OOC: The beginning of the adventures of OakV2, GMed by Tadeusz.  Worldwalker lives!  :)

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 1):

You've finished teaching a lecture, and one of your more hardworking, but doesn't quite get it students comes up afterwards, and confesses one of his problems.  He dropped his laptop, and now it won't work, and it makes it even harder for him to keep up.  So you volunteer to take it home, and fiddle with it.

Opening it up, you find a new RAM has been unseated, so you reach out a finger to pop it back into place, and then there's a spark, and then whiteness...

===

The air is cool and damp. The smell of grass is fresh in the air.  And you feel something rough and wet move across your face.  Opening your eyes, you look up into the curious face of a Guernsey cow.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 04:16, Mon 26 July 2021.

I blink in surprise, and sit up slowly.

"Hi, Sweetie.  Where did you come from?"

I gently stand and hold my hand out to make friends, and pet her if she lets me.  And as I do so, I take a look around at my surroundings with some perplexity.

"Hmmmm.  Perhaps a better question would be: where did I come from?  And where are we now?"

I drink in the soothing cool damp air and fresh grass scent and bovine company, while the back of my mind tries to make sense of this... discontinuity.

"I was home, fiddling with a laptop, and now... I am here.  I didn't bring me here, and I doubt that you did, Sweetie."

"What are the options?  I was knocked out by some type of shock.  And then...?"

"I could have been carried here before waking up... but that seems rather unlikely."

"I could have been zapped into a virtual reality, like Picard in STTNG's Inner Light episode... but that seems even more unlikely."

"I could have been zapped into another universe, like an isekai anime... but that seems just as unlikely."

"I could actually be a just-awakened AI based upon John Oakmaster within a simulated world... but that also seems rather unlikely."

"Or... I could actually be unconscious, still at home, or in a hospital, and having a rather vivid dream.  Probably the most likely possibility."

"Well...  Wherever I am, I am in Sovereign Hands, so I will serve as best I may."

"Dearest LORD, please guide and guard me now, I pray..."

I take my phone out of my pocket, and attempt to check the date and my current location before looking around some more...

OOC: Ah, so many questions...  :)

Q1. Do I get a sense of what time of day it is here?

Q2. Does it match my cell phone clock (unlikely), or is there a discontinuity (likely)?

Q3. Did any of my belongings come along for the ride, scattered around me in the grass, perhaps?

I ponder the tidings from my phone, and survey my new surroundings thoughtfully as I finish scratch dispensing.

"Well, Sweetie, it looks like someone is taking care of you.  Perhaps they will take care of me as well..."

I start walking to see if I can find any tracks, trails, arrangements of fields, etc., that would lead me to people...

OOC: Since I versed out at home, would I have home stuff rather than office stuff?  Are we doing standard Multiverser starting stuff, or did you want to simplify belongings to few (or no) items not on my person?  BTW, either way is OK with me...  :)

I ponder the lack of technology here, while a part of my mind wonders if this place is simply somewhere off the grid, or if I am now somewhere with a pervasive lack of technology.  For now, I keep my cell phone shut off and in my pocket.  It may be quite a while before I can recharge it.

When I see the house, I ponder the best way to approach without alarming anyone.  Strangers may or may not be welcome.  They may not even share a culture or language with me.  I need to announce my arrival in a non-threatening way that can be understood regardless of language or cultural barriers, and ideally in a way that would make me an asset rather than a liability.

Perhaps... a bard.  Music is as close to a universal language as I have, and someone with songs and stories may well find a welcome.  Hmmmm...

"Dearest LORD, please bless my interactions, and help me to be a blessing, I pray..."

So it is that I lift my voice, and start to sing from afar as I approach the house.

" 'Amazing grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come,
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.' "

==A kid pops his head out the door, and then a man in a pair of pants and shirt with an odd jacket, and short tie comes out followed by his wife.  They join you in singing the same song, but it s different language.

After which, the man comes out, clasps your hand, and leads you back to the house, clearly telling the wife to get food, and she scurries off.  Three young kids show up, and study you intently.  You're seated at a wooden table on chair while the wife makes tea and sodabread.

They all beam at you.

OOC: OK, then I will gather up my stuff and pack it together.  We can firm up the list later.  I will probably travel relatively lightly.

As for language familarity, my Duolingo stats are:

Chinese 19975 XP
Spanish 8563 XP
French 6673 XP
German 4153 XP
Japanese 3803 XP
Latin 3746 XP
Indonesian 3719 XP
Portuguese 2932 XP
Greek 1119 XP
Esperanto 1082 XP
Hebrew 437 XP
Hindi 340 XP
Italian 75 XP
Korean 73 XP

I have sung in Latin, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Hebrew, and Japanese.

I have traveled in Germany and Austria.

I had enough Spanish to limp through my undergraduate language requirement.

I picked up some Chinese and Indonesian while living overseas for a dozen years.

Soooo...  I have had some exposure to languages, such that I might have some idea what language my hosts are speaking, even if I don't know enough to converse with.

Do I have any clue what language they are speaking?

Do they have any identifiable race, appearance, clothing style, etc.?

I am moved as they join me in song, and more so as my hand is clasped, and as I am invited in.

Already thankful, my eyes light up when the children come to study me, and I smile and wave gently and playfully.  I really love kids, and it shows.

" 'Peace be unto you.' Can you understand me?  I am John."

Assuming that they can't understand me, I then point to myself, and slowly say: "John."

Then I gesture gently toward the father, and look to him inquiringly...

German.

"Otto." He points to his wife. "Marguerite. " and his kids "Martin, Wilhelm, and Anna."

He starts chatting with you, and you have to get him to slow down.  He's asking if you are Lutheran, and if you are from the Evening Star.

Food is provided, and he prays to bless the meal.

His clothing is clearly not machine made, but woven, so after the industrial revolution, but before Sears and JC Penney.

Yes, I am pretty certain that they are speaking German, and I have enough exposure to recognize it as such, and to dimly remember a few words and phrases.  However, actually understanding someone in a real-time conversation, much less actually speaking myself, is a different matter entirely...

:: Dearest LORD, please open my mind to recall what little German I know, and to quickly learn what I do not... ::

Thus, when he starts chatting, I look uncomprehending, and hold up a hand inquiringly, using one thankfully remembered phrase...

"Sprechen Sie Englisch?"

When I hear the word "Lutheran", I respond by singing a verse of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" in English.

I bow my head, and when he is done giving thanks, I look at them all with gratitude.

"Danke Heilig Gott.  Danke Otto.  Danke Marguerite.  Danke Martin, danke Wilhelm, danke Anna."

OOC: "Thank Holy God" should actually be "Danke Heiliger Gott", but I'm nowhere near that good without Google Translate handy, and am more than happy enough to remember enough to just get that close... :o

In reply to Oak (msg # 11):

GE roll time...unlikely....no, he doesn't know English.

After you pray, you find you can pick up one word out of ten as your memory clicks into place feebly.

Roll of 2.

Magic: Bring to Mind 1@1

He speaks slower and more loudly.

Everyone joins you in Mighty Fortress, and that helps as you can now match words from that song to your language.

He's said something about asking if you come from or followed or came in the direction from the Evening or Night or Afternoon Star.

I look confused as I try to make sense if the query regarding the Star, since I don't know exactly what directions they signify, and since I don't know if I would be specifying where I came from or where I am following.

I silently pray for aid in being able to overcome any language barriers to communicate, both to understand and to be understood...

In reply to Oak (msg # 13):

The only thing that comes to mind is that the Evening Star is Venus.

I'm still confused... so I still look confused...  O_o

In reply to Oak (msg # 15):

They talk among each other, and decide that singing is in order.  So you spend the next couple hours singing, and then the man shows you to a rug by the fireplace as night falls.

I love singing, and I love fireplaces, and I love families with kids.

I note^* with interest the tunes I know, trying to tie their sung German words to English words that I know.  I also note^** with interest the tunes I don't know, and do my best to harmonize even when I do not know what syllables to sing.

If there are any chores being done, I look for ways to help.

And then I thankfully take my place on the rug near the fire, pondering the strange discontinuity that has brought me to this place.

The likeliest explanation is that I am unconscious, and having a very vivid dream.  But God is Sovereign over all, both external and internal, and he has brought me to this place, whether it be one that exists objectively or subjectively.  So I will serve Him as faithfully as I may, and pray silently for wisdom and strength to do so.

Before the discontinuity, it was evening.  Afterward, it was daytime.  So it has been a long day, particularly for someone who is not fond of jet lag.  Being in such strange circumstances, plus the mental strain of trying to make sense of a foreign language, make me very tired.

Thus, despite the discontinuity disquiet, music memories and flickering fire lull me rather quickly to sleep...

OOC:
^* (pun not intended)
^** (pun mostly not intended :)

You help bring in the cows to the barn, and Martin milks them.  Anna shows you the chickens which she clearly loves.

Next morning is oatmeal with a teaspoon of honey and warm milk.

Otto communicates to you more with gesture that he wants you to come w ith him.  The kids wave bye.  Unless you object, Otto takes you on a five mile walk (no mountains, and just a few small hills, and two small stone arch bridges) before you arrive in a small town he calls Freidstrasse.

He walks up to a door, and knocks on it, and a tall, thin man comes to the door.  Otto speaks a bit, and the man looks with interest at you.

"I am Sassen. A lawyer." He says in stilted English.

I enjoy helping with the chores, and interacting with the cows and chickens and kids.

I warmly thank them for the breakfast.

As I hike, I observe with interest the sights and sounds and smells, soaking up whatever trees and plants, birds and other critters, hills and whatever streams the bridges go over.  I observe the weather, the temperature and humidity, how fresh the air is (presumably better than 2021 LA smog), etc.

As we walk, I also point to various things, asking for the German words.

And as we meet the lawyer who can speak stilted English, my eyes light up.

"'Peace be unto you.'  I am John."

"Yesterday, I found myself near Otto's home, with no memory of how I arrived, and he kindly invited me in."

"I do not know how far or how long I may have wandered during my forgotten travels.  Please, where are we now?  And what is today's date?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:47, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

In reply to Oak (msg # 19):

There is the occasional smell of wood smoke, but yes, the air is fresh.

"Ah, Englishman. You are in Freidstrasse, in the minor princedom of Hallen, in Bavaria, one of the Germanies.  It is the Year of Our Lord 1592. May the tenth.  Otto thought you had come from the Evening Star, or what some call Venus, and I can see w hy based on your clothes and your language."

I blink as he gives me the date, and silently pray that God will help me to remember relevant details of what I have read about Reformation History.  My past reading has been rather detailed, including the entire https://doctrine.org/the-history-of-protestantism ...

"Well.  It would seem that I have wandered far and long.  What news of interest has happened over the past few years?  And do you have any maps I could look at?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 21):

"Oh yes. My brother is a navigator of the Dream. He gives me maps." He ushers you both in, gets you both tea and cookies, and pulls out a number of maps.

He shows you a map of the Germanies, and a less detailed map of Western Europe, and a map of the coastline out to the Azores Islands with various odd symbols beyond that and the words in German of 'dream' and other words like 'west gate' and 'storm gate' and 'main convoy route' and 'alexander convoys' and so forth.  And the map then ends with a fringe of a lot of fantastical symbols.

He then shows you a couple maps that show ships going past Charbydis and Skeleton Ships and other things, and have symbols that make little sense to you.

And finally  he shows you a partial map of Marsport.

"News, well, there was a witch trial in Trier, and much suffering of farmers. Thankfully, we in Hallen have not such.  The electorate of Cologne still rebuilds after their war."

I take in the information from his words and from his maps with great interest.

"Please, tell me of the Dream, and of the known places navigated to.  Which have clothes and language that are similar to me, and which differ?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 23):

"the Dream?" He looks a little nonplussed. "It is the space between the edge of the world and the Evening Star and the War Star.  The men of the Evening Star wear clothes more like yours, some say they livein the next century or more.  The War Star, well, they don't wear clothes being men of iron. But how do you not know this? Aristotle was the first to teach of the Dream, and Plato too."

"It would seem that there is much that I do not remember, and I do not know what I do not know."

I sigh thoughtfully.

"Let us assume for the moment that I do not know anything.  What things would I most need to know, if I wanted to stay in these lands?  And what things would I most need to know, if I wanted to travel to the Evening Star?"

"Hmmmm." he talks with Otto a bit. "You'd need to show the Mayor of this town you have monies or can do a job here.  Or find one outside the city.  Otto says he would be glad to  hire you as a worker at his farm.  Not much pay, but food and clothes and a place to sleep which he says..." 'You're already familiar with'."

"Ah, well if you wanted to go to the Evening Star, I think you would have to go to the coast, and find a boat going to the Azores. There are some former sailors and merchants in town who have made the trip, but I have not."

I am visibly touched at Otto's offer, and give him a grateful glance as Sassen relays it to me.  Then I consider thoughtfully...

"I would like to eventually go to the Evening Star, but it may be wise to first learn here more of what I do not know, and to save for the journey.  What jobs need someone in this town?  Could I be more useful here, or more useful with Otto?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 27):

You and they talk a bit.  One job that comes up is to be a computer.  That is, someone who does math problems.

That sounds interesting.  I pray silently for wisdom, and follow up to find out more details...

Q1: Is it a full-time job, or could I work (and live?) at Otto's when not needed for computing tasks?
Q2: How would it pay?
Q3: Would it include room and board?
Q4: What type of opportunities would it give me to meet people?
Q5: What type of opportunities would it give me to learn things about the village, culture, etc.?
Q6: What type of opportunities would it give me to learn things about the Evening Star?

In reply to Oak (msg # 29):

Its a full time job.

Its considered skilled work, but near the bottom of such.  you would not make as much as a doctor or lawyer or master of his craft, but more than most others.

No.

Lots. People come in to the computer shoppe with math problems to be solved.

Good. You'd be living in the village. And you'd be exposed to merchants and others.

Again good, merchants need to do calculations at times for travelling the dream and such.

That sounds even more interesting.  I pray silently for wisdom, and follow up to find out more details...

Q7: What options are there for my room and board, since I would have funds to pay for them?
Q8: Would Otto be one of those options?

In reply to Oak (msg # 31):

You could visit Otto for room and board, or an inn which is most expensive, or a boarding house which is less than an inn.  Of course, you can also buy a house, but thats not really in the cards right now.

Otto would be the cheapest and good food as well.  But you'd have a long commute.

Better and better...

Ten mile hikes are not unusual for me, much less two five mile hikes with rest in between.

Despite a sedentary occupation, I would be able to get regular exercise walking outdoors, and the beginning and the end of the day is the nicest time to walk.

I would save money, and get good food, and continue to enjoy the company of Otto and family.

I silently give thanks to God, and seek more details...

Q9: What are the work details (salary, work hours, etc.)?
Q10: How much for room and board from Otto?

In reply to Oak (msg # 33):

Eleven hours in the summer, and xix in the winter as they do have candles and lanterns but they try to economize.

You begin at fifty marks a week, and room and board is fifteen marks a week.

I silently give thanks to God, and accept the offer, with heartfelt appreciation...

In reply to Oak (msg # 35):

You go over to the computer shoppe.  Its three men, two young, and one quite ancient, and their head of office.

"My name is Herr Dedrick, this is Abelard the Ancient, he does not speak much, but he has very quick fingers and a mind for numbers." Abelard glances your way dartingly, and then is back to flicking his fingers quickly across the page.

"Beck is new to t his, and not much at the more complicated maths, but we have our hopes." An eighteen year old freckled redhead gives you a shy smile at the joined table all work on.

"Cline here serves as numbers and as a fetchman to get things.  He works well, but then gets antsy." A skinny little man is working away, and his whole body is almost vibrating.  "So he spends half his day at the board and half running to get things.  He will get your lunch from the market if you give him money."

"Yes, yes, yes, I cannot sit still. The pastor in the church was much angry with me until he made me an usher."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:52, Fri 27 Aug 2021.

OOC: I assume that either:
(1) Sassen is translating
(2) One of them is translating
(3) They all speak English
(4) My grasp of German has been blessed beyond my previous skill level... :)

I meet them with interest, giving friendly nods.

"Well met.  'Peace be unto you.'"

"What types of problems need to be solved?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 37):

Herr Dedrick is translating.  He explains that knowing other languages is necessary as occasionally merchants from foreign lands come thru town.  So he knows German, Spanish, French, English, and a bit of Russian.  He is stilted in English.  It is clear he thinks is English is better than it really is.

He gives you a scroll of paper marked on one side, and a quill pen and an inkwell.

He firsts tests you on your knowledge of Roman numerals. Then on adding single digit to single digit numbers.  He's favorably impressed that you have 'the bare minimum of an educated man'.  Then its on to multiple digits by multiple digits...woohoo.  So challenging!  And multiplication and long division.

Others look over your shoulder as you do the work, and its of course correct.  The only problem is using a quill pen.

"Have you been schooled by the Venetians?" He asks showing you a small book in a foreign language that he calls the Treviso Arithmetic.

After that, he pulls out another book from his small book shelf, and treating it with respect shows you a copy of Euclid's Elements in German.

"What do you know of this?"

Yes, the quill pen will take some practice, but doing the math is sheer pleasure.  Roman numerals, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division are simple but satisfying.

I look with interest at the Treviso Arithmetic, trying to discern what it is about.

"I do not recall how I arrived here, and it seems that there is much else that I cannot recall properly as well.  I have no memory of Venetians, but what I have heard of them reminds me of what I remember of my homeland..."

And I smile with pleasure as I look at Euclid's Elements...

"Ah, it has been a while since I have had this pleasure.  I do remember in my youth spending time creating geometric proofs not just as a part of my required studies, but additionally as a hobby from sheer enjoyment."

In reply to Oak (msg # 39):

It looks to be a handbook about teaching the basic math you've just been doing.

"A learned Venetian sought to teach young merchants math to enable them to be better traders so he made this ....book of how to learn mathematics. It is an odd and wondrous thing."

Well, he challenges you to do the various proofs and show him some of yours.  Several hours pass enjoyably, and then he nods.  You finish up with calculating the weight distribution on a ship.

"You have more than enough skill to serve here.  Now there are two more things we need to know to know this job fully.  One is the math of the Dream, and the other is the Math of Many Cities.  I shall show you the latter first, and the other tomorrow."

He shows you eight different 'foot' measures, five 'inch' measures, nine 'pint' measures, and so on and so forth with gallons, and jugs, and petals, and legs, and short loads, and high loads, and wagonwheels and half wagonwheels, and dumfar, and toalbelts and another dozen different measurements and then its measurements for inside ships.  And then its measurements for coinage with twenty three different types of coins.  And  you have to be able to translate one Berlin gallon and a Brenn petal weight, not liquid, into a half wagonwheel, or any other combination.  And you have to know what can't be translated like a Closonne jug is solid and thus can't be turned into a Norman pint which are liquid.

"I was a teacher in my homeland.  Would it be useful to anyone if I taught mathematics, as this book does?"

I am not quite as strong with engineering or physics problems, but mathematics and I are old friends.

Once the conversion factors and types are known, converting stuff is simple yet satisfying.

I give thanks for finding such a suitable position, and eagerly await learning more about the math of the Dream..

In reply to Oak (msg # 41):

I'll skip  your post for tommorrow for one now.

You make it back to Otto's and have baked potatoes and squash bread and sausage with sauerkraut and milk.

You spend time learning German and tending the kids before sleep.

The next day, you spend the first two hours learning calligraphy.  Evidently your math when finished  has to be presented to the customer, and it has to look good.  You're allowed to scribble away to get there, but then you have to do a clean rewrite.

Then its Math of the Dream.  Its differential and integral calculus with some odd approximations tossed in for calculations that would simply be too vast to do normally. It measures navigable paths through the Dream, and frequently the quickest route is not the shortest.  And the routes change per number of ships an dnumber of men and the skill of the navigator is involved too.

Frequently you have to do a dozen different routes to find the best one, and each route is made of segments that can be from ten to a hundred pieces.

And evidently its a requirement that you fully visualize what you're doing as you're doing it, at least for the final copy.  It makes the route 'more stable'.

OOC: BTW, any response to my teaching query?

I wondered if my double-post would generate a response.  Fun!  :)

I am thankful for the position (mathematics, and with an English speaker!), and for the walk to and fro, and for the room and board, and for the opportunity to learn German, and for the family.

Being able to help with the kids is a highlight of my day.  I sing, and have them try to teach me their songs and games.

I look in on the market to see if there are any fruit options.  Fruit is a beloved part of my diet, so I might even be persuaded to pry open my wallet if the type of fruit and the price were right.  Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, pineapple...  I'm skeptical of finding the latter in the sixteenth century, but if this strange world has Venusians, you never know what other surprises there could be.

My calculus is a little rusty, but not bad.

My calligraphy could be worse, since I had a drafting class in junior high school.  However, mastering the quill pen is a challenge.

Mathematical visualization, particularly for geometric problems, is one of my strengths.

I observe what I can of my hosts, my employers, our customers, and the others I encounter in the village, trying to learn names and facts and relationships and personalities...
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:50, Tue 31 Aug 2021.

They have no idea as to whether a math teacher could be useful.  But as you study the community, you spot some bright men you think might be suited for learning.

There are Apples of several different varieties such as the Duke's Gift, and Red Green, and High Hill Farm and Rhone, and Pears when in season (not now).  Pineapple and bananas is unheard of.  Oranges are available, but quite expensive.  Berries are available, both black and a light yellow berry.

As to Venus there are 'young trimtak' which tastes like slightly rotted weak coffee, and is very hard. And there are giantfruit, which are the size of a basketball, but most of that is bland rind, and only the interior orange size is pulpy, liquidy mess of extreme sourness along with some sugar and seeds.  Evidently, the dinosaurs on Venus eat these, and the rind is used by them as fiber and the rest goes out the end to sprout another tree.  And in order to survive the dinos mouth and long trip inside, it has to have a lot of rind.

The merchant Gregor laughs crudely as he tells you these details.

"Most Venusian fruit, and they have a lot, why it won't survive the trip.  Be all rotted."

If the prices are reasonable, I try for an apple of whatever variety is more tart, and sample the berries, and sample the giantfruit.

I also do some research on church options for Reformation types like me...  :)

Through both observation and conversation, I gather information about this universe in general and the Venusians in particular, gleaning whatever I can about what to expect if and when I am able to get there.

I also keep an eye open for what differences there are between this universe and what I know of my own universe in a similar time period...
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:32, Mon 06 Sept 2021.

High Hill farm apples are dense, tough, small, and tart.  Its said that they grown on a windy hill area so they have to be tough.

The giantfruit takes you a good fifteen minutes to get to the center.  The juicy slush is about teh same acidity as those old grapefruit metal cans.  Enough to seriously pucker up your face.

There is a single Lutheran church in town.

You pick up 1@3 Venusian Knowledge.

There is less war than you'd expect with the Dream providing an outlet for energies and a place of refuge for losers in political conflicts.

And you note that on the inside of one of your table legs at which you work is a tiny ladder cut into the leg. Each rung is about a tenth of an inch apart.

OOC: Thus far, I have gleaned that Venusians:
(1) have a language that sounds like mine
(2) wear clothes that look like mine
(3) live in the next century or more
(4) live in a land with dinosaurs, giantfruit, and young trimtak
(5) use the Dream to travel to and from Earth

Any other interesting tidbits in my 1@3 Venusian Knowledge?  Religion?  Culture?  Technology?  Etc.?

I observe all I can about the village, and those who dwell therein, and those who come to do business therein.  I am especially interested in those who have traveled to and from Venus...

I go to the Lutheran church on Sunday.  Are Otto and family Lutheran?  If so, I go to church with them if I am welcome to do so.

As I learn more German, I share not only songs and games with the kids but also stories.  As I do so, I gently prompt to see if they know stories pertaining to those small enough to make and use tiny ladders.

And I pray for the opportunity to meet the ladder users, and to befriend them if they are not evil...

In reply to Oak (msg # 47):

Venus is known for its humidity, giant ferns, volcanoes, high cloud cover most of the time, heat, air conditioning, canals, auroch ranches on the Second Continent, locals who are tall and very thin and finned and fast and not human.  Lots of human colonists.

You meet at your job, a Kol (title) who is travelling back to Venus with Russian Orthodox worked gold items. He is human.  he wants you to do some calculations on the probability of being beat out by another Kol vs. the probability of taking a slower convoy, or a faster and more dangerous single ship.

The Little People live in the Dream you're told.

I find out whatever I can about how to enter the Dream, and about the Little People.

I also find out whatever I can about life on Venus, including possible jobs for someone with my skills, and Reformation-friendly church activity, and details about the aliens...

In reply to Oak (msg # 49):

The usual way is to get on a boat and head toward the Edge of the World.  Little People you are told are one of the old myths that people in prior, less advanced times used to believe existed in the walls of houses.  There are a wide variety of them with differing powers, inclinations, and appearances.  Most can change sizes from very small ...ant....to small....human child.

Mathematics is important everywhere.  You do hear that some mechanical computers are on Venus.

Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, RCC, Anglicans, Orthodox....that's about it.  There are also some rumors of Hidden Religions which sound like pagan cults to you.  There is said to be some entities in the Dream that some people think are gods.

There are three main theories about Venusians.  They were creatures of the Dream who migrated to Venus.  Or they are Humans changed by the Dream.  Or they are native Venusians.

They are known to be stoic and laconic in public.  Such that public singing is not a thing for them.

I pray for increased discernment, both in general and to perceive whatever entities created the little ladder...

I also try to find out more about them from the old tales, such as likes and dislikes, personalities, culture, etc...

In reply to Oak (msg # 51):

You are checking on some sums, and after you're done, you take another glance at the ladder on the interior side of the table leg.  It is fancier, with a railing now.

The Dorvacki are said to be evil, bringing forth monsters who leap from under bridges and out of the way places to waylay travellers, and take them back to their undersea caves.

The Tiklan are the most numerous, being able to eat nearly everything, and to fall asleep for decades if need be.  Each manling of them has ten wives, of which he spends one year with one wife, and then the next, and so on, but if a wife were to displease him, he might sleep the rest of her year away.

The Darong might be one, or a group, or a title that is passed on.  He is a mighty spellcaster.

The Eso live in the foam of sea waves.

The Mixclaq are said to be malevolent or mischievous depending on the tale, but all agree, very tricky.  Known for setting fires, and spooking people.

I continue learning about the language, the culture, the dream, the ladder builders, the family I stay with, the church I attend, my coworkers, the town dwellers, etc...

OOC: Feel free to fast forward me to any interesting interactions, whether it be folks I am getting to know (especially the parents and the kids I'm staying with), the ladder builders, more info about the dream, etc.  :)

In reply to Oak (msg # 53):

A week later, you hear a faint tap noise down near your right foot as you are finishing up a calculation for filling up a ship.

OOC: Am I in visual and/or audio range of my coworkers, or am I able to converse quietly with this small visitor without attracting notice?

In reply to Oak (msg # 55):

You are in visual and auditory range.

I shift very gently to steal a glance toward the source of the sound...

In reply to Oak (msg # 57):

You  slip your head under the plane of the table, and spot down near your right boot, a tiny manling with a yellow hat who is holding a needle taller than he is, and he is shoving it through the very edge of the leather sole of your shoe, and then tying it in loops around the table leg nearest your foot.  He has four loops so far, and is focusing on getting the next puncture about to start.  Near him, blowing up tiny bubbles of what look like pink bubblegum is a girl of the same type who is lounging a few inches away.  The sound is of her bubble gum popping.

OOC: Given the background information that I have attempted to gather about the little people, and given my usual daily activities, do I currently have anything in my pockets that would be of possible interest to them?

In reply to Oak (msg # 59):

A few small coins, a bit of cheese wrapped in wax paper, a High Hill apple are in your pocket.  Any of them might be of interest.  You also have a small straight knife for sharpening your quill pen, and an ink well, and a small pot of sand to dry up excess ink on your table.

:: Dearest LORD, please bless my interactions with these little people now, I pray... :

I casually take out the cheese and break off a nibble-sized piece for me plus two little pieces small enough for them to carry.

Then I gently and casually reach down to place the cheese near enough to them to make it plain that it is intended for them, but not so near as to make them feel threatened.

I give my ankle a little scratch, in case anyone is watching me, before sitting up straight again.

If either of them look at me, then I give them a smile and a wink, show them my piece of cheese, and take a bite...

In reply to Oak (msg # 61):

They freeze. Then vanish in their spot. Invisibility.

Then the manling unvanishes, shaking his head, and takes up the cheese in both arms.

I give a friendly nod, wiggle my toes inside the shoe tied to the table leg, give a good-natured grin, and take another bite of cheese...

In reply to Oak (msg # 63):

He frowns, undoes your shoe, and vanishes with the cord.  An hour later, you glance down, and see a yellow cord.  Picking it up, you see its a loop, with one big ball the size of a pea, wrapped on itself, and then going further around it are loops inside loops, with some repeating, and ...

When they vanish, I monitor the scriff vectors of my two pieces of cheese to discern their movements...

An hour later, I examine the cord, then pray for wisdom and discernment to perceive any unusual or supernatural properties or dangers...

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 64):

You get all sorts of bizarre results on your scriff test ranging from right where they were to a thousand miles behind you.

Nothing supernatural. There is something mental about it, like a question at teh back of your head, but it does not feel malevolent.  There is a repeating pattern of three loops parallel, and then one smaller loop inside it, and then four paraellel loops inside that loop.  This pattern repeats all around the circle of thread.

OOC: Is it something vaguely similar in style to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_knot ?

I ponder the pattern as I continue to work through the day, and continue to monitor scriff vectors.

That evening, I show it to my host family, and ask them about it.

Starting the next day, I gently leave two more pieces of cheese in the same place while I work, in case they return... :)

In reply to Oak (msg # 67):

No, but you do realize it is something mathamatical.  Not sure what.

They have zero clue.  All they can tell you is that some of the creatures from the Dream leave out strange bits of cord and designs and such.  They are surprised to hear that you met one on Earth....seems they've heard of them, but they thought that was a myth.

They come back and take the cheese.  But you don't see them.  Later, when you come back from a visit to the outhouse, you see a sketch on a piece of paper.  Its the circle of circles within circles within circles followed by a X = Key.  And then a note.  ...Child of Adam, if ye canna figure this out, then the door will not open to ye, and we shall leave ye.

OOC: What language is the note written in?  What style is the writing?  Can you give me a image or link showing what the design looks like?

In reply to Oak (msg # 69):

German. Gothic. No.

OOC:  Hmmm.  Tricky.  I'm trying to solve a visual puzzle, but without the visuals... O_o

OK, given my mathematics experience and skills, plus my experience and skills computing dream-related calculations, what possibilities come to mind?

In reply to Oak (msg # 71):

One hint, and then we'll move on.  Its a circle. The numbers involved in the circle are 1 circle.  3 interior circles.  One interior circle in that.  And then 4 more in that.  And its about math.

OOC: I have attempted a rough sketch based upon your description.  Is this what you have in mind?

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 72):

Put the central circle with its four tiny circles into each one of the three medium sized circles.  Thus you will end up with three central circles, and twelve tiny circles.

OOC: Can't tell if  you're going to end up smacking y ourself in the face going 'doh!' or if this is too hard, or I'm bad at explaining.  But it does count as trying to go into new ground, and see what happens, so that's good.

I liked the drawing.

OOC: There is a reason why "a picture is worth a thousand words".  Unambiguously describing a pattern verbally is nontrivial.  I actually used this exercise (having a student try to unambiguously describe a pattern for the rest of the class to draw) in my introductory Algorithms lecture for many years...

OK, are either of these two rough sketches closer?  :)

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:

The second one is it.

OOC: OK, so this is the drawing, and we have:
Level 1 (Largest): one enclosing circle
Level 2 (2nd Largest): three circles inscribed within the level 1 circle
Level 3 (3rd Largest): three smaller circles, one within each level 2 circle
Level 4 (4th Largest): four circles inscribed within each level 3 circle, total of twelve

Is the size of the level 3 and 4 circles relative to the level 2 circles correct?

Offhand, it looks like a rocket viewed from the bottom.  Is that the droid you are looking for, or should I start doing math stuff?

The sizes of the inner circles vary so its clear its not about the sizes of the circles, but the number of them.  Yes, start with math.

OOC: So if the pattern starts with the number of circles equal to 3, 1, and 4, then does the pattern continue with 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5, 3, 5, ...?

If so, then the answer is as easy as pi... ;)

In reply to Oak (msg # 79):

You feel an urge to slide the circle over  your wrist, and....

Unless you don't....

You feel yourself sliding, squishing sideways into a very long crack in the universe.  As you stretch out and flatten, so that you are microns tall, and miles long, and no longer in the normal world....

What do you  do?

:: Dearest LORD, please guard and guide me now, I pray... ::

I watch and pray... and check for vectors... and ensure that the circle does not fall off my wrist...

In reply to Oak (msg # 81):

You slide through cracks in the World, sometimes seeing things that look normal like farmers on a plain, and at other times seeing giant eyes held up by octopus legs, and then you pop out.

Above you looms a mountain.  Given your love of mountains it only takes a second for you to process where you must be.

Its Mt. Fuji.

You've travelled across the world, and you feel mentally drained.  The string circle is still on your arm.

I blink in wonder as I behold Mount Fuji...

:: Thank you, dearest LORD, for bringing me safe thus far, and that you will lead me safely home... ::

Scattered thoughts wafting through my mind...

I feel the urge to practice and master this means of traversing space, but the mental drained feeling gives me pause.  Since I kept the string on my wrist, I may well have traveled until I no longer had the mental ability to support such travel, so it might be dangerous to proceed without resting.

I have also been brought to this place by Sovereign Hands, so it might be well to explore, and investigate how I might bloom where I have been planted.

I feel a pang over those left behind in Germany, not knowing when or if I may see them again.

Remembering stories I have read about the fae, I also consider.  I may have simply traversed space, to find myself in Japan in 1592.  Or... I may have also traveled in time.  But if I am in the same universe, then it is not my original universe, but one with the Dream, and with folks on Venus...

I have read Shogun more than once, so I have some small idea of the events and culture of Japan 1592 in my universe, but there is no telling how different this universe might be, even if I only traveled in space.

After a moment, I check for vectors once again.

I also consider the time of day and time of year it was when I departed Germany, and compare that to what I am able to observe of the time of day and time of year in my current location.

Then I look for any signs of civilization, water sources, etc...
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:32, Thu 07 Apr 2022.

In reply to Oak (msg # 83):

Vectors seem reasonable if this Earth is geographical similar as to Germany and Japan.  You suspect its summer.

You're standing on gently sloping ground which falls away from Mt. Fuji.

You smell cooking pork, and soy, and onion and wood fire.

Many miles away downhill you spot a faint line of smoke in the sky (but this isnot what is causing the smell.)

I pray for the Lord to bless my interactions, and to make me a blessing.

And then... I follow the smells...

In reply to Oak (msg # 85):

You walk around some bushes, and see a brilliantly beautiful cherry tree with luscious red cherries  in reach hanging down from it.  A few more yards, and you spot a charcoal fire ringed by stones with cooked slices of pork being braised in a long bowl above it.

Suddenly you feel really hungry.

I love the vibrant colors and enticing aroma, but thankfully my intermittent fasting experience gives me power to master my hunger (rather than my hunger mastering me).  Of course, it also helps that I don't like cherries, even though I love many other types of fruit...

I am no expert on the wee folk, but I have heard stories and folklore.

The vibrant sensations may well indicate that I am in their lands, rather than in human lands.

And eating their food may well have... consequences...

Apart from such speculations, this place is not my own, nor these trees, nor this fire, nor this food.  Just because I was invited to enter the pi path doesn't mean I have been invited to steal anything I happen to come across after walking it.

And so, I pray that He would give me discernment, and that He would bless my interactions, and that He would help me to be a blessing.

And then... I lift up my voice in song...

    "Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
    Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
    Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
    Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

    Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
    I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
    Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
    Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

    Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
    Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
    Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
    High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

    High King of Heaven, my victory won,
    May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
    Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
    Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all."


I sing peacefully and joyfully (in English), hoping to bridge any linguistic gaps with the power of music, and to get across both my presence and peaceable intent.

And then... I watch and wait...

As you start the song, the tree and the fire seems to lean forward to listen, but then two women appear.

One dressed in many beautiful layers of silken and cotton robes with jade and gold jewelry steps out from behind the tree, which did not have enough room for her.  She is lovely and graceful.

The other is darker skinned, and dressed in a heavy wool robe and pants with gold geometric symbols on her robe. Her lips are tattooed. And she is sitting in the fire with sparks rising from off her.

"Stop!"
"Stop!"
They both cry, and then look at each other startled. You can tell they are not friends.
And then in unison.
"Stop, monk."

I silently pray for discernment, and look between them consideringly.

"'Peace be unto you.'  You speak English?  It is well.  I regret if I have intruded here... but I thought that I had been invited to walk the path leading to this place...?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 89):

"You were, but we had hopes that you might choose to eat of the cherry tree or the chonsu chashu.  I am Princess Konohanasakuya, guardian of the sacred mountain."

"And I too guard, from earlier times, as seen by my name, Kamui Fuchi or the Lady of Rising Cinders.  But we did not realize you were Jesuit. But all the same, you may eat freely.  This chonsu is marinated in sugar, soy sauce, and sake."

"No, choose my cherries instead. Pork belly is fatty and common. Cherries are wonderful."

They glare at each other.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Wed 13 Apr 2022.

I listen attentively and respectfully.

"Well met, honorable ones.  I am John, an unworthy servant of the Sovereign One."

"I am not a Jesuit, and I do not follow Pope or Priest, for His will is revealed solely through the Sacred Scriptures."

"From my heart, I appreciate your kindness, but I am not worthy of such honor."

"My song was intended to bless, but you both asked me to cease.  I do not understand.  Please, why would you welcome me here, but not welcome my song?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 91):

"I owned this land from of old, until the Princess and her people came to take it from me and my people." The Lady of Rising Cinders says bitterly. "I do not consent to give this land to another master."

Princess K says. "We would not make war, but this is not a shrine to your god.  It is a shrine to us."

I nod thoughtfully.

"I understand.  I am sworn to worship the Sovereign One alone."

"However, He has caused my life's journey to lead to this place at such a time as this, and to have the privilege of conversing with you both."

"Please, why did you hope that I would choose to eat here?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 93):

There is a .....long...pause.

"We had a bet."

I nod, my thoughtful visage only slightly betrayed by the beginnings of a good-natured grin...

"Ah, so!  I am honored by your kind interest and attention.  Please, what were the terms of the bet?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 95):

"One day more or less being in charge of our shrine, with the winner being the one whose food was ate." The Lady of Rising Cinders says.

I listen with interest, and nod consideringly.

"You both describe yourselves as guards or guardians.  Please, what exactly do you seek to guard here?  The mountain itself?  The land itself?  The people who dwell here?  The animals?  The plants and trees?  The waters?  The flames?  What do you seek to guard, and how do you do so?"

"Please pardon my ignorance, for this is a new path for me.  I do not wish to inadvertently cause harm, or to become an unwelcome guest..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:43, Sat 16 Apr 2022.

In reply to Oak (msg # 97):

"We guard all of the above, with elder sister guarding the few of her Ainu people left in the area, and my divine self guarding the more numerous Nipponese. We have powers of influence, of sight, of bending energy flows, and of war." Princess K says.

"More on our powers, we will not say." The Lady of Rising Cinders says. "Younger sister, he could be a spy. Do not tell him all our secrets."

I nod with understanding.

"That is fair, for you do not know me."

"Yet I would like to know more of how to travel this path through Dream, and of how to be a blessing as I do so."

"I would like to know how to live off the land harmoniously.  I would like to know how to perceive, and how to converse with people of other tongues, and even with the tongues of animal and tree, and of rock and stream and wind and flame.  And I would like to know how to heal the afflicted."

"Would you consider teaching me any of these things?"

I pause with a good-natured twinkle in my eye.

"I was interesting enough to bet upon for which food would be eaten.  Would it not be a far more entertaining bet to see which of you could teach me most effectively?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:51, Sun 17 Apr 2022.

In reply to Oak (msg # 99):

The cherry tree and its branches sway in breezes in odd ways, as does the fire.  After a second, your God blessed perception realizes that this is a conversation.

They both take on a more regal attitude and stare at you.  The Lady's eyes turn to magma, and the Princess's eyes turn to a starry night sky.  Strange winds and whispers run through the air, and then things settle.

"First, you will settle this bet." Princess K says.

"Then, we each shall give you a lesson in our ways, related to w hat you have asked.  After each lesson, you shall be given a task by the one you favored.  Upon completion, you may come back for your next lesson."

The Lady of the Rising Cinders stands from amidst the fire.

"If you agree, once you have eaten, I will take you first to the volcano tube. It will be very hot, but bearable, and thus we will enter Dream more fully."

I pray for wisdom, and consider thoughtfully.  Assuming that I am not led to the contrary...

"I am sworn to worship and serve the Sovereign One alone, so I can accept no task that would cause me to transgress."

"I also do not yet know your ways, or how you instruct them, so I cannot yet know which of you I favor."

"Therefore, I humbly suggest that you jointly propose tasks to give to me."

"Would this be agreeable to you, honorable ones?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 101):

"This is appropriate." Both agree to your first stipulation, with Kami Fuchi speaking.  It seems they both regard your being loyal to your sovereign as a good trait.  While they would not object if you chose to worship them, at the same time, both prize loyalty.  They are Japanese, after all.

"You do not understand. After you have received training from both, then you speak and choose."  As such, the Lady of the Cinders will teach you of how to travel in Dream, and then Princess K will, and then you choose the best teacher for that lesson at that point.  Then they settle their bet between them.  And then you have a missiom from the teacher you chose.  After succeeding, another pair of lessons on the next topic you listed.  And so on.

As to your third stipulation, they both shake their heads 'no'.

I consider thoughtfully, and nod in agreement, and bow respectfully to each of them.

"Hai, Sensei.  Hai, Sensei."

In reply to Oak (msg # 103):

You have to pick the food.

After that, the Lady of Rising Cinders speaks. "Follow me. Keep me in sight."  And she begins to walk toward Mt. Fuji.  She sets a pace that has you working.  Several hours later, and much closer to Fuji, she reaches down and pushes black obsidian rock aside so that it cracks and shatters under her hands.  Revealed is a tunnel into the ground.

"Once our world was as others.  But things changed.  Now the will of Men keeps the World together.  But their are places that are far from the paths of men.  Either far out on the edge, or in deep tunnels, or ...." She points at your bracelet. "So small that they cannot see them.  And here the Dream begins.  One must not try to force your human mind upon the plasticity of reality.  Simply look, do not judge."

I ponder the food choices, and pray for wisdom.  Assuming I am not led to the contrary...

On the one hand, I love Asian food and I love fruit.

On the other hand, neither pork nor cherries are my first choices.

On the third hand, after some weeks(?) of traditional German food with minimal fruit, I am pretty deficient for Asian food and fruit.

On the fourth hand, I am not about to be a disrespectful guest and ask for fish or chicken or oranges or berries instead.

On the fifth hand, it doesn't look like they would be amused if I carefully ate one cherry simultaneously with each bite of pork, no matter how much I would like to avoid offending one of them...

So I bow respectfully, and choose.

"From my heart, I appreciate both choices of food provided.  However, if I must choose which to eat first, then I must choose honestly.  It is my custom to eat savory food first, and then fruit for dessert."

I bow my head in silent prayer, giving thanks, and seeking wisdom if eating the food is displeasing to Him.  Assuming I am not led to the contrary, I tuck in and eat the meal, starting with the pork and ending with the cherries.

As I eat, I regard them respectfully.

"Honorable ones...  Can you discern anything about my past, and about the path that brought me into this world some weeks ago?"

-=-

I follow the Lady of Rising Cinders, enjoying the hike, and fortified by the meal.  Mount Fuji is breathtaking, and the differences in flora and fauna here vs. Germany vs. home are fascinating.

Beyond these things, the memory of the conversation between she of the magma eyes and she of the starlight eyes is still vividly in my mind's eye.

So it is that I follow attentively, and observe attentively, and listen attentively.

When she finishes speaking, I consider her words carefully, and nod respectfully.

"Hai, Sensei."

In reply to Oak (msg # 105):

The Lady of Rising Cinders chortles victoriously. Princess K looks crestfallen, and kinda ticked off.  You're reminded of another tale, that of the King of Troy who was presented with a contest by three goddesses.  Sometimes their simply is not an answer that everyone will like.

But its very good pork. You don't get an cherries.

Princess K looks startled.

"You're an immortal."

I blink in surprise at these tidings.

"I know that my immortal soul shall live in the care of the Sovereign One for all of eternity... but your reaction suggests something even more... extraordinary."

"What exactly do you observe in me?  Are you saying that my physical body shall not perish?"

"What can you discern of the path behind me and before me?  How did I come to this world?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 107):

"I...do not entirely understand what you are.  I only know when I look at you, I look at some sort of immortal.  But you are not a god or spirit either.  I truly have never seen the like." Princess K says.

The Lady of Rising Cinders pauses. "After you have learned what you can from us, you may wish to visit Sugawara no Michizane. He is a deified ghost who is now the Kami of Scholarship.  Perhaps in his scrolls you may find the information you seek."

"We do not wish to follow your path back to the land you arrived in, for it is ruled by other Powers which we would have to treat with.  And so far from our home." Princess K adds, and then gracefully bows. "Apologies."

I return the bow respectfully.

"You are already kind to share what you know with me.  From my heart, I appreciate it."

I ponder thoughtfully for a moment.

"If I have been so blessed, then it is my duty all the more to be a blessing."

"However, I am new to this world, and new to the Dream, and there is much I do not know."

"What things should I know as an immortal?  What things do you know now that you wish you knew long ago?  I would welcome your counsel..."

In reply to Oak (msg # 109):

"You should learn of other immortals, and of yourself, and what makes them, and what makes you." Princess K says.

"Also, to balance between very long term plans and the present moment.  You can make plans in centuries, but you also must live the day you are in." The Lady of Rising Cinders says.

I ponder these words thoughtfully.

"What makes you, honorable ones?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 111):

"I am the grandaughter of Amateratsu."  Princess K says.

"I was born of the fire of the sacred mountain, crawling out from its lava, full grown." Kami Fuchi says.

I listen attentively, and consider.

"As I go forth to carry out the tasks you assign to me, I may well encounter others.  What other honorable ones are in this land that I should be aware of?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 113):

The two talk to you of Jizo, guardian of children, and Raijin and Fujin, gods of lightning and wind respectively.  Then they mention Agyo who stands for violence and Ungyo who stands for strength.  They mention that the foxes often serve Inari.  Then there is Kannon, goddess of mercy who is actually a boddhissavatta.

You get the impression of a wide array of sources, of differing headwaters flowing into one river.  Some of the gods are human, and some come from foreign lands, and some are descendants of others.  It occurs to you that if you are truly immortal as they say, you too could become a god.

My current working hypothesis about my experiences since leaving my original universe is that I am most likely dreaming ("Dreaming"?), perhaps in some coma-induced state.

Nevertheless, I am not about to transgress in such a fashion, even in my imagination.  Scripture passages where a messenger of God refuses to be worshiped resonate strongly within me.

This universe, and the Dream within it, are certainly interesting.  Since I am here, at least subjectively, it is by Sovereign Hands, so it is for me to be a faithful follower as I traverse the path before me.

So I thank them both, and ponder and pray for wisdom as I depart for Mt. Fuji...

You follow her into the tunnel, and for the first hundred yards she has to bow low.  You, taller than she, get a workout.  And the temperature is rising.  But the tube joins a wider tube, and with gratitude, you can stand upright.  Even though a hot breeze, still warmer flows by your face now.

The both of you continue along the tube, slanted down into the mountain's roots, and it grows steadily warmer.  For light, she holds a chunk of magma as a torch.

You drink some water, and out of the corner of your eye, you see a flicker of something.

I pray for wisdom as I walk, and as I detect the flicker of something.

Assuming that I am not dissuaded, I turn to look...

In reply to Oak (msg # 117):

You are dissuaded, and you walk forward, and see other flickers, and just let them be, and then the air cools to a pleasant seventy degrees with heavy mists in the air.  You walk on, and hear the lapping of water, and you see a small wooden skiff tied up loosely at the end of a dilapidated, short wooden pier.

"We are fully in the Dream." Kami Fuchi says quietly.

Skill: Psi, Transport to The Dream, a quasi material realm ruled by the rules of Newton and Imagination. 1@2.

I drink in these changes with pleasure, and bow respectfully.

"Arigato, Sensei.  Please, what is the nature of the Dream?  And how do I enter it on my own, when not following you and when away from Mount Fuji?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 119):

"The Dream was created in the Great War between the Lords Mentat, who knew the Watercrosser and sought his authority, and the authority of Nimrod.  Under the control of opposing Lords, the Earth itself fluxed and twisted, time bent, and all life was in danger, but then came the One Who Holds, and guided the Earth back to a semistable point.  Now Dream is both matter and will meshed together.  The darkest fears of your mind may be given physicaql form here, and distance and size are changeable."

Kami Fuchi sits down and flames of a small campfire spring up around her.

"The mind and will of Men and the Gods holds the Earth together.  Thus you must be far from them, and do not force your will yourself.  And then go on, and you will enter the Dream."

I ponder these words thoughtfully.

"If I am not to force my will myself, how do I direct my steps to a specific destination?"

"If time was bent, can the Dream be used to travel to other destinations in time as well as in space?"

"Can the Dream be used to travel to a specific person, or to a specific thing?"

"Can the Dream be used to discern where there is someone in need, so that I could go to try and help?"

"How else can the Dream be used to be a blessing?"

"Can the Dream be used to communicate with others, despite distance?  Or despite language barriers?"

"If size is changeable, can the Dream be used to morph into other forms, like a bird or a fish or a tree or a rock?"

"Are the darkest fears of the mind more likely to be given physical form here, or are other imaginations of the mind equally likely?"

"How do I direct my steps to a given destination once I am fully within the Dream?"

"My bracelet brought me to you via a mathematical path, and I notice that your attire includes geometric shapes.  How does mathematics help direct paths to and through the Dream?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:34, Sat 30 Apr 2022.

==Math offers a clarity of direction.  It is possible to be lost, but with Math not.  Dream is below the surface, built on math, on lines and shapes and forms and angles.

I listen and watch attentively as she speaks, and as she demonstrates changing shape, and silently pray for wisdom.

Assuming I am not dissuaded, I then keep in mind changing into the shape of a crane (the bird, not the machine).

If my shapeshifting attempt is successful, I then keep in mind projecting my thoughts to her:

:: Can you hear me now, Sensei? ::

In reply to Oak (msg # 125):

For a second, you are a crane, but then it lapses.

1@1 Dreamshifting

"Yes, I could hear you." She says.

I bow respectfully.

"Arigato, Sensei.  But why could I not maintain the morph?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 127):

"I do not know for sure.  If you lower your mental guards, and try again, I may be able to see." She smiles at you, and you know that she knows that you know that then she'll be able to get into your brain, and do stuff.  Sooooooo....

I give a good-natured grin, and bow respectfully.

"I am sworn to serve the Sovereign One alone, so I am not at liberty to grant such access."

"But you were also able to hear my thoughts successfully.  Can such communication take place at greater distances?"

After listening to her response, I ponder...

"When I arrived, you both spoke to me in English.  How do you know that language, and how did you know that that is my native language?"

OOC: Do I get a skill level in Dream Telesend?  BTW, I am definitely enjoying this universe... :)
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:15, Wed 04 May 2022.

In reply to Oak (msg # 129):

"For longer further away messages, as I said, you send perhaps a bird."

"We're gods." She looks puzzled.  "Do not all gods know the languages of those who might worship them? Your Sovereign One knows languages, I assume."

Yes. 1@2 Dream Telesend.

"Now, I have shown you how to enter the Dream and answered your questions.  It is time for my younger sister to take charge of you."

I nod, and bow respectfully.

"Hai.  Arigato, Sensei..."

In reply to Oak (msg # 131):

She takes you back up the tunnel, and you feel vaguely as if you woke from a dream.  You're back in the heated tunnel, and you climb out with relief into the clear air as sweat drops roll down your face.

Kami Fuchi turns to you.

"Stay here."  Then she dissappears.

Twenty minutes later, and you see Princess K rapidly climbing up to you.  She snaps her fingers as she passes.

"Follow me. I hope you like mountain climbing because we ascend Fuji, and then the clouds."

I nod respectfully as I fall into stride beside her.

"Hai, Sensei."

I do indeed like mountain climbing, and I have dreamed about having the ability to fly.  To climb the clouds...  Nothing to trigger any fear of heights, right?  It is a good thing that this is only a dream...?

In reply to Oak (msg # 133):

After a bit, she nods, as she notices you are a capable climber.  She points out herbs and flowers as she passes them, mentioning who or what they are sacred too, and various uses for them ranging from spices for food to healing injuries to rebalancing energies.

As you keep on going, she speaks more in a crystal clear fashion explaining in detail her comments.

"Upon reaching the top, we will be in a deeply sacred space.  Such a space is defined by Man, but it has additional matrices created by Man, or the Beings that live there.  Such matrices are what we will access to go to the Dream.  For while my sister showed you the Edge, and over the Edge into the Dream.  I will show you a way to step over the Edge in the plain view of other Men, provided you have a sacred space.  Depending on how well you do, we may not need to go cloudwalking."

I attentively drink in the knowledge regarding herbs and flowers, and as she discusses entering the Dream.

"Hai, Sensei."

"Sensei... when I first encountered you both, she appeared from the fire, and you appeared from the cherry tree.  Later, when you and your sister conversed, her eyes appeared as magma, and your eyes appeared as stars.  When came the time of instruction, she brought me into the earth, and you are bringing me to the clouds."

"Please, what is the significance of these differences?  How would you compare and contrast yourselves, and how you approach the Dream?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 135):

"She is a goddess of the Ainu who were the people here before my people came here.  She is more emotive and grounded while I am more intellectual and speculative.  She comes from the Earth, and I the Stars.  But her cinders rise to the stars, and my cherry tree grounds me to the Earth. Campfires are sacred to her, and cherry trees to me. I am closer to ghost, and she to beast. And from this, all of our selves and our actions grow. Do you understand?"

I nod respectfully.

"I will not presume to say that I understand fully, but your words give me insight."

"What brought you from the Stars to the Earth, and to this land?"

"How would you describe your relationship?  There seems to be tension between you and between your people, yet also kinship.  Is there anything I can do to help?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 137):

"I am the grandaughter of Amateratsu.  She has the mirror of the Sun."

She bows.

"The word is kind, but the action unkind although unwitting. As is the way of Man, we took their land with sword and bow.  Now we own the wide spaces of the land, the goodly pastures, and they hide their villages away on small islands and in thickets. We make no more war on them for they have accepted the bounds we put on them.

What would happen if you brought a release of tension between us?"

And suddenly you're whirled away so that you and Princess K stand far in the sky looking down on Japan.  You see Nipponese and Ainu merchants meet, and greater friendliness.  At first it is well, and then the Ainu want more, and  they spread.  But they hold to their ancient bitterness.  And the Nipponese do not spread into the Ainu small islands, except when they do, and they do better than the Ainu and outfish them, and make the Ainu poorer.  And eventually, theland is overthrown in violence with the Ainu wiped out, and many Nipponese dead as well.

And then you're back on the side of the mountain.

I nod thoughtfully.

"How were you able to share this vision of such a resulting future, even though we are not in the Dream?  Am I able to learn skills such as this foresight, and this ability to share such visions?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 139):

She pauses.

"Let me be clear, this is not a vision of the Future.  This is my understanding of what would happen.  There are powers of various sorts that do not rely on the Dream.  I have many of them.  As to whether you can gain some of them, it is possible.  Visions? Perhaps. I could tell you of a way to achieve such, but I am uncertain you would survive.  It is very dangerous."

I listen soberly.

"What are the powers, and what are the dangers?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 141):

"The powers are a hundred fold, and the dangers a thousandfold.  I can cause a cherry tree to grow anywhere, and four of its fruit from the first season will suffice a man for a day.  I can step into my Grandmother's Palace on any bridge. I can look into the heart of a maiden, and I can judge whether a man's oath is true.  By the touch of my hand, I can cause anyone to sleep, or I can ease the passing of the fatally injured.  By my will, cherry trees bloom all across the islands.  I can call a great fish to let me ride on its back."  She smiles mischievously.  "There are some few others powers I have.  My skin cannot be broken by any ordinary sword or arrow.  And I fight with the strength of a dozen men.  I have on occasion snatched an arrow out of the air, and planted it so that it grew a tree with a hundred arrows, all sufficient to strike down a ghost. "

I node respectfully.

"You are blessed with many gifts.  Did you receive them at birth, or later?"

"I would like to know how to be a blessing to those around me, how to subdue hostiles peacefully and influence others toward harmonious interactions, how to heal the afflicted, how to discern thoughts and hearts, how to converse across language barriers, how to change forms, how to know when and where I am needed, and how to get there swiftly."

"Can such things be done outside of the Dream?  Can such things be done within the Dream?  And, if so, how can one such as I acquire such gifts, and what are the dangers?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 143):

"Some I was born with, others I attained through bargaining and challenges.  I learned how to call fish to ride by wagering my hand in marriage against the skill over a game of Go against the Fish King's son."

She smiles.

"I won."

"You need to learn how to make the tea ceremony.  And become a master at it. This will encourage harmony. I can teach you afterwards in  your next lesson.  I will not be able to show you how to be a master, but you can start."

"As to healing the afflicted....the small lord, his mother is the goddess of creation, and he is but the size of your thumb. Sukunabikona knows much about medicine. He lives in a hot spring in the central reed plain."

"As to subduing those peacefully, go to a shrine, and follow the monk's directions to meet Ungyo.  If you can subdue him, you will gain what you desire."

I consider these things...

"And are you able to teach one such as me to discern hearts, or to discern truth, or to cause sleep, or to transport to distant places, even apart from the Dream?

In reply to Oak (msg # 145):

"Sleep yes, but the discerning of hearts and truth would possibly break your human mind.  But if you are okay with the risk of being dashed to the ground, I can teach you the Way of the Fan so that you may fly with the wind, the Kamikaze to where you wish to go."

I ponder these words.

"Which skills are easier, and which more difficult?  What order is best to learn them?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 147):

She paused.

A question I had not considered in regard to these skills, she says.  Sleep is easier in the sense that it is less powerful, but you can be sucked in by subtleties of the mind and spirit.  On the other hand, windriding is much simpler, but more obviously hazardous.

As you can see it is a mental vs a physical hazard.

It does seem easier to learn sleep, she says.

I nod thoughtfully.

"Hai, Sensei.  So how can one such as I cause sleep?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 149):

She shows you a wide dance, with swirling arms, and kicks, each action individual, and after about a minute of this, you yawn, and realize you have a problem, and before you can fight back, you're sound asleep.  You wake to a smiling Princess K shaking your shoulder.

I blink up at her, and smile back at her.

"That was... effective... but what makes it so?  Is it the movements themselves, or something else, or a combination?"

"And if I employ them in the same manner, will it work for me as well?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 151):

She shows you the wide stance....'this claims their mind's attention', and the careful kicks...'these kick aside distractions and worries', and the swirling arms....'this mimics the slow rise and fall of the waves which soothes them to sleep as if they were on a boat'.

"And yes, you could. In fact, let us try.  First stand, and then let us teach you the wide stance...which is also useful in fighting."

I stand, and assume the "horse stance" that I learned in my Hung Gar Kung Fu classes.

Of course, I haven't done so in ten years, so my memory and stamina are going to be quite suboptimal...  :o

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_stance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hung_Gar

In reply to Oak (msg # 153):

You're not sure where it came from as its suddenly there, but she has a cherry blossom stick in her right hand.  She pokes, prods, and pushes you with it until your stance improves.

"You do have some training, albeit from a corrupted source.  Let us work on this." And she takes the form as well, but slightly different.

After a few minutes, your legs are burning, and you glance over at her, and realize she's so relaxed that she has fallen asleep.

Over the next week, she corrects your stance, improves your stamina, and you start getting better.  Then she arrives on a new day of training with two flat and smooth river stones in her hands.  After you take your stance, she puts the five pound stones on your thighs.  Your body immediately begins protesting, and explaining to you that this is impossible, and you should stop now.

I pray silently for strength, and endure as long as I am able...

In reply to Oak (msg # 155):

You feel a sudden impulse to sing of the power and glory of God Almighty, and as you do, you find your legs are not strained anymore.

1@2 Supernatural Endurance for Leg Day while loudly singing of the Glory of God, and not walking. RS/2, I think.  Your ability lasts for 25 minutes this time.  This ability allows physical improvement to continue during the time used.  It does not give you the physical ability to do so at the same level, but it is as if you had practised for 25 minutes normally.  If that makes sense?  It would be the effect of condensing several hours of practise and rest into a half hour, but without you feeling exhausted at the end.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:32, Tue 21 June 2022.

I give thanks to God for the answered prayer.

"This stance is also used in martial arts.  Is that a coincidence, or is there a connection between the power it has for inducing sleep and the power it has in martial arts?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 157):

"Not really.  It is used in this spell to gain attention.  And since you can manage five pounds, the next day will be ten pounds each leg."

I nod, and bow respectfully.

"Hai, Sensei..."

In reply to Oak (msg # 159):

Despite the singing, you last four minutes with ten pounds on each leg.  Its painfully hard for the first week.  Then you get two pound stones on each finger.

After six weeks, of hard work, you can do the gestures while carrying seventy pounds of stone for ten minutes.

She looks skeptical.

"You are barely ready. You may continue to train, or you can try now."

I consider thoughtfully.

"If I do not succeed, let it not be due to my lack of diligence.  It is better to properly prepare..."

In reply to Oak (msg # 161):

Four more weeks, and then you test your skill.  It works.

You have gained 1@3 Dance of Sleep, and 1@4 Supernatural Endurance while Singing, and +2 Stamina and +1 Strength.

I bow respectfully.

"Arigato, Sensei."

"I feel that my stamina and strength have increased.  Does this training path have uses beyond Dance of Sleep, such as for Martial Arts, or for the Way of the Fan?"

"You know how to cause sleep by the touch of your hand.  Is such skill available to one such as I?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 163):

"All training may offer insights into other training.  However, with the Way of the Fan, such insights would be few and hard to find.  But with Martial Arts the insights come easier.  As to teaching that skill, I do not think so.  It is a part of the Use of Godly Authority, and you have rejected that path."

I nod in agreement.

"What kinds of martial arts do you know?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 165):

"I have studied with Doctor Akihyama, and have learned this...

 Kansetzu-waza: this is the submission techniques. It is also called "joint key"
Shime-waza: this is a choking technique used to submit an opponent

Also, I have learned to strike, to distract, to deflect with the fan."

I consider thoughtfully, and nod.

"Given what I know now, what is best to learn first?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 167):

"Shime-waza.  It is simpler.  From there,  you will build up to joint locks."

I nod, and bow respectfully.

"Hai, Sensei."

In reply to Oak (msg # 169):

You have been practising for several weeks, and you feel a strain in your legs as you hold the joint lock position.  Do you stop and take a break, or do you push on?

I pray, employing 1@2 Supernatural Endurance.

If and when that gives out, I then ask the Sensei how best to proceed...

In reply to Oak (msg # 171):

After it gives out, you ask, and she speaks.

"You must listen to your body.  Part of what you do here is to learn to hear what your body is actually saying. That way you can learn when to push harder, and when to rest.  There are many astonishing deeds that martial artists have done, but there are many ways for them to injure themselves.

Some might teach you to just push through it, and there is value in such training, but it is not the training that I or my sister will give you.  The gods of thunder and strength are more likely to teach you that."

I nod at her exhortation to listen to your body, as it aligns with my own perspective.

"If one learns how to listen well enough to what a body is actually saying, can that be used to heal?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 173):

She pauses, looks interested, and considers.

"I do not know."

I ponder thoughtfully.

"Do you know how to improve one's perceptiveness?  How can I further develop that ability or skill?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 175):

She thinks for a little bit, and then leaves. She comes back an hour later with a simple example of calligraphy, a pot of ink made of graphite, a hosofude, or a slender brush of bamboo.

"I chose wolfhair as most conducive to helping you notice things.  This paper is mulberry paper. It absorbs the ink well.  Now, do as the master calligrapher here has down.  He expresses the notion of noticing something."

To you its just a bunch of lines.

She looks at it, and you hear a plop next to you, and you realize she's crying.  After that, she vanishes.

OOC: Where did the teardrop fall?  Is it still there (on a rock or a leaf or the mulberry paper), or did it immediately soak into the soil?

I pray for wisdom and awareness, that He would open my heart to perceive all things from His perspective.

Then I thoughtfully regard the calligraphy.

I have some exposure to Chinese characters, which are used for a subset of Japanese characters.  However, my experience is mainly in reading them.

I also have a background in computer graphics and algorithms.

Therefore, I examine the calligraphy carefully, observing the texture of the brush strokes to determine how they are drawn individually and how they overlap.  From the former, I hope to deduce the direction of each brush stroke.  From the latter, I hope to deduce the order of each brush stroke, since the earlier strokes will be under the later strokes.

Then I get a stick of similar size as the slender bamboo brush, and begin practicing the characters on the ground.

Once I eventually get the hang of it, I will consider actually using the brush and ink and paper...

In reply to Oak (msg # 177):

You look down and see a tiny flowering cherry tree where the teardrop would have fell.

You work hard and carefully at it, bringing together all your different skills, and yet somehow, the end result is lacking the elegance and beauty of the original.

Caligraphy 1@3.

Still, when you are done, you are surprised to see a good part of the day has gone, and Princess K is standing to your left.

"A creditable first attempt. Diligence and dedication.  But you take such time between strokes here and here for the ink to fully dry. And here is tension from the stress you put yourself under."

She hands you another sheet to copy from and another sheet to write on.

I incline my head respectfully.

"Arigato, Sensei.  You honor my unworthy efforts.  But I have a question..."

"I know little of calligraphy, but even if through diligence and dedication I am able to master the mechanics... what then?"

"Would I not have merely mastered the ability to create the external likeness, but with no understanding of the essence?"

"If I am to produce something greater than an empty shell, I must know the meaning.  What does the writing signify?  What is the artist trying to convey?"

"It may well be that I have not yet progressed in my mastery of mechanics to be ready for such instruction.  But, if you deem me worthy, I would like to know."

In reply to Oak (msg # 179):

"Indeed, you see well. For now, you need more skill with the basics of the tools before I can teach you the meanings of things."

I nod respectfully.

"Hai, Sensei."

Before starting the next drawing, I pray for wisdom and discernment to perceive clearly not only the details of what is before me and how to proceed, but also the meaning behind it...

In reply to Oak (msg # 181):

Things seem as if they are starting well, but somehow you got off course, and attempts to correct it make it worse.

You get another sheet of paper given you.

OOC: Any insight into technique and/or meaning after praying?

I pray once again.

Then I rise, stretch, walk a few paces, and then regard the drawing from some distance away, seeking a more macroscopic impression of the overall work.

Then I slowly approach, examining the changes in perspective from macroscopic to microscopic.

Then I renew my efforts with the new paper...

In reply to Oak (msg # 183):
you
OOC: No.

Nothing stirs in your brain despite your efforts, and as you lean over the paper to examine it up close, you put your hand too near a spider, and it bites you.  No major damage, just an itch and a sting.

Doing your work, despite your itchy welt, you turn in a decent effort.  But insight is eluding you.

OOC: Yeah, the dice were not that happy mostly.

I pray for healing for my spider bite, and continue my efforts...

OOC: Ooo!  Spider bite!  Here come my superpowers!!!  :D

In reply to Oak (msg # 185):

Considering the setting, I think having a Spider Demon bite you is not out of the question, but no, the GE roll would have to be very good indeed, and it wasn't.  It was normal, so no spider powers.

No special healing occurs.

Your next effort is quicker, more graceful, in parts.  Your teacher nods, gives you more paper, and a rolled up bit of rice and fish to eat.

I thank her, take the offered food, and then bow my head.

"Sovereign Lord, thank you for this food.  Help me to learn well the lessons you would have me learn.  I pray in Jesus' Name... Amen."

I regard the fish and rice, the papers I am to write upon and to copy from, our surroundings, my teacher, and myself, seeking to sharpen my perceptive capabilities...

"Sensei...  I am attempting to practice perceiving, but I do not know what I do not know.  As you regard this fish and rice, and these papers I am to write upon and to copy from, our surroundings, me, and yourself... what do you perceive?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:46, Mon 22 Aug 2022.

In reply to Oak (msg # 187):

She reaches out and touches one part of the calligraphy, and suddenly you can see so MUCH more...and you black out.  A minute later, you're awakened.

"Seeing as a goddess sees is not something that a mortal can stand well.  Hopefully this slight exposure taught you what you need to know."

I consider thoughtfully.

"In a way, perhaps.  I perceive that my current perception is very limited.  Is it possible for me to increase not only my perceptive sensing abilities but also my perceptive stamina?"

I regard everything once again, comparing my impressions before and after my slight exposure...

In reply to Oak (msg # 189):

"An interesting question.  I have seen a dice in your mind." She hands you a plastic d20.  Roll this a hundred times, and then tell me all the numbers you rolled in forward order, and backward order, and how many are odd, and how many even, and how many are tens, twenties, thirties"...She pauses.

"That will do for now. We will do this exercise daily in addition to your calligraphy.  Also, we will go back to physical exercises.  Perhaps once I convince your body that it has to obey or I will inflict more suffering on it, your body will learn obedience."

I take the dice, examining it with interest.  The only d20 she could have realistically seen in my mind is a semi-transparent emerald green... and here it is in my hand, in a different universe, hundreds of years ago, perhaps even before plastic has been invented here...

"Hai, Sensei...  Are perceiving memories and creating objects skills that one such as I can learn?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 191):

She smiles.

"Yes to the first. Yes and No to the second.  For the second, you could, if you reconsidered becoming a god, but I do not see that happening.  So no."

"When you say 'a god', what exactly are you referring to?"

"Is it merely acquiring abilities beyond human level, or does it necessitate becoming an object of worship, or giving my own worship to any other?"

"If a path does not transgress the commands of the Sovereign Creator I serve, then it is possible for me to walk it.  If a path does transgress, then it is not possible for me to walk it."

In reply to Oak (msg # 193):

She's initially confused because to her mind, being that powerful means that others should worship you.  Its the right and proper way of the universe.

"Why would the Sovereign One desire all worship for himself?"

"It is written, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.' "

"That was the answer given by the Son and Savior, Jesus Christ, when Satan sought to be worshiped.  Satan was an exceedingly powerful angel who rebelled against the Sovereign One, and sought worship for himself.  As punishment, he was cast out of heaven, and condemned to eternal fire."

"Adam and Eve, the first humans, followed Satan, rebelling against the Sovereign One's command, and they and their seed were therefore justly condemned to death for their treason."

"But the Son and Savior came to take that punishment in our place.  And the Sovereign One proclaimed an Amnesty, such that all those who would lay aside their rebellion and accept the terms of the Amnesty would receive not only pardon, but eternal life."

"We cannot worship anyone or anything other than the Sovereign One without destroying ourselves."

In reply to Oak (msg # 195):

She looks troubled, and dissapears.

I pray that He would open her heart to turn to Him, and then resume my practicing...

In reply to Oak (msg # 197):

Two days later, and you see something ineffable, unable to be defined precisely, but you catch some of it on paper.  It is one of the harder things you've ever done.  But you can feel yourself noticing more about you, as if you've carved new pathways into your brain.

"Good. You begin to see."

+@1 to Perception.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:58, Mon 05 Sept 2022.

I bow respectfully.

"Thank you, Sensei."

I see if I am able to perceive anything more about Sensei.

Then I give thanks to God, and press on with the training...

In reply to Oak (msg # 199):

She pauses, and then after catching your attention speaks again.

"I was gone for several days as I went to speak to one of the older beings I know, a Handmaiden of Ashtaroth in the land of Persia.  She said you lie.  I told her I did not see a lie in you, and she allowed that you may have been tricked by some minor spirit proclaiming itself as the Sovereign Lord for such things have happened before."

I consider, and pray silently for God to open her heart.

"You possess potent perceptive powers."

"Here am I."

"What does your perception tell you?"

"Would you say my path is one that has followed a minor spirit, or is my path one that has followed the Sovereign Lord, Savior and Creator of all?"

In reply to Oak (msg # 201):

She looks closely at you and you can feel yourself at the very verge of being torn apart by her perception as she weighs, balances, calculates, defines each and every part of you.  It occurs to you that the Bible verse 'the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it' does not apply to such as her for she is not human.

And you pass out again.

When you wake, she is gone.

+@1 Perception as you now know yourself better, and therefore see the world better.

You're very hungry as if you've been laying there in the bed where she put you for more than a day.

I thank God for the new day here, and pray for wisdom and strength to use it well as a faithful steward and a faithful witness.  I also pray for blessed interactions, and that He will open hearts to him.

Then I look for something to eat.

Then I resume my training, focusing my heightened perception upon the character I am attempting to reproduce...
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:17, Wed 01 Nov 2023.

In reply to Oak (msg # 203):

You find more, about how to hold the paper as you apply the ink.  The tension of one's forefinger and thumb on the opposing hand affects how the paper accepts the ink.

The goddess returns, glances at your work, and hands you a paintbrush, ink and scroll that look magnificent.

"It is important for me to learn whether what  you say is true or not.  The best method I have now is to weigh  your soul destructively.  This will hurt, but as you are a lesser, it is your duty to the greater."

Say what?

This time the gaze is pitiless as she picks your mind, soul, heart, and body apart with devastating precision.  You realize you're dying, and she shows no sign of relenting.  In her view, you realize which is far from a Western view, she is vastly more important than you, and so you  sacrificing yourself is to be expected. The fact that she gave you a gift before doing it shows that she is a good and kindly ruler.

I regret leaving this fascinating world so soon, if leave it I must, but I am at peace that the same Sovereign One who brought me here for a season will use me here as long as He wishes, and will take me elsewhere when He wishes.

"The Holy Spirit... of the Sovereign Lord... lives within me... and can live... in you as well..."

"It is a privilege... to serve Him...  He alone... is worthy... of worship..."

"Please...  Forsake rebellion...  Bow before Him... as Lord and Savior...  And you shall... truly perceive..."

"Know His love...  Share His love...  While there is... still time... Dear Sensei..."

She looks startled, and you verse out.

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 206):

Need new post 'Oak in the Mountains'.