I created this thread for two reasons; firstly so I wouldn't have to go find my old one and it would be easier for Scott to put down the summary, and secondly, I had this title running through my head while I was in the mountains with Scott.
Oh, Scott, I'm back from Greece, so we can start up again.
I actually started writing your summary at one point while you were gone. I'll slap that up here as a start. Skipping the part about how you're out of the country, it goes like this:
Short version: the Overlord weighed the obvious danger from the visiting demon against the moral repugnance of allowing a living thing to die and, in the end, washed his hands of the whole affair, leaving it up to the scholar whether to take Graham into his home. The scholar's name was Tan'ke, and he elected to offer Graham shelter, food, and, (later) instruction in exchange for his extraplaner knowledge and English lessons. The exchange was a little lopsided - Graham was learning far more than Tan'ke, focusing mostly on the Bah language and the telekinetics he learned from Wander - but the scholar didn't seem to mind.
After holing up in Tan'ke's home for a long time (100 days, but he wasn't counting), hardly ever leaving the cave in the side of the pillar for any reason, Graham was visited by a Dol Mu'tahk - a 'rouge scholar' by the name of Ke g'de. This smooth-talking individual hailed from the Institute of Advanced Theoretical Studies, a community consisting only of scholars, and claimed to be visiting purely out of curiosity. He hinted that the Institute could learn a lot from Graham if he visited, however, and when Graham revealed that Tan'ke had been reluctant to teach him magic (Tan'ke thought it wisest that Graham learn at least as much about Bah Tor as a full-grown worm knows before moving on to spells), Ke g'de immediately taught him an incantation to assist him with his psionic telekinesis "as repayment for all you've told me already." Graham did not commit to visiting the Institute (although he expressed interest), and Ke g'de promised to return later, once Graham had thought it over.
Despite Tan'ke's assurances that Ke g'de and the other from the Institute were the Wrong Sort of People, Graham's curiosity kept him interested. He even went so far as to ask Tan'ke if he would help him practice and improve with the one spell the Dol Mu'tahk taught him.
(GE for Tan'ke's reaction to this: 5, Beyond best hopes or expectations.)
That's as far as I got earlier. I'll try to add on to it later, but I'll be counting on you to fill in any gaps you spot. Welcome back.
Oh, and the thread Graham didn't dig up is Through Hell and Bah'k. There's only a summary there, but it has a link to earlier threads, and I like to keep them connected.
Well, the only real important aspect of my initial contact with Tan'ke was his ability to perform magic, which is a really important aspect of this world. I think just establishing that is enough, no need for specifics. I think that was the only thing I saw though.
Clock Reads: 5:33 AM
I'm not normally affected by jet lag, but this is weird.
Ready for a super-condensed, near-telegraphic grammar, Action Packed(R) summary?
I know I am!
Ton’ke taught me some arcane magic, saying that I wasn’t ready for holy magic till I was a follower of Bah Tor (if that happened).
I visited Ton’ke’s friend, Rau, who converted me to their religion through a persuasion/will power check, based on an argument that rationality requires a rational creator.
I started learning about Bah Tor and learned some holy magic.
I visited the Overlod, and a Priest Fool spotted me and went crazy. He threw me off the pillar.
I moved in with Rau, away from the Priest Fool, but he followed me there and Rau turned him into dough.
The Overlord was assassinated, and worms were being killed. The community was disorganized, and when they were discussing what to do, I stepped in and provided ideas for them to follow. They implemented these ideas involving defense strategic magic and drawing in the herds. Once Ke’gde was marked responsible, he was rejected from the institution, and after Ton’ke ascended as Overlord, Ke’gde stopped.
This led to my induction as a Bah, in which a Bah Tao, or a Priest of Life, changed me into a worm using magic. I lived as a worm until it was time for me to change, which I failed. So, using Psionics, I morphed myself into the form of a Walker. Although the lower life forms didn’t notice, Rau and some of the higher ups noted that I had not changed naturally into a Walker, and told me not to climb the tree anymore.
Then, worms began disappearing again. We organized some search and rescue groups, and found that Dul Noir were responsible for the kidnappings (and lost a flyer in the process). It was suggested that the Dul Noir were acting under the command of one Black Wizard who was the Rogue equivalent of an Overlord. They made it apparent somehow that they were after me and my knife (mostly my knife), and the enclave was nearby. Some Dul Noir attempted to nab me, but I slipped out of his grasp mid-flight right as he was teleporting away and caught myself using Levitation.
So, I was moved to a different community under a different Overlord and allowed to continue my duties as a Walker. So, I was doing such when my herd and I were set upon by Dul Noir and everyone was turned to stone, or some equivalent. Then, I was knocked unconscious and when I awoke, I was on a table in the enclave’s dwelling. In the room was the alter I rested on, a spear made of metal, and I think thirteen Dul Noir. Then, the great Black Wizard began a sacrifice (to Treg Tor maybe?) tossing the hand of a scholar and the wing of a flyer into a fire. My hand was supposed to be last, but I grabbed the nearby spear using TK and rammed it into my chest, killing myself and versing out.