From alt.pub.dragons-inn Tue Dec 5 08:49:16 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8891 Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.coast.net!chi-news.cic.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.fyionline.com!op.net!news.tcst.com!news.onramp.net!usenet From: rodney@onramp.net Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [HAM] first diary extract, no particular time (5th post) Date: 5 Dec 1995 10:43:53 GMT Organization: On-Ramp; Individual Internet Connections; Dallas/Ft Worth/Houston, TX USA Lines: 268 Message-ID: <4a17p9$r70@news.onramp.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: hou31.onramp.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1PE (Windows; I; 16bit) Journal Extract 1 A five by eight beige book, cupped hands and dismounted door outlines outside cramped writing inside. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 1 This is the personal journal of Henry Allan Mann. If found please return to him through either the Dragon's Inn or father Dolorus at Ilmater's. THERE IS NOTHING JUICY NOR INCRIMINATING HERE please return it so I can keep my sanity. Blessings on you, Henry Allan Mann ---------------------------------------------------------------------- page 2 I saw something that made me wonder today AND start this journal. We were having lunch as always at the DI. At the table next to us were two businessmen discussing, what else?, business. One doesn't intend to overhear, but one must stay aware of the environment in rough towns, so one doesn't completely shut off sound. I had seen them before, they seem to eat together weekly. They were arguing about an agreement, no big deal if they were setting it. One thought the deal was made and quoted words I remember hearing before. The other said no and that it would have to wait until a ship arrived in a week. I know that ship docked two days ago and had not left port. I did not enter this situation because it was none of my business and Littlefair's quieting field would prevent any actual fight. Suddenly, during a face glaring session, they both said "the thing", together, relaxed and went about their meal no longer discussing business. If this was a local custom for dispute settling, I wanted to know about it - it could be very useful. So I asked Rowan and he, being busy, just said "bulletin board". Posted there was a note to the effect that the "Imports, Exports, and Arms" company had magically created local time distortions. I guess that is what they realized had happened. I am concerned about the really dis-orienting aspects of things historical to one's self not being true to others. I have resolved to keep this journal and keep it on my person, so I might defuse misunderstandings should this happen to me. I can at least show them that there IS reason for two views, then we can part and matchup timewise correctly later. When we are out on the street healing people, pretty much we and they are just there and it happens. I mean, we are conscious and do deliberatley cast, but what street or time of day or on whom is rather moot. We log appointments for big stuff (wouldn't want to be on the streets weak, nor with big manastones) and take down promises of labor to help build our church from some who can't pay in coin. No problem. Now I feel a need to record some earlier happenings that occurred in no special order. I wasn't paying much attention to time before. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- page 3 Maybe this is yet to be. I was out healing and had been for, oh an hour and a half or so. A Watch Lt. accosted me for making him back down from some fighter type ten minutes ago, in front of several DI regulars (I recognized them from the descriptions, we spent maybe eight minutes arguing). I had my dozen witnesses with me and two partial lists of those I had helped that I showed him. Later, his supposed witnesses denied the happening. The Lt. said the guy was big, walked like death on the hoof, had a greatsword strapped to his back, and was named Shade. I told him that I had noticed the described person, he had an aura evil as can be {self note, maybe slightly off center} and I had no dealings with him, not even a patch up. I futher said that if I had been there, yes I would have cautioned him, but I would NOT have gotten in the way of his duty if it were clear. Well, he stomped off. I wish I knew what it was about. I have no desire to be on a city guard black list. I AM and have been giving the guards half off on priority appointments for the really major stuff, good legal relations principle. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 4 Most unusual client at surgery one day. The fellow said he was dying, looked pale and sick like a poisoning, but *neutralize* didn't fix it even though the spell worked. No wounds either. I told him something was definately off and that I would need to use expensive quantities of mana to try to find out what. He asked to be alone with me and no others, so I closed the doors and waited for his explination. It was physical, not verbal. He became a bear, but just sat there peacefully. When he saw I was not freaking out, he turned around showing an arrow in his rump. Apparently, as a man it was absorbed into him and as a bear he could not grasp it to pull it out. I withdrew it and treated it like a normal poisoned arrow wound and it responded. The arrow tip was silver. He changed back and paid me with a nice 10 cwt aquamarine that I have made into a healing only manastone. I'll say no more, doctors' ethics. I AM installing a pentagram in the surgery, on general principles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- page 5 An incidental mystery. A girl came to the church in hysterics. Multiple self-inflicted cuts and bruises from her run, that was easy. Father Dolorus had to calm and reassure her. She claimed to be a waitress and was walking home at night from her job in the company of a female singer at her tavern. Three all black clothed individuals grabbed the singer, pushed the waitress down and away, then disappeared through a hole in the air. (Sounds like a gate is supposed to look to me.) Gates are not minor magic, though I guess you can get them for big bucks. The question is the motive for the nabbing. But the singer wasn't famous, didn't have wealthy parents, no big romantic stuff, not even beyond normal looks. Beats me and its not my job. Reminds me of that nervous guy I told had a *trace* on him, I wonder. I am curious about how rough Generica is. Do I need guards for Helen and C.T. all the time? I can handle things myself one way or another. Certainly this shows I better teach them some combatish spells soon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- page 6 Never ceases to amaze me the way I find people injure themselves. Dwarves are generally alright, law abiding types. I ought to know, I lived among them for five years, fought (well medical supported meritoriously) in their Orc war of exterimination, and got honor knot rights that I wear in my beard. But these were drunk- grossly, stinking drunk as only a dwarf can get. They decided to play darts with small hand axes, kind of like mumbly peg, only they used faces. That was the mild part! One of them nicked the other's beard and the "injured" thought it was deliberate! (Why, why, WHY, couldn't they see that coming? I would think a dwarf would have to pass out before he _could_ get drunk enough to risk his beard.) By the time it was broken up, they were broken up. I worked overtime on the repair, two days worth. When they sobered (4 days) they asked if their beards could be regenerated, but I had to tell them that beards were non-living and could not be so fixed. Got a couple nice gems (amethyst and tiger's eye) out of limb repair. Maybe the minor beard loss will make them think twice in the future, maybe not. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- page 7 Blessing of Mikshall!! (or Mishakal as they say around here) I was out healing in low city, leather armor, tabard and all that public identification stuff. Had the usual crier and scribe services from those who insist on paying, but had no money. From a cubbyhole, I heard a girl say "Sir!" in a voice made to carry softly and pointing to her still slightly bleeding wound. Actually she was bruised pretty badly too. I looked her way and her bruises were healed. Did a minor for the bleeder. It was one of hundreds of such acts a day so no one noticed, but I noticed her - she had untrained mage aura. She waited for me to pass, but I approached her. Terrified for some reason, she slunk down to a hiding position because from her position between crates, she had no room to run. I asked her if she had another problem than the ones I fixed. Weakly she replied, "I didn't want to be seen." I asked her if she had done anything wrong that I should not help her. She replied no, but she did not want to be noticed. I cast an illusion of robes and a writing surface, that she would blend in with my group and asked her to talk and walk with me. This all took less than half a minute since she first called out. I really doubt anyone outside my group noticed. Calming only a little, she whispered why did I want to speak, and I murmured back that she was a magelet - that is, aura of the innate _Talent_ to use mana without sign of training. And I diplomatically pointed to her probable inability to afford training. She wanted to know what I wanted. (Probably heard that mage training takes tens of years, and only being about twenty that seemed like eternity. Youth!) I told her that I would be able to accept students soon, if they had _Talent_ and a desire to help others and that I saw that about her. I invited her to check us out and see me later if she was interested. All this time, we wandered and I healed. The usual donations, slights, and promises to help at building time came in. She seemed to ponder the prospect as desirable. We came to a conveniently located dark alley and I gently inquired her name before she slipped away. She said it was Yvette Anastel. That name, if she becomes Mikshall's (better learn to call that Mishakal's) first local priest, I need to remember and have thus recorded. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- page 8 I am a wuss? I got challenged by another mage a couple days ago. Said he was master of some art. (I think he might have been a journeyman trying to build a reputation.) I refused. I had witnesses to no provocation being given. He blustered- defamed Mikshall, Mishakal, Ilmater, the local mage God, the mage guild itself, the library and Generica in general trying to get a reaction from me. (I did feel a tug at the library, the rest could issue their own wrath.) Losing is no good of course, but I have to clean up the mess for winning! He went away. I saw him today. Completely skinned. He was teleported to the clinic, by the winner- an actual master. It _looks_ like his skin will grow back, the spell succeeded. Maybe Mishakal has ears here now because the rate looks like it may take twice as long (two months instead of one) before he can do more than lie there. That isn't under my control. Now he was glad he "spared me" before, actually praises my skill. I hope this gives thought to other mage punks. I really don't care for this macho BS. There are constructive things they could do - make more powerful devices, clear more rubble near the shunned center, set more golems to work building. So I don't have "status". Humbug. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- page 9 gem experiments We've been able to afford / been paid in / trade for gems enough to log some results. Big 5 ok: diamond, saphire, emerald, ruby, topaz (1&2cwt tests) Trash, does not work: agate malachite hematite*2 obsidian smokey quartz zircon rock crystal citron(brown) does work ANY Geode cryst. 5cwt-! Jasper(blue) Rose Quartz Tiger eye*1 Citron(yellow) medium priced stuff Amethyst Bloodstone Turquoise(pure) garnet*3 moonstone~? Opal any Aquamarine jet~ Jade(pure) pearl? amber coral petrified wood? above shouldn't but seem to want to take, and yet don't !!?? (research project for Univ?, when I have students) ! should not work *1 " , irregular pattern, polished stones only *2 small, does work 3cwt- healers, why? *3 " 2cwt any, why? 3cwt shatters, always! *4 *5 (more results on page ___) when this is filled up ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Yvette Anastel and Jake Shade property of Jeff Simon. Rowan Littlefair property of the Nightstalker. All other rights retained, all that other "mine, Mine, MINE" stuff. Rodney Taylor http://rampages.onramp.net/~rodney "If I have time to write, I'm NOT doing what I love." Rent me / Hire me