Alternate Realities, portal Xanadu

From: lev0@tank.uchicago.edu (Ron Levy )

Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1990 22:18:29 +0000

Here we are back again.  When last we left our protagonists, the
High Court, wherein war was decided to be declared next year or praps
the year after, had closed.  Several people had volunteered to go put
an end to the bandit group raiding across the border (a bandit group
controlled by the government of Palisaad), and those that hadn't were
either ignored, in Ralph the mouse's case, or insulted, as Casha and
Morgan were.  Everyone goes their separate ways, knowing that the
strategy meeting for those going on the bandit raid is tomorrow
afternoon in Captain Plume's office.  Swifteagle and Tarrin Sandwhitt
will begin flying at dawn, to acquire up to date reconnaissance on the
bandit group.  It will be approx. 2 days flying each way for them, and
it's a two week journey by cart, so they'll meet the warrior's party
with information 3 days from now.

Actions: Directly after the High Court, Hachiro and Princess
Kajiko excuse themselves, giving the excuse of a calming flight, to
aid the digestion.  If anyone wants to tag along, Kajiko says kindly
but firmly, that this is a PRIVATE flight.
     Viento goes down to the armory, and gets himself a mass of toys.
He spends about a half hour practicing with his shoulder-scabbard for
his two-handed sword, which is designed to pop open along the seam and
flip the greatsword into your hands, if you jerk your shoulder
correctly and hold your hands in the right place.  He gets the hang of
it.  He also gets shaded black camoflage clothes, and a mail shirt to
go over his leathers.  In the offensive category, he gets a
fire-proofed net, and a couple of three-weight bolos.  As spares, he
gets a normal sword, and a rather large shield, and an unidentified
number of knives.  There might be a crossbow in there as well.  There
are other death-dealing fanatics about the armory and the practice
room, and Viento spends about an hour or so with them getting the feel
of his new stuff.  After he gets used to it, he defeats them all
pretty soundly, save for Tolghren, who is a Dire Wolf.  Tolghren
outsizes Viento by about a foot, and is a little less strong, but
faster with his hands, and much faster on his feet.  The magical
ability of Dire Wolves is that they never tire, feel pain only
intellectually, need no sleep, and cannot be knocked unconscious.
Viento holds his own for a minute or so, but begins to get tired since
Tolghren continually presses (and is better than Viento) and once that
happens, Viento starts getting hit a lot.  They shake hands, and Viento
goes back up to his room, takes a bath, surveys all his new weapons o'death
one more time to make sure they're still there, and falls asleep on the linen
sheets, thinking of the bed on the old gypsy wagon.
     Ralph, the mouse, gets a little leery of the castle's changing walls,
and decides to take a walk in the city.  The guards salute as he walks out the
doors, and he heads in the general direction of the 'better' part of town.
Unfortunately, it becomes obvious to his trained senses that a weasel,
poorly dressed and not from this part of town, wearing an eyepatch on his
right eye, is following him.  From the looks the weasel makes around him,
Ralph figures that where you see one, there's more you don't see.  There
don't seem to be any guards in the nearby vicinity, unfortunately.
Raplh's options are pretty much:  1.  Turn and take them all on; 2.  Duck
down an alley and try to lose them; 3.  Dive down into the sewage system,
where the weasel will be able to follow (he's small enough) but his heavies
won't; or 4.  Distract the weasel and jump/climb over the nearby wall,
and request help from the owners of the house.  And of course, anything
innovative he might think up is perfectly fine.
     Dorian and Shosharra bed down in the palace, in their well-furnished
guest room.
     As soon as they are out of the door, both Casha and Morgan
realize that they didn't think to answer Captain Plume immediately,
and so he thinks that they don't want to go deal with the banditry,
when in fact they do.  They both resolve to go to the afternoon
meeting.  Morgan stops by at the armory, but gets nowhere near such a
quantity of toys as Viento has.  They sleep in their rooms, each next
door to one another, with a connecting door.
     At dawn, Tarrin and Swifteagle set out, carrying only small packs
for food and a single weapon.  Tarrin tries valiantly to bring all his things,
but he swiftly realizes that there is NO way that he can come close to
Swifteagle's speed with that kind of flight load.  He will have his things
brought by the warrior party, but he brings along his recorder.
     From Tarrin and Swifteagle: I need to know how you plan to cross
the border.  The border is patrolled by both ground troops and fliers.
Certainly, the border is large, and you could just fly across at
night, and you would have a good chance of not being spotted.  If you
want to make any preparations or plans for crossing the border that
will lessen the chance of you being seen, do so.  Flying high, about
the limits of Tarrin's altitude, is a must to escape possible spells
of Perception, which have a limited range.  The chance of being
detected by magic crossing at a lower height is about 20% (it's
impossible to cover the whole border with such magics, of course),
unless countermagic is used.  unfortunately, neither of you have the
correct type of countermagic to use unless you get REALLY close first,
on the ground.

That night, Viento is awoken by a sensation of motion, as if he,
his bed, or more likely, his entire room (as becomes apparent when he
fully awakes) is moving.  There is now a knock at an entirely new
door, which wasn't there before.

The next morning, Serroli, Thielvar, Sasha (a goshawk who made friends
with Thielvar earlier) Casha, and Morgan (carried by Casha, who has QUITE
a strong, just this edge of constrictive, grip, go on a flight tour of the
area, led by Yiliane and her brother Harald, who are both Pegasi.  They
follow the river south, overlook the forest, watch some villages, get a
good look at the layout of the city, and cavort and freewheel in the air.
Serroli's wings appear to be made of brass, or bronze, or a mixture with
iron or steel and the above.  They make quite a clatter when he flies,
but when he glides, none of them clash against one another, and the air
is instantly silent.  Out of curiosity, Serroli clashes his wings together,
as he knows he can.  There is a thundrous clap at his wings, and where he
was thinking of (some distance away from all of you) and a great distubance and
turbulence in the air, buffeting everyone.  Morgan gets the annoying feeling
of knowing that he's rather a ways up, and he can't fly.  It's a feeling of
lack of control.  But, he knows Casha won't drop him, and indeed, he's
never in danger.  Both Yiliane and Harald marvel at Casha's strength in flight,
apparently, it would take the two of them and a little help to carry someone
as large as Morgan (they each could carry a mouse, or a slim fox or something,
but Morgan has a bit too much mass for them).
     Then they go to the meeting.

Next time:  Strategy and Tactics.