Is that the one where one of the contestants is Tom Cruise? I think my kids use to have that on their computer.
You've got a number wrong: P10@1 is a force shield. P11@1 is the Event Awareness retrocog skill.
Concerning force generatives, Merlin mentions that there are many ways to use mentally-generated forces. In particular, he notes that physical pushers and trippers are more effective at moving a person than a telekinetic push, and that slicers, piercers, grabbers, crushers, and renders are all powerful weapons in the mental arsenal, of which you should probably master at least two, although you might make one of them blunts, considerably easier than anything sharp or opposed.
Concerning Event Awareness, Merlin would probably teach you the considerably more difficult version, in which merely entering an area in which some major event left a psychic residue would cause you to sense something. That is the way he knows the skill (an always active sort of skill). Some students, he observes, have trouble learning to be constantly sensitive, though, and so it is possible to learn this as something you use when you are wondering whether there is such a psychic impression in an area.
He also points out that many people find that crystals, crystal balls, and other viewing or scrying aids are helpful in retrocognitive skills. If you are talking about any kind of retrocognition or precognition that you use at will, the inclusion of such a device in the skill, even if it is a bowl of water (mirrors are also popular), can make it easier, although also can make you dependent on having such an object.
The danger sense, too, is something that you can learn to have always active, or you can learn to use when you want it.
--M. J. Young
I'll worry about the force generatives at a later time, I will learn Merlin's considerably more difficult version of the Event Awareness. I will not use a focus point, I don't want to depend on them. I want the danger sense to be always active.
Adam
You both manage to learn the sensitivity needed to be aware of major events. Merlin spends several weeks training you in this, taking you places where such events happened and helping you sense these--battlefields, ruins, graveyards, but also castles, churches, groves, and sometimes houses and businesses. He speaks of spirits haunting some of these places, of the residue of lost lives, or the residue of great joy. As you improve, he says, you will sense more and more, because great events have happened almost everywhere, but at the moment you can only sense the greatest and most recent, while as you improve you will have the sense of events occurring more distantly and more remotely.
Once you've spent a few weeks on that, he starts working with the history of object skill, giving you everything from pebbles to gems and asking you to tell you whatever you can about them by looking into the auras surrounding them. Geneice takes to this fairly easily; you have a bit more trouble, but manage it. Sometimes he gives you objects which have no significant connections, just to see whether you can tell that, but he also gives you objects that seem quite ordinary and wind up being connected to some rather significant events--a pebble on which the blood of a slain knight fell, for example.
He says that the danger sense will be very difficult, and he wants to keep you focused on the retrocognitive practices for a while before confusing you with the feelings of the future. Also, he'd like to take a trip to London, to see how your little project is being taken by the locals.
--M. J. Young
*nods*
We pack up our stuff and take a trip to London.
Adam
It comes to my mind that since your last excursion from the grove you've teleported in your bike and all the other gear. Up to now you've traveled with the stuff you took with you on your last mission; now you've got all the other stuff available. Are you changing what you're taking? Is Geneice? (Maybe I should just make it simple and ask what it is the two of you will be taking, or if it's simpler, not taking. Do you need to see the equipment lists I have for comparison?)
--M. J. Young
I'm seeing a few missing items, my Quality Compound Bow of Quality, with 5 points, and 2 rifles from Geneice, I'm sure there is more, but my thumbkey is at work. The only two other items I will take is the Bow, arrows, and the Kinetic Blaster. Geneice can choose what she wants to take. I think we are travelling with the right amount of stuff.
Adam
O.K., get me the missing items and I'll add them.
I don't see a bow or arrows for Geneice, and I know that she must have one, because she has 3@10 with the bow. We'll have to fill in that gap, and she'll definitely take the bow. (Tell me what you think it is.)
She'll also pack the Springfield and the extra mags, but not the extra bullets.
"I think," Merlin suggests, "we should walk the twilight to Canterbury; that puts us fifty miles from London. We don't want our arrival to be too dramatic, and it's probably better if we're seen approaching the city afoot than if we suddenly appear there. Canterbury is a large enough town that we can blend in there, and even if someone sees us arrive news won't reach London any time soon."
"Oh, I haven't been in Canterbury for maybe thirteen hundred years to come. Have they started the cathedral? No, I guess it's too early for that. Christianity hasn't gotten a foothold here, has it. Still, it will be nice to see the city." Geneice seems to be looking forward to it.
If there is no objection, you will make a trip through the mist to Canterbury, arriving there in the early afternoon. Merlin will suggest finding a place to stay the night and getting a good breakfast and an early start in the morning.
--M. J. Young
I will likely do another post about the item sheets, as for the bows, my wife is as strong as myself, so I don't think she would want a dainty bow, and I know her, if I was getting a special bow made, she would have piped in and wanted to get one, but part of a set, like an Ebony Bow and Ivory Bow, I'm good with whatever color she didn't want.
"I was probably dragged to Canterbury when we came here the first or second time, I was young, and we saw a lot of the sites. I have no problem taking the roads there this time."
*will find an middle of the road inn, where vampires will likely frequent, and book a room there for the night and when Merlin asks why*
"I like to learn more about my enemy before fighting one again, and watching their social interactions and movements will provide me an insite. When the night is done, will get 2 rooms, so I can defile my wife long into the night with some privacy"
Adam
It appears that you acquired your bow when aboard Destiny (or else in Sherwood--I did not mark the origin, but it appears on the sheet between the kinetic blaster and the quiver and Sherwood arrows). I remember you using it when you were aboard Destiny to fire home made exploding arrows. I will assume that this is that bow, and that Geneice got her own when she was mastering it, and so she will have a Compound Bow, stainless steel with ivory grips, quick access arrow mounts for six arrows. She will also have 50 custom-cut hunting arrows.
Merlin approves. He asks how you will recognize the vampires amidst the crowd. I ask how late you will stay in the tavern area observing and how much you will interact 1) of your own initiative or 2) if someone speaks to you. This is, of course, assuming that nothing changes your plans--obviously I won't hold you to any stated curfew if you get involved in something.
Geneice wants to know whether to stay in the tavern with you or keep the room warm waiting.
--M. J. Young
Actually my first bow was a cheap 50 dollar compound bow I bought at a flea market and took it with me to my first world. I changed it out in Why Spy for a custom build one with a +5 on it, if Geneice wants one with ivory grips, I will get mine with ebony grips, and hopefully newer arrows (I have arrows from almost every world). Might be a good idea to get real quivers made while we are here.
I will use my enhance senses skill, to increase my hearing, and listen to heartbeats, which I think would be the easiest way.
"You are more than welcome to keep me company here till we are ready to goto our room"
I plan on staying till about midnight, I will interact if someone speaks to me, kinda interested in socializing as well, been spending a lot of time with only a few people, need to keep my social skills up.
Adam
I have deleted the listing for "compound bow" and added "Compound Bow, +5 SM stainless steel with ebony grips, quick access arrow mounts for six arrows". I've also added the +5SM to hers.
You tune in to a room full of hearbeats--the dozen people here are in small groups, most by the fire, three off to a private table.
As you've been listening to hearbeats for about a quarter of an hour, trying to sort them out from each other at a distance, one of the three, a peasant, comes over. It's around nine in the evening, at best guess. He greets you.
"Your pardon, milord, but my master notes that you are travelers, and wonders if you might share news of the outside world if he bought you each a drink."
He indicates the two men by the table. One is dressed as one might anticipate a merchant but not a nobleman would be, not wealthy but well enough to have his own employees. His lips smile at you when you look his direction. There are two partly consumed drinks, ale probably, at the table, but he does not appear to have one himself. His remaining companion, also a peasant, is sipping one of the drinks.
"He would be pleased to have you join him, or to join you, as you prefer."
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"We'd love to have company, you may join as at our table, there seems to be enough chairs. We'll have some honey mead."
*waits for them to come over, since I'm certain the one is a vampire, releasing my enhanced senses, and making sure our drinks make it to us, without a surprise in them*
Adam
The mead arrives before the guest, who rises slowly and confers with his companions before moving to your table. One of them leaves and the other settles back at their table with his drink, watching. Unless the innkeeper or his wife tampered with the drinks, or the man has some magic you did not perceive, they should be fine.
He comes over and bows slightly. "My name is Horta," he says, his English good but an accent suggesting that he is foreign, probably southern European. "We do not often have guests from abroad in our small tavern, and so I hoped I could get news of other places. Whence are you, and whither bound?"
--M. J. Young
*smiles and nods his head at the bow*
"It is good to meet you Horta, I am Ashe Valerin on the Stonefist, and this is my wife Jade Bladesong of the Stonefist. We are from a long off land, Center in the Castle of Six Cities. We are headed to London, we heard about a mysterious sword in a stone, and wanted to see it for ourselves. We have come to your land to expand our knowledge of your customs, your history, skills and people.
With everything going on, we are glad that we are knights without a master. Seems there are various factions working against each other here. It's nice being able to hold a neutral stance toward things here. As for other places, our last stop before here was France, and not much to say there, they do not like outsiders much. We have found England more inviting. As for here, other than the passing of Uther, and the stone we mentioned above. As for my homeland, the war between the Stonefist and the Firetide has been over for 10 years, and aside from the 5 war criminals being released from their prisons, not much there either.
What news do you have of around here?
Adam
"Canterbury is a small crossroads, really. Some new Roman cult is trying to establish a church here, but the locals have little interest in foreign gods and I doubt much will come of it. Indeed, this sword and stone of which you speak has attracted much attention. I think it a trick. No one can pull that sword; I doubt it is a real sword. Yet it has kept the locals intrigued and occupied as they search for their supposed right-born king of England.
"I have not heard of this place of yours, this Castle of Six Cities. I thought I was well informed. Is it east beyond the lands of the Huns? Or perhaps below India somewhere? Or is it below Ethiopia? The Romans say there are no civilizations in that direction, but do they know? An island, perhaps? How did you come hither? It must have been a long and dangerous journey."
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"The Castle of Six cities is on a continent not yet discovered here in the west, as to how we got here, I would have to say in involved riding the waves. As for the sword in the stone, it is likely real, and eventually someone will pull it out. Might as well give them something to do. With the pleasantries out of the way, time to talk business shall we?
*grins*
"We know about your kind, the ghouls, the werewolves, the nymphs and nerids. I wanted the chance to speak to you in person, so we can clear up any misunderstandings. We are with Merlin to learn things to suppliment our already substantial arsonel of abilities. With that said, we aren't here to further his agendas, or anyone elses. Consider us watchers. You obviously wanted to find out more about us, so here it is, we are neutral parties to whatever is going on here, if you decided to drag us into whatever conflict you have with Merlin, you will have forced us to take a side. With that said, don't consider it a threat, just a friendly reminder to keep pieces off the board if they are not inclined to play."
*using my persuasion on him*
Adam
"Indeed? Well, the game may be bigger than you imagine. This sword in the stone--some are of the opinion that Merlin created it to meddle in the affairs of men. Let us say that for some of us the rise of a strong government would be--inconvenient--and that anyone who was involved in bringing about such a circumstance would be playing against those who wished for it to be otherwise. Of course, perhaps Merlin is not involved in this, despite his reputation for meddling; and perhaps despite your admitted involvement with him you are not also involved in his meddling in this or any other case. I do hope that is the case, for everyone's sake; but you should know what it means to be neutral before you make the claim. Any action which civilizes humanity is one opposed by certain factions who stand to benefit from the chaos and random death that accompanies barbarism.
"Your discussion of a distant continent intrigues me. I had heard tales, of course, but they maintained that there were no cities, no iron or steel, barely any copper work, and that the natives hunted with bows and spears with stone tips. If you come from there, my information is, shall we say, sorely out of date. Are your people interested in establishing trade?"
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"Oh I have a reasonable knowledge of how big the game is, and I will end that part of the discussion with this. Does this city exist, yes, but it does not exist on this planet, or even in this universe, past, present or future. Now information, that is something, that I can be sure of, no one in this world has more of than me.
*pauses and takes a drink*
"Being immortal myself, I tend to think of things a little more long term. Also trade is always a good thing to make sure two beings get what they want. In all things neutral, information like that has a price. So I will give you information about that land for a generation of peace. If you wanted, let's say a 100% accurate map of the world to go with it, that would be the same generation, and Merlin is not to be bothered. It's asking for a lot, but who else in the world has such information, who cannot be turned into a thrall. I decided to talk to you tonight, than play this game of cat and mouse, and you being the being you are can no doubt use this information to increase your standing. All for 20 years of non interference. I can't promise Merlin won't try to continue organizing humanity, but I can promise you we won't be. Besides, there is more information to be gathered, and being neutral means giving it to all parties now isn't it?"
Adam
"Bah. You speak nonsense. How can a city be on a planet?" He gestured toward the sky. "Those tiny dancers in the sky could not be large enough for anyone to live there. I think you invent yourself, spinning fanciful stories to appear greater than you are. You have no information that has value--for even if you speak truth about some other world, what use has that to this one?"
--M. J. Young
*smiles and takes out a notebook and a pen, and starts drawing the solar system, including a round earth*
"Each one of those "dancers in the sky" are called stars, up close those stars can look like the yellow sun in the sky, The earth is not flat it's round, and it revolves around the sun. There are 24 hours in a day, the time it takes the Earth to spin on it's axis before it is back in the position it started. 365 of these days it takes the Earth to rotate around the sun to the point it started. Now since you think the world is flat, your going to ask if it's round, how does the land and water stay instead of floating away. The earth generates gravity, a force that keeps us grounded to where we are. There are 9 planets in our solar system, named after the Roman gods and titans. They are in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto. Uranus is a strange one, it's path around the sun is off kilter, sometimes it's closer, sometimes it's the fatherest planet away.
*pauses*
I am giving you concepts that won't be fully fleshed out here for a thousand years, and if you had listened to what I said, I know the geography of this planet, and the people of land across the sea. There are scientific concepts that you consider normal that people a thousand years ago think is magic. Consider the aqueducts, if someone from ancient Egypt saw them, they would be thinking you used magic to accomplish that. What is magic to them, is science to you, and thus what I said about is 100% truth. Now you being immortal should appreciate the fact about how you look at time. What is 20 years to a person, is half their life most likely. For you, it can be a blink of an eye. I do not spin stories to appear greater than I am, I use my words to make me appear less than I am, consider that."
Adam
"I have heard that the earth is a sphere; but the idea that the wanderers are also spheres--are there people on these other spheres? How can anything so big stay up?
"Wizard, your ideas are beyond me; but I see no value in them. Can we travel to these spheres, meet these people? What value have they to us?
"I thank you for your time and your thoughts, however strange they seem."
He rises.
--M. J. Young
*smiles and lets him rise*
"You are quite welcome"
*finishes his drink and looks to his wife before heading up to the room*
"Well you were quiet, although I got what I wanted to get from him. They are as uneducated and unenlightened as the rest. Information that is very useful, in future dealings with them. Now let's see how I do in my dealings with you tonight."
*grins and smiles at Geneice*
Adam
She has a pensive look about her.
"I'm not certain you should have promised him neutrality," she says. "I think he, or someone allied with him, would love to find a way to get rid of Merlin--and I don't think we can allow that. Also, I don't think he's the 'big fish'; he's a middleman for someone more dangerous. That's not to say that he's not dangerous--I'd wager he's a lot more dangerous than those superiorists we faced in Central America--but that he's the lackey, not the master. At least, he's not the top of the chain here. He clearly has some who serve him, but he in turn serves someone more powerful."
She smiles.
"But I don't think he'll interrupt us tonight, so let's turn our attention to keeping the neighbors awake."
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"He didn't except the terms, so it's a moot point. Of course we are going to protect Merlin, and yes he was a peon. A vampire is a vampire is a vampire, these vampires are terrified of fire, so our fireballs we learned will do us very well. As for who he serves, doesn't matter. This was to find out what he knew, and he knows we know who the players are. Either way, We got more info than we had before."
*plays with his wife*
Adam
There is a knock on your door while it is still dark, but as you respond you realize that there is predawn light already. It is Merlin, who believes that it is important to get an early start on the trip, and has already informed the innkeeper that you will be wanting an early and hearty breakfast.
Eggs and pork are served. Merlin has paid well for the better food.
You will be on the road as the sun rises, unless there is something that would delay it at your end.
--M. J. Young
"I'm going to inform you that in the future, getting up before dawn, is almost unheard of, good sir."
*grumbles as he gets up and gets dressed, and gets his armor and weapons, smacking Geneice in the butt while she's getting dressed, and heads downstairs for a real breakfast*
"Umm now this is a good breakfast"
*gets ready to go on the road after he finishes eating*
Adam
"I fully appreciate the value of a good morning's sleep. However, in this universe daylight is an important ally, and we have a dangerous stretch of road ahead which we wish to traverse as quickly as possible."
You are on the road as promised.
You walk for three hours and take the first break; it is still morning, but Merlin says an hour and a bit of water for refreshment will make the rest of the day run smoother. Another three hours of hiking puts you into the early afternoon, at which point he conjures a light lunch and you take another hour's break. Three more hours puts you more than half way along the road, but you have not seen any place to stay since lunch. Looking at the westering sun, Merlin suggests that it is time to camp, and to consider what wards and protections to place for the night, and how to organize watches.
--M. J. Young
"Well why don't we make specific wards against vampires and ghouls, and a general one vs supernatural beings. As for watches, there is no need, my wife and I know a skill called Alert Rest, we know it well enough, it is almost automatic, if one of us fails the other will likely be ok. It lets all of us get rest, as well as vigilant."
Adam
"Definitely a useful skill. I shall have to ask you to show me how it's done, when we return home."
He falls into his Socratic teaching mode.
"Yes, specific wards against vampires and ghouls would be excellent, plus something against supernatural beings--but we must be careful about that. After all, we three are ourselves not native to this universe, and in some terms that might make us 'supernatural'. It would be sadly ironic if we managed to dispel ourselves. Also, at least some of our magic calls upon spirit beings to work on our behalf, and if we cut ourselves off from such beings we may hamper our own abilities.
"So the first question would be, how do we attune our wards against vampires and ghouls? I think we ought to treat them separately, as they are very different. For example, you could kill a ghoul and keep a finger--a gruesome idea, perhaps, but the point is that ghoul body parts remain after they are destroyed. Vampires, when killed, instantly undergo the amount of decay they would have undergone had they been merely dead for as long as they have been undead; if they do not crumble immediately to dust, you killed a young one. Yet even so, if they have been unmade, as it were, it may be that the remains are merely human. My point--well, of course, you can make a ward against lions by having a tooth or claw or other piece from a lion to include in the ritual, and you can make a ward against the King of France if you have a lock of his hair, but a truly effective ward against a vampire or ghoul ought to have a piece of a living vampire or ghoul as part of it, and I'm not certain you have such a thing.
"So our problem is, as I said, how do we attune the spells to these creatures? After that, how do we attune one to apirits generally?"
Geneice makes a suggestion. "We know that vampires are repelled by such signs as the cross and the rosary, and injured by holy water. Could we create a warding spell by using those things which the creature to be warded finds harmful--garlic, perhaps, for a vampire? I don't know what we have like that that we could use, if we cannot tune the ward to the creature by having parts of the creature, we could tune it negatively by having those things the creature cannot abide."
--M. J. Young
"These vampires do not fear garlic or crosses, but they fear fire, a ring of fire, or one that was there recently, should be enough to prevent them from entering if we do the magic, for ghouls, since the vampire feeds them blood to make them stronger, mix some of our blood into the ring of fire. That is how I would do it."
Adam
"That sounds like an interesting plan. If I understand it aright, we will set camp and then light a fire in a ring around us, so that it leaves a charred circle on the ground at the edge of our camp. We will include in this fire a few drops of our own blood. It should provide some protection against vampires and ghouls. I'm not sure that I follow your reasoning completely, but the fire and the blood are good components.
"Thinking about the fire, how do you want to accomplish that? We could trench each side of the ring, so that there is a ring of leaves and grass, pour oil on it, and light the oil. Hopefully it would burn all the way around, if we did it right. That would be easier than trying to build a wood fire of that sort. Easier yet, of course, would be to create the fire magically--something like that fire snap spell I taught you, but something that would create a ring of fire around us for a moment. I have been thinking to this point that we are trying to char the ground, but then, there is no particular reason why we would have to do so--if we can find a way to incorporate the blood into the fire, a ring of fire in the air around us would work as well as one on the ground. I'm not sure, though, how to put the blood in the fire in the air."
"I'm sorry," Geneice interrupts. "I, um--I've never heard of vampires that did not fear crosses, or for that matter garlic. I'm not saying you're wrong--you have much more experience than I--but I was wondering how we knew that these vampires were not afraid of crosses or garlic, or that they were afraid of fire."
"Good points," Merlin says. "I would say that Ashe is partly right. Vampires like Tubrok and his ilk would not be stopped by a cross, say standing in the middle of the road. At the same time, such a vampire could be harmed or blocked by a priest holding a cross against him. The object has the ability to focus great power, if used by someone who has that power. On the others--well, I couldn't say with certainty. At the same time, fire and blood are good components for such a spell, even if vampires are not more afraid of fire than we are. They are afraid of the sun, and fire is child of the sun, so it could be a very potent symbol against them."
--M. J. Young
"The reason why I know these vampires should be afraid of fire, is that they show all the signs of being vampires out of a role playing game I played in my first life. They create ghouls by feeding them their blood, and that sounds like what is happening here. Throw in the werewolves, and their ability to walk through the umbra, and I am fairly sure I am right about their fears. The sad part is these vampires fear organized society, but in the roleplaying game, in modern times, they rule the cities and act as fortresses against the werewolves. I could be wrong, but I'm thinking I'm right, and since I spent a few years playing the vampire RPG, if I'm right, we will know it soon."
Jhiaxus
"That's good reasoning," Merlin says. "After all, if there is no fiction, then whatever you learned as fiction must be true in some world. However, it is also true that if there is an infinite number of universes--or even so vast a number of universes that it would seem infinite to us--then we must be prepared for the possibility that we would be in a world which seems to be one we know, only to find that it is different on a critical point just when we chose to rely on it being the same.
"So, getting back to designing this spell, I'm thinking a ring of oil on the grass and leaves, clearing around them first to contain the fire to that ring, igniting it with whatever flame we have at hand, and mixing a bit of blood into the oil. Personally I'd rather not use our own blood--there are undoubtedly small animals around, do you suppose that squirrel or bird blood would work as well? As long as it is blood from a living creature, that should be sufficient, I would think. Unless you have a reason for it to be our blood, specifically?"
--M. J. Young
"Any blood is fine, I really don't want to kill said animal, so if we can summon a deer, knock it out, gets some blood, heal it, and let it go on it's way would be best."
Adam
Merlin doesn't actually know any healing magic. He does know how to bandage wounds. He observes, though, that the problem is getting complicated--not that complicated is bad, but that now you would have to catch a deer and render it unconscious. However, perhaps he can summon a deer, if you think you can catch it.
He closes his eyes, and in a moment a doe walks within sight in the woods, heading toward you.
--M. J. Young
*reaches into his pocket to a trail mix type thing and offer out his hand to the deer*
*once it gets in range, fall into Chow En Lei and punch it, that should knock it out, if it tries to run, to a great leap onto it's back and slap a sleeper hold onto it till it goes down*
*assuming the above works, will drain a pint from the doe cutting it, and then using his heal other spell, to heal the damage and let it on it's way. We will use 4 ounces of blood for the spell*
Adam
You lure the deal and clobber it over the head with a quick blow, a technique you've never used. It goes down. You get the blood.
I don't see a psionic Heal Damage to Other listed on my copy; please give me details if it's on yours. I do see a 1@3 Limited Damage Cure M2@1 1:00 prayer to Odin while holding holy symbol, which is what I rolled.
You cure the deer of the injury, and it soon recovers and prances away.
If you would be so kind as to set out the details of the warding spell as you intend them to be done, I will roll for it next.
--M. J. Young
Ritual: 30 minutes to complete, one with With these items, protect us from ghouls, one with vampires, ritual is whole body, material is the components gathered, the component is expended. Everything I forgot is baseline.
Adam
You successfully ward the camp. The fire springs up around you and soon goes out, leaving a charred circle to mark the boundary.
You share a meal and settle for the night's rest.
During the night you are aware of the occasional animal, but none approach the campfire.
--M. J. Young
Good get up and early and set out.
Adam