Nikolaj Rising · Page 4

I'll try to get a look at the wild slaves. What do I feel as I approach them? (I think you said the bias was too low, but I'll try anyway) I'll take my sketchbook with me and make some sketches of them. I'm not sure of what yet. (this is after dinner I guess)

As for the rest, I'll keep my schedule and pray with Qormlach for the baptism (or/and fulfillment) with/of the Holy Spirit. (with laying on of hands, but he has to give me permission, so I'll ask. It'll probably be a prayer of max. 15 minutes I think.) I'll teach him about it, using what I read in Galatians about Walking in the Spirit and About the Fruit (;)) (I think that's Gal.) And I'll tell him about what happened in the early church, where the Spirit fell on thousands. I'll also tell about the gifts of the Spirit.

Are there any specific connections I made? I take it that some of the craftsmen, if they want to be good at there job, must be somewhat interested in art. The not so much art thing could also be culture I think.

Most of the men here work as herdsmen, shepherds tending the flocks of sheep on the range. Those same men also do the little bit of lumbering that is done, expanding the holdings southward into what was jungle, and using the timber to build. There is one man who works as the knacker and butcher. Robert is the only genuine craftsman here, and leather the only craft produced by the men.

There are also women, who live in separate barracks. Sometimes some of the men will join the women and some of the women will join the men for meals, but the tables are in separate buildings and not everyone is comfortable with that. Men and women often come to meals directly from work, and don't have opportunity to make themselves "presentable". Thus this is more likely to happen on the rest day, when fewer people are actually working. The women are employed mostly in the vegetable gardens and the wool work, and in maintaining the household chores. As mentioned, there is not much color in the wool, and so there is not much artistic effort in the weaving, although some knitting and crochet work is done.

You are one of about twenty-five to thirty men, including Robert, the knacker, a couple foremen, and the rest mostly ranch hands. There is a like number of women, including a couple of overseers of the kitchen and the ranch house housework, and the rest wool workers or gardeners, mostly without any specific job descriptions unless they've distinguished themselves at one or the other or they have a personal preference. One of the foremen is married, and he and his wife, who is one of the cooks, live in servant's quarters in the main house, along with their two children, who help with the housework.

I agree that a lack of artwork is part of culture, but it's a lot more difficult to study.

There are about eighty orcs, also evenly divided between male and female, also kept in segregated barracks. The young are kept with their mothers until they are mature enough, a little younger than Qormlach, when they are moved to be with the men. It is unclear to you exactly what the familiar arrangements are for orcs.

I'm not certain what you mean when you say you are going to approach "the wild slaves". They are ordinarily kept with the others, and represent fewer than a dozen of the total here (also mixed gender). Other than when one is being punished, I'm not sure how you would know which were which. None of the wild ones work in the leather shop.

You lay hands on Qormlach and pray for the Holy Spirit to fill him. You feel the presence of the power in his life, and so does he.

--M. J. Young

Okay. So that's a more cozy environment then I thought. I imagined us with more. Being with about 25 people in the barracks I now probably know their names (or at least have heard them all, not knowing them all seems very reasonable) and have interacted with all except the most asocial/introvert ones. And I'd be curious to get to know them. This is more of a classroom size!

Still, on the outside and during the day, the numbers are bigger and that feeling would be gone, as there were a lot more people running around. The Women and the orcs.

I thought you mentioned somewhere that the orcs that were 'wild' and newly captured, where kept separate because they tended to escape more.

I rejoice with Qormlach and read/tell to him about the Spirit. My style of discipleship would now be less on teaching, but more on praying for guidance, reading and interpreting together. But also practicing. By intercessory prayer and living by example. I'll still handle the sermon on the mount and Galatians often. Since repeating is a good learning method. And they can't read my bible. There is the question if they need all, because you have the whole Jewish and Greek 'my-earth' background and such it's very hard for them. Certainly since there is only being talked about humans angels demons spirits and God, nothing about elves, dwarves, orcs, ...

And thus my routine goes on.

-- second post (urg, not again... why do I do that?)

I tell Qormlach that he now knows that he is God's son. Because he now has the Spirit in him that cries "Abba, Father". He has the Great instructor (hence the different approach to teaching) in his hart.

In my evening prayers I will now include praying for a deeper revelation for Qormlach. Maybe in his dreams. That the Spirit might work deeper in him, revealing the nature of God.

ooc: I have a question! How does Multiverser handle interpretation of tongues? Since it's a gift from God, possibly accompanying the baptism in the Spirit. That means that we do nothing (except maybe pray for that specific gift) to get it. And sometimes (or most times I figure) you just find out. when friends of mine lived close by I went over to them every week. And in our young christian zeal we all prayed in tongues without interpretation (I know, not really the brightest idea, seeing what Paul teaches on it), until at one point, one of us suddenly started translating. So God intervened and made our prayers 'authorized'. The thing I meant to say is this. Often that gift is not known until at one point, you understand what someone is 'babbling'.

In the above example it could be (game mechanic wise) that we had a very good roll, and that the result was a newly acquired gift, right? Yet I think and believe that if God in a group of people wants to speak through the praying in tongues, that He will provide translation. But maybe only when we are also open for translation.

Concerning interpretation of tongues, I make it a "skill" that kicks in "spontaneously" when the gifted individual hears someone speaking in tongues. I would roll for it, and if the roll is successful, the individual understands what is being said.

I think what Paul teaches on the subject is badly misunderstood. But I believe you've signed up for the Bible Study, so if you log in to the Yahoo!Groups site and track back to the posts on chapter 12 and 14 you should be able to get the detail there. In short, Paul is not talking about whether people should pray in tongues by themselves when in church, but whether an individual ought to address the entire congregation in tongues. He says that when we gather for our meetings, we should have two or maybe three sermons (prophecy), and we could also have two or maybe three sermons in tongues, but only if someone is present who can interpret so the congregation can understand. More than that is too much, what with the additional teachings and hymns and such that others will be bringing. Also, it appears that this all happens over dinner--a dinner which begins with the breaking and sharing of bread and ends with the blessing and passing of the cup. Very different from our meetings.

There is that aspect of spiritual gifts, that they are gifts. That's very hard to model in a role playing game, and I'm not going to say Multiverser does it exactly right; but it is manageable.

As an aside, I had a {Pentecostal) professor at Gordon who said that at most meetings where someone suddenly burst out loudly in tongues and then someone spoke in the local language, that was not interpretation but tongues followed by prophecy. His primary argument is that "he who speaks in tongues speaks not to men but to God", and those words were always addressed to the congregation from God, which is the way prophecy is typically presented ("Thus says the Lord", or as the prophetess in For Better or Verse put it, "The Lord says"). I think he's right: tongues are mostly praise and sometimes petition. I know someone with the gift of interpretation, and that's what she says she hears when people pray in tongues. Sometimes she doesn't even realize that they are speaking in tongues, because she just knows what they're saying.

The next day, Qormlach is very excited. He tells you that last night when he was in the barracks, one of the older orcs was sick, and he prayed for the man and the man got better. He says it was like magic, that he knew that God wanted to make the man better, and then when he prayed God did it.

I believe I said that the wilder orcs are usually given jobs that keep them under closer supervision and less chance to escape, and that sometimes they are put in a lockup as punishment. You would not be able to visit them in lockup, ordinarily, although it would confuse a lot of people if you tried.

Speaking of translation, have you thought about what sort of scriptures these people are going to need?

--M. J. Young

Footnote:

"Hart" is a very nearly archaic English word that refers to a male deer.

The organ in the human chest, and the metaphoric center of a person's life and emotions, is spelled "heart".

--M. J. Young

Same pronunciation.

--M. J. Young

Hart is also Dutch for heart, so the error was in that :) But thank you.

I agree with what you said about speaking in tongues and translation. (And I really long for an authentic service. Though we're pretty close in my church I think. At least sometimes.)

Hearing what Qormlach had experienced I rejoice with him and praise God for this. I tell him that he can now explain who gave him that power to heal that orc. God can become their God too. He can teach them what I taught him. I start on reading to him how Jesus used His healing to tell people about God. It's a sign of God's Kingdom on earth. I'll come with him if he wants. But I'm not sure if that is the best way. It would be better if he told them.

About the scriptures. I was thinking about the Godpels in a bit of a stroyform and then the letters of the apostles, and maybe even acts. But I'm not sure how, though.

He agrees that it would be better for him to tell the orcs about Jesus than for you to do so. For one thing, people will wonder why you are in the orc barracks.

Over the next couple of weeks there is a gradual increase in the number of orcs believing in Jesus, according to Qormlach's reports. They have so far kept a low profile; it is not clear how the humans would respond to the establishment of a non-Gaian faith among the orcs, as orc religions are forbidden. The orcs are now praying about how to proceed.

--M. J. Young

I ask Qormlach if any of the orcs can read and write. Then I pray to God that there might be orcs in the faith that can read and write and that God would guide me in which parts of the scripture are to be given. and if everything, I'll probably need guidance in writing some stuff explaining issues on the way. Since things are built upon my first world's Jewish culture and geography. Not always translatable.

EDIT: I also praise God for the small revival, naturally. I forgot to mention that.
It's a weird place I'm in, being the trigger of creating a congregation with which I can't really interact or meet or join. This will keep me occupied and awkward for some time until there is a change in that or I get used to it. It is a way to not get prideful at least.
I pray for guidance.

I think I need to ask this: are you asking Qormlach whether any orcs can read and write, and then praying that some of those of faith can do so, or are you first praying that some can do so and then asking him about it?

--M. J. Young

That's a bit of how I work, I'm quite unorganized. I'll jump to asking first, and then only later stopping to think and pray about it after I've taken the action. It's like I only then let God see my plans because it's the only time I'm taking enough time to do that.

I've already got some sort of alternative in mind, based upon the middle age paintings and glass-in-lead depictions. Putting major events in the bible in image and letting that be used to tell the story. But I'll wait for the readers first. And if I'm able to translate (if they have the same alphabet) then another writer can copy so that we can multiply.

If they can read, I'll also take time and find some scrap wood if I can find it and start designing a letter set. I'm keeping in mind that it needs to be mirrored because it would be woodblock printing. I'll have to make a lot of the same letters and characters and a frame to put them in. I have the theory for this in mind and have once put lead letters at school into a printing press. So I have the concept in mind.

None of the orcs have been taught to read or write. Qormlach knows letters and numbers, though, because he has been helping in the leather shop for a long time, and you have those alphanumeric stamps. Orcs do not have written language in the jungle, passsing everything by oral tradition.

--M. J. Young

Then I'll stick to making some more wordless books and making pictures of gospel events. And I'll be sure to make it all as much in story form as possible, what I tell Qormlach from the bible. But that won't all be possible, since Paul's letters are very straight to the point, non fiction not story, just the theory. I'll try to come up with some key verses and through repeating them, learning them to Qormlach. With leaving words out for him to fill in and using gestures with it.

Gradually you expound the Bible to him. He in turn shares what he has learned with the other orcs.

Thus far it is only the orcs who have embraced this "new" god. The men have paid little attention to what you're teaching them, as orcs don't particularly matter to them and they have their own beliefs.

--M. J. Young

I figured so much. Now, I praise God and instead of only praying for Qormlach I pray for all the new believers. But every day I pray for Qormlach specifically too. I praise God that a child explains the greatest truths to the others. I'll try to get some extra time with Qormlach and share Paul's letter to Timothy with him.

The orc church continues to grow through the summer; many of the orc women are also involved, although because of the restrictions on orc religious practices the groups meet separately in their barracks. Healings continue among them.

I need to know what you hope to accomplish in this time, apart from continuing to learn your leathercraft and produce more in that area.

--M. J. Young

I'd like to

1) Learn Qormlach the Bible stories. I ask him if their oral tradition relies on rhyme or more on storytelling or on song. If so I try to set the biblical stories to rhyme (if they use rhyme), or to some simple melody (A7,D,G ... the simple chords) (using my free time)

2) Make paintings to illustrate these. Preferably on wood or stone slabs, so it can stand up to be studied or viewed by multiple people at the same time. (using my free time)

3) Make several more wordless books. I try to get each orc family 2 (as far as there are families), so the women and men have the booklets. (they are seperated, right?) (using the free time)

4) Try to teach Qormlach on relevant issues, so he can take it to the barrack-groups. Reading what Christ and Paul says the behavior of slaves should be. I'd try to teach him the basics of marriage. I only have theoretical knowledge on it though. Stuff like that.
But I also encourage him to often return to the basics. Since those are most important and the basics for all else.

5) Try to get the Lord's supper being introduced. I'll try to get as much to the original as I am possible. So not to much ritual, more real faith and representation. I'm NOT getting into a debate about whether Christ is the bread, is present in the bread or whether it is only symbolic. If asked I'll say I believe the second.

6) My hart burns in my chest to visit the congregation. So I'll try to think of a way to do this without risking the others. I would really like to share the bread and the Bread with fellow Christians once more. Maybe there is time for that on the day the others take rest.

7) I make more time for discipleship with Qormlach, taking from my own free time for that.

8) I pray for a breakthrough with the humans. Maybe Qormlach could find one in need and help him or something. Or I could actually get a connection through the games or the songs while I'm playing on the Uke.

9) Work at the leathershop (but that's just work.)

10) Look out for a way to make paint and what could be pigments for it. As far as I see now, I could use eggs or wax as an emulgator, but for the pigments I could use earth for brown (what color is the earth?), blood for red (as they slaughter the sheep and cows etc. I'm pretty sure they could spare a bucket from time to time), but for the others, I don't know. So I'm keeping an eye out for traders. My paints won't last forever. I've got gouache, clothing paint, aquarelle paints (waterbased) and then would have to switch to coloring pencils and oil pastels. I'll ask master Robert where he gets his pigments.

I'll start the day with prayer alone and end it with prayer alone, as I'm seeing a lot of scripture while educating Qormlach. I pray for protection for all the Christians, but also seperate for the new church, Qormlach and myself.

I think this is it. Can you work with this?

--second post

Also, if any traders come by that trade some woodcarving tools, I would be interrested, as it would be possible to make woodprints. Having the pictures reproductable is a big bonus!

Orc oral tradition is by storytelling. Qormlach learns the stories fairly easily, and passes them on to the others.

Give me a list of twenty-five stories which you would teach him. The first of those would be the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Presumably the Last Supper is #2. That leaves you twenty-three more.

No pigments are used on this ranch for any of the crafts. The leatherwork uses compression imaging. It is hoped that you will figure out how to bring color to some of the work, but it has been done by other ranches working with leather and with cloth.

The dirt is brown, a rich loam where the gardening is done (due to composting), a lighter tan color away from there. Blood makes for a dark red-brown pigment when it dries.

There are a few berries whose juices stain your skin and clothes in various colors--red, purple, and blue. These are seasonal, but most are out in late summer and early fall.

One of the traders passing through has a metal knife designed for carving wood. The back is heavy and the blade angles in to a sharp point; the handle can be gripped comfortably for whittling/carving, and there is a wide flat back that can be tapped with a hammer or other striking tool. It is far from an X-acto kit, but with practice you could do some serious wood carving. It could be used, for example, to make wooden blocks for imprinting leather.

--M. J. Young

1) Birth, dead and resurrection of Christ
2) The Last Supper
3) Pentecost
4) Parable of the prodigal son
5) The sermon on the mount
6-12) The Kingdom parables (Matthew 13, with explanation when given in scripture. If not given (the precious pearl, the mustard seed, the buried treasure), I will teach him possibilities for that after that, but not as a story to be remembered. I will explain it in both ways I have found them possible. Two perspectives. One is the focus on the believer, the other has the focus on God. The mustard seed could be us or it could be Jesus. The buried treasure and the pearl of great price could have alternating roles, where we and Jesus can possibly switch place. Christ being the treasure and we giving our all for Him or We being the treasure for which God gave all.)
13) Parable of the vine
14) Parable of the laborers in the vineyard
15) Parable of the talents
16) Parable of the lost sheep
17) Parable of the Good Samaritan
18) Parable of the Pharisee and the publican
19) Parable of Pharisee and the publican
20) Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21) Parable of the two sons
22) The return of Christ (Apocalypse/Revelations + other relevant parts said by Christ)
23) The rich man and the beggar Lazarus
24) The deliverance of the possessed man in the lands of the Garazenes (aka Legion)
25) Faith that moves mountains, including the walking on water.

I see if I can get some transparent oil and if that is not available, I'll need to see if I can tackle egg (or at the worst wax) tempura.

The woodworking knife makes my day. I look for something to trade for it. Maybe one of the colorful shirts or a ballpoint pen or something. If I can get the knife I'll be looking for slabs of wood to carve. It will take longer, but the pictures will be reproducible and it will be easier to spread them around. Another detail pops into my mind. What will I print it on? I guess there will be no paper here. I'll have to ask Robert if our next project could be making parchment.

18 and 19 are the same, so you have one more slot.

Any of your shirts would be acceptable in trade for the knife. They are of a remarkable quality of fabric and stitching, and despite being somewhat used will make excellent trade items. Looking over your equipment sheet, I find these shirts listed:

Red short-sleeved T-shirt
Light blue long-sleeved T-shirt
blue, short sleeved, wide shirt with grungy black print
longsleeved dark brown T-shirt
3 multi-colored Hawaiian shirts
Pastel blue dress shirt

Vegetable oil is available, as is lard from the meat. The vegetable oil is purer, but available in smaller quantities. The lard is lighter in color (closer to clear) but congeals at room temperature.

Parchment exists. Robert knows how to make it. It will take some time and work to get the tools and equipment. He asks why you want to do it.

I know how to make paper from wood or cloth or old paper; I don't know with any certainty how parchment is made. If you've got any information on this it will save me a lot of time and work, so I'm bouncing that question to you: how is parchment made?

--M. J. Young

Ah, I slipped there. Hmmm... The healing of the ten lepers.

For the trade: longsleeved dark brown T-shirt
For the oil, vegetable oil. That's how the old masters did it.

About parchement. It takes a while indeed (I saw a documentary on it, but they substituted some stuff with mechanical stuff.

It's actually rather nasty. Skinning the animal, purifying the skin (including removing zits the size of big grapes or small apples. But I don't remember much about it. It had something to do with chalk and letting it stay over night, putting it on a frame and sanding it. Eventually even coloring if needed.

I tell master Robert that I'd like to make my own parchment afterward, so that I can print on it. I show some sketches that I already made, which I want to transfer to the woodblock (mirror image). The sketch shows a couple in a stable under a rock, holding a radiant baby while shepherds are coming to great it and a big star is seen above the place.

Master Robert says that parchment is very difficult and time consuming, but it would probably be a good product to add to the work there. He will have to build some of the equipment, and pick some up on the next trip to the village.

It strikes me to ask: most of the men with whom you live are "shepherds". They ride the range, herding the sheep. They look like cowboys, in the main. Most of the nativity pictures I have seen have "shepherds" dressed in traditional Middle Eastern garb, draped headware secured by cords, long robes, crooked staves in hand. What do the "shepherds" look like in your picture?

Your leatherworking skills are improving gradually.

It is late in the summer when the trip to the village is being organized. You are on the list of travelers, because it is hoped you will be able to find what you need for pigments for the leatherwork.

On the day of departure, you find that Qormlach is also in the group. It seems he, and several other of the Christian orcs, are being sold.

--M. J. Young

Hey Mark,

I just returned from the Ukraine. I'm going to have to quit gaming again. I'm not condemning the game, nor the gamers. It's just that God made it clear to me (again) that it is not for me to play this game. He wants me to have adventures for real ;)

I wish you all much luck and blessing. I'm probably not returning, but my e-mail is always available. (denolaj@gmail.com)

There will always be a seat for you at our table, Nikolaj. The Lord be with you.

--M. J. Young

Hi Mark,

I've had some real adventures since the last time, and my conscience doesn't seem to mind me picking this back up, so if you have the time for it, I can take my chair at the table again. Please do not feel pressured to take me. I know you are a busy man.

Getting back into the game, the nativity picture would portray shepherds as I see them here. Some sheep and some shepherds, maybe also their horses (if I remember correctly they rode horses). They would have a humble posture, dismounted, hat in hand, probably kneeling.

On the day of departure I have a double feeling. I am thrilled about seeing more of this world. Maybe I'll meet elves and dwarves! And also I will meet people who will be different from the almost only shepherd population at the ranch. This will be interesting.

Yet, knowing that Qormlach will be sold, is really bitter. He has been a good disciple, and even more, a good friend. It seems like I will have to start over again entirely. I realize the opportunity of spreading the gospel. "But does he know enough? Is he ready to go?"

For certainty's sake, I make sure to take enough trading material with me, so that if needed or wanted, I could buy him for myself. Ideally it makes me have to take some stuff with me that is too much for me to carry. So I will seperate everything in two of my boxes requiring two people to carry it, which would be Qormlach and a friend he can choose for himself.

That way, I am sure that he's with me on the way. I will pray for clearness in this matter. I doubt that I can buy everyone, nor that I should. This message (the gospel) needs to be spread out to more than the ranch.

I talk about this with Qormlach, seeing what he thinks about this.

P.S.: is the preview function gone?

It is good to have you back in action, Nikolaj; I was really excited about this story, and looking forward to continuing it.

This forum software did not have a preview function; you can edit after posting, though, within about a week.

In your discussions with Qormlach, he recalls your stories from the Book of Acts, and how God scattered the church from its home so that the gospel could be carried to the rest of the world. He does not know if he knows enough, but apparently it is time for the message to spread, and he knows as much as any orc alive. It is kind of you to offer to buy him; but there are still believers at the ranch, and that he has been chosen to carry the message to the world thus is an honor and a thrill.

What he does not know, God will have to tell him. It seems a simple enough message, though: God loves people of all kinds so much that He was willing to live and die as one of us, to bring us to Himself and to each other. The rest follows fairly simply from that.

--M. J. Young

Glad to be back. This story indeed is thrilling. And thought provoking. How necessary do I deem evangelism in real life? What should I be doing with it? ...

Talking with Qormlach reassured me. Still, it's losing a friend, so it is a bittersweet parting. Bitter for his leaving, sweet for him being able to tell the world about Christ. And as with the early church, I'll have to trust that God 'fills in the gaps' and that eventually maybe even something of a canon might be formed in this world so that it would be clearer for people to test things.

I decide to pray with Qormlach, asking God's blessing over this new chapter in his life and to protect and keep him, as well as to give him wisdom, insight and love. A holy courage and hope. I pray that the fire of love for God in his hearth may keep on burning and spread through this world, setting other harts ablaze. (while praying for somebody I usually also open my heart for visions, prophetic images or clues if I have to pray further. I also pray that one of the Christians might be the new slave in the workshop, if there would come a new slave. And after praying I tell him to love and serve his new masters as best as he could, as if he would be serving Christ. I repeat (I think I would have told them this already) how the bible asks for slaves to treat their masters.

As for the prayer, this system requires a set time right? I'd say somewhere between 5 minutes or half an hour. Also depending on what God would be revealing me, if anything. Maybe a prophecy about his new masters or about his new ministry as an evangelist. Also while waiting for the prophetic part I'd probably be praying in tongues and if Qormlach agrees, which I take for granted, I will have my hand on his shoulder while praying.(so that's touch willing subject or something probably)

Do I need to specify the stuff I took for trading now, or can I leave it nondescript and decide at the moment of the eventual trading? Did I get trading stuff from master Robert to get the pigments or other stuff?

Nikolaj

second post (entirely ooc):

Just when I thought I could have had a teenage orc as a versing companion, he turns out to become this world's Paul. ;) It's better though, like this. The Word needs to get spread.

It is not impossible that Qormlach might return to you at some point in the future; this world may still be just getting started.

Concerning the mechanics of prayer, such details are required when specific observable results are desired. From what I am reading, you are praying a rather general blessing and empowerment on Qormlach; this is distinct from conferring the Holy Spirit (which you did previously, and I believe it was confirmed with a gift of visions or something similar at the time, if memory serves). You receive visions at times, but this is not because you pray for them but because sometimes God grants them--not exactly randomly, but sometimes when you pray. This time you do not get such a vision.

I remind that Qormlach is not the only believing orc being sold on this trip. In transit, the segregation of orcs from humans is less practiced, and it is easier for you to interact with them. They do have a sort of reverent gratitude toward you as the apostle who brought the message to them.

Concerning your own things, is there any reason you would not have brought everything you own with you? You don't own that much, but if you are leaving some things back at the ranch, give me a list (either of what you are taking or of what you are not, whichever is easier for you). (If you need your most recent equipment sheet, I can post it, but it probably does not include objects obtained in this world.)

Concerning goods to trade, the caravan chief has these secured in several wagons, and will be responsible for them. He has been instructed to make every reasonable effort to provide you with the pigments you need, if these are available.

--M. J. Young

Aha! I expected high segragation still, but if that is not, I do get to know the other orcs as well. Bless them all and share the word with them, have prayertime with them and if possible, even 'communion'/last supper.

I pray that they may find good masters and read/translate Col 3:22-24.
"Slaves, obey your human masters in all things, not only when they are watching you because you want to gain their approval; but do it with a sincere heart because of your reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what he has kept for his people. For Christ is the real Master you serve."

Browsing through my concordance I will try to go through all the slave themed parables and examples Christ gives to teach the people. One in the morning, one in the evening and if they want more, one at midday too. Depending on how much work they have to do. I do not want to keep them from their work, but give them the possibility to learn/pray/come to rest in their spare time.

I don't leave anything behind. It's easier just to have everything at hand indeed.

It's a bit difficult to be highly segregated in a wagon train....

It takes five days to reach the village, a bustling community in which something near a thousand people live within a mile of the center of town. There are butchers, bakers, tailors, traders in various goods, a Gaian chapel, restaurants, inns, and taverns, livestock dealers, and the slave auction. The caravan head makes arrangements for everyone to stay in a local inn, room and board for three nights, during which time he hopes to accomplish everything. The segregation is restored, as the orcs are housed in a cheap barracks near the slave auction. It begins with tonight's dinner, and you will sleep here three nights, have breakfast the last morning, and hit the road to return.

--M. J. Young

So in those five days travel I pray with the slaves, do studies, teach them, bless them and just get to know them. I'll try to be there for pastoral care too.
The last day of travel, with segregation getting back in action, I give them all a short blessing before seeing them off and bidding them goodbye and good luck.

After first helping getting the right pigments for the leather and getting pigments for the paints I'll browse the markets and the shops. Window-shopping. I'll take a look at the slave auctions. Which strikes me as odd since there is no currency being used.

Indeed, the slave auctions are not open affairs but rather quiet sorts of events. The slaves are identified along with their sellers and lists of goods the sellers are hoping to obtain, and potential buyers submit offers of goods and/or services to be rendered in exchange for individual slaves. A slave might be traded for a horse, or a particularly good slave for two horses or two poor slaves for a good horse. Blacksmithing services, baked goods, cloth, trade goods from other parts of the world, and even dwarfish coins (the dwarfs trade in precious metals and so have developed coinage; among humans and elves these are interesting bits of metal, but most of their use is trading them with dwarfs and with others who trade with dwarfs).

So there is no block and open bidding, but more a private assessment of what each potential buyer is willing to offer for a slave. It is a relatively slow process, taking a few days to move them, except that there are a few who make a living trading in slaves who will make offers on scores of them and then transport these to other villages to trade elsewhere. Thus you can be guaranteed some offer on nearly any slave, but if you have more time you are more likely to get a better offer.

Qormlach's skills in leatherwork get him picked up by a local tanner very quickly. A few of the others have been picked up for household work. Those with mostly herding and husbandry experience are bought by traveling slavers to take elsewhere.

You get to meet Qormlach's new owner, who thinks you and your people have done wonders with the boy's training. He asks if there's some particular reason why he is being sold. He also helps you with pigments, showing you what he uses and how he compounds it. Some of which is vegetable matter which you can get at the ranch, but he also uses some ingredients imported from the dwarf mines. These are a bit expensive but very beautiful and durable if you use them right, so a well-printed bit of work with these strong colors can fetch a handsome price.

--M. J. Young

Qormlach
I am glad to meet Qormlach's new owner. I thank him for the compliment. I ask him where it shows, in the general attitude or in the tanning? I explain that I can only speak for myself. I tell him that I've treated him as an actual person. He has become a friend.

If that is a bit much to take I explain that positive motivation also does much. I never whipped or hurt him in any way, but encouraged him when he did something good. I also have spent fun times with him, telling jokes, which he understands and can laugh about. "Isn't it, Quormlach," I say, sniffing my nose and smiling as I look to him. (Alluding to the very first joke I told him. "What's green and goes upward really fast?")

The greatest factor though, is that he got to know my God. "He came to live in the boy with His Spirit, just like in me. In our hart.", I explain. But if you allow him, he can explain it to you as well. And when you are ill or hurt, I encourage you to ask him to pray for you. God seems to work in him that way. I've taught him the most important stories about my God. You people don't know Him, but he knows you, and loves you. He wants to adopt you in His family.

I tell him that Qormlach is a clever boy. He might just be able to learn to read and write if it would be taught to him. I don't know why they sold him. Maybe they were finding me getting to familiar with him. But I don't make the call. I'm not his real master.

I also write down everything I learn about the pigments. Taking care to what he uses as emulsion. Is it oil or water-based? I suspect oil based. It could be egg-based. What gives best quality?

Shopping
I will look for wood-carving implements if I don't have them yet. (I cant recall if the traveling trader had some or not.) I look for a couple bowls good for mixing the pigments in. I think I'll go for pottery, if it's carefully packed (in cloth or something, to protect it). If there are wooden bowls, they should be coated to not take the pigments too much I think.

I will visit dwarven traders (the new master of Qormlach's recommendation) and buy some of the pigments that can't be made from the vegetable matter. I'll have mechanical stuff to trade with them. My camera, ballpoint pens, ...

I also look for some kind of local clothing that's not leather. Like linen or something. I'll trade some of my own (undoubtedly exotic here) clothing.

The man raises an eyebrow at your mention of Qormlach's relationship to God. "So, he's not Gaian, but he worships some god that is not an Orc god? That's very odd. Well, as long as he's not disruptive. I don't force my orcs to embrace Gaian faith. But it's odd that you would teach orcs some other religion. Orc religions are one of the leading reasons for selling them."

Pigments are usually oil-based, as it soaks into the leather better. There are also ways to use the pigments while tanning the leather which give different results from using them on leather that's already been tanned, but of course the stretching that is part of tanning distorts images so mostly this is used for a base color.

Just to be clear, the "dwarven traders" in town are not dwarfs but humans who travel to the dwarf regions to trade for dwarf goods.

The only pens I see are listed as "Loose papers, a pen a pencil a coloured pen (green or red)". If you wish, you can trade both of those for a very nice knife set, because the trader has seen nothing like those and is certain his dwarf customers would be interested in such a thing.

You can trade your clothes one-for-one for comparable new items. Yours are certainly exotic, but they are also a bit worn. These clothes come in cotton, linen, and various grades of wool; warm coats come quilted. Blended fabrics are unknown, but quilting will often have one fabric inside and an different one outside (most commonly cotton shell with wool fill), although down linings are also available. Colors are limited, rarely bright, always solid. Tell me what items you are trading and what you are getting for them.

--M. J. Young

Concerning Qormlach
As I talk with Qormlach's new owner I silently and quickly pray that my words about God will reach his hart somewhere. I tell him how I believe my God has sent me to this place to tell about Him. "He is above Gaia, and I have seen Gaia submitting to Him in the Spiritworld. She seems to serve Him." He is the one true God to which spirit-beings as Gaia should be pointing. Gaia shows us the nature that our God created and designed. She may have helped Him execute it, but it comes from Him. All life comes from Him. And even though He is so powerful and supreme, He still wants to get to know us and be our Father, our Friend, our Comforter, our Teacher, and so much more.

He wants to walk close to us. Normally we can't come to Him because He is perfect, and face it, we are not. We've all done things wrong. That's what we call sin. He wanted to be with us so much that a part of Him came down from the heavens to earth and became human. He became one of us. Lived like us, but without doing things wrong. And then He died for all that we have done wrong, so that if we want to get close to God, we can, because He loved us so much, that He carried our punishment so that we can be with Him.

But we still have the choice. If we don't want to be with Him, and we don't try to live like He wants us too, there is only one other alternative. And that is not being with the Source of all life. The All-Father. Our souls, our life would be condemned to live on after this life in a lifeless, barren, cold, dark, evil place, instead of with Him, in paradise.

(I suspect Qormlach to be in prayer during this conversation (if Q. is present), interceding and pleading that the message finds a place in the man's heart)

Trading
I'll trade the pens for the knife set. I'll trade my clothes for a winter and a summer outfit in the local garb. If they have a leather trench coat (?) I'll also try to trade something for that. I've got the rings and rubies but plan to use them as last measure because stuff that seem ordinary for me are strange and exotic here and might be worth a lot. I'll also try to trade some pigments for my own use (printing). (and those bowls)

I browse around, looking to see if I find some kind of type, maybe even dictionaries of English-Elvish, English-Orc, English-Dwarvish... I look around and try to get an impression of the cultures. My focus will mainly go to art (in all forms) and mechanical gadgetry, the attitude of the traders, toys and if there are children around I'll notice them right away and watch them play and see how the parents treat their children.

English appears to be the common language of the "free" peoples--elves, dwarfs, and men. The culture here is not much different from the ranch, but a bit less structured. (At the ranch, everyone is part of one communal group; here there are multiple groups interacting with each other, most of them smaller.)

Here is your current equipment list:

• Laptop bag, used as luggage
• 2 Bibles, Dutch
• Several Christian tracts, English
• 5 Gospel booklets, English
• Loose papers, a pen a pencil a coloured pen (green or red)
• Brightly colored blue boots (Like Docter Martin’s)
• A notebook containing muses and sketches.
• A lunchbox (before lunch it will be filled and afterwards it will be empty)
• Keys
• 2 memorysticks (1 Gb and 128 Mb) Mac and Pc compatible
• Wallet (ID, social security card, other membership and customercards (like Captain's Kebab wink.gif) and used bustickets
• Laptop (Microsoft)
• Red short-sleeved T-shirt
• Light blue long-sleeved T-shirt
• Worn costume vest (black)
• Light blue jeans
• Brown belt
• Black boxershorts
• grey sportsocks
• Sneakers patterned with blue and red versions of the all-star/converse logo made in different kinds of numberplate-like images. The laces are white (or they were at least)
• Bank card in wallet
• 50 eurocents change
• Keys of my appartment and my sister's apartement (including one key that doesn't work because it's from a changed lock, I've got the new one though) and a key from my fathers barbershop.
• Some graphic design books
• Concordance
• Cell Phone
• jeans jacket (dark blue) with a patch sewn on it (A black rectangular patch with the statement 'FIRST JESUS FIRST' embroided in white upon it)
• black boxers
• blue, short sleeved, wide shirt with grungy black print
• Darkgreen Shorts (jeans, with big pockets)
• pair of white socks
• Ukulele (Soprano) in bag with booklet for singing and plectrum and sheets with chords notifications.
• Art trunk, small, contains charcoal, black ink, dried walnut powder (Bister), paper tape, goache, acrylics, ecoline, aquarelle and colouring pencils
• Markers, several colors
• Camera, still photography
• Photographic developing gear with chemicals (black & white)
• Tripod for camera
• $70,000 B Monster Movie World money from the Architect
• Book, Dante's Divine Comedy, paperback
• First Aid Kit (bandages, salves, et cetera)
• Flashlight, recharging by physical motion
• Magnesium Flint & Steel fire starter block
• 6" blade sheath knife
• Portable water filtration system with sealable bottle
• Field Book survival manual, paperback
• Tent, nylon two-man pup tent with staves, stakes, and lines
• 50' nylon 1/2" climbing rope
• Folding camp shovel
• Sleeping bag, arctic protection
• 10 pairs underwear
• 10 pairs socks
• 3 multi-colored Hawaiian shirts
• Bright Purple knickers (mid-calf length pants)
• Bright Yellow slacks
• Dark red jeans
• Navy pin-striped suit with vest
• Pastel blue dress shirt
• Black dress shoes, tie
• Aluminum packing case, padded, 2.5' cube with side handles and wheels, to contain photographic equipment
• Aluminum packing case, padded, 2.5' cube with side handles and wheels, to contain art supplies
• Aluminum packing case, padded, 2.5' cube with side handles and wheels, for personal gear
• Aluminum packing case, padded, 2.5'x1.5'x9" suitcase style, for clothing
• Padlocks, combination style, 4, for packing cases
• $1445 B Monster Movie value in gold and silver coins, rings, necklaces
• metal knife designed for carving wood, heavy back, edge angles to sharp point, handle gripp for whittling/carving, wide flat back for chiseling.

The caravan head will cover the trades for the bowls and pigments; it is expected that you will need extra for experimentation, since you are developing this line, so some will be expected to go to you. Pottery bowls are available, and they are nicely glazed to keep them from being porous.

Your preaching to the leatherman is very effective, and soon he is praying with you, meeting this God about Gaia of whom you have spoken. Qormlach is rejoicing with you.

--M. J. Young

Wow! Qormlach really found his place! I am very pleased! I will take at least one of the days I am there to spend with him and go over the basics with him, confident that Qormlach can take care of it when I am gone. I ask Qormlach to take out the wordless book and start explaining it to the guy. In the prayer indeed I ask that he may Meet God and that His Spirit may come to dwell in this life as he lays his old life down to receive the new life.

I'll also touch baptism and if he wants we can search out a pond or something and get him baptized.

--------------------

Meanwhile at the market I'll trade the light blue jeans (for the heavy pants), darkgreen shorts (jeans, with big pockets) (for the light pants), a Hawaiian shirt (for a light shirt) and then I realize that I don't seem to have any sweaters. So I choose the ... navy pin-striped suit with vest to get the heavy shirt and if possible the jacket with it. I don't want to lose my jeans jacket and the worn vest is just awfull, I wont give it to them. If they want something else for the jacket I consider the bright blue boots.