to each other on the floor. They were arranged so they formed a triangle." Cooil interrupts his story to draw in the dirt the arrangement of the circles for the elders to see. "We gathered around these circles and at some point each stood in one of the circles. There was a shudder and the stone walls of the site faded away and in their place we found ourselves in a room with stone walls, doorways connecting to similar rooms, and a stone rimmed door standing upright in the middle." Cooil draws a square around the circles, marking the doorways and the central door. "We found a skeleton in the top circle of the circles in this room. Closer examination of the circles revealed glyphs of a sort unfamiliar to us. We also found two spears which I believe one of your crafters of weapons examined and declared to be possibly made by a tribe who lives near the sea in this area. "The central door opened on its own, as by some invisible mechanism or force, once we had cleared out some sand which blocked it. Through the open doorway, we saw an endless desert. We let the door close and went into one of the neighboring rooms, finding it to be identical to the first, except for the sand and in this one, no skeleton. There were circles in this room as well, but one of the glyphs was different. We made rubbings of the glyphs which we can show you. The door in this room opened as well and we eventually came through it into this world you inhabit. "We have explored some of the other rooms and peered through the central doors. Each leads to a different environment, a cave system, for example. One had a hostile creature that seemed to be dead but animated by some arcane force. We ultimately came here because your world seemed the most hospitable to life and inhabited by beings like ourselves. "So that is how we were 'chosen.' We are very curious to learn about this world and why in this world we seem to be able to do magic that is impossible where we come from. But we also want to figure out how we can get back home." Cooil folds his hands and waits for questions or for any of his colleagues to add to or to correct his account.
Father McKinley's experience reminds me of a Bible passage: I Kings 19:11-12. Powerful imagery.
"My name is Cooil MacCray. We are all teachers and I can assure you we are happy to share our knowledge and wisdom on anything you wish. I will try to answer your first question. Until recently, we thought there was only our world, which is a large planet orbiting a star called the sun. The sun acts for us as the bright orb that lights your world. Our planet rotates which causes the light and dark to alternate about the same as your Angel, as I believe you call your light, alternates between bright and dim. "This planet has a rich diversity of people, plants, and animals, with many different environments, ranging from hot jungles to freezing plains called tundras." Cooil pauses. "I hope your magic is able to translate what I'm telling you. If you need me to explain a word more fully, please ask. I could go on for days, literally, trying to tell you of the natural history of Earth, which is what we call our home planet, and more days telling of the histories of the various tribes and nations who have risen and fallen over thousands of years. What I expect will interest you the most, however, is that our world has almost no magic. Yet, we have used that lack to spurn on science, which is the systematic study of how matter and energy behave without any magic. This allows us to do many things that you might think is magic. I can demonstrate later should you be interested." Cooil pauses and surveys the faces of the elders and his colleagues, as he has often done during lectures in his classrooms, trying to gauge whether the listeners were lost or growing bored or if any were anxious to ask a question. "At any rate that is something about where we came from. Answering how we got here may involve more speculation, but I'll be happy to describe the events that preceded our arrival, for what it is worth. But let me pause. Perhaps you have questions or one of the others may wish to share his or her version of things."
As he walks with the others, Cooil notes Desmond's absence. Anyone know where Desmond wandered off to? He's been gone a while now. Perhaps the lights in the trees will draw him back," Cooil says with a shrug. He has wandered enough himself lately to know there is nothing to fear from what little wildlife there is around the garden. Arriving at the meeting, Cooil draws himself to his full height and looks the elders in the eyes. He's been in situations like this during his travels meeting aboriginal people. One has to submit to a certain amount of judgment and prove you are no fool before you learn much from such meetings. He resists the temptation to look at Splash. But he sends a thought his way, "Feel free to give me your interpretation of what is said by the elders."
My posting may be limited for the next few days. My home computer is in the shop and so I'm limited to using my iPad or my work computer. It's also the start of a new teaching term, so that keeps me a bit busy the first few days. I'm teaching in the morning now, Monday through Thursday, so most post will have to wait to late afternoon or evening.
Cooil and Splash sit below a tree, looking intently at each other. From time to time Cooil makes a gesture or utters an odd phrase. After a bit of this, a small deluge of about two gallons of water falls on both of them, as if some invisible person dumped a bucket of water on them. The otter enjoys this immensely, frolicking and rolling on its back. Cooil tries again and produces more water, eventually learning to control where the water appears. Cooil dries off and borrows a basin from one of the people. He takes it to his fellow adventurers and demonstrates what he has learned, filling the basin with water. "At least now when we travel, we won't have to worry about having fresh drinking water." "This is so strange, like a dream where the normal physical limits no longer hold. I seem to be adjusting to the changes a little. I can't explain it but what I just did seems rational, just a different way of getting something to appear that is in some sense all around. Slash has suggested other things I might learn how to do using that same ineffable logic." He looks at Dr. Zeroux and Gordon. "Have you learned to do anything like magic--forgive the use of such an unscientific term, but what else can we call it?"
Thanks. Today I saw a pair of real river otters at a nature center in a park where I live.
I have a questions about communicating with Cooil's spirit animal. The rules say the spirit animal is like a wizard's familiar except as noted in the Shaman sections, including the particular spirit selected. A wizard's familiar normally can only communicate with its master with the empathic link ability listed in the 1st level abilities of the familiar. Empathic Link (Su): The master has an empathic link with his familiar to a 1 mile distance. The master can communicate empathically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link’s limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The master has the same connection to an item or place that his familiar does. But the rules for the Ancestors spirit say, "The spirit animal can speak and understand a number of bonus languages equal to the shaman’s Charisma bonus." Does this mean when Cooil communicates with his spirit animal with the empathic link, he can use language or is it still limited to just general emotions? The rules for Intelligence say a creature with Intelligence 6 or 7 is "Dull-witted or slow, often misuses and mispronounces words." I would generally interpret this to mean language use roughly the same as a child just learning to speak. Should I treat the spirit animal essentially as an NPC that the GM controls or as an Ally that I control unless the GM decides to take control in specific situations? Do you have any other guidance to suggest on role playing the spirit animal? Thanks.
"I suspect we will have to visit the Citadel to find answers we need. But we should approach that with as much information as we can obtain. I suspect the locals may not have any direct experience of what is in the Citadel and are only repeating stories and perhaps even superstitions. Still, let's find out what they think they know about the place and those who control it." Cooil inquires of those who returned to the Nexus of Doors what they experienced. Once briefed, he says, "I'm glad you got back safely. That is valuable information." While waiting for the meeting with the elders, Cooil sits down a little removed from the village to confer with Splash and learn a little about magic and spirits.
"The spirits I communed with did not know the answer to that. Perhaps it is a different order of magic, something one of us has yet to learn about. Or perhaps we will have to travel to this citadel to talk to the wizard of ... well whoever runs that show."
Remarkable. Gordon states You say its your friend? How have you somehow established that bond? "I traveled back to where I saw the telepathic fox. It was there again, but this time with that fellow we saw when we first arrived at the village, the one with the squirrel, the one who threw the stone that then blazed with light. He referred to himself as Gardener Thevil. He guided me into a dream state that was quite remarkable. Thoughts there control the reality. With his guidance, I wandered a bit, contemplating my path and long story short, it led to me to Splash. "When I returned to the 'real' world, Slash came with me, guided me out as it were. I've always liked animals, had various pets, dogs, cats, the like. But this feels quite a bit more than a pet, perhaps a spirit incarnate. I think Splash is able to connect to my ancestors, or perhaps all our ancestors. He seems to have access to the accumulated wisdom of all who came before. I sense I will be learning to access that as well. "One odd thing I recall--Gardener Thevil or maybe it was the fox said that in the dream world--what were the words? 'You won't find the angel or its influence here.' I hope the Father can learn more about the nature of this angel. It is a mystery to me."
GM:
Cooil will gain the ancestors spirit. His 0th level spell (orison) will be create water. The ancestors spirit animal description says, "The spirit animal can speak and understand a number of bonus languages equal to the shaman’s Charisma bonus." Cooil's charisma modifier is 2. Could one of the languages be the common language of this world? If so, he can presumably start teaching Cooil (and others) the language. The other language will be English. I'll let you determine what it says, in general, at least when it is apt to share knowledge or information Cooil might not have. I'll work on the stats and add them to the profile. Cooil returns some hours after he left. He is accompanied by a river otter who scampers along like a pet, with many slight detours to investigate things that catch its eye. The otter is spry as a healthy adult otter, but appears aged, with gray hair scattered throughout its brown fur. It has bushy white eyebrows and whiskers, giving a slightly comical look of an old man. Cooil himself also looks slightly different, as if he aged about ten years, although he still is as capable of movement as he was. His hair was already white, but it is now bushier and thicker, with touches of silver like the otter. His face has additional wrinkle lines. When he finds the others, he says, "I've had quite the day! Meet my new friend," he gestures to the otter. "His name is Splash. He is a representative of the spirits. They are as curious about us as we are about them, so I hope I can learn more and share it with you."
Cooil begins to feel intoxicated at the sensations. He never did LSD but his experience in the spirit world seems very much like he imagined an acid trip would be like. He forces himself to withdraw a portion of his attention and curiosity and practices mindfulness of the present moment. Every so often, as he runs by his fox guide, he leaps and concentrates on going forward without falling. He glides through the air with his feet off the ground. He returns to running and finds the feel of gravity almost as miraculous as to be free of it. So much to learn. When the fox warns him not to try to know everything, he chuckles, being reminded of a comedy skit where someone was said to know everything (not anyone who was a spiritual master, just some TV personality science expert). Another comedian responded, "I wouldn't like that! It would take the mystery out of life." When the fox stops and tells him this and then instructs him to seek the path that will lead him to his animal guide, he settles on the ground in the lotus position and spends some time calming his mind, waiting for it to exhaust itself with the chatter the sages call the 'monkey mind.' Once settled, he thinks about the path that brought him to this position: his studies, research, travels, books that he read and books that he wrote, friends, family, all seem to turn into a kind of river that starts as a creek and gradually grows. Suddenly, the river he sees in his minds eye plunges into a sinkhole and he finds himself confused for a moment, but then is brought back to the moment by the sounds and smells of the spirit dimension, or whatever this place is. He smells fresh water and begins to hear the sound of flowing water. He stands and looks around, seeing a river flowing by where before had been none. He walks toward the river and then along the bank, letting his mind take in the sights. He sees various animals. A cat rubs against his shins. He likes cats but they seem too interested in comfort and being masters of a relatively small area. A dog trots along beside him for a time, but he does not like the energy of something that is so devoted and subservient. A guide should be willing to lead, not always looking to follow. He sees a few birds: a hawk, a raven, an owl. All seem to have something to offer but still it does not feel right. Then he hears what sounds like a cross between a bird call and a dog yip. He follows the sound and comes to a pool in a quiet backwater of the river. He locates the source of the sound. It is a river otter playing in the water. It runs up to a rock down which flows a kind of waterfall that empties out into the river. It yips in what Cooil understands to be pure joy and throws itself onto the water path and slips and slides down into the pool where it splashes in the bright sun. Cooil looks down and realizes he has no clothes on and without much thought he wades into the water. The otter swims around him and seems to encourage him to join in the fun. He does so, enjoying the feel of the cool water and the joy of the moment. Mindful that he must not forget the purpose of the moment, he retreats and sits on a rock, enjoying the feel of the warm sun dry his skin. The otter follows and curls up on his lap, licking its fur and eventually seeming to fall asleep. Cooil contemplates this feeling and concludes it is decided. "Will you guide me in this strange land I have fallen into friend otter?"
Cooil stands within this altered reality and begins to explore a little, reaching out and touching a tree to feel the bark, listening for sounds of birds or insects, breathing in to see what scents were noted. As he does this, he answers the fox's question. In my world, people don't normally speak with spirits, and those that do seem to be born with the ability. But there are some people who live in isolated places in small tribes. Each tribe has a religious leader called a shaman. A shaman typically goes into a trance, communicates with spirits, and then returns to share what he or she learned with the community. He typically trains someone to inherit the role, but it usually is someone from the tribe picked when he is young and the training can take years. I visited these places and learned to speak the native language and learned as much as I could about the shaman, but I was not a member of their community and so none had any interest in training me. He stands next to a tree with some low branches and thinks how long it has been since he climbed a tree. He makes an attempt to climb up a ways, trusting the fox could continue the conversation as he did so.
It is not as easy as he remembered it being as a kid.
Nor do we have to wield scissors instead of swords. :)
I've been watching the BBC series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and noticed that this season there are some parallels to our game . Characters are shifting to a different dimension where there are wizards, magic, and other fantasy world elements. One character is being guided to learn to do magic. There's also a thread where a wizard from the fantasy world is mucking about with a magic wand in the normal earth world. It's an interesting and popular trope.
"Hello Gardener Thevil. I am Cooil MacCray. Thank you for helping me along this journey. I have met many on my world who had to undergo an initiation as the first step on the journey to being a shaman. It is an honor to get the opportunity to do it finally." Cooil looks around and takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. Then he sits and lays back, looking up at the branches of the tree and waits for instructions.
Safe travels. I am not traveling at all, so I'll be free to post as needed.
"Jasper's question about offers of power reminds me of a story of a Taoist monk who wandered from place to place, helping people as he looked for long lost relatives. He helped a woman secure a large sum of money and when the monk refused her offer to stay and be with her, she asked him what he'd do if he came into a fortune. He replied, I'd continue to look for myself. She said, I didn't know you had to look for that! He replied, It is the only thing. "Father, I'm not sure if you're one for proselytizing but you might try sharing your own religion and see if they could use some good news.
To Gordon's comment on mysteries, Cooil adds, "I believe it was JBS Haldane who said, 'The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can image.'"
"Forgive my ignorance and confusion. But I talked to a fox, although we did not actually make sounds. I heard its voice in my head and sent my thoughts in a similar manner. Is that how spirits communicate? Can any of you take the form of an animal and communicate mind to mind? If these are questions only a Gardener can answer, could you introduce me to one if when he or she is in the area?" Cooil will wait as long as he can, hoping for a chance to talk with a Gardener, should one be present. But as it gets close to 24 hours since he talked to the fox/spirit, he will set off to meet the fox again, unless anyone in the group wants to try to talk him out of it.
Cooil is inclined to return and see if he can talk to the fox/spirit. He will pass on the reservations some have about allowing people through the door. He would like to learn more about speaking with spirits, particularly after seeing Janice learn new spells and Gordon learn an alchemical formula.
"So I spoke to a spirit in the form of a fox? Or was the fox one of the Gardeners? I have studied with people at my world who communicate with spirits, but I have never been successful at it. Some speak of a boundary between the world of the spirits and the world of flesh as the veil. Perhaps the veil is thinner here." With the prism of glass you split the light and view the results which look just the same as when you have done this demonstration on earth. At least light is still the same everywhere in the universe.
"I've got no problem with faith in general. I have faith in our ability to figure this out. I have faith in you all and in my own inner resources. But what in this new realm can we have faith in? This could all be an illusion or an evil plot or a world of demons or angels of a sort we have never imagined. "We only have what we brought with us. Keep in mind, one the residents told me that when this angel acts there is always someone who suffers as a result. I'm not sure I have faith that the magical translation 'angel' matches our own mythological sense of the word. But of course, we each must do what we think best, so don't let my musings distract you from that."
"I've always had trouble understanding that word faith. Always seems to mean something different, but too often it means I really wish this were true. No disrespect meant, Father; just something I've observed. I think too often we look for answers in the wrong direction, out there," Cooil gestures toward the light in the sky, "instead of in here," and he points to his heart and then his head. Then he quotes something he heard in a movie of all places: And finally this question, the mystery of whose story it will be. Of who draws the curtain. Who is it that chooses our steps in the dance? Who drives us mad? Lashes us with whips and crowns us with victory when we survive the impossible? Who is it, that does all of these things? Who honors those we love for the very life we live? Who sends monsters to kill us, and at the same time sings that we will never die? Who teaches us what's real and how to laugh at lies? Who decides why we live and what we'll die to defend? Who chains us? And who holds the key that can set us free... It's you. You have all the weapons you need. Now fight!
Cooil is disappointed the pictures did not reveal more, but takes comfort that in science, even a null result can be valuable for what hypotheses it excludes. He tries one more thing to get more info on the Angel. If he can create a prism, he will try to view the spectrum of the light from the sky. He will also see if he can detect any infrared or ultraviolet light.
During the prayer song, Cooil sings along, trying to provide a bass line. While he's not a great singer, he's used to singing hymns. He offers to teach them a simple song to share in the spirit of the effort. Its words are, "For health and strength and daily bread we give thee thanks our Lord." The melody is a simple descending scale that can also be sung as a round. At the appropriate (private) time he shares with Qualin his experience with the fox. "It sounds like I am being offered an initiation into a special role. Can you tell me what might happen if I return and agree to learn more? And what do you think the fox meant when he said that, 'The angel does what it thinks is best, but there is always someone who suffers as a result'?"
Gordon cannot help himself and waits for the other on the road. When he spots Cooil he calls to him. About time. I am glad you found you want back. Where have you been? "Sorry if I worried you. I'm glad you made it back okay. I received a message, a mental message from someone whom the locals refer to as the Gardener; at least I think that is who it was. I saw a fox, followed, and after a pleasant hour's hike, encountered the fox at the base of another impressive tree. We had a short confab, all through telepathy. He offered to teach me about communicating with spirits if I or perhaps we would let him or perhaps the locals accompany us through the gates. They seem as ignorant of the maker of these things and what lies beyond as we. I am to return tomorrow to give my reply to his proposal. I tried to learn more about the geophysics of this world, but did not learn anything helpful." Cooil pulls out his notebook and says, "He left me with this information: The people have told you about the angel. Perhaps you shall learn more once we decide you can be trusted. Never cross a spirit or make us angry. One thing you can know. The angel does what it thinks is best, but there is always someone who suffers as a result." Cooil closes his notebook and adds, "So what adventures did you get into in the passage nexus?"
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