Bah Ke'gehn, Ryan's Game Continues

In the archived thread The Kid is Bah Ke'gehn, I last wrote:

The telepathic link is just fading, and you get your message through; the answer is that Majdi is open to suggestions.

You land near the group of Bah with whom Majdi is walking; they seem a bit nervous about your presence, but apparently trusting Majdi that you're not there to harm them. Again he repeats his answer that he's open to any ideas you might have on how to contain or control the firebeast without harming it. He says it is headed "that way", which happens to be toward the human settlement, but also indicates that it changes direction and velocity both abruptly and erratically, so you should be ready to run or fly without notice.

--M. J. Young

I will let Ryan give any relevant details he thinks need repeating, and post to continue.

--M. J. Young

I tried it earlier, but I think I was just out of range. I want to try to grab the flaming column with telekinesis, but I want to try to catch all of the fire equally throughout, and let it maintain its current shape. I've never tried telekinesis on a gaseous substance before, but it should be a little easier to try it on a visible gas such as this.

You easily capture the column with your mind, holding it in place. It wiggles a bit, and for a moment strains against the goads, but you have it securely for the present. It is not going anywhere.

--M. J. Young

Alright, having a firm enough grasp on the column, I will turn to Majdi. "I have a pretty good hold on it, is there somewhere safe we can put it?" I assume the answer to this question is going to be 'no'. The good news is I can stop it from moving around in the mean time.

If he doesn't have any suggestions, I'll try to keep the column steady and examine it to see if I see any fluctuation in its intensity or size over the course of an hour. I will redo the TK if it manages to break free or if the TK wears off.

The object you hold has characteristics of a living creature, seemingly self-willed and a bit unpredictable in its efforts. You are able to hold it in place; the telekinesis does not tell you much about intensity or size, although you are observing it directly.

Majdi does not have any ideas concerning where it might be safe. Really, the Bah on the ground are all nomadic, so keeping the thing in one place is the best answer--where it is at the moment is perfectly safe, because everyone can avoid it if we know it's staying there.

Over the course of time you feel that it might be lessening; it may be that containing it has reduced its ability to draw power from the grass, but it will take a long time to know for certain. After about three quarters of an hour you realize that your hold is weakening, and your effort to maintain it fails. It will be loose in a moment.

--M. J. Young

I try to telepathically contact it - I have contacted alien, humanoid, and human minds thus far, so I have a pretty varied understanding of and experience with different thought patterns, and whether telepathy would be possible with this being. If telepathy is successful, I would like to ask it to hold still for us, because it has a chance of hurting or killing other living things if it continues on its path. If reasoning doesn't work, I'd like to try psionically implanting the suggestion that it really does want to stay still at this moment, and doesn't have any reason to move away just yet.

If its mind is too simple to receive these reworkings, I will attempt to create a psionic force shield in the shape of a wall, in an attempt to steer the column in a direction away from everyone (away from the humans, to a spot the walkers have already moved the worms away from). I will inform Majdi if the wall is successfully raised, and advise the approximate direction of the new intended course.

If everything here fails, but I managed to not botch, I'd like to try to take ahold of the column with telekinesis again.

If I manage to erect the shield but the column is just too large to be redirected by it, or if the redirect works, I would also like to try holding the column steady with gaseous TK.

Does the column of fire give off any visible smoke? If it shrinks it may be leaving some kind of residue behind.

Is there any moisture in the air? Can I see the waves of heat around the edges of the column?

-- Ryan

You reach out telepathically, attempting to get hold of its mind--and suddenly you are flooded with a consciousness, something that is almost all emotion, fear, panic.  You also realize that you have two sets of perception, your own and those of the pillar.  You seem to have linked your minds together.

There is no smoke, no residue, no moisture; there is heat coming off the column, although not so hot as one might expect from such a huge flame.

--M. J. Young

"Woah."

I shake my head, trying to focus. "It's afraid..."

I'd like to try to psionically soothe it, much like one would attempt to soothe a startled cat or horse. Try to send it the feeling or idea that we don't want it to get hurt and we don't intend to hurt it at all. I will also try to focus my own thoughts to be calm and genuine; being conscious of the link myself I should also assume (whether correct or not) that the link is reciprocated in it.

"Majdi, you mentioned a way to force someone out of your mind in our earlier discussions. Do you think you could show me how that is done, since I have a live example here?" I'll attempt to dissolve the link after the above soothing attempt.

Lastly I will attempt the containment ideas from the previous entry, unless I manage to soothe it to the point that it slows down and settles. I will try to contain it regardless of the success/failure of dissolving the mind link.

You already have an induce emotion skill, which would be the skill to use in this situation. You do so, finding that you are targeting what is almost a single mind, yours and the pillar's fused together, but the calming has some impact. The creature settles, a bit nervously. It is hungry, but then there is a level at which it is ravenous and might never be satisfied, that it could consume everything in the world without being satiated.

Majdi explains to you a concept of finding the edges of yourself and pushing outward from there, none of which makes any sense right now, but he also projects a skill pattern into your mind which you can see as an example of how it is done. If you wish to try it, you can attempt to teach yourself how to eject another mind from yours.

--M. J. Young

It seems infinitely cruel to intentionally starve an animal, but I am reminded in a way of Audrey II from "Little Shop of Horrors".

Still taking advantage of this mindlink, I would like to try to psionically block the feeling of hunger from the creature's mind, diverting its thoughts to happiness and well-being. Since animals are driven almost completely by instinct and direct response to stimuli, the aim is to cause it to forget that it is hungry, so it does not have to suffer through its externally-imposed end.

I won't try to eject its mind yet, but I will take note of Majdi's projection and hope to use it as an example before this creature dies: I don't know if I could handle that kind of sensation, but I'm not really looking forward to it in any case.

You manage to disrupt the hunger connection in your joined mind; the creature calms significantly.

Your telekinetic hold has dropped, but the creature seems aimless now, standing in one position.

"What did you do?" Majdi asks.

--M. J. Young

"Well," I lick my lips. "My mother used to tell me how I was her lucky son, and Napoleon once defined luck as the ability to take advantage of accidents."

"I was trying to telepathically contact the creature, but I think something went wrong...instead I could feel its thoughts and emotions in my head...so I calmed it down a little because it felt frightened. It's hungry too, so I relieved some of the pain of the hunger, but not all of it."

I frown slightly, looking concernedly at the massive pillar of fire, then look to Majdi. "Is it alright to just let it starve? Is there no way to reverse the growing process, or to assist its metamorphosis to its next life? Or are we already interfering too much in taking away its pain as it dies?"

I seem to have two parallel memories, one of Mitzu saying he wanted to come with me, and another of me flying at about 10mph for 40 minutes to get here. He's pretty fit; did he run for half an hour and keep pace, or did he end up staying behind? If he's along, he'll probably have something to add. My preference is that he is here.

Looking at the old thread, I see evidence that Mitzu wanted to go with you to visit Majdi, but not that there was any thought that he might go with you in this present situation; you did fly here, several miles at a velocity that would require a quick run (you covered about five miles in about half an hour).

Mitzu is not here.

In response to your questions, Majdi says, "I do not know. Sometimes these creatures die, and sometimes they live for weeks, and no one knows why. Some of those that die dwindle first, and some simply collapse. Yet many continued for so long that it became necessary to freeze them in place; you see them scattered about the plane. I have never done that magic, but it will fall to me to do it if I decide it is necessary.

"It may be that those that dwindle and die have starved themselves. It may be that one that dwindles might have a chance to morph to the worm when it is small enough, if it still has the energy to do so and can realize the way. Perhaps it can be taught the way, although I have never heard of anyone doing so.

"I do not think, though, that you do wrong to take its pain. I am concerned, however, that if you are linked to it, you may suffer what it suffers."

--M. J. Young

"I was worried about that, as well."

I will attempt to break the link, using Majdi's previous example.

I will also alternate between removing hunger/soothing fear, and holding it still using telekinesis if it goes out of control again.

Following Majdi's example, you push the alien mind out of yours, severing the connection. It stirs a bit from this.

At this point, you are mostly watching the creature. You have lost touch with what it feels, but it is not distressed at present. For about an hour it moves very little, grazing peacefully as if by reflex, but not ravenously, not moving quickly or erratically.

Majdi says something in the Bah language, then to you says, "I think it is getting smaller." The others appear to be nodding in agreement.

--M. J. Young

Using the previous link as an example, I'd like to try to reach out to purposefully feel what it feels, like read minds, but more of an empathy variant. I don't remember if I've done this before, but it's a good time to have it.

When it starts to get riled up again I want to try soothing it again, continuing until there is a significant change (such as a failed attempt, the column going out of control, it snuffing itself out, or more comments from the others).

You manage to tap into its feelings for about ten minutes, during which time it remains calm; the link is fading after that time, but the creature is still not feeling the hunger that was there before.

--M. J. Young

Rinse repeat.

The empathy fails on the second attempt; you'll need a change in circumstance to reconnect.

--M. J. Young

Attempt to read mind and use that as a bridge for empathy, attempt telepathy and use that as a bridge if read mind fails. Then proceed as above.

You tap into the creature's mind. It does not think in words, but more in images and concepts.

You connect with the empathy. The mind reading link is actually stronger than the empathic one, which starts to fade as you near a quarter of an hour; assuming you're not dropping the other, it's still there. The creature is still calm.

--M. J. Young

Continue to keep the empathy active, using telepathy or mind reading as a bridge if I can't make the initial empathic connection. At this point, I am just attempting to keep it docile until it burns itself out.

When you have been keeping it docile for about ten hours, you recognize that it is decreasing in size and heat, but also that it will probably take several days to bring it down to an appropriate size. The Bah are impressed with how quickly this is shrinking, but of course you will have to eat and sleep eventually, and although you are accustomed to staying awake for thirty hour stretches, you are also accustomed to getting that ten hours of sleep when you crash.

Thoughts?

--M. J. Young

Not bad, 10 straight hours of continuous psionic use. I think that's a new record for me.

I will offer to teach Majdi how to do what I am doing, knowing him to be easily competent enough to do it. I also assume that he will be eager to learn, so the idea is to teach him empathy, and also show him that it's possible to read the mind of the creature, and it would even be possible to communicate telepathically, much like you do with others (so empathy and read minds definitely, leave it up to him to try to develop telepathy too). Once he can sense what it is feeling, I will move on to show him how to settle its anxiety and hunger, through example.

Is there another scholar-type present? My inkling is that there is not, but if there is, I will offer to show him (or them) also.

I presume they have food, or they will arrange for some to be delivered. I will of course ask to partake of the meal.

Rest will be determined depending on whether Majdi picks up everything he needs.

You're right about ten hours being an accomplishment, and I think I should boost your 1@ BRA for that. Should it go to your intuition or your will power (both of which are RAs and both 1@6)?

You teach Majdi all three skills; he picks them up easily.

There is another Mu Tahk, scholar, present. He has been eyeing you warily but curiously, and staying out of your conversations with Majdi. I gather you're going to approach him somehow; what did you have in mind?

--M. J. Young

Intuition would be more convenient for me, since it is the harder of the two attributes to raise by other means.

I will actually suggest to Majdi that it might be easier if everyone present who was capable of commanding these powers was taught how to do these things, in case we need the additional help. I will leave it up to him to discuss with the other Mu Tahk, as I do not wish to intrude on whatever cultural hierarchy they may have set up, but submit that I would be excited to teach any who wished to learn.

I am also increasing your training skill to 1@3, because I doubt you have ever trained someone in psionics who was not human before.

Majdi undertakes teaching the others the skills while you keep an eye on the fire.

There is still a question concerning what you will do about rest or sleep.

--M. J. Young

Now that we have 3 people who are capable of controlling the creature, we will work in shifts of 6 hours, with 1 person as the primary worker, 1 person as a contingent in case the primary fails something, and the third resting. That should give me enough time to take a ten hour nap when the time comes. I'm not too concerned with the structure of who does which when.

Where will you take this nap? Remember, the ground is smooth but rock hard, and completely covered with flames that are not hot enough to cause damage but will burn away your clothes, given time.

For the moment, everything seems to be under control.

--M. J. Young

Is there a stone pillar nearby (within 5 miles) that I can see from here?

If so, the top of that pillar should be sufficient. (levitate to the top; if levitate fails attempt to fly; if fly fails attempt to jump and then fly)

If not, ask Majdi if there would be any danger to the fire if I were to dig a hole for a shelter. If he doesn't see any problem with it, I will attempt to move the flames out of the way (new use on my gaseous TK since it's smaller?)[if the TK fails attempt to blast the ground without hitting the flames] and create a pit using the disintegrater. I will take note of whether the surrounding flames attempt to spread back over the open space or whether they fall into the hole.

You look around; the nearest pillar, about five miles distant, is the one from which you came.

Majdi sees you looking, and asks what you seek.

--M. J. Young

"Oh, I was actually looking for a place to take shelter, so I could sleep. I'm not tired yet, but I'm going to need to rest before we are done here. The ground isn't uncomfortable, but I am worried about my items getting consumed."

My impression is that he will not understand, since they do not need clothing and have little in the way of possessions.

I will ask him about digging a shelter, and with his acknowledgement I will attempt to move the flames and take a shot at the ground with the disintegrater, observing whether the flames shift back and whether they dip down into the hole (since they seem to hover over the ground).

If he expresses concern about creating a hole in the ground, I will skip it.

A hole in the ground does not seem to be a possibility to him; the grass would simply move into the hole, he believes. He has, however, known you long enough to realize that you own "objects" and where "coverings" which might be damaged by the grass.

He mentions that about two miles away there is something you might find useful--a sad event, really, but they had a solanadon, that is, a devourer, a couple weeks back, and they were forced to transmute it into a lifeless object which is slowly being consumed by the grass, but might provide some protection from it. He points you in a rough direction, and says that from the air it should appear as a small dark patch, if it is still there. From the ground, it is a dark mound, but you would probably have to be close to it to see it against the dark sky.

--M. J. Young

Sounds good, I only needed a makeshift sleeping pad anyway.

Proceed as planned, using flight (or levitate/fly, or jump/fly on failures) to travel to and from the mound.

You fly in the direction indicated, and soon see the dark patch below you. You land beside it.

You have never seen anything that looks so much like a giant lump of bread dough. It is even cracker-crisping around the edges where the flames are cooking it. It is dense enough to support your weight without you sinking too deeply into it, but definitely spongy. The flames are slowly consuming it, but it will be here for a few weeks, from the size of it.

--M. J. Young

For now, sleep. I will take some back with me when I go, and ask Majdi where it comes from, and how it is made. Since I have never seen or heard of it, and anything that exists is a direct result of one of the organism stages (like the stone pillars), I assume it comes from one of them as well.

As you sleep, your dreams are invaded by thoughts of fresh baked bread, causing you to awaken a couple of times before you realize that it is the mattress itself you smell baking and crisping around the edges.

It's easy enough to find the pillar of fire, although in the time you've been away (and I don't think you've any way of measuring time when you're asleep) it seems to have diminished significantly. Oh, it's still a column of fire stretching like a high rise apartment complex, but it is thinner, perhaps dimmer, and maybe not so high as it was.

You ask Majdi about the bread-like material, and he gets a look on his face that you cannot read. "Ask me later," he says.

You continue taking turns at containing the strange monster over several days; your companions sometimes take breaks to rest. After almost a week, the fire has been reduced to the size of one of the bushes you occasionally see disrupting the land, but with clear lines within it as of a framework.

Then suddenly it becomes dark, collapses, and becomes a worm, four or five feet long and a foot and a half wide, lying on the flames.

The other scholar says something in the Bah language, something with a touch of awed surprise. Majdi answers, "Yes, we actually did, didn't we?"

--M. J. Young

"Actually did..?" From their reaction, I presume it is more common for them to dispose of the pillars of fire via petrification.

Indicating the worm, I ask, "What do we do with this, then?"

It takes a moment for Magdi to respond; he seems awed by the success. He snaps out of it.

"Do? Oh, right. The Walkers will know what to do; one of the flyers will alert them to the presence of a new worm here, and they will come collect it and put it with the flock. One of us should probably keep an eye on it--but it has been a long time since I was a Walker, so I'm not the best candidate for that. Ahmed?"

The other scholar agrees to stay, and a flyer is dispatched to find a walker. The job is done.

"The question is, what do you do now?"

--M. J. Young

Back to training for me. I picked up some good experience from this, but it did set me back a bit.