Snore.
I dream about this being 2 failures for 3 tries. I wonder if that is why the Romans have abandoned magic for technology. I dream that if I do wake up I will probably have to skip answering the Druid's ad to give me time to brew more potions before the show starts.
You oversleep by about an hour, and then revive. You're a bit groggy from it, but it is passing.
It takes an hour to make one dose of the potion; how many doses did you want to make this morning? Also, where are you hoping to get the unusual ingredients--particularly the flower petals, but you also need to embroider the words into paper with thread.
--M. J. Young
Oh yeah, they don't use paper here. Awkward. I'll try to find flowers in the hotel restaurant. I have needle and thread and if I don't have a scrap of paper I will use a bill from the cash from B-Movie world. If I don't have a balcony to do the brewing, I will go out to a secluded spot near where I am boarding Hephalump.
I want to make 2 potions.
The flowers in the restaurant are synthetic; but there is a flowering almond tree in the lobby which happens to be in bloom, and you manage to scoop a few petals from that. Also, the napkins are paper, or at least seem to be.
Using these materials, you put together two potions, one after the other, decanting them into your flasks.
--M. J. Young
Well, that's probably the morning. I head off to the Colliseum to see the spectacle. When I start not understanding, I drink the first potion. If it doesn't work, I'll drink the second. If that doesn't work, I'll probably still enjoy the show.
Neither potion works, but the show is still quite something. A number of actors appear to be severely wounded, and medics rush out to treat them and cart them off the field, but the others take no notice of this, as if it were intended.
The same is true, to a lesser degree, of the elephants, as veterinary teams with tranquilizers rush out to deal with injured animals. The animals take fewer injuries than the men, but as far as you can tell no one dies.
It is a replay of a battle in which one side uses elephants and the other counters this primarily by letting the elephants find the holes in the line and then advancing on the infantry. It is all done with spears and swords and period armor.
After the show people are talking about it, but of course you can't understand what they're saying.
--M. J. Young
I head back to the hotel and try to brew up another language potion, which I will test out immediately. Hopefully, I can get to the temple of Juno before the high priestess leaves.
Sorry, this one doesn't work, either.
You might have to actually start trying to learn the language....
--M. J. Young
You might have to actually start trying to learn the language....
I've only been here a day. Give me time!
Ugh. I can't spend another hour sewing - I'm going to my meeting anyway. Hopefully Juno will provide and it will probably add to my 'outsider' qualifications. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to explain my previous fluency but what can you do.
You enter the temple of Juno, and the elderly priest spots you. He comes over and greets you, in Latin, but with a friendly eagerness that suggests he is pleased to see you and prepared to introduce you to the high priestess.
Did you bring Pixie?
--M. J. Young
Yes, I bring Pixie just about everywhere.
I stop him a moment and explain in English that I cannot communicate with him properly. I shrug my shoulders and give other gestures of helplessness and apology. In order to try to explain that my comprehension was magical I sketch out a little cartoon in one of my notebooks thus:
First image: Me (in goth attire) with speak bubble. Surrounding people (heads only) with questions over their heads (hopefully the Romans use question marks).
Second image: A flask with bubbling potion, a shining diety in the sky zapping it with magical rays (I'm trying to put magic in their frame of reference).
Third image: Me drinking potion.
Fourth image: Me with speak bubble. Surrounding people with big smiles.
Fifth image: Potion flask empty with an exclamation point.
Sixth image: An arrow pointing back to the First image.
Hopefully he'll figure that out and can do something about it. For all I know Mars is blocking my spell.
The priest catches on rather quickly, and starts finding people who speak other languages. It takes about an hour until he finds someone who knows a bit of Old French, and you can sort of understand each other with you speaking Modern French, as it hasn't changed so much as English has in the same time.
With this somewhat limited interpreter in tow, you are introduced to Julia, High Priestess of Juno.
--M. J. Young
That's interesting. So there is still a bit of barbarianism left in these people.
"Bonjour madame. Je m'excuse, je ne peux pas parler ta langue aujourd'hui. S'il vous plait, est-ce que Juno peut m'accorder une benediction? Donnez-moi ta langue, par example?
Si non, de rien. Ton pretre vous a dit de ses visions. Pouvez-vous m'aider a me rencontrer avec l'Empereur?"
The Priestess Julia regrets that it is not within her abilities to grant understanding of a language to someone.
She also says that she has no pull with the Emperor, only with his mother, and he happens to be at odds with his mother lately over some top secret weapons program he won't explain to her. She wishes she could help, but there doesn't seem to be anything she can do.
--M. J. Young
(With the help of the translator) "Priestess Julia, your priest's vision of me has convinced me that I am here precisely because of the Emperor's weapons program. Please let the Emperor's mother know that Juno has provided this vision - maybe this will give her the strength of heart to continue to pressure her son on this dire matter. Once I have resolved the problem with my comprehension of your language, I will poll the rest of the gods to try to determine their position on this subject and of my purpose here."
I will thank her for her time and thank the priest for his attentiveness. I will ask the translator if they can be available to help me learn the language of Rome.
The next day I will spend all day (minus a language lesson with the translator, if arranged) collecting flowers and whatever paper and thread I can find and brew as many potions as I can. If none of them work then Mars must really be on my case. Once I have my language back I go to the temples one by one.
The High Priestess says that she will let the Emperor's mother know of your presence and your mission, and perhaps there will be an opportunity for you to meet her. She asks how to find you.
The translator would be quite happy to help you learn Latin, and arranges to meet with you tomorrow over lunch.
Since it takes a full hour for each potion, I'll assume that you can create four in the morning before lunch. You quaff each in turn; the second gives you a bit of a feeling of magic, but passes without effect. As you say, Mars must be fighting you on this.
If there's nothing else, you meet with the translator and start learning the fundamentals of the language. By the end of the session you've got a few tourist phrases under your belt, but a long way to go to be truly conversational.
--M. J. Young
I tell the priestess where I am staying.
Argh! I'm seriously being hamstrung by Mars! I'm heading straight over to his temple and offering a sacrifice of 1 antoniniani to try to get me out of his bad books. I will also keep my eye out for dry chicken leg bones but unless there is a Druid supply shop or they don't pick up their garbage in futuristic Rome I'm not too hopeful.
You make your offering at the temple of Mars, and the priest looks at you oddly, as if he recognizes you but can't place you. He accepts your offering and pronounces a blessing on you.
Trash seems to be handled very effectively; there are no trash receptacles in the streets or alleys that you can see. You also find no Druid shops that sell bones. However, there are restaurants in the city.
--M. J. Young
If I am somewhat confident of my new knowledge of Latin to order a chicken dinner, then I will do that and keep the leg bones. If not, I will do without for the time being.
The next day will be the same - more attempts at language potions (hopefully my Mars blessing will cancel the jinx) and more time with the translator if scheduled.
You have some difficulty, but manage to get a plate of fried chicken with a drumstick and a breast. That gives you one bone.
You create four Latin potions; the first one works. That gives you linguistic abilities for the day. You're supposed to meet with the translator for instruction every other day, so that's not going to interfere today.
It may be that the Mars blessing has worked.
--M. J. Young
Whew! That was a bit embarrassing. I'll have to get back to Priestess Julia before the end of the day to improve upon her impression of me.
Today is dedicated to seeing as many temples as I can and asking "I have recently arrived in Rome and I am looking for a direction to lead my new life. I would like to ask for (god)'s advice on the matter." I will spend the equivalent of 1 antoniniani on each. I will visit the following temples: Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Diana, Minerva, Apollo, and Vulcan.
Here are the responses:
- Mars: You would be ideally suited to assist with the new weapon, and the assault against the Mongol-Chin and particularly against the Azmayincans.
- Mercury: You must let the leaders know that the power they have tapped is not what they believe.
- Venus: There is a beautiful woman in your future.
- Jupiter: I have brought you to my world to let my people know that they are making a mistake; you have the knowledge they lack.
- Neptune: You may have some important journeys ahead, but at present you are needed close to Rome.
- Pluto: You are immortal, and have nothing to do with me.
- Diana: nothing is seen.
- Minerva: Do not leap to conclusions; the war machine is more dangerous and less effective than you are imagining.
- Apollo: They do not want to hear you, for you are that which they believe does not exist.
- Vulcan: They work with metal that is not metal, with fire that is not fire, and they cause death that is not death. You must teach them.
--M. J. Young
Well, that's pretty clear. Of 11 gods polled, only one supports the weapon, five are against, and 5 abstained from the vote. I was actually expecting Venus to oppose the weapon considering how WMDs interfere with love, but I fully support her prophesy and will be sure to offer sacrifice to her in the future!
I will take the names of the priests/priestesses that deliver the prophesies and report back to Priestess Julia to present my intelligence so that it can be passed on to the Emperor's mother. I think, however, that I should involve an important figure from the temple of Mercury (as the god's messenger) to help me present myself to the Roman leaders. I will ask Julia for an introduction if she knows the top banana of the Mercury temple.
I need to do some more research. Jupiter figures I should bring the message directly to the people, and Vulcan talks of metal that is not metal, fire that is not fire. I will see if Rome has a library and try to dig up old news about how the Senate voted on the New Weapons Project funding to see where my future allies might lie. I will also try to dig up all the articles on the new weapon to see if there is any clue as to what it is.
There are several libraries in Rome, but they are all privately run establishments requiring membership. Some have membership restrictions that require applicants to be of certain social standing (e.g., senators and their families), and all have an application process, an application fee, a review process, and a membership fee.
As to knowing His Swiftness, High Priest of Mercury, Julia has met him at a few formal dinners and knows him by sight and name, but does not usually have dealings with him. She asks what she should tell him concerning your reason for wanting this introduction.
--M. J. Young
I'll let the library membership application slide for the time being and just comb the current newspapers about the weapon and what people (especially politicians) think about it.
I will tell Julia to tell His Swiftness about the prophesy made by his priest(ess) - I give the name - and explain that I consider him to be the most appropriate person to carry out Mercury's message of warning the Roman leaders about their new weapon.
The high priest of Mercury agrees to meet with you.
Your researches indicate that there is a great deal of secrecy surrounding the current military project. However, there is speculation that researchers have found a way to create a small projectile which is able to disintegrate a target on a successful attack. Most of the speculation on how this works is rather difficult to unravel. Some suggest that it is an unfocused teleport system, but independent experts say such a system would require power levels greater than could be stored in a small projectile, and it has already been demonstrated that enemy territories are shielded against broadcast power. Acids have been suggested, but to this it is said that no delivery system could deliver enough of any acid caustic enough to disintegrate an entire body in such small quantities and survive the delivery process or be safe to use in the field. One crackpot claims that the weapon is probably sending its victims forward in time a short distance, and will be virtually useless in the field because of this.
Your meeting with His Swiftness is tomorrow morning.
--M. J. Young
I go to the meeting. I bring all my previously brewed language potions. Here's hoping one of them works when my spell runs out.
At the meeting, I relate the prophesies of all the gods and that Mercury wants me to inform the leaders. For that, I need his help.
You quaff one of your potions, and it does not work; however, seeing your difficulty and apparently having been informed of your situation, the high priest addresses you in French, quite capably.
He agrees that he should help you as he can in your mission, but says that he does not know how to help--which he then qualifies, that he does not mean he does not think he can help, but that he will need you to show him what he can do. Caesar is a devotee primarily of Mars, and spares little time for the other gods other than Jupiter; and the high priest of Jupiter says it is little more than token attendance. The defeat of the Mongol Chin and the Azmayincans seems paramount in the mind of Caesar, and Mars is the way to get there.
He is quite willing to help in whatever ways you suggest, within his ability, of course.
--M. J. Young
"Mercury seems to want me to pass on the message to the leaders. Allowing me to do that alone will be help enough. I suspect Caesar will not much like the message and without your introduction as messenger of the gods I would probably immediately be imprisoned, or killed. I do not expect you to protect me, only that your position might convey some protection. I'm hoping that there will be enough support in the Senate when I deliver the message that I will not be summarily dispatched."
I'm going to have to pick a day that I have an active language potion, so I am going to arrange the meeting for a week away and start brewing potions now. I ask His Swiftness to help with supplies for the potions.
His Swiftness agrees to make the attempt; he will also provide you with the components you need for your potions. How many are you making?
It is three days before you hear back from him; he has persuaded the President of the Senate to permit you to speak as messenger of the gods, five days beyond that. It is not clear whether Caesar will attend, but it is a regular session of the Senate, so the Senators should, mostly, be present. He asks whether it should be announced generally that a messenger of the gods will be speaking, or whether you would rather be added to the agenda quietly.
--M. J. Young
The meeting is 8 days from now. I've got language lessons every other day. It takes me an hour to brew language potions. I'm going to brew 25 potions! One of them is bound to work (and one of them is bound to botch...) so I'll be able to speak at the Senate (or things will get very messy...)
I want as many people to show up to the meeting as possible, so let's put me down as 'Messenger of the Gods'.
This twenty-five would be in addition to the two you still have from before, so you have twenty-seven. (Since the spell is completed by quaffing the potion, you won't know if they are successful or botched until that moment, although some of the failed rolls might mean that you knew it didn't work at some point. In play, this will mean that some failed rolls will simply mean you had one less potion on you and that the statement you were going to drink one didn't mean that one, but a roll for the next.)
Is there anything else you intend to do in the interim, or should we jump ahead to the day of the meeting?
--M. J. Young
No, I think we can go straight to the meeting.
The morning of the meeting, you are to meet with Julia and His Swiftness at a coffeeshop near the Senate and go over together. Do you try the potions first, or when? It is still not known whether Caesar will attend, but a number of prominent persons, including leaders of several of the temples, are expected.
--M. J. Young
I drink the potions one-by-one in my hotel room until I get one that works.
The first one works.
You rush out to the coffeeshop to meet Julia and His Swiftness; she is not yet there, but arrives moments after you.
It is evident that they, at least, are a bit nervous about this meeting, but the Priest of Mercury says, "All right then? Let's go."
The Senate is across the street; he heads out the door in that direction.
--M. J. Young
I mentally prepare myself, and give Pixie a good luck rub.
There is a commotion within, but it quiets rather quickly as you enter, preceded by His Swiftness and accompanied by the priestess of Hera.
His Swiftness takes the podium. It is clear that he is not unaccustomed to the microphones there.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, I thank you for your time. It has come to the attention of several of us, your humble servants in the service of the gods of Rome, that someone has arrived in this great city who has come from beyond the edge of the universe. He has come to deliver a message on behalf of the gods. I cannot do more to introduce him than to tell you that the gods have been in agreement in calling our attention to this man, who knows something only he can tell."
He steps down from the podium. There is silence in the room.
--M. J. Young
"Senators. People of Rome," I say as I unfold the speech I wrote in between preparing my shelf-full of language potions. "As His Swiftness mentioned, I come from beyond the boundaries of this world. I must emphasize that I am not merely a barbarian. I do not come merely from across the borders of Rome. I do not come from the lands of the Mongol-Chin, nor am I from Azmayincania. I am from beyond the world of mortals, perhaps even from beyond Olympus and the realm of the gods."
I expect there to be a bit of a murmur from the crowd and I pause to let it sink in.
"I can try to offer proof of this later, but for now it is perhaps the best to ask your own gods for the truth of my origin."
"I came here by accident, perhaps brought here by Jupiter. Shortly after my arrival, I happened into the Temple of Juno and asked her to tell me my fate. She told me that I bring wisdom and that the scientists of Rome need the knowledge I have or they will make a terrible mistake."
"I proceeded to ask the other gods what they thought my purpose in this world was. This is what they said. Apollo told me what your polite silence is now hiding! He told me that you will not want to hear me, that I am what you believe does not exist!"
I expect I will have to pause again.
"Mars told me that I am ideally suited to work with the new weapon being developed by Rome to fight the barbarians. A weapon that is taking up a lot of time of the empire's scientists!"
"Jupiter, father and leader of the gods, told me again that the people of Rome are making a mistake and I bear the knowledge that you do not have."
"Neptune, god of the seas, urged me to stay in Rome."
"Minerva, goddess of wisdom, advised me not to leap to conclusions, that the war machine is more dangerous and less effective than I imagine."
"Vulcan, artisan of the gods, told me that Rome works with metal that is not metal, fire that is not fire, and cause death that is not death. He told me that I must teach you."
"And finally, Mercury, messenger of the gods, told me that the power that Rome has tapped is not what they believe and that I must tell this to the leaders."
"And so I have. Thank you for your time."
I fold up my speech but I do not descend from the podium. I expect some discussion and unless it is obvious that it is custom that I give up the podium to the next speaker, I will wait for questions.
There is a murmur through the crowd.
An elderly man rises; he is apparently someone of some importance, as the others become quiet.
"You tell us that the gods say you have knowledge that we need, but I have not heard what this knowledge is. So let me ask you: what do you know of the scriff personal disintegration missiles under development?"
--M. J. Young