The smith goes spear hunting, as it were, and William runs off to get a burlap bag full of dirt, and you are left with Pedro.
He raises an eyebrow, surprised by your comment.
"I am a priest of the Tertullian order," he says. In response to your unchanged expression, he continues. "That does not mean anything to you? We are staunch enemies of demons everywhere, and we seek and destroy them as we are able. But, have you reason to believe that people are in league with this demon? That would present a danger.
"So, who are you, and since you have raised the issue, why should I trust you?"
--M. J. Young
Well, normally I would go back to my room to do this, but since I don't want to leave the shop unprotected, I'll do it here.
"Pedro, I'm not from around here. What you just said makes very little sense to me. If you will permit me, I have a friend that can verify your story."
With that, I kneel to pray. I would be kneeling in front of the forge, as if at an alter. Maybe he might appear sitting on the coals..... "God, bring me the angel once more, that I might know if I can trust this gentleman with the mission you have entrusted me with. I need to know if his intentions are good, and I'm certain that the angel can explain things to him far better than I could."
When I call the angel, do I have any kind of feelings? I had a very good, safe feeling when I had the visions. One of them broke me out of a psychotic episode. Do I have any feelings like that when I see the angel?
Pray for 5 minutes.
I'd also like to ask if Pedro should be told about versing. Perhaps he might prefer the idea of versing to death. Just a thought.
I'd really like it if Mr. Smith, and/or William come back in time to see the angel. Maybe the angel can answer a few things for them too.
Question, I keep calling the same angel. Would it be a new use if I called a different angel? I'm betting it would. I want to get familiar with this angel, so I can call him easier.
Two posts MJ
Does the blacksmith ever design/build/assist on making this world's equivalent of padlocks and door locks? I could imagine a blacksmith being a locksmith, at least. Or at least having the understanding of how it works well enough to pick it, and having the tools to do it with. I saw it in a movie actually. Earthsea. Shawn Ashmore was a blacksmith apprentice to his father. Later, he and a lady get captured and put in the dungeon. The lady asks "What are you doing?" Shawn replies "Practicing my trade." as Shawn successfully picks the dungeon door lock with a nail. I was wondering.
Since the previous skill description specifies that it be done in your "established base", that is, your room, that skill will not work here; that means this is a new skill. My perception is that it is identical to the previous one, except that you've dropped the requirement that you do this from your room and cut the time from twenty minutes to five minutes.
Also, the description indicates that you are calling a specific informing angel, and so I think were you to call for a different one, it would again be a different skill. Of course, I'll have to think about that--I'm not that clear on how you could get a new use from this skill, other than by establishing a new home base somewhere and using it from there.
The angel appears, standing on the coals. "Do not be afraid," he says. (Normally the appearance of an angel is frightening, so I would assume that you feel a bit unnerved by the presence of the angel.)
The angel says yes, Pedro's intentions are good; he is there in answer to your prayer for a warrior, and you are there in answer to his prayer for help against the demons.
Pedro looks a bit confused. He is squinting at the air above the fire and apparently straining to hear something.
The angel says that Pedro does not fear death, but looks forward to his rest and reward. You may explain to him what you are, but he would not consider that better than entering his eternal rest.
What else would you like to ask?
I will grant that as a blacksmith you've learned to make locks and keys of the sort used around here; you have not learned to pick them.
--M. J. Young
Turn to Pedro
"The angel confirms your story. Would you like to talk to him? Perhaps God has a plan for us to follow."
Has the angel ever proven himself to be true? Can he prove himself to be true?
Show me something beyond my imagination. If it is beyond my imagination, it's probably beyond yours as well MJ, so don't try very hard to describe it. I wonder what other colors exist in Heaven? Show me a color I've never seen.
Says Pedro, "I don't know how I could talk to him. I can barely hear him, and if I could not hear him so well as that I would think that the faint appearance was a trick of the smoke and heat from the fire."
Says the angel, "You asked for a messenger who could answer your questions, not for a worker that can perform great miracles the like of which no one has ever known. If you do not trust my answers, why do you ask the questions? If you do not believe that Pedro is the fellow-warrior you requested, how will seeing something that cannot exist persuade you? There are colors in heaven, but even were I able to take you to heaven right now you could not see them, because color is a thing in your eyes and your mind, and you do not have the eyes or mind of an angel, and it is not within my power to give them to you. We have names for those colors, but our names are not in your language and would have no meaning to you. If I tell you that we have a color we call verdi, how would you know whether it was different from green? I can answer your questions, but I cannot work miracles for you."
--M. J. Young
"I understand. Can you at least make yourself visible to Pedro, so that he might ask of you what needs to be done? I'm sure you could explain it better than I could. Forgive the doubt. It's just it's not everyday you get to talk to an angel. I wish The Architect were here."
Does this angel know The Architect, or perhaps has heard his name mentioned before?
MJ Two posts
You never asked me what the symptoms of psychosis were. One of them is that I talk to myself. When I stopped being psychotic, did I also stop talking to myself? I imagine by now it is more habitual than with the psychosis. I've done it all my life. Does my character still do it? If so, it would be a habit I needed to break.
Have I ever seen any knights on horseback in the year I've been here? What kind of armor are they wearing? Believe it or not, a 22 rifle would have a fair chance of penetrating the plate armor of a knight. It has decent penetration, but almost zero knockdown power.
There would have been the rare cavalier, a knight on horseback wearing armor of jointed metal plates with a helmet showing only slits for his eyes. You might also have encountered a soldier of the royal guard, usually in chain hauberk with coif and leggings with a metal helmet designed to protect the head against impact without obscuring vision or restricting movement. There are some retired soldiers who own their own leather armor, some of them working for the local sheriff.
The angel explains that your summons calls him to answer your questions, but not to prove his presence to others. He is unable to appear to Pedro, who did not call for him. When you ask about The Architect, he states that it would be extremely difficult to summon such a strong-willed individual and impossible to control him if you did.
I think that everyone talks to himself once in a while, but that you have always done more of this than most people. Since the psychosis is cured, you would not do it so frequently as you did, but probably more often than most people.
--M. J. Young
(OOC) This angel is kind of a jerk.
"Could Pedro summon an angel of his own? I'm sure he will need your advice."
I don't want to summon The Architect, or control him. I just want to talk to him. Could the angel make that happen?
I keep wondering, what reason do I have to trust this supposed angel? If I felt the way I did when I had that vision, I would believe it for sure, but you told me that I feel afraid. Why would I feel afraid of an angel of God? I shouldn't feel afraid of him. If I'm afraid of him, he might be a demon angel. How would I know? Exactly, how WOULD I know? OR do I feel the way I did when I had the vision? If I feel that way, I'll believe it.
The only reason you have to trust this angel is that you asked God to answer your questions and this angel appeared.
As to why you would be afraid of the angel, what I know is that almost every time any angels appear in the Bible the first thing they say is "Fear not", or in the vernacular, "Don't be afraid", and the logical conclusion from this is that there's something about angels that causes people to be frightened. I would say that you have the feeling that you are in the presence of something that does not really belong in this world, something that could be dangerous if not constrained, in ways you cannot predict.
This is an angel--aggelos in the Greek, it means messenger. He cannot actually do anything other than provide information, and he can only provide information to you that is relevant to your needs. He would say that Pedro has already communicated with God and is already satisfied of his own task in this; certainly Pedro could summon an angel if he wished, but Pedro does not need to do so in the pursuit of his own task.
--M. J. Young
Well, I guess I'm going to trust the angel then. I don't think I would be arguing with him too much.
"Well, I guess I'll trust Pedro then. Cool. Thanks."
Dismiss the angel, and turn to Pedro.
"The angel confirms your story. Tell me what you know. What weapons do you have to fight this evil with? What does your priest order think? Can we get reinforcements from them? What should we do now?"
Don't forget to demonstrate the Marlin 22 (ya know John, I don't even know if guns work here at all!!!) Yeah, demonstrate Marlin 22. I have 2,000 rounds, I can afford to pop off a few for demonstration purposes. Does Mr. Smith happen to have a knight's breastplate? Or equivalent? I bet that 22 would go straight through it. I shot at a 1/4 inch thick piece of lead, and the 22 went through it like it wasn't there.
For the record, I have never shot a 22 at anything close to knight's armor. However, I have shot a 9mm pistol (Ruger P89) at a military issue ammunition can, made out of pretty durable steel. The 9mm went in one side and out the other, the box never knew what happened. (In fact, you could look through the two holes in the box, and see where the bullet impacted into the wall behind it) I know the 9mm will go through the armor of a knight, and the MAK 90 is a semi-high powered rifle, designed to penetrate light armor as they are built, so I know that will work.
MJ, Two Posts
I said that I destroyed the Mossberg shotgun and sold it as artwork. I never said HOW I destroyed it. It's possible that I just disabled it so that it wouldn't fire. Perhaps that is something that could be fixed. (I wouldn't know how to take the firing pin out, I would probably plug the firing chamber with something) Could I maybe get it back in the form of the sculpture, and put it back into working order? Just thought I'd ask.
MJ, Three Posts
Is Pedro a priest of the church that I have been attending for the past year? Have I been going to a church of his order? From what you've said, it's possible. The religion of the indigs seems like a variant of Catholic. Priests are certainly prevalent in Catholic religion.
Tell me what you know.
"I know that there is a demon--at least one--working in this country toward great evil. I must find it and destroy it."
What weapons do you have to fight this evil with?
"I have my faith, my prayers, the power of God, to use against it."
What does your priest order think?
"They agree that this must be done, and that I must do it, with such assistance as comes to me along the way."
Can we get reinforcements from them?
"Indeed, they are supporting us even now through their prayers, empowering us to do what must be done."
"I think you should tell me what you know. I have often known the leading of God, but never seen an angel or heard a voice; and I am not from this land. You must know more than I already."What should we do now?
Don't forget to demonstrate the Marlin 22
You fire the gun successfully, and it puts a dent in the piece of scrap iron you've used as a target.
"It is an impressive noise," Pedro says. "It may scare our enemy, if nothing else, and it may do more."
I destroyed the Mossberg shotgun and sold it as artwork. I never said HOW I destroyed it. It's possible that I just disabled it so that it wouldn't fire. Perhaps that is something that could be fixed. (I wouldn't know how to take the firing pin out, I would probably plug the firing chamber with something) Could I maybe get it back in the form of the sculpture, and put it back into working order?
Sorry--your artistic efforts included a bit of practice with your metalworking skills, and you bent the barrel enough that it probably cannot be restored with the tools available to you here. Besides, the person to whom you sold it was passing through town, and you've no idea where they went.
Is Pedro a priest of the church that I have been attending for the past year? Have I been going to a church of his order?
Yes, not of his "order" exactly but of the same religion--you might analogize it by noting that Jesuits and Benedictines are both religious orders within the Catholic church, both running schools and doing charitable works, and cooperating with each other, but not exactly the same order. The Tertullians are an order of priests within the church in this world, and although there are no Tertullian priests in the local church they are part of the same faith.
--M. J. Young
"Well Pedro, that angel that you just saw told me that there are 5 demons at the main castle. One of them married the eldest princess. Two more are the servants of the other 3. Their plan is to marry the princesses and be the rightful rulers of this place. We have to expose them for what they really are. I'm not quite sure how to do that, but as they say "With God, all things are possible." Do you have any magic powers? Where I come from, there was a great warrior named Han Solo. His motto was 'Hokey traditions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side.' I'm more in the middle. 'Trust in God, but keep your door locked and your weapons at the ready' Hopefully, we can leave tomorrow."
Go inside and ask Mary and Ruth if Pedro can stay for dinner. We have much to talk about.
How much did I get for the shotgun sculpture? I never marked it down on my sheet.
Speaking to Pedro "When Mr. Smith and Willy get back with the tools, I'm going to show you something very impressive."
How about they get back now?
MJ Two posts
Sorry--your artistic efforts included a bit of practice with your metalworking skills, and you bent the barrel enough that it probably cannot be restored with the tools available to you here. Besides, the person to whom you sold it was passing through town, and you've no idea where they went.
So if this is a 26 GE roll, what would be a 30? How could things get worse than that?
I don't always know what could have been worse. How about this: you sold it to someone who gave it to the new prince as a gift, who immediately knew what it was and used magic to fix it, so now he has it to use against you. Would that be a thirty?
"My prayers are powerful against evil."
Yes, he can stay for dinner.
The others return.
--M. J. Young
I don't always know what could have been worse. How about this: you sold it to someone who gave it to the new prince as a gift, who immediately knew what it was and used magic to fix it, so now he has it to use against you. Would that be a thirty?
I'm hoping to referee someday, and it just kind of fascinates me about the level of imagination needed for this to work.
"Mr. Smith, how many spears did you get? Are we finished with the headpieces? Let's see if we can get this bang stick working."
"Willy, one shilling, as promised."
"Pedro, you know what I was saying about weapons and prayer? Well, check these spears out."
Did I finish shoeing his horse?
How much did I get paid for the shotgun sculpture?
Checking back, it appears to me that you described to the smith what you wanted him to build, discussed it at length, and then sent him to get the spears; thus he has not actually started making the harnesses yet. That's his next step.
Yes, it doesn't take more than about fifteen minutes to put one shoe on a horse, if you know what you're doing, and you are almost a professional blacksmith, so maybe it would take you half an hour to do it while in conversation. (For reference, you start with a standard shoe form, check it against the hoof of the horse, heat it, bend it, cool it, repeat, and then when it matches the outline of the horse's hoof you drive four or five nails through the holes in the metal into the hoof behind it.)
After much haggling, you talked the buyer up to three crowns, which is three quarters of a pound. He kept staring at it and asking what it is, and you told him it was art, which did not seem entirely to satisfy him.
--M. J. Young
Twelve ounces of silver for a shotgun. I would definitely take that.
If I am finished shoeing the horse, then I would help Mr. Smith build the bang sticks. How many spears did he get?
"Mr. Smith, let's see what we can do here."
"Pedro, I've got quite a bit of silver. I'd like to turn some of it into gold and gems. Do you think you could help me out with that? I've got my reasons for wanting to do this."
I believe you said it was 2 ounces of silver to an ounce of gold. Between half crowns, crowns and pounds, I've got 15 1/2 pounds of silver. If I could turn 5 pounds of that into gold and 5 pounds into gems, I would be a happy boy.
What am I talking about? A priest wouldn't have two nickels to rub together... Eh, maybe I'll get lucky.
"I do not have much money," Father Pedro says. "There will be money at the castle, though, and perhaps you will have your opportunity there."
I don't recall how many spears you told him to get, but they turn out to be two shillings each, and thus ten to a pound; if you're willing to spend three pounds, he'll have bought thirty. I don't think he could get more than that, although obviously he could get fewer if you prefer (and if you actually wanted more, I'll roll for it).
You join in the making of these boom sticks.
--M. J. Young
Well, I have 45 shotgun shells. The blast would be directed forward for the most part, so the spear itself shouldn't be too badly damaged, and thus reusable. The harness that holds the shell would take the brunt of the blast. Might as well make it 20 spears. How long are the spears anyway? The longer the better.
"Mr. Smith, as promised, one diamond ring (The $430 ring from B movie monster world) for assisting with the spears. I have no idea what it's worth, but it's yours to keep. Use it for Ruth's dowry. Mr. Smith, I know I owe you 2 pounds for the spears, but I have a thought. I gave you 2 pounds to use toward Ruth's dowry, since I did not finish that tool I was making. Tell you what. I can either pay you 2 pounds for the spears, or give you one of these other 5 diamond rings instead. Your choice of which ring. Think of it as paying 2 pounds for the ring. I figure this might make a better dowry than the 2 pounds silver I gave you. Then you would have 2 daughters covered, and the youngest can marry William. Your choice."
"Pedro, Mr. Smith, do you happen to know if there are any banks around here? A place where I can change some of this silver into gold? After dinner Pedro, you can come sleep in my room, then we will get started towards the castle."
When we finish making the harnesses, take the bag of dirt that William got, go out into the woods, and hang the bag of dirt from a tree. Tell Mr. Smith and Pedro to get behind trees, and bang it with the bang stick. A 12 gauge 00 round hitting like that (assuming it works, of course) would probably destroy the bag of dirt. It would be a hole the size of a quarter going in, and a hole the size of a basketball going out. I would hold the spear in my hand and poke with it.
I know ultimately the severity of a botch is decided by the dice, but I just wanted you to know that this isn't as explosive as you might think. I wouldn't lose my hand or anything, since the blast would be several feet away. I could see the spear being driven backwards by the recoil and impaling me in the chest, though. I can tell you one thing that would NOT happen. If it failed to fire, I wouldn't take the shotgun shell out and have it explode in my hand. I've seen this kind of thing happen before (Uncle Bob almost shot himself in the foot with a 38 like that.) If it failed to fire, I would keep jabbing it until it did.
MJ Two Posts.
The other 5 rings:
Diamond ring, gold setting, $195 original price (B Monster Movie World), fanny pack
Diamond ring, gold setting, $200 original price (B Monster Movie World), fanny pack
Diamond ring, gold setting, $210 original price (B Monster Movie World), fanny pack
Diamond ring, gold setting, $225 original price (B Monster Movie World), fanny pack
Diamond ring, gold setting, $235 original price (B Monster Movie World), fanny pack
I don't imagine Mr. Smith would be able to tell the difference between a $195 ring and a $235 ring.
Going by B Movie Monster World's prices ($27 an ounce if I remember right), the 2 pounds of silver is worth $864. Here though I'm thinking the diamond ring is worth more.
Twenty spears, they are all between five and six feet in length.
The smith thinks you are too generous and will take only one of your rings. It is more than enough to cover the cost of his work.
There are banks in the cities, but if you want to buy gold you should go to a silversmith or jeweler, since gold is used for jewelry and decoration, but not for money. It would also be best to do this in the city.
I'm having a bit of trouble envisioning what you are doing. It would help if you refresh my memory on the size and presumed weight of this bag. From what you've described, I would think that if you hit it with the spear, it would swing away rather easily (it would have to be very heavy not to do so), and you might find it difficult to crush the cage, certainly to do so with any force or speed. But perhaps I'm not grasping what you're doing on some point. (It might work even thus, but I thought I'd better be clear what you mean to do before determining the outcome.)
--M. J. Young
So do I owe Mr. Smith 2 pounds for the spears, or is he just going to take that $430 ring and call it even? I was doing that because I would rather have currency than the rings at the moment (and, as you well know, I try to help my friends when I can) Mr. Smith said he needed dowries. I've got dowries for Mr. Smith to use. I didn't mark the 2 pounds down on my sheet. If I don't owe it to Mr. Smith, then I'm going to keep it.
I think we have different visions of what these bang sticks looks like. I'm not going to make a cage that has to be crushed. I'm making something that will hold the shotgun shell firmly, but loosely enough that it will slide in and out. Something that would only go about 3/4 the way up the shell, so that the top is exposed. When I think of a burlap bag, I envision something huge. Fifty pounds or more. You said that William is the strongest kid around here, so that shouldn't have been a problem for him to fetch and carry. I would take some rope (I have rope, if I can't get it from Mr. Smith or someone) and tie the two top corners to the tree branch, then poke it. The way I am envisioning it, it should be heavy and secure enough not to swing away too much. Also, I would do it so that the back was facing the woods, and preferably with a heavy growth of trees to use as a backstop. I have no idea how far the 00 buckshot will travel, so better be safety first.
You owe the smith nothing; the ring is more than generous.
As far as this "cage" goes, here are my thoughts; tell me where I'm mistaken:
- Although it could be made of wire, there's no wire good enough here to hold anything terribly firmly. Therefore it has to be made of thin strips of cut sheet metal.
- Because the shell has to be kept straight so that it is online with the spear point, there must be a band of metal around it, not snug but tight enough that the shell slides but does not wobble. That is the most difficult part of the design.
- The lip of the rear of the shell against this metal loop will prevent it from sliding forward, but something must also prevent it from sliding backwards into the spear point. This has to be a brace that covers part of the back of the shell without covering the target point or preventing the spear point from hitting it. It also has to be something that can be secured after the shell is in place. Thus I see a strip of metal secured to something coming from the loop to hold it in position, which is on the same plane as the loop in the middle but off center, and which is twisted so that its two ends would come flat against the back of the shell. The shell is passed through the loop, and then the ends of this piece pressed together until they hold the edges of the back of the shell. This much enables you to hold the shell in place.
- This piece now has to be held directly in front of the spear point, but such that it can't accidentally connect. It must also be so that when you impact the target with the leading edge (of the shell, presumably, although you could make the loop more like a barrel with a crack to vent it) that the housing for the shell is pushed backwards in a perfectly straight line such that it impacts the point of the spear (we're probably talking one to one and a half inches). The easiest way I see to do this is to attach the loop to the spear by wrapping two connected loops around the spear (to keep the structure straight) and from the forward one bring at least five and possibly eight thin metal strips forward, curving away from the spear point and then back in to the housing. The expectation is that the impact of the point of the housing will cause the metal strips to bend outward, and the fact that there are multiple strips will tend to keep the collapse even so that the spear point hits the shell primer and detonates the shell.
--M. J. Young
Well, I still don't think we are on the same page, but I don't really see as how it matters. I'll go along with your design. Let's just say I did that. The thing with shotgun shells is that you have to hit the primer kind of firmly to detonate it, so I wouldn't be terribly worried about it firing just from normal holding and use. I wouldn't want to be anything but very gentle with it, but it is semi-abuse tolerant. Let's just say that I did it the way you described. That sounds good to me.
It is dark by the time you have three spears finished. This is very exacting work. The smith says he should be able to finish five or six more tomorrow, if all goes well, and that you might be able to do two or three more yourself at the rate you're working.
Do you want to take one of these out in the woods in the dark to test, or wait until daybreak?
--M. J. Young
If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to delay the test for some reason. Well, first rule of shooting guns, never shoot at something you cannot see. Wait until morning. Let's have dinner with Mr. Smith and his family. Finish these tomorrow and then test one. You said something about his wife getting a really good cut of beef for dinner, let's have a feast.
I'm not trying to delay the test. I just note that the thing you want to make requires not less than sixteen welds, made with hammer and tongs on a forge and anvil, and will take an expert blacksmith several hours to make one. You're trying to make twenty, and you delayed the start of the job by sending him to buy the spears.
Dinner is good.
How many of these do you want to finish before you test one? All three of you working on them all day can probably finish five, if things go reasonably well. On a bad day, not so many, on a spectacular day perhaps more, but the last three won't be finished until early evening.
--M. J. Young
How does the dinner go? What is for dinner? I assume it would be myself, Mr. Smith, Mary, Ruth, the other two daughters, Pedro and William.
I guess that everyone has the right to know the truth about me. To know who and what I really am. I would tell them about versing. About Pearl Harbor, about B Movie Monster World, all of it. I would tell them about the angel that came and told me about the demons in the castle.
"This is why I cannot marry your daughter Mr. Smith. If I married her, she would come with me into the Multiverse when I left. You would never see her again."
Perhaps William might want to join me in the demon quest. I could make him an associate verser, and he would travel with me. No matter what Mr. Smith says, I would not bring him along. He needs to stay here and protect his family. Only if William wants to come. I could imagine an 11 year old boy might be fascinated by this idea, and want to come with me.
Dinner is roast mutton--what Americans call "lamb", but from older sheep. It is accompanied by potatoes and carrots, relatively hardy vegetables.
The girls listen wide-eyed to your tales, as if you were spinning an adventure yarn. Pedro has a much more critical discerning look, as if he is carefully evaluating each word to determine its truth. The smith himself appears inattentive, focused on the feast more than the conversation, and his wife is bustling about serving everyone.
When you've finished, the middle daughter says, in that voice of childlike credulity, "Really?" Mary laughs.
"Of course not really," she says. "Master John is a wonderful storyteller, to be sure, but most of those things could not really happen."
"I would not be so quick", Pedro quietly answers, "to dismiss what I do not understand. John is right that there are demons here, and it is clear that this was told to him by a messenger from God. As to the rest, do we know God could not have sent someone from another world to help us in our time of need? He brings weapons we do not have. He says they come from another world. Can we explain them another way?"
There is a moment of silence before Mary asks, "Can I get more beer for anyone?"
--M. J. Young
Oh I love lamb. I would be chowing down. Also, I think it was mead, not beer. Oh well.
I need something that can be knocked over by a TK pulse without breaking or making too much of a mess. Preferably something that will make a rather impressive display when it falls, such as an empty metal pot that will clatter noisily to the floor. I was thinking about hitting Mary's beer pitcher with it, but that could get nasty.
"I also bring a unique power to this world. In the Monster world, I had some very impressive powers, but they have been limited severely lately. I'm not sure why. Watch this."
Point my finger, and TK pulse said object, and send it crashing to the floor.
"The Architect, a great man, taught me how to do that. In the Monster world, I could have made (whatever it was) fly around the room. The Great Referee In The Sky seems to think I don't deserve to have those powers here. Ruth, I also owe you an apology. I caused the headache you had the other day. I assure you, it was an accident. Every once in a while, the power goes a little off." (I just know that's going to get me into trouble, but I also know I would say it.)
MJ Two posts
Note to self: Pray to have the body you had at age 17. I could run a mile in 8 minutes and 15 seconds (not great, but not bad either.) I had never been a smoker, I could bench about 200 pounds, (again, not great, but not bad either) I would have much better strength, stamina, endurance, and flexibility.
Should it ever come up in game, I have 3@10 ability at looking crazy. This skill has twice stopped me from being mugged, and I think it should be noted. Nobody wants to mess with a psycho. Make them believe you are a psycho (which I am) and they will leave you alone.
Since the smith's family will eat in the kitchen, there will be a few pots and pans around, and probably Mary did not use all of them for cooking.
You pick one, and send it crashing to the floor. Everyone else jumps, but Pedro raises one eyebrow and nods, absorbing the information.
"That is an interesting power," he says. "It could prove valuable."
--M. J. Young`
"I just wish I still had all of the powers. The Great Referee in the Sky knows better than I what would be good in this world."
After a fine meal, I think I will retire back to the inn. "Pedro, you can come and stay in my room if you would like. Tomorrow we finish the boom sticks, and head out for the castle."
Did William want to join me in the demon quest? I could easily imagine an 11 year old boy would want to become a verser.
When I get back to my room, ask Pedro to pray with me. Ask for a restoration of my body back to the age of 17. Keeping all of my knowledge and skills, of course. That would improve all of my physical attributes dramatically. Pedro and I can kneel and pray for this together. Full body involvement, pray for 20 minutes. There has got to be a bonus somewhere for having a priest pray with you about something.
I have 2@2 TK pulse. That means I can throw 2 in a minute, right?
Pedro will come back to the inn with you. There is only one bed in the room, but space enough for someone to sleep on the floor, and given your generosity in the past the innkeeper will not charge you for having someone stay with you.
William will not say whether he wants to be a demon hunter or a verser. He is a blacksmith's apprentice, and must do what his master directs, and fulfill his obligations as an apprentice, so he does not have time to travel to the city or elsewhere.
You are correct that you get two TK pulses a minute. Remind me of that when you use it.
I'm assuming that your body at that age was different from what it is now. I've got you at 6'2" and 250#, and of course your physical attributes as:
- 1@7 Strength
1@6 Stamina
? Resistance
1@1 Density
? Flexibility
1@4 Agility
2@1 Hand/Eye
What are you expecting the result to be?
--M. J. Young
I'm assuming that your body at that age was different from what it is now. I've got you at 6'2" and 250#, and of course your physical attributes as:
1@7 Strength
1@6 Stamina
? Resistance
1@1 Density
? Flexibility
1@4 Agility
2@1 Hand/EyeWhat are you expecting the result to be?
Height 6' 2" weight 220 pounds. I stopped growing when I was 16.
Strength, well, I could bench press 200 pounds easily. That might be the same, since it's gone up since I versed.
Stamina 1@8 I could run a mile in 8 minutes, and run a mile and a half without stopping.
What does resistance mean exactly, anyway?
1@1 density
1@8 flexibility
1@8 agility
2@1 hand eye
I'm sorry this is so difficult; you're asking for one thing but incorporating another--that is, becoming young is one idea, but increasing your physical attributes is another. Also, you might be asking to swap this body for that one, but that would mean that all body-based skills you've learned since then would be gone, because they are in the neural pathways within this body. There is a sense in which I know what it is you want, but the problem is knowing whether you are actually requesting that.
Give me the words--not the sense of the words, I've got that, but the actual words, what you will be saying. I know that you're going to be praying for twenty minutes, but a paragraph or two should be sufficient to convey your precise intent in this prayer.
I will base the skill definitions on those words.
--M. J. Young