Alternate Realities

From: jefyoung@pawl.rpi.edu (Jeffrey Young)

Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1989 05:04:26 +0000

*DESCRIPTION*

(The Fighter's Guild)
 Luagha (#12)
 Serroli (#27)
 Hachiro (#5)
 Viento(#6)
 Morgan(#21)
 Guardian Hakan
 Guardian Taldin

Viento changes to Bull Form, and Hachiro to Dragon form,
and they set to spar off.

*Round 1*
    Viento charges, starting a spell. However, Hachiro holds
  his ground, breathing a jet of searing fire that blasts Viento
  off his hooves, and stunning him, not to mention burning him
  pretty badly.

*Round 2*
    The Guardians stop the fight, declaring Hachiro the winner.
  "Nice move", says Hakan.

"Hmph.  That wasn't exactly fair..", says Taldin as he heals Viento.

Luagha stands forth, proclaiming in a loud voice, "There are ways
to fighting Dragons, Viento.

"One, get a large shield.   The shield can protect you against
 the dragons breath, and force the dragon to come down and attack
 with the claws..whereupon sword-skil comes into play."

Morgan speaks:
   "Hachiro-san, your skill with swords is very
impressive.  Even formidable.  I wonder, would it
be too much to ask you for instruction while we
are here?  I seem to have misplaced my sensei."

Viento adds:
  "Hachiro, your prowess is exceptional.  These training
 sessions will improve us all greatly.  Morgan, join the
 bouts.  They will do as much as training will, as you become
 acustomed to dealing with opponents of widely different
 types, users of widely different technics, and the occasional
 magic used in combat, like Serrolli's wad that he used
 on Hachiro's sword."

Morgan to Viento:
  "Thanks for the invite, Viento, I will...but not tonight.  You see,
when I was pulled from my home world, it was already rather late at
night, and I'm quite tired.  My forms practice and sword kata were
as much for relaxation and as a means of working off frustration as
they were for exercise.  In my present state, I don't think I'd be
much of an opponent.  However, I'll look forward to matching you
tomorrow...if nothing kills us elsewhere before then.  In the meantime,
I'd best see about a place to sleep.  And maybe have a talk with my
young friend.  Until tomorrow, my friends."  I bow to Hachiro, as
equal-to-equal, and depart.

The Federal Agent goes out into the Common Room.

Magician's Guild
  Melanie (#7)
  Helecites (#25)

Melanie approaches the crystal ball and the box.  Examining the
former, she finds it to be clear and empty.  "Helecites, do you
know how to use one of these?"  Getting no response, she pushes
the button on the box, thinking perhaps it is a remote control for
the ball.

Nothing happens.

"Maybe it opens a secret door to another room.."
  There is a click.. and a panel of the wall opens, revealing at
10x10 room.  There is no way out of the little room.
Helecites comes in and taps the walls with his Gryphon Stick,
finding them to be solid as rock (concrete, actually.)

Melanie goes out and examines the bookshelves, trying to find
a book on how to operate the crystal ball.  She finds "The Apprentice
Adept" series, several books on first aid..and "Operations Manual
For A Crystal Ball."  However, the latter has a lock on it that
she sees is magical, mechanical and of a nature found only on Proton.
"Hmm.. only an electronic key will open that sucker.." She goes
to the crystal ball, "Guess I'll have to wing it."  She puts her
hands on the sphere, and finds that they stick to it.  "Um, help!"
she says.   The sphere lights, and she can see the Guardian Taldin
standing in it. "Yes.. what do you need?" , he asks.

"How do you shut this thing off?"

"You say, 'Crystal Ball, I'm finished.' To show things and places,
ask it to 'show' <place>."

Mel asks for the key to the book.
  The ball shows a box of keys in a metal shop on Proton.

"The nearest set."
   The ball shows the little grey box.

Melanie catches on, and pushes the button, envisioning the key
hanging inside the secret room.  When she looks, it is there..

Opening the book, she finds ishe cannot read it.  Helecites can
though (he had been looking at a picture book previously) and tells
her "It's simple.  You put your hands on the ball and ask it
to show yopu something.  That's what it says."

"Tell me something I didn't already know.."

(*Common Room*)

Tarrin stands at the door, trying in vain to harmonize with the
estwhile musician.  The notes of the trumpet fade away, leaving
the Kender to continue the melody on his own.  He is rewarded
by the sight of two figures in the mist coming this way..
 (Midnight and Herrick)
   The former, a man in black, and the owner of the trumpet,
is telling the latter how he got here.
 "I'd just finished a long night at the Duke & Bird and had ended the show in
my usual fashion with "'Round Midnight", a classic blues song. Only a few
people were left in the club and most of them were passed out. Grabbing my
cloak and hat, I put the trumpet back in the case and walked out into the back
alley. Before I had gotten twenty feet down the alley I was surrounded by men
in black robes pointing rifles at me. I knew if I moved they would kill me.
One of the men stepped forward and said "Yes." He then proceeded to draw a
complex circle and diagram around my feet. I had a really bad feeling about
this. He started chanting something unintelligible and the writing on the
ground seemed to writhe.
  The head Satanist said with a grin on his face, "Good bye, Mister Evan, see
you in Hell."
  I was ready to believe him because the air was getting very wavy as if the
alley was giving off incredible heat. I noticed something on my chest getting
 very warm and pulled out the amulet to keep from burning myself. The leader's
eyes widened when he saw that, but he seemed frozen. The amber of the amulet
seemed to change the entire light around me. I was standing in amber and the
symbols on the circle were being rengraved with beams of light from the amulet.
The last thing I saw as the amber light began to pervade everything were all
the Satanists holding their heads and bursting into flame. The last words I
heard were "We have failed the Master. We have failed."
  The amber began to fade into pink and I wondered if this was what it was
like to be blind. I wasn't sure if I was in Heaven or in Hell. I think I was
just in pink. Well, when you're standing on pink and don't know what else to
do, you just have to play the blues, and that's what I did.
  The thing you notice when you play the blues is that things can always get
worse, but that they can also always get better. My luck was turning for the
better, because wherever I was, I knew I could get a gig."

He shows Peter an amulet.  The grey robed Psychic looks at it,
and says, "Looks like a protection amulet to me.."

------------------------------------------------------------------
  Marin stands and addresses Ruenic.
    "Well I know the Father of the
Ice Demon whose servant has terrorized by land, is it his will that
you seek to thwart?  If so, I will lend my power to call the spirits
to my will to your task".

Ruenic looks him up and down with an icy stare...and then says:
"We do not know the nature of the evil that holds our land in its
grip of horror.  You are welcome to help us in any way you can...
and who is this Father of the Ice Demon?"

Marin draws back slightly. "You don't know the nature of the Evil
you fight, and yet the terror of it keeps your council from action,
that seems odd to me."

Ruenic glares at Marin, his hand reaching for the hilt of the sword,
"And how are we to know the nature of the Evil One when he does not
show his face, working only through His minions and the fearsome magic
he sends.  Look hard at this abomination before you.  _This_ is the
nature of his magic.  This is the fear that holds our Council in check.
There is only one way to face the Evil One that we know of."  With
this, he brandishes the broadsword.
Wearenth, however, taking notice of what is going on, deftly removes the
sword from his grip and sheathes it.  She then turns his head to face hers,
speaking harshly in an unknown tongue.  She then turns to Marin, but the
words you hear do not come from her lips, but rather seem to just appear in
your head:
"I'm afraid Ruenic has a short temper.  I'm sorry about what just happened.
If you have anymore questions, just think them and I will try and answer."

"Forgive me lady, I, too, know the unpleasantness of a land
tainted that ilk.  I can understand that it causes quick tempers
and frustration.  Better indeed, not to know too well the ways of
the demons.  I will serve your cause if it may thwart or weaken the
will of these demons who rebel against nature.

It sounds like your land is enthralled as mine.  What can you tell
me about the nature of your problem?"

Marin's dark Inuit eyes sparkle with interest and his thoughts, while
quiet and clear, are touched with smoldering hatred.

As Wearenth is about to answer the question (a bunch of people go
through the portal while they are talking......)
her face contorts as if there is some strain being placed on her mind.  In
a strangled voice she announces:
"The Evil One has felt our presence here.  He is attempting to close the
doorway, and I cannot thwart him any longer.  Those of you who still wish
to go through do so NOW"
With this the swirling vortex that was the portal begins to churn and bubble
violently (this is where Tarrin and Helecites step through).  The vortex
then begins to shrink, and is on the verge of completely closing when,
seemingly from nowhere, and flying figure dive bombs the portal opening, and
just makes it through before the nexus closes upon itself and disappears
(thats Kelso Redwing).  As the portal closes,  the Lady mands softly and
faints.  Ruenic mumbles something under his breath, stands up carefully,
saunters over to the bar, orders a"Jh'Ynn ann Tyon'ik and a glass of water for
the Lady", and then sits down.  He makes Wearenth as comfortable as is
possible, and by the look on his face it is apparent that anyone who attempts
to bother her will be met with a barrier of cold steel (he lays the rune
engraved broadsword on the table in front of him and begins to sip his
drink)

*The Portal Is Closed*
   Current Characters In:
      Luagha (#12)
      Dorian (#14)
      Hachiro (#5)
      Serroli (#27)
      Casha (#19)
      Shuitsu (#17)
      Marin (#3)
      Tarrin Sandwhitt (#4)
      Helecites (#25)
      Kelso Redwing (#26?)
      Midnight (#29)
      Peter Herrick (#30)

Morgan to Janus:
"Janus, could you set up The young lady and I with
rooms?  Preferably adjoining, but if not, as close
together as possible."

Janus replies:
     "If the young lady is willing to have you as
   a roomate, you can have rooms 19 and 21." (grin)

Morgan to Casha:
"Hi. How are you doing?  I've had Janus get rooms
for us.  I hope you don't mind if we're neighbors.
Look, we've gone into two portals together, and
we're probably going to be depending on each other
a lot.  I can understand if you don't want to say
very much about yourself, but could you at least
tell me your name?  After all, calling you 'hey
you' is a bit rude.

"But 'Princess', although formal, is correct, is
it not?  After all when we first met, you said you
just wanted to know what happened to your castle.
Then later, when we all changed to animal forms,
the Guardian said we became what we were in our
innermost hearts, or something like that.  I you
don't want anyone to know, that's okay, I'm good
at keeping secrets.  It's part of my job."

-Taldin-

P.S.  Kudos to all the people who sent me stuff to make the
Fox II a more exciting place.  Remember, this is a Portal too,
and as such your actions are considered moves.  This is important
to remember when Xp is calculated...

--
"You are blue, Unicorn.. the Blue of clear, cloudless days where
everything seems like it's going right and nothing could go wrong..
and the Blue of despair and lonliness."
                                       jefyoung@pawl.rpi.edu

References

Alternate Realities
usenet@rpi.edu (USENET Maint Acct)
Mon, 23 Oct 1989 19:45:32 +0000
Re: Alternate Realities
usenet@rpi.edu (USENET Maint Acct)
Mon, 30 Oct 1989 21:04:59 +0000
Alternate Realities, Portal Xanadu
rip1@tank.uchicago.edu (The Armchair Ninja)
Wed, 11 Oct 1989 19:25:42 +0000