Aeth turned the elegant handle and opened the door to the carriage, but didn't leap out to attack right away. Quietly, the strange echoic cant of spellcasting emanated from above him again. Galen was chanting the incantation of the same spell as he had a second ago (though no one listening except maybe Owen could tell the similarity), his every word repeated a second later by some unknown source, achieving an eerie effect. Aeth didn’t have a long wait, for in the next moment another sharp crack filled the air, as the tiny bolt struck the highwayman in the arm, causing him to jerk like he had his fingers in a socket (2 elec damage, and villain moved to red status).

After the spell was finished, Aeth held no further reservations about entering the melee. He pushed the carriage door shut again as he took off after the shocked highwayman. Aeth drew the man’s attention to himself, who betrayed his growing apprehension. The pale man, growing paler, didn’t have time to do anything more than watch his death approach swiftly before he was slashed across the chest again. (4 damage) With this stroke of the blade, the man buckled and lost consciousness from blood loss and pain.

Back inside the carriage, Ray's eyes flashed open again, his mind completely focused. The air around him grew quite warm as the essence of fire filled through his aura. He could feel the flame waiting under the surface, waiting for a chance to leap out and bite his enemies, waiting for the impact of Ray's attack, which would provide the last bit of energy necessary to leap out and scorch.

(Well, that’s four people acting on initiative count 11, now. Galen and Ray, who competed for first with Galen winning the second toss; Ben, who had a lower modifier than the previous two (higher roll), and Aeth, who decided to delay until after Galen. By the way, I had to recheck Ray’s init again, because I seem to be capable of continually forgetting that he has +2 from the Time Mantle.)

(Finally, I invented Ray’s actions last turn, because it was pretty clear what to do, but this time I do not feel so bold as to attempt to interpolate his movements.)

(P.P.S. The us/them score from last time has come to a 2-0 in our favour.)

Galen stayed his hand, putting a stop to the electrical interference he had been doing. The one bandit was being swarmed by attackers, whom he couldn't afford to hit, and were giving him more than enough cover. Hitting that one was almost out of the question. The other one, an obvious magic-wielder, had stayed true to their cowardice, hidden behind a tree, just far enough away to make the range questionable.

Well, we'll have to deal with that one sooner or later. Galen thought to himself, sheathing his blade as he went to the side of the carriage roof, Not much else I can do up here anyway.
Galen clambers down the carriage, before drawing his blade and walking over to the side, trying to get a better targeting line to the hostile magic wielder.

In the melee just outside the carriage, Ben prepared to do something with a sword that would never be allowed in practice. It felt just a bit odd pulling his sword back with the knowledge that a successful hit would begin slicing cloth and flesh, where otherwise the worst it would do is cause a bruise. That said, it could be forgiven that the pale man with the dagger realized that Ben was about to attack, and thus managed to dodge before the blow could inflict any damage. The two mounted guards prepared to deal with the last conscious rogue, who was steadily realizing what a stunningly good idea running would have been a few seconds ago.

The same revelation seemed to be coming over the man in the forest. He summoned up the black energy a third time, targeted Aeth, and bolted. The dark ribbon pierced through the air and struck the personal guard in the chest, who recoiled in surprise. (6 dmg) However, he suffered the blow without complaint, and pushed the pain out of his mind.

Meanwhile, Barig and Ruiel were delivering their blows to the abandoned thief before he had a chance to dodge any more. Barig’s blade drew a slash down his ribs (4 dmg), and spurred his horse on after the fleeing highwayman with the ‘witchcraft’. In a surprising move born of sheer desperation, the thief lashed out at Barig as he passed. The knife was clearly heading straight for the warrior’s heart, but thankfully the metal links of his chain mail turned the potentially fatal attack into a small cut across his breast. (1 dmg) Almost immediately after the highwayman hit, Ruiel thrust his blade into his kidney at an angle (10 dmg) and he felt the icy coldness of death begin to overtake him. His damaged body began shutting down as his consciousness retracted in a last ditch attempt to preserve itself. Barig, meanwhile, seemed to remember the extent of his injuries (Reddish-status I guess, I can’t remember what I’m using as a standard) and reigned in his horse.

Ruiel, on the other hand, looked to Aeth in silent request for command. After a moment of staring hard into the forest, Aeth shook his head reluctantly. “Even if it weren’t too dangerous to chase after him, we have a duty to Lady Emerita. It pains me to see him escape, though.”

(Alright! Battle ended in victory, unless of course there is one or two among you who feels that the caster hasn’t been punished enough and would like to chase him in the guards’ place? That would be interesting. Besides the possibility of that advent [hey, Jeremy chased down and beat a rogue to unconsciousness last time, anything could happen.] Aeth will inform everyone that the rogues have survived their deaths. [yes, all three stabilized, ridiculously. Let’s hope my dice are as forgiving to you when you go off the positive end.] You peeps travel further in the day. I think I’ll wait to see reactions before I draw up a short post for this evening.)

I begin to realize how useless I am without some form of weapon to arm myself. I look at all the others with their blades of both death and life, and decide that after such a hostile encounter, I should have something as well. I ask for one that may fit my coordination so that I may earn my keep and protect both myself and my friends. (If possible, give me a weapon that I am proficient in, even if it be a stick to call a club!)

Galen watched, hardly showing any emotion, as the enemy spellcaster fled. Typical. Such is the way of pathetic thieves; if there is a sign of failure, they scatter, divide, and flee... His eyes cloud over, as the thought is cast aside, to be replaced with another...

By my hand, I have shed blood, so that my own would not be. Selfish, perhaps, but that's simply the way that survival dictates; a primal instinct to fight or flee... Out of habit, Galen adjusts his glasses just slightly, before looking to the soldiers below his vantage point.

Fighting is easy, however, the healing afterwards is not.
Sheathing his blade, Galen descends from the carriage top, before going over to see the extent of the wounds that have been obtained.

(Sib-kun, you might want to write up a status block like the one I used in my game in the combat posts... it'd make it easier to see how hurt people are without having to count all the damage acquired over the posts...)

In the aftermath of the battle, adrenaline level begin to level out again, and muscled relax. What had only moments before been a terrifying situation hanging between life and death was now washed away with relief.

Raymond stepped out of the carriage, his body still radiating heat into the air around him. With a mental switch, he detuned himself from the element of fire, though he retained a general psionic focus. That lesson was learned. While Galen scanned the wounded for potential targets, Ray acutely felt his lack of weapon and thereby his defencelessness. A sword even like the one which Galen was now sheathing was beyond his expertise, though something as basic as a large knife – that was usable.

Ray was about to act on this plan when Aeth stopped him. “Don’t touch them! These men are all diseased, and in all likelihood their possessions now carry the infection.” Aeth steps over from the body he was examining and takes the dagger at Ray’s feet. “It is the curse of their wretched existence, and though they aren’t yet dead, it would be better that they die now rather than at the hands of the ailment.” He continues to the third until he has relieved the men of their weapons, then he walks several paces into the forest and rams the rusty blades into the ground.

When he returns, he presents Ray with a small tree branch. “It is crude, but if we are attacked again and you need to defend yourself, it will be better to block a blade with this than with your arm.” Meanwhile Galen had selected the first of his targets and moved in to strike. With a few quick brusque gestures and a half-muttered phrase (that nevertheless echoed just loud enough to be heard) he swooped down upon Ben. The small white oval of energy glowing in his palm suddenly released just as he reached out to touch Ben, pouring energy out in a fashion similar to the way magnetic field lines are drawn. The sparks of positive energy flew from his palm and congregated wherever there was a wound. Ben suffered the very peculiar experience of having his body pulled together and mended for the second time that day. Whatever discomfort the sensation brought was relieved when the glow left behind whole skin, no longer burning from injury. [Ben +10 hp (14/15)]

For his next targets Galen had only the last fraction of his magical energy to give, having expended most of what he had left over already on Ben. For each of the mounted guards he repeated a weaker summoning of the energy, resulting in a sudden involuntary inhalation as the magic took over their bodies. With a quiet thank-you they went to work with dispatching the nearly dead. Finally, Galen repeated the process one last time, using up the last of his energy to mend some of the cuts on Jeremy’s body. [+2 guards (yellow and green status, Jeremy (7/9)]

---

After supper that evening (which honestly wasn’t too much later), Aeth bandaged up Ruiel and Barig, and told them to be alert for any sign that they might have contracted the disease from the highwaymen’s weapons. Thereafter he checked Ben’s bandages, to appraise Galen’s healing. “A week of recovery reduced to a single spell. The wonders that can be gained from the application of magic.” The way his voice trailed he seemed about to say more, but he held his tongue. He removed most of Ben’s bandages, leaving only that which protected the more tender wounds.

“Sure it’s good ‘n’ all, so long as it doesn’t kill you.” Gamet says, breaking the accumulating silence.
“I was getting to that next, Gamet,” Aeth said, not appreciating the blunt summary. He seemed to look for the right words, then continued in a more sombre tone. “Perhaps you are newer to this country than I had guessed, for otherwise you would be much more hesitant to display your talents.” He paused for a second to let the words sink in. “In these lands, the use of magic is strictly prohibited on pain of death. Those caught or suspected of demonstrating witchcraft are prosecuted and executed quickly, here. I’m not trying to scare you, merely to warn you to be careful whenever you use magic. I thank you for what you did for us when we were attacked earlier, but not many will be so grateful.”

"New? That's one way to put it. Perhaps newer than you think, even now . . . but that's not for me to say. Now that I'm aware, I will be more careful. I believe that's all there is to say." Galen says softly, his voice a little difficult to make out, as it usually is when talking openly.

Aeth nodded. “Most people would respond to magic with outright fear, which is why some bandits, like the one from today, wield it with such authority. People like this are very dangerous, because they have nothing to loose if they’re about to be caught.” The dry grass crunched audibly as Aeth shifted. “Well we should get some sleep. I’ll take the first watch. My Lady, I must insist that you sleep in the carriage tonight, for your own safety.” Lady Emerita seemed about to complain, but quieted at a look from Aeth.

(There is, of course, still room for talking. Heaven knows that no teenager goes to sleep as soon as they are told so.)

HP the next morning, after recovering during the night:
Us
Raymond 7/7 and the Strength damage recovered fully- also you’ll have to enter a new psionic focus – it goes away overnight. Restored to 5 PP
Ben 15/15
Jeremy 9/9
Ian 11/11
Owen 5/5
Galen 8/8

NPCs
Aeth - Uninjured
Barig – Uninjured
Ruiel - Uninjured

Look at that, not a scratch on anyone of you.

Well, that post was much longer than it originally endeavoured to be.

With a sigh of relief, I look up at the night sky. Then I realize something, my three dreams, and the vague details that were embedded in my mind. I ask Aeth if there any deities with the types of voices that I describe: and the light (I know he is no cleric, but perhaps there is a common knowledge of this dood & doodet).
I also say that we are travelers from a far and distant land, and that the ways of Aeth and his kin are alien to us. I say that the problem, with me at least, is that I do not remember where I am from... (I am bluffing so that I do not arouse the idea that I am mad when I say that I come from a world that is across the realms of time and space) (I hope to also give eye contact and body language to the rest of you folks to play along... we have heard the proclamation of magic... who knows what else they would do to people who would say that they traveled to this world via magic).
I wish to survey some of the more key elements of this country, such as geography, international and internal relations/conditions (wars, disasters such as famine and this plague), religion, etc. I will continually ask questions, so Owen, go forth and paint us a picture of what is happening in your world and what it is like...

Ben ran after the bandit in a hurry, but stopped himself a little ways into the forest, thinking that it would be too dangerous for him to run off on his own. He growled angrily as he stared deeper into the forest.

"YOU COWARD!" he yelled out, in an intimidating, and booming voice that shook the forest.

It was to this extent that he realized just how bad his injuries were. Ben knelled down to suppress the pain of his wounds. Returning to his feet, he sheathed his sword, and walked back to the carriage with his head down, a frustrated look on his face. Ben let out a deep sigh as he leaned his back against the carriage. This is when he noticed that Galen had approached him.

"Hmm? Hey wait a minute what are-" he stopped mid sentence as he realized what Galen was doing, "thanks pal."

Galen had cast a healing spell on him, and he could feel a slight pain as the wounds closed themselves. It wasn't as pleasant as he thought it would of been at least. Ben patted Galens shoulder with a smile, and turned to assist Aeth with preparations for making camp.

---

“A week of recovery reduced to a single spell. The wonders that can be gained from the application of magic.” The way his voice trailed he seemed about to say more, but he held his tongue. He removed most of Ben’s bandages, leaving only that which protected the more tender wounds.

“Sure it’s good ‘n’ all, so long as it doesn’t kill you.” Gamet says, breaking the accumulating silence.
“I was getting to that next, Gamet,” Aeth said, not appreciating the blunt summary. He seemed to look for the right words, then continued in a more sombre tone. “Perhaps you are newer to this country than I had guessed, for otherwise you would be much more hesitant to display your talents.” He paused for a second to let the words sink in. “In these lands, the use of magic is strictly prohibited on pain of death. Those caught or suspected of demonstrating witchcraft are prosecuted and executed quickly, here. I’m not trying to scare you, merely to warn you to be careful whenever you use magic. I thank you for what you did for us when we were attacked earlier, but not many will be so grateful.”

"New? That's one way to put it. Perhaps newer than you think, even now . . . but that's not for me to say. Now that I'm aware, I will be more careful. I believe that's all there is to say." Galen says softly, his voice a little difficult to make out, as it usually is when talking openly.
"Huh? Is there something wrong with the use of magic or something?" he asked, but his question was almost instantly answered before he could ask.

Aeth nodded. “Most people would respond to magic with outright fear, which is why some bandits, like the one from today, wield it with such authority. People like this are very dangerous, because they have nothing to loose if they’re about to be caught.” The dry grass crunched audibly as Aeth shifted. “Well we should get some sleep. I’ll take the first watch. My Lady, I must insist that you sleep in the carriage tonight, for your own safety.” Lady Emerita seemed about to complain, but quieted at a look from Aeth.
Just then Ray had started asking questions, and reminded him about the dreams they had. He recalled the words that had been said in his dreams under his voice.

"You have proven yourselves champions at heart. When our darkest hour arose, a prophecy was made that no man nor woman born under our care could defeat the evil that has crossed us. We send you our plea to aid us. Do not worry, for we do not intend to unfairly endanger you, you will go with our protection to a temple prepared for your arrival where you will find our trusted servants are waiting to equip you with the tools and knowledge you will need against the evil you must face.
"You are now approaching the completion of your journey, prepare yourselves to--"

"Heh, some temple and servants they were," he mumbled.

He simply ignored everything else Ray was saying and focused on the words said in the dream. What did they mean, and what exactly could several teenagers do to save a world they know nothing about? Too tired to want to think about it, he went to bed and rested.

Sunset of the Day of Arrival (about 9-10 pm)
En route to Corazon (I know it’s a long post but you still have to read it all)

I leaned back and stretched, self conscious of the small leather bound book at my side. I would have to start second guessing myself every time I lifted a hand to weave a spell, not even a full day after I first learned how. The fire danced and crackled before me as I contemplated it.

”Two things a man never grows tired of, fire and falling water. Always the same yet always changing.” Crane-man told Tree-ear.*

Or at least something close to that, I thought.

Fire was also how they used to figure out who was a witch and who wasn’t, along with dunking them into the river. I gently reached out with my mind to touch the spells that rested in my consciousness. With just a moment of concentration, I could reach into one and I would immediately have the words on my tongue and the signs in my hand, ready to finish the last part of the casting that would unleash the pre-set pattern. Wasn’t magic supposed to be harder than this to master, though?

I glanced to Galen out of the corner of my eye. His hair was so long that my mom mistook him for his mother when we last saw him over last summer. I was more concerned with other thoughts, however. He didn’t have any spellbook, but he nevertheless could use magic. I knew the book was not a requirement to wield magic for everyone, but still I wondered what kind of caster he was. He certainly fit neither the religious miracle-worker nor the natural magic archetype.

I did a mental double take. Was I seriously straight-facedly contemplating the differences in casting styles? The small fire’s heat made my skin feel dry and over warm, so I backed away a bit. It was too hot anyway.

“May I ask you a question about religion?” Raymond asked Aeth.

Aeth glanced to Lady Emerita before he answered. “My knowledge is limited, but perhaps I might know the answer to what you seek.” The Lady had stopped packing up for the moment, listening to the conversation.

I was certain that every one of my friends was now recalling the dreams from that morning. Those voices . . . would it be possible that they were gods? The excitement of the day nearly made me forget about the dreams. Now that I reflected on them, I could remember with vivid clarity each dream. I followed the driver’s and Ben’s example and selected a comfortable look space of ground, but I didn’t lie down yet.

“My friends and I are strangers to this land, as you’ve no doubt guessed. The problem is, at least for me, that I can’t remember the land I came from. As such I would like to learn about this land, in hopes of finding the key to helping me rediscover my memory.” Aeth said nothing but merely glanced to Emerita again, leaving Ray to continue on his own. “I seem to remember something just vaguely, like a dream. In this dream, I heard two voices, one of a deep voiced man and the other of a woman. I know this sounds strange, but do you have any idea what this means?”

Aeth’s normally cool expression fell away to genuine puzzlement as he considered the question. “So you suspect that this dream you’ve had might have some connection to religion?” He turned to Lady Emerita again, inviting her opinion. After a second of consideration she spoke, “It is not unheard of in tales for individuals to be contacted by a higher power – or at the very least, to claim they did.” She added the last bit with a pensive look aside.

“Nevertheless, your question is what kind of entities these might be, correct? Whatever reason you have for asking, I will tell you what I think. Since you say that there were two voices, one male and one female, I believe that you may be referring to the Twins. If this memory of yours is related to divinity, then I think that you are describing, or at least remembering a description of Gemini.”

(Reralae informs me that it seems haven’t given you the name of this country, which I confidently assumed that I had. Anyway, I have recently renamed it (see Q & A) to be Gaellus, so go ahead and forget what it was before, if indeed you actually still remember it)
The geography lesson imparted on us was little more than what a few learned individuals could relate, who had not travelled far beyond its borders. They tell us that the road we are on will travel east along the coast for a while before turning south across the plains to Corazon. They also explain that they are travelling from a small town known as Miel near the border between Gaellus and its immediate north eastern neighbour, Melivedia. The remaining majority of the northern border of the kingdom was made up by the craggy coastline, which winds down to more hospitable shores as you move closer to the western coast. The southwest border divided Gaellus from the peninsula-and-islands kingdom Ioneos, and the southeast fell upon a small tract of coastline that touched on the Aedoric Sea. The east ran a series of borders between Ethea, Marsagos, and Genadis, in ascending order ending with Melivedia to the north. Some short, sailable distance off the north coast lays the island kingdom Thosana, and for good measure, Emerita gave the name of Ioneos’ largest island, Arcene. There were a few countries to the east of Ethea, Marsagos and Genadis, but Aeth declared that listing their names without giving us an idea where they lay would be of relatively little use to us. (Just remember that you’re in Gaellus for now, everything else is bonus points)

Our hosts continued the lesson with some topographic information. They explained that the northeast of Gaellus was mostly covered in forests, as was Melivedia beyond there. On the other side bordering Ioneos was more mountainous terrain, likewise with Ioneos following suit. Between those two, the land was mostly hills and plains, and that we would be riding out on the plains by tomorrow evening likely.

Ray then turned the focus towards political relations, to which he was replied that at the moment relations were at least decent, though in some places tense. Melivedia and Gaellus frequently disagree about things, though apparently an arranged marriage between the Gaellan Princess seems to have brought the two together, for the time. Ioneos and it’s island maintain a mutual peace, to allow either country to keep to it’s own affairs. Thosana out to the north tried to keep good relations with all three mainland countries whose coast it was off, Gaellus, Melivedia, and a northerly country past Melivedia, though maintaining neutrality between Gaellus and Melivedia has posed problems for it in the past. For Genadis, Marsagos, and Ethia there was little to say other than that they had peaceful relations generally.

When Ray mentioned the plague, Aeth realized that he might have been misunderstood earlier. “It is a common disease that infects those who have chosen to live in filth or who are too impoverished to maintain their own health.”

Then Aeth declared that it was time to sleep, else face a late start on the next day. Lady Emerita agreed and retreated to the carriage, while the driver who had drawn morning watch snored on. Despite my usual inability to fall asleep at night, I found that I was well worn enough that it was only a short time before I nodded off.

(If anyone wishes to whisper to anyone else just before they fall asleep, you may do so now, for it will take a bit of time before I am free enough to do a morning post; in fact, you can assume at some point on your own that it is morning and begin interaction with each other. Sorry this took so long, I started writing it just before I was bombarded with a series of essays and assignments, and between then and my first break, Ray added to the information he wanted out of me, so I was held into the second wave of time-consuming things. But enough of that—you already know I’m a whiner.)

(Note- I would prefer it if rather than declaring one’s actions, I could have players doing the actions. I understand that often it is appropriate to leave the details to the imagination (having enjoyed this aspect on occasion, like when Eugenides is busy bad-mouthing his fellow travellers) but it often makes it easier to understand and refer to, specifically with regards to speech, though this might apply to many different actions)

(*Crane-man’s quote to Tree-ear is from the book A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park)

In truth, Galen only paid vague attention to the geography lesson. Despite preferring to be prepared, he really didn't like school-related anything outside of school, and he was having troubles finding a good spot to sleep on, which took the priority in his mind. Not to mention, there were a good number of other things going through his mind as well, giving his eyes a distant cloudiness to them as he searched.

Finally, he decided on a just slightly uneven ground with a few tufts of grass sticking out of it. Uneven would probably be reminiscent of a spring mattress, at least vaguely, and so should work out well... although he wasn't too worried; if he didn't set his mind to wake up at a certain time, he could probably sleep through just about anything. He might get a few grass stains on his clothes, but given the new setting, they'd probably end up seeing worse before they were replaced.

That brought the question of what they'd be replaced with, or how they'd be replaced as well. Considering that the group didn't have any currency, that would prove difficult... although he did have some skill in crafts, that also required money, and so it went around full circle. Well, there was no point in worrying about it... there was nothing that could be done at the moment in any case, so he forcibly pushed the train of thought from his mind. It probably would've been easier if he had his mp3 player... oh well, there were things that weren't here, but there were also things that were that he didn't have before...

Slowly, he drifted off to sleep. He dreamt, but like most of his dreams, he wouldn't bother telling anyone about them.

Even slower, he stirred into that half-wakefulness that plagues the mind in the morning. He looked around, and silently cursed; he seemed to be up before most of the others. Just like when he was over at someone's house, his mind was far too active to be asleep for long. Still, that would prove to be a good thing this time... he knew he had something to do.

Quietly, he rose, and wandered over to the side of the camp. He reached into his pant pocked, and pulled out the wooden cards that were there, twenty-two in all. He carefully sat, cross legged, as he picked up and looked at one.

"0." He whispered... no, not even a whisper, simply the movements of both the vocal chords and his mouth without sound, "The freedom to dream."

The card, or a rather archaic version of one, depicts a man in a colourful jester-like costume, carrying in one hand a white rose and in the other a stick and bag for all his other possessions. The man teeters with one foot already over the edge of a large precipice, though his attention is focused upward at the heavens. At his side is his companion, a small grey dog who may or may not be currently attempting to warn the Fool of his epic faux pas. In the background, the sun is shining bright. At the bottom of the card, where the border thickens, there is a ‘0’, which is soon taken to be the number of the card, though it isn’t immediately apparent. The left and right borders combine to form the phrase, “Leaping into the unknown. / Again and again.”

He placed this card upon his right leg, as he picked up a second one.

"II." He mouthed, "The silent voice within one's heart."

On this card is the depiction of a woman covered from head to toe in white robes with a blue cloak, leaving only her face and hands exposed. On her breast is a large cross embroidered in a golden yellow on the robe. She sits on a stone chair, looking up from reading a scroll in her hand, the back of which is labelled ‘Torah’. In her raised left hand is a star of light. On either side of her are bronze columns decorated at the top and bottom with bands of black on one on the left, and white on the other. Behind her is a veil of overhanging willow leaves, which obscures any background there might be. Mimicking the roof-to-floor columns is the Roman numeral II at the bottom of the card, and the sides carry the phrase “Understanding the mysteries. / Dualistic Singularity.”

He placed this card upon his left leg, as he picked up a third one.

"IX." He mouthed, but instead of a definition, he mouthed a particular phrase that he associated with it: "It takes great courage to look at oneself honestly and forge one's own path."

This card shows an old man out wandering at night. He wears a plain and off white shirt and grey pants, and over his shoulders is a cloak that is dark blue on the outside and violet on the inside. His hood is up and covers most of his head but his face, which sports a short and well-trimmed white beard. In his hand he carries a staff on which a lantern has been hung and swings freely. In the dark night sky there is a ghostly image of a wolf, symbol of the pack that the Hermit is on leave from. This card is numbered at the bottom IX, and is bordered by the phrase, "Quietness and reflection. / Time grows apart."

He placed that card back upon the deck, and set them beside him.

Taking the two cards he had, the Fool in right and the Priestess in left, he closed his eyes, and meditated.

The Arcane uses absurd materials and rituals to make things happen.

The Divine uses power borrowed from others to make things happen.

What Galen did wasn't quite either of them, drawing on the power of his own will, emotions, and desires, and using that as his key to magic.

(Spells retrieved:
0 - Electric Jolt, Cure minor Wounds, Light, Detect Magic
1 - Lesser Orb of Electricity, Cure Light Wounds
EDIT: altered 0 and I descriptions as according to the email... waiting on IX to change it
EDIT2: altered IX, fixed some grammar...)

Fate: the guiding force that directs us to do/become our destiny. For years I have accept the idea of a force that guides (if not dictates) our lives, but never have I seen it more manifested then when the presumed twins of Gemini summoned me and my friends to this other world. We have some sort of destiny to fulfill, and I accept it. It will not be easy. But if fate is with us we shall stand the test of tribulations.
I reflect on how many others hesitate if not refuse to accept fate as the force that allows order to come from chaos, how some down right need to be forced to accept the order of things... They need to be MADE to see the right way, and that by controlling what they think, you control what they believe and how they act. Pure domination of mind is the way to handle things, and to struggle against that is to invite disaster.

I awaken from my reflective dream. I am disturbed by the resolution that conjured within me. I know that what I dreamed is truly how I feel, but where did it come from? I have never thought like that before. Perhaps it is my id coming to surface with my newly acquired powers that tap the inner mind... perhaps these are my true philosophies: Fate and mental force... If so, will I be able to control them, use them for the betterment of others? The mysteries of these powers intimidates me. But then I revisit that dream. Fate. It shall be my guide, it will bring me to where I need to be, and aid me in what I need to do.
Fully rested and and with complete resolution, I get up from my prone position, ready for the new day. A rumble beckons forth from my stomach, and so with the fine sun peeking its head through the trees (we are in a forest right?) I decide to scavenge the near by areas for food such as berries. Seeing Galen already awake (as usual) I tell him my plan, stating I will not be out of ear shot in the event that I get attacked.


(We may have provisions already, but I think breakfast is in order, and I doubt I would be helping myself to other peoples food... I might ask for some, but lets just say they are all still asleep or I am a bit intimidated to ask for that kind of charity)

Morning,
2nd Day after Arrival,
En route to Corazan, Capital of Gaellus
Galen awoke from sleep at his pre-programmed time—though maybe a little bit later due to fatigue, but who could say what time was with any degree of accuracy, anyway? He rose with a quiet salute of good morning from the teamster in charge of the transportation, who was grooming the two large black horses that pulled the carriage. Picking a quiet spot a little away from the sleeping forms, he began the ritual of his daily magic.

By the time Ray had gotten up and left camp on his own endeavours, I was about ready to wake up. With the sun casting a subtle peek through the trees above. The gently brightening forest woke me in one of the best ways that I could imagine at the time, slowly, and entirely refreshed. The morning temperature was pleasant, neither hot nor cool. The night hadn’t even been cold enough for dew to form, though nevertheless, my back was slightly damp. With a sigh that might have been a yawn, I stretched. I remembered with the mild stiffness why I loved to sleep on the floor so much, when I was younger. As I tried to sit up, and found my spine unwilling to comply without protest, I also remembered why it was best to be done in moderation.

I rolled over and sought a new method with which to rise, and spied the object that had been pillow. I picked it up and it changed function as I sat cross-legged and cracked it open in my lap, using it once more as the arcanabula it was.

After a decent fifteen minutes, my mind was well refreshed and ready to take on some new spells. I mostly kept what spells I still had floating around from yesterday, such as the Magic Missile, as I had come to think of it. I exchanged the marking spell for something of more practical use, Mending. In all, I only took about twenty minutes to refresh prepare my spell.

While I did that, Ben, Jeremy, and Ian steadily found consciousness and returned to the world of the awakened, as well as Aeth and Barig. Ruiel was left to sleep for a while longer as he had taken the watch just before Gamet. Lady Emerita herself didn’t emerge from the carriage right up until breakfast, a slice of cheese on two slices of dry-ish bread, was being served, by which time Ray had returned.

As for Ray’s adventure, he explored the surrounding area, keeping the camp and road within close enough distance that he could see one or the other at most times, or at least knew where it was in relation to his wandering point. His search for food, however, had proved mostly fruitless, in both senses of the word. At one point he came upon a bush sporting a number of tiny black berries, but couldn’t tell with the slightest hope of certainty whether they would be fit for human consumption (let me know if you have a dire urge to sample one).

I am cranky, I wanted some juicy yumyums. But returning to the camp, I settle for some cheese and bread, making due with what I have. I do not wish to consume the berries, as it may poison me: giving me diarrhea or the like. Afterwards, I am ready to set sail and do the bidding of my new meal ticket.

After how ever many hours of sleep, Ian wakes to the bright shine of the sun over his eyes. While sitting up he sees Ray returning from his nature excursion, “So, where did you go off to so early in the morning?” Ian asks upon seeing Ray return. Ian proceeds to crawl to his feet and takes a long fulfilling stretch, testing what muscles are sore, he then begins ot rub the sleepiness from his eyes.

I wonder if our physical forms are still in our world as well. If thats the case does anyone notice we are gone. “Do you think the others back home will notice we are gone, or if some how our bodes are still where we are from?” Ian says in a wisper to Jeremy.

“Uh, excuse me, if you don't mind me asking, do you have a map? And if you do, could you show it to me, please?” Ian asks hesitantly Aeth, I need to see what continent we are on, or if this even is Earth.
(EDIT - SPELLING OF: content to continent and earth to Earth)

When Ray returned to camp I had only just begun to notice his absence, having finished spell preparation hardly moments ago. My worry subsided as I made note not to forget to pay attention like that again. I let out a breath; I didn’t know if anyone else was even paying attention, so I decided to personally keep tabs on the group, though I was sure I was just being a fool again.

Memories of the trip to Orlando last year came back suddenly, which in turn drew out thoughts of Band Tour hardly a month and a half ago. If there was any homesickness coming, I didn’t notice it, distracted as I was by the prospect of two pieces of somewhat dry bread sandwiching a piece of cheese suddenly introduced to my field of awareness. I remained speculative whether cheese went bad when left out of the refrigerator for more than a few hours, but I assumed that it couldn’t hurt too much, considering that everyone else was now digging into similar meals.

"Uh, excuse me," Ian asked, "if you don't mind me asking, do you have a map? And if you do, could you show it to me, please?” I immediately wondered what Ian could possibly want with a map, beyond the obvious at least.

"There is one in the carriage of Gaellus. I could show you once we get going,"

After breakfast, Aeth apologized for the quick meal, explaining that they hoped to be in Corazon by that evening, signifying that we were all already behind schedule. Gamet, who had harnessed the massive black horses while we ate, climbed into the driver’s seat, sandwich in hand. I jumped up and looked about myself, realizing that there wasn’t much that I could possibly accidentally leave behind at this point, and took to the carriage. On a flight of fancy, I decided that I would ride out the beautiful morning on the roof with Galen, who was even then climbing up.

Inside the carriage, Aeth withdrew a map to show Ian. He traced the line from Miel on the north eastern border, across the coastline until it finally dipped into the plains, at which point it met a crossroads south to Corazon. Interestingly, the path along the northern border to Corazon, at least on the map, seemed to be the longer and less-used of two possible routes. At either rate, the parcel of land depicted certainly didn't seem overtly similar to any part of Earth, so Ian nodded and Aeth put it away.



The cool and pleasant morning progressed with the celestial arc of the sun into an early summer blaze more attuned to Ben’s preferences. Though it was none too hot, I pulled up the neck of my shirt and crossed my arms in front of me in a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable sunburn. At least I was wearing white, I thought.

Gamet stopped the carriage a few times to allow for grandiose leg stretches and to supplement breakfast with further sustenance. Ruiel and Barig admitted to feeling a slight fever, which Aeth declared a symptom of the affliction, and that he would treat them both as best he could when they stopped for camp that evening, hopefully in the comfort of civilization.

(Alright, a quick post before I go to bed, self-edit has been turned off XD. Aardvark: Once you finally get your Internet connection back, do yourself up a backpost to explain what you do in the morning for your Factotum-iness, if anything. I’ll post again, probably in the morning, with the rest of this, so other players need not worry about what they should be doing now. If I don’t get another post up soon, it means I was unable to force myself subconscious and thus didn’t get up early enough to do a follow-up. Enjoy.)

EDIT: I forgot that Ian wanted to see a map. There you go.

Ray: Residual minor Str damage
Barig & Ruiel: Diseased with minor ability damage.