You go with Mr. Washington to Senator Makepeace's annual Mid-Summer Ball. There are three groups that exist somewhat uneasily with each other, local New Englanders, Washingtonians, and foreign representatives.  This is because of the College, and its vast power. There are commercial and national people at the party. Its a gala scene with topcoats and tophats, cigars and wineglasses.

You find that being a verser attracts attention at the party. There are many who want to question you about all sorts of details of other worlds and technologies.

Mr. Washington fits in very well, and has to spend at least half of his time talking to people who greet him with glad hails. He seems to remember dozens of names, and merely walking across a room gets him in three to four conversations.

You notice he mixes kindness with an unthreatened assurance when someone attacks him, and at other times he uses his wit like spice to liven things up. At no time is he wanting for female company for more than a minute.

You begin to try to follow some of his techniques, and you see some genuine flickers of interest in a few of those around you.

=============

The quick spell involves a throat-busting set of syllables about ten seconds long, and a concurrent imagery of a moving orrery to contain and expand and direct the power you're summoning.  Lose control, and you could blow a hole in your mental capacities.

===========

TWM agrees, not being particularly fazed by the whole 'beastie' thing.

PT

Involving the spell, screw that risk--I like my mental capacities as they are, haha.

I'll tell them about interesting details of other worlds; however, I'll leave out bits about technology and try to change the subject to how it really inspires my current thoughts on society (hopefully I could pull some ideas from the philosophy class for this).

Next time I go to Alf's class, I'll address her once the class ends, "That was a nasty trick you pulled a while back.  I was tempted to bind you, but decided that this might just be how you work.  Am I worth further attention, then?"

One night, I'll head to a field with TWM, and I'll tell him that I'm going to try to summon a gate.

I sit down for meditation, and I'll enter my Altered Mental State.  In that state, I'll focus on feeling the same energies that I had before, when that monster had come out.  Then, I'll reach out my hand as I did last time, letting the energy flow into it, and I'll attempt to rip another gate open.

Some of them are content with wild tales, and others pry further. One especially, a female from France, Jeane Delacroix, is very friendly as long as you're spilling new details.

You find yourself almost on the verge of telling her how nuclear power works, and she's looking so sweetly into your eyes with bated breath....

=====

Alf looks at you, and then her eyes sparkle like ice.

"Not as bold as I'd like, but not wholly milk-blooded either. And you are cute. I shall teach you, but I am not a steady influence like Washington, or a gentle soul like Lady Gwen...."

Alf turns away and you almost think you see fear on her face.

"I am a Light Alf, and you will be taught in the manner of my kind. Generosity to friends and retainers, loyalty to oaths, and strength, above all strength. The strong command arts and men. I will teach you an art now."

And she shows you how to summon branches to walk from a wood, and lay themselves ready for a campfire.

=============

TWM prays for your success, and then leans back against a wall with shotgun and sword in hand.

You drift into your altered state, and reach out to ...nothing.  You redouble your effort, and ....

A gate forms.

You see a dessert covered by green glass.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." TWM says uncertainly.

I'll smile at the woman, and I'll pry into her mind slightly to see if I can pick up any surface thoughts or intentions.

Then, I suddenly get an idea in my mind.  I'll attempt to get on that same wavelength; however, I'll try to push an intention in her mind.  I'll push the intention of turning around, away from me.  I'll watch to see if she follows this thought.

*************

"I want to learn about the elements, specifically the Northern Winds."  I say to Alf.  Still, I talk to her civilly.  "These other skills would be good to learn as well.  Explain please how this is art."

*************

"Wow, I should have thought of this ahead of time, but I've never closed one of these before.  I'll go for it now..."  I visualize the gate closing as strong as I can, and I try to feel the energy around the gate close in on itself, so that the gate might close.  Above all, I'll try to will the gate to shut.

If I succeed in closing the gate, I'll take a break and attempt to summon a gate in the same fashion; however, this time I'll think about the Killerbot world and how all the people I met there and the situations I felt there made me feel.  I'll push those feelings into the energy as well, in hopes that it'll direct where the gate will open to.

She's working for the French Secret Service and trying to use her feminine wiles to get you to reveal secrets the College would not want you too.

She almost turns away, but then she stops. Then she looks at you, and her eyes widen. She backs up quickly, keeping her eyes on you, and then leaves the party at once.

Command One Normal Action 1@1 (You failed to complete it but not for lack of your success. She just has a strong willpower.) (Psi.)

=============

"The Arts of using Magik. Thus Art."  She shows you the spell which involves carving a rune into two branches to set the bounds on the size of branch you want. "Do not use fresh torn down branches because the Law of Similarity would only allow you to draw fresh torn branches."

She shows you how to work the spell,a nd you do so.

1@2 Mag Gather Branches.

"Do you know how to light a fire? And I am teaching Housekeeping Magic. Although I do have a wind spell to air out a dusty house."

==========

Your face is tingling as if you're getting a sunburn. You close the gate.

Close Magic Gate 1@1.

"Your face is red." TWM says. "Green glass....green glass..I know that. Oh yeah, crud. Sand fuses to green glass at a nuke bomb impact point."

PT

===============

I'll approach Mr. Washington after the woman heads off, and I'll tell him that I need to speak with him in private for a moment.  I describe the woman to him, and I explain, "She was a French agent trying to pry information from me with her femininity.  I read her mind to confirm it.  I should let you know that I was trying a new technique and scared her some."  If he inquires about the technique, I'll let him know what I tried to do.

*****************

I nod, and attempt to do the magic myself.

Then, I address Alf.  "If Magic is an Art, then I can create my own spells, can't I?  I know that you know how to.  You changed my symbol for water into a spell that cursed me.  I want to know how to runecraft."

If she was serious about fire, I'll create a fire by focusing with my fire symbol and saying a small "Amen".  I say the word lightly, because I don't want to burn down the place or anything.

*****************

I sit down for a breather.  "Well, I guess it's good that I figured out how to close the gate quick enough.  I think that this is a research endevour that could ultimately help us out a lot, if I could just control it.  Say we rest for now and come back here the same time tomorrow?"

If he agrees, I'll go back, get a good night's sleep and meet him in the same place at the same time the next day.  That night, during the dreamshaping lesson, I'll attempt to create a ball of dreamshaping energy in the dreamworld, and throw it at a rock.

"Thank you for your loyalty and discretion. Yes, we're not ready to give the people of this world nuclear bombs yet. We managed to head off, what is called World War One in many timelines, and we've managed to make sure that Mr. Schickelgruber has a moderately successful career as an artist so he's not inclined to go into politics." He claps his hand on your shoulder and such is his charisma that you feel like blushing at the public honor. He speaks softly. "Not everyone here is your friend. But you already knew that."

==========

"Yes, a Runecaster can, but...the path to Runic mastery is dangerous." She smiles challenging you with her grin and sparkling ice eyes. "I would be willing to add an additional class for the teaching of Runic mastery. Remember Odin's wisdom."

And she dismisses the conversation suddenly as if it had never been. Flighty, and mercurial describe her well with an edge of cruelty but also a love of the light.

She nods as you use the spell to light the fire.

"Aye, that will work quite nicely."

=========

You go to sleep,and pitch the ball at a rock, and it turns into a turnip, a very large turnip.

When you wake, your face hurts, and your nose is running. Upon checking in the mirror, you see blisters on your face and your face is quite red. You feel lethargic, and a bit achy.

PT

I nod at Mr. Washington.  "I think I'm going to leave the party now.  I can find my own way back afterwards.  I want to check out the town for now."

I'll leave Mr. Washington with his party, and I'll go a few blocks away, making sure I know how to get back.  Then, I'll sit down on anything nearby that I can.  I'll attempt to do a mental domination on the next person coming by, and I'll command them to hop on one foot.

******************

"What is your spell for making a breeze blow?  And is there any way that I could change spells so that they'd increase in intensity or purpose if I wanted to?"

******************

I'll create a ball of healing energy the size of my head, and I'll put it up there.  I'll attempt to channel the energy so that a ball stays there constantly, while I attempt to activate my full-body skin-deep healing energy as well.

I'll keep this up and head to the infirmary, assuming that they have one here.  This is just a precaution in case I have serious injury from what I assume is radiation.  I deactivate my healing when I reach the infirmary.

A businessman comes by, and he starts hopping on one foot.

========

"There are ways, but I need to teach you Runics first. I don't just want to jump you straight to one tool or another tool. You need to see the basics first." Alf replies. "Its a bit freeform. Like writing a story, more than doing the math stuff."

========

The infirmary is open, and they examine you. Then they ask you what the problem is because you're just fine.

+@1 to Healing (new use, repair damage from radiation).

I smile a little when I manage to force this individual into such an action.  Then, I decide to push even crazier actions into his head.  I'll try to force him to strip into his underwear and start running.  The purpose is mostly to see how much power I have over the individual, and if it makes a difference the stranger the command is.

*********************

"Well then, Alf, I look foreward to taking your runics class.  I suppose I'll see you there?  I'll make sure to register in a couple days."

*********************

I smile a little bit.  "Thanks, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't having any trouble."

I leave the infirmary, and I attempt to track down TWM again.  This time, I'll focus on a world that I'd visited in the past--the Killerbot World.  "I told myself that I'd go back to help those people.  Maybe now I finally can get them out and to safety..."

At that, I attempt to open a gate to a world of my own choosing, rather than a random one like the nuclear incident.

Your first and second commands do nothing as your amusement keeps getting in the way of the proper mental focus. You calm your brain, but still flickers of laughter lick through your brain, and you reach him.

He stops hopping, and starts unbuttoning his shirt.

And then he mutters to himself.

"What am I doing?" And he buttons back up his shirt. However, he does start running. "Got to get home soon. Chocolate cake."

=================

"Since I'm the teacher, I suppose you will." Her ascerbic comment brings a blush to your face. "If there's somethign you want to ask me, just ask. I do despise weakness."

=================

TWM is in the gymnasium with Marty who is attempting to explain the Sawtooth Snap and its implications on time travel to TWM who is obviously struggling. TWM is lifting weights, and Marty is on the uneven parallel bars (and how someone can manage to explain physics while spinning upside down....)

You have to wait for about thirty minutes before the informal class is done, and in that time, you feel you learned more than TWM about why time travel is a very bad idea. Your Socratic question like classes with Arthur  help you a lot in untangling the logic.

After that, TWM takes a quick shower, and then joins you.

"Sure, let's do it." There's an edge to TWM, a man ready for danger who doesn't flinch from it, or seem overly concerned about violence.

You cast your spell back at your hut, and ....

A gate slowly ripples open (+@1 new use, targetted gating). On the other side, you see a barren wasteland and darkness. You do smell hot metal, and motor oil.

"Doesn't look much like what you described, but then a worlds a big place." TWM says, half-pulling his sword from its sheathe.

PT

I smile to myself, and I decide to leave my practice as it is for the time being.  I'll head back to the party and begin flirting with the women there once more.  I'll use my Read Surface Thoughts and give off a good aura to them to make it more effective.

********************************

"Nothing at all, madam.  I'll see you in class."  The next day, I'll go see Mr. Washington late and let him know that I'd like to drop Alf's Housekeeping Magic for her Runic Magic class.

********************************

"Well, I'm not absolutely sure if it's the world I'm looking for or not, but we have to start doing something so that we can go through and peek our heads around without the gate closing before we can make it back to this world.  Any ideas?"

I'll watch the gate from our side, taking a plasma pistol out just in case, and pointing it at the gate.

You have a great time at the party, and get invited to four other parties in the next six weeks. You haven't wholly gotten over the sudden fear of what happens when you walk into a room full of elegantly dressed people who you don't know, but you've been able to go from there to chatting easily with them and getting invites.

+@1 Charisma.

====================

"Of course, but you do remember the story of Odin, do you not?" Mr. Washington asks you with a wary eye.

===================

TWM shrugs.

"We can walk through. Or you could try to pump more energy into the gate when it weakens."

You see a man walking on the far side. He's more marching than walking. He is well-built, wearing a jumpsuit, and he has a military haircut.

"Looks like a soldier. Special Forces, or something." TWM says. "Where's his gun?"

PT

I suppose that I'll keep going to the parties, and I'll try to manipulate people accross the room to me.  I'll try the specific test of targeting a man and I'll try to mentally command him to say to a woman around him "You have too large hips and the face of a goat."

****************************

I'll look inquiringly at Mr. Washington, and even read him for surface thoughts while I ask, "What about Odin?"

****************************

"Let me try something."  I'll push a little energy into the gate to keep it open, then I'll focus all of my attention on the man.  I'll push myself into his mind, and try to command him to come towards us and walk through the gate.

If I can't command him, then I'll search his mind for any and all knowledge he has on his world.  I'll search for the key terms "Neo Tokyo" and "hyuk".

The man gets slapped, and then a drink dumped on his suit. He slinks away after muttering apologies.  The others sympathize with the woman, and call the mad 'an unmitigated cad'.

=============

An image flashes into your mind from Mr. Washington's.  Of a huge man hanging on a tree for nine days of thirst and starvation, and sacrificing one of his eyes to a raven in exchange for knowledge.

"Odin One-eye, the old tales name him. I personally prefer Cincinattus.  The Old Gods were barbaric and dreadful, splendid, but still, not the sort of people you'd wish unleashed on teh world. Christ can be a consuming fire, but there is Reason and compassion to him as well. Odin, I fear, finds compassion to be weakness."

Its in keeping with Mr. Washington. He is devout, and genial, and strong under his mild manner, but oh so very reasonable.  He believes in the value of Reason in a way that seems out of keeping with the life you once lived. He's not a pure philosopher, but he is in no way touched by post-modernism.

===============

Your push to the gate (+@1 to skill) strengthens the gate.  You push at him with uncertain effect. He turns toward you, and halts for a second.  Then he starts running at you.

It takes you ten steps before you realize he's still building speed, and he's passing thirty miles per hour.  There is a certain rigidity to the way he runs.

And in the back of your mind you can hear a grinding music.  Your attempt to read his mind only gets back....

101001010101010010100100100001010010.....

PT

Now, I'll leave the party temporarily and attempt to find two people out and about near the party outside.  I'll try to control both of them at once, commanding them both to punch the other in the face.  I won't target only men, gender won't be a factor for this experiment.

***************************

"Mr. Washington, I've been meaning to ask you something.  What world do you come from?  What was your homeworld like?"  I'll still scan his mind while he answers this, because images are far more helpful than words sometimes.

Once he finishes, I tell him, "I've been working on opening gates to other worlds, and I've succeeded.  I was curious if my efforts in performing this service could possibly allow me to take another class.  Is that possible?"

***************************

"I have a theory, TWM.  Ten bucks says that when he gets to our side, he fries.  Still, I would much appreciate it if you could get your sword out, because he's definatley hostile and definately a robot."

I move a little bit back from the gate, and point my plasma pistol at him.  "There's a chance that he won't come accross.  If he doesn't, could you please pull him into our world?"  I push a little more energy into the gate while I talk.

You find a couple talking quietly to each other in the garden back of the house.  There are others out here, but its clearly a social situation for couples who want some space.

An elderly aunt keeps an eye on several teenager aged couples from a bench on the side of the garden.

You reach out your mind to your targets...His face twitches, and he restrains himself. She jerks, figthing it, and then slaps him hard.  She then breaks down into tears.

OOC: +@1 for new use to Command. You can clearly see that the stronger disagreed with or more odd the command, the more likely the target is to be able to fight it off with willpower or logic.

==========

"I was a landowner in Virginia in the British Colonies in 1748 when a strangely dressed man assaulted me. He claimed that 'You running dog American President are the source of all evil in the world. By removing you, imperialist warmongering chief I remove America.' He stabbed me with his knife, and I bashed in his nose with a head butt, and then broke his neck. He vanished, and I realized I was mortally wounded...and then I arrived on some orange grass plains and met my fellow versers."

You see images of life as a member of the Virginia Squirearchy, planting corn and tobacco, shoeing horses, fighting Indians, and then a man with staring, black demented eyes, and a dirty Soviet Red Army jacket and a knife....followed by a plain of orange grass.

====================

"Sword later. Shotgun now." TWM unlimbers his shotgun and takes two shots at the approaching robot's head. Both hit. The music plays louder in the back of  your head, and so you're not really surprised when the outer skin is peeled away on the side of his face, to reveal metal, and that one of his eyes is damaged and glows red.

Triple Eight Terminator. Somewhere on the other side of this gate John Connor is fighting Skynet.

"This is bad." TWM says flatly, and he backs up and draws his sword.

The robot steps through. And it stops.

"Processing impaired. Rerouting. Unsuccessful. More damage. Proceed with basal directive."

You pull the trigger on your plasma pistol. It doesn't fire. A reflexive jerk and it fires hitting the Terminator in the chest. This rips through its suit and its human skin, but does little damage.

It backhands you into the nearest wall. Your ribs are on fire.

TWM splits its hair with his sword, doing no real damage.

"Great." He says and the robot punches him in the chest hard enough that you hear bones crackle from ten feet away. TWM is shot back and crashes against a tree in a tangle of limbs. He vanishes.

PT

Considering that this could possibly lead to my death, why don't we focus on the final one?

I make a small noise when I suprisingly hit the wall.  I look over to Kox and say, --Ask Fenris for some help, then hit him with all you've got!--

I think to myself as I go around to the far side of him, Fenris, Chained Wolf, lend me your strength in this trail.  Fill me with your fury!  When I make it around him, I expect that Kox will attack him from the opposite side while I do.

I'll use my fire that I did back in the Kreeps world-where I surround my fists with fire, and explode them upon impact.  I'll do that against the terminator, hoping that the strength from the hit plus the explosion will be enough.

Kox roars, and surges in size as he leaps at the Terminator. He slams into it, knocking it down, and the Terminator belts him across the belly and flops him backwards.  You lunge in and your fists explode in fire as it hammer punches you again in the ribs.

Your hands are in its chest, and you can see that its trying to say something, but Kox has already damaged its jaw. And then you see him close his teeth about the Terminator's neck, and start to shake the robot like a dog shaking a rat, and with the same intent...to break its neck.

A flurry of blows is exchanged, and then K-rack.

The robot is non-functional.

Kox leans back, and whimpers. You try to go to him to help, but both your legs are broken, and you don't remember how that happened....

PT

I'll attempt to channel healing energy through my body; however, I'll avoid the bone breaks on my legs.  I wouldn't want them healing in an abnormal way.

"Walking Man, you doing okay?"  I'll send some energy out and try to close the gate.

--Kox, just stay put for now.  Heal yourself a little.--  I'll try to send some healing energy his way from a distance in a small stream, unsure if it will work over a distance.

I'll look over to Walking Man.  If he's okay, then I won't bother worrying any more, and I'll ask him if he could please get us some help.

If he's still hurt, and we all seem too injured to move easily, my priority will be to close the gate if it's still opened.  I'll also send some fireballs up, so that people might see them and come to help us.  I'll shout for help too, in case someone's around the area who might hear me.

Bones begin to rise up off the floor, slowly followed by muscles, flesh, organs and then skin and clothing.

It coalesces a short while later into the form of Tom Day who blinks in confusion.  He looks around a moment and then says, "Didn't ever expect to be on the receiving end of this.  Hello Krillus.  I'm fighting something rather horrific, though I don't know what it is.  If you're willing, I could use the help."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:13, Sat 29 Nov 2008.

I cough a couple times.  "Well, I'm not in the best shape at the moment, but why not?  Maybe going with you will fix up my legs.  Kox is in bad shape, too."  I gesture over to the husky, probably still large with power, and laying down in pain.

"Both my legs are broken right now, but hey, we took down a terminator."  I point at the robot on the ground, very very broken.  "You can take a piece of it if you want, I don't mind."

This counts as consent to come with you, Day.

He says, "I saw Terminator II.  I wouldn't take a part of the Terminator with me ANYWHERE.  I'd destroy everything you see here personally."

Tom is not a 'master' cleric....but he's already using magic far more powerful than he's ever messed around with.  He internally prays about the best way to handle this situation.  Would returning via the ring accomplish this? Should he use the Symbiot or prayer?

He is pleased to see the Walking Man again as well.

I look at Tom while he thinks to himself.

"I thought I should let you know about a couple things.  Last time I saw you, remember Devlin, that vampire?  Well, after you injured him and disappeared, Kox and I really took it to him, until a huge mech came and stepped on me.

Also, it's probably important for you to know that currently we're on a campus of sorts, for schooling.  It's a place where there are tons of versers gathered-it's called Menlo Park.  Unless there isn't anymore time, you might want to try to get some others here to tag along."

"I think that's a good idea.  I don't know the nature of the magic though.  I'll ask.  Also good job on Devlin.  Shame that guy is a verser."

Tom pings the Lord to see if it is acceptable to ask the other versers here for aid.