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Logged and edited 19-Aug-2006 by the Doctor

PCs: Deaton, Faiza (the Doctor's PC alt), Slash, Szadek

Summary: Faiza meets Deaton (a relatively new arrival), they talk about
the Ark and the Curse. They join Slash on Change Engine guard duty.
Szadek (and a monster) arrive on their watch. Faiza and Deaton talk some more.

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Location: the Ark's orchard, the Change Engines, assorted areas in between.

Faiza saunters into the orchard, sipping from a wine gourd, seeking shelter
    under the fruit trees from the summer heat.

Behind a tree, Deaton sits silently. His feet are folded up onto his legs,
    feet at his knees. His eyes are closed and his hands rest on his thighs.
    If Faiza's entrance is noted, Deaton makes no mention of it and remains
    unfilching and unmoving, silently mediating.

Faiza casually, or perhaps not quite casually, walks slowly around the
    orchard, eyes scanning every corner. Whatever she looks for, she seems not
    to find it. She takes another swig from the gourd and approaches Deaton.
    "Heard say there's a ghost about...resting alone maybe not so safe."

"I know nothing of a ghost," he replies smoothly. "Nor have been disturbed."
    He opens his eyes at looks at Faiza. The expression is calm, though
    questions lay buried within. "Though if the spirit is malicious, I can
    understand there being safety in numbers. Is this spirit dangerous, or
    merely misunderstood and frightened?"

Faiza studies Deaton curiously. She looks over his head and mutters a sharp
    word that seems to crack the air itself. But nothing much happens, other
    than a leaf fluttering free of the tree and falling straight down at
    Deaton's head. "Don't know. I haven't had the honor of meeting her. Heard
    say others have; one sleeps and does not wake, one is weakened in the
    mind, one is merely frightened, and one perhaps is dead."

Deaton's expression shifts slightly from unpulsed to faintly concerned. The
    corners of his mouth pull down in a light frown. The leaf settles onto the
    crown on his head, shuddering there as he speaks. "Sad, their plight.
    Nothing can be done for them?"

Faiza sighs. "The magi are useless in this. The priests pray to their gods.
    Perhaps our allies in Hawthorn Abbey will send a healer." She looks at the
    leaf, smiles slightly. "Meanwhile, we protect the Ark's folk as best we
    can. Heard say there's an invisible demon, too, but I haven't seen that,
    either. Not that I don't look."

A light half-grin comes to Deaton's features, the line of his lips changing
    direction from his earlier frown. "It would be difficult to see an
    invisible thing," he replies softly. A light twinkle touches his eyes
    though his words remain flat and monotone. "Tell me of this Ark, for I
    much desire to return to my home and family. I have gotten little in the
    way of information, only random comments of a curse."

Faiza chuckles and taps her eyes. "It's a matter of developing one's inner
    energy and channeling them to the eyes, training them to understand that
    light is not the only source of vision... It's not so difficult, but it's
    not on everyone's path." She glances around once more, reassuring herself,
    it seems. "Ah, the Ark. A strange place. Home and family? Once you are
    brought here, this is your home and family. The god of this rock permits
    no other. A cruel and capricious Old Man, but we lack the power to
    challenge him. I have heard that he was a great mage, but a follower of
    the Outer Darkness."

Deaton frowns, a true frown, at someone finally explaining the Ark and that a
    clingy Old Man that was once a Mage has him trapped, has him captive from
    his loved ones. Was it him, then, that ripped him from the battle as it
    was beginning? Was that laughing vixen he and his Masters were attacking a
    part of this? So many questions leaves Deaton able only to draw a long
    breath and close his eyes. Thoughts for another day, so away they go. "I
    agree with you," he states finally, voice sounding like he's no longer
    talking about the Ark or it's history, but rather about Sight and Vision.

Faiza explains further, "I too was stolen from another world, but I have heard
    the story. Once there was a city built on a dead god, and a whole country
    on the inside of this dead god. But the skies fell and the earth swallowed
    it up, and the people fled in every direction. The Old Man offered refuge
    in this Ark, but it was a trap after all. The refugees murdered the Old
    Man, and were Cursed by his dying breath. But for a great mage, death is
    only a minor barrier...he toys with us to this day."

Deaton remains frowning, eyes falling toward the ground.

Faiza nods. "So that's why we all must take turns guarding the 'Change
    Engines'. The Old Man enjoys tossing new 'toys' on here. Half of them are
    hostile, in the sense of, kill or flay, they wouldn't blink an eye.
    Speaking of guard duty...my shift is coming up. You can join us if you
    feel ready..."

Deaton uncurls his legs and rises to his feet. "I am ready," is all he says,
    face blank and tone even and flat.

Faiza chuckles. "Good!" As she starts towards the exit, she introduces
    herself, "Name's Faiza, by the way. May I hear your illustrious name?"

"Deaton," he replies simply as he walks at Faiza's side. "Honored to meet you,
    Faiza."

[Off to the Change Engines...]

Slash is doing his grumbling-while-pacing thing in front of the engine room's
    door -- his usual 'on guard duty' mannerism.

Faiza walks in for her shift of guard duty, bringing Deaton with her.
    "Deaton's here for his first time on guard..." she says to Slash. "Most of
    it's waiting. Just be ready. Usually something friendly comes first. Not
    always."

Faiza sets herself outside the actual Change Engine room. "Sometimes what
    looks like a monster turns out to be a friend, sometimes the reverse. So
    we give everyone a chance and a warning. If it suddenly feels cold, or
    there's a wind, or the walls look strange or there's flashing lights...
    that usually means something's about to come through."

Slash grumbles. "If something comings out, you's stayings smart. If you's
    stayings smart, you's stayings alive", he says.

Deaton nods silently to Faiza's explanations, eyes settling on the gnoll. Must
    be one of those foe-looking friends, huh? At the advise, Deaton nods again.

The minutes drag by slowly. Nothing happens. Nothing happens. Nothing happens.
    Nothing keeps on happening. Then it begins. A smell in the air, emanating
    from the Change Engines. A charnel smell...

Slash grumbles as the smell starts up. He speaks in the dwarven tongue, a nice
    gladiator's curse he learned years ago.

Faiza frowns, half-raising a hand as her attention focuses. "What's that?"

Deaton tenses and looks about.

Slash can't help it: "It's bad smell. Usings you's nose!", he says over one
    shoulder at Faiza. A moment passes, then he cackles softly.

The smell seems to solidify, soaking in darkness from the walls around it.
    Suddenly, two figures pop into existence in the middle of the chamber. One
    looks human. One looks...like the rotted corpse of a goblin, still wearing
    remants of a tunic and a golden belt. Oozing sores are visible on the
    limbs and through the rips on the tunic....something writhes in the sores.

As the two things appear, Deaton's form tenses, ready for action. Keen eyes
    scan the postures of the rest. One human, one not. Which is friend? Which
    is foe? Best to let the more experienced ones here sort it out and assist
    as needed than rush inand make an idget of oneself.

The undead goblin thing charges across the ten feet separating it from the
    gnoll. As it closes in, two long sickly-white tentacles snake out from its
   torso to slam into Slash, even while its two claws glance off his armor.
...but the smaller corpse thing lacks the strength to hold onto the big gnoll.

Szadek seeing the undead thing strike at one of the people already here,
    Szadek strikes at it, with his rapier. It scores a hit, but that doesn't
    really accomplish much. After the strike, he shakes his head, and tries to
    say something- and then stops.

As the goblin rushes the friendly gnoll, Deaton reacts. He hoped the goblin
    was otherwise preoccupied with such a large opponent that he could slip by
    unseen. Sadly, it didn't work, and a sickly white tenticle writhed through
    the air toward him. Catching him in the midsection, it flings him from his
    feet with the sickening sound of cracking bones and air rushing from
    unreadied lungs. Deaton stumbles on his feet, wheezing, and struggling to
    keep his defenses tight.

Faiza looses a blast of energy towards the goblin-thing, but the shot goes
    into the ceiling. "Welcome, stranger!" she shouts in Szadek's direction.
    "Armor-plated furry is ally!" She repeats it in Celestial.

Slash does... perhaps the least expected thing: he drops his big axe and grabs
    the undead goblin in a vicious bear-hug, holding it against himself and
    making it as good a target for the others as he can.

The undead creature struggles futilely against the much stronger gnoll,
    showing a mouthful of angry fangs. Tentacles slither about, trying to get
    free of the bigger opponent's hold.

Watching Slash grapple the creature, Deaton moves to punch it in... well, the
    kidneys, if it still had kidneys and used them, but his ribs grind
    together and his punch doesn't get much past his own body. Gritting his
    teeth, the weaponless wonder resets his defenses.

Szadek seeing that the undead is incapacitated, Szadek grins at the gnoll.
    "Thank you." After that, he rams down his rapier, although that once gain
    does little damage.

Faiza slips in across from Deaton, drawing her rapier as she moves. It stabs
    in, hitting right where the goblin's vitals would be, if it had any.
Faiza says in Infernal, "Damned corpse!"

Slash loses his grip on the thing that has his helpless for the others'
    attacks as it squirms, but manages to keep it from getting completely away
    from him.

Deaton, again, tries to kick out at it, but the pain in his side leaves him
    dizzy and off balance.

Szadek crouches down and attempts to hel the gnoll pin the undead down.
    However, the tentacles smack him around, and he backs off a bit,
    grumbling. He once again tries to say something, but blinks, and shakes
    his head instead.

Faiza has terrible aim with the rapier. She must be out of practice. She says
    in annoyance, "Throw the stinking thing overboard!" She explains to
    Szadek, "You're on a big flying rock...it's magic...but don't try to
    leave. There's a Curse on it..." The words come out jerkily, as she's
    trying to fight at the same time.

Slash shifts his grip and gets a GOOD hold of the undead goblin once again.
    "GEttings....! Gettings Hyan!", he calls out. "Faiza! You's shootings
    magic at it!"

Deaton grits his teeth and forces his body to move the way he wants it. Though
    red stars blossom in his field of vision, he connects the way he wants to,
    a soft grunt excaping his teeth.

Szadek lunges at the undead thing, but it barely scratches it.

Faiza shakes her head. She says, "Can't blast. Might hit Slash." But seeing
    the gnoll has a good grip on the situation, Faiza runs out to the well and
    up the ramp to look for Hyan.

Slash grumbles and grunts as he struggles to keep the little thing under
    control -- even as he hauls it with him out the door and towards the pool
    of water outside. He seems to be 'aiming' for the ramp...

The undead goblin finally gets the upper hand. Or upper "tentacle". It gets a
    good grip on Slash, and sinks sharp poisoned fangs into the gnoll. The
    painful toxin seems to be attacking your very bones...

Still griting his teeth, Deaton punches it again. This thing will die...
    again.... soon?

Szadek lunges again, this time scoring a relatively solid hit. He calls out
   "Isn't there a cleric amongst you?"

Slash grumbles and lifts the smaller thing up and turn sit around so that he
    can get a good grip on it again, 'bottling it up' once more. "Faiza goings
    for to /gettings/ Hyan!", he says, struggling to hold the enemy.

Faiza is out of sight, up the Well and faintly audible as she calls for "Hyan!"

As the group struggles with the undead goblin, the Old Man's giggling laughter
    haunts the air, a few words lingering with the blood. "A sweet morsel for
    my toys...did you like its sting?"

The fighting continues, Slash slowly dragging the creature up the ramp.
Then...

Szadek kicks the undead one last time, before it stops moving. "Oh, I think
    it's dead." He looks around, and up the well. "So, where am I?"

Slash grumbles. "Is beings Ark of Fools", he says. "Hyan tellings you more."
    Looking at Deaton he growls and says, "You's /sits/, waits for Hyan." Then
    he proceeds to shake the undead thing and beat it against a wall a few
    times, as if just to make sure... then goes to get his axe off the floor
    where it was left.

Deaton doesn't need to be told twice. The adrenline of battle seemed to be the
    only thing keeping Deaton on his feet, for as the thing goes limp, the
    weaponless man eases himself to the ground and sits with a groan.

Speaking of which, Faiza returns, the priestess Hyan Luize in tow. Finding the
    undead monster dead, Hyan quickly scans the group. "Injuries?" Seeing the
    obvious, she moves towards Deaton. "Sunlord's blessings...let the sun
    shine on your wounds!" She touches her symbol of Pelor as she calls upon
    her deity.

Deaton takes a deep breath as he feels things get soothed back into place. Ah.
    Much better. Vision clearing, he looks to Hyan, noting the unfamiliar
    diety's symbol. But hten, not much makes sense here yet, so... much be
    just another one of those things.

Faiza gives the stranger a second, closer look. "Have you a name, friend?
    Here, me I am Faiza."

Szadek nods, and bows. "I am called Szadek. Something tells me I'm far away
    from home, yes?"

Slash grumbles. "It biteds my shoulder", he says to Hyan.

[OOC: Slash and Szadek have to log off. ICly, Hyan will take Szadek to
the mini-temple of the Sun for explanations.]

<OOC> The Doctor says, "All right. ICly, Hyan explains the curse to Szadek.
    You know the drill."

Faiza sighs as Hyan and her helpers dispose of the body.

Hyan remarks, "I've never seen one of these before..."

Deaton watches the creature's disposal in silence, though quirks a concerned
    brow as the healer comments of not having seen one before.

Faiza nods, not that surprised. "The Old Man used to send a lot of skeletons
    and things. Then I think he got bored. Drags in oddities...nasty
    ones...from all over the planes." She runs a hand through her hair.
    "So...if you feel well enough, we should return to our watch. Most times,
    there won't be anything more than once in a day, but it's probably bad
    luck to say that."

Deaton gives a nod to Faiza and pushes himself up to his feet gingerly,
    testing his side. It's got that tingly feel of having just regained
    circulation. "Lead the way," he says once on his feet.

Faiza nods, giving him an encouraging thumbs-up. She proceeds slowly back down
    the ramp to the strange, obviously-magical room, not actually going
    inside, but sitting down by the pool of water outside it. "I like to sit
    by the pool. Unless there's rain or sleet pouring down on us."

Deaton settles down at the pool's edge with Faiza, gazing into the water. He's
    silent a time before asking in his monotone voice, "The voice we heard...
    was the Old Man. Our, captor?"

Faiza looks around nervously. She lowers her voice, as if that will do any
    good. "Yes. A voice in the air. We, well, /I've/ never seen him. I came
    aboard after he was...killed. But, I think he...he /listens/. Sometimes.
    Once I reproached him for his shameful deeds and he...he sent a monster.
    It killed Elanis. He was another priest of the sun god. Like Priestess
    Hyan, who just healed you."

Deaton nods to that, thinking about his next words. "Can he 'see' us as well,"
    he asks softly.

Faiza frowns. Her voice goes almost inaudible. "We don't know. But his
    Curse...the Curse can see even into your heart. The Old Man refuses to
    release his 'toys'. Death is our only escape. Anyone who tries to leave
    without swearing a true oath to return dies a horrible fiery death. I saw
    it happen once...a man jumped overboard. He was dead before he hit the
    ground."

Deaton nods again at the details and says softly. "Terrible," he offers
    softly, lips pulling down at tha corners again.

Faiza sighs. "That was a terrible time for us. Another group of mages had just
    killed half our population...many of which had just escaped a dreadful war
    on their home plane and came aboard as refugees. There are not many of
    them left, these ones from Nix. Wensel the Alchemist at the Mage Guild is
    one. Elder Tarn is another."

Deaton listens to this odd names, nodding his understanding. He waits for
    more, absorbing what he can

Faiza dips her now-empty wine gourd in the pool, then takes a drink. "Yes. So,
    the Change Engines are called that because they are supposed to be able to
    move us from world to world, plane to plane. I don't know how familiar you
    are with the idea of many planes..."

Deaton shakes his head, not familiar at all, but willing to absorb the info.

Faiza nods. She tries to explain. "I am not an adept by any means, but this is
    what I have been taught. It is only words, not truth. The truth that can
    be spoken is not the real truth. Reality has many layers. All around us,
    is the lower spirit world, the shadow world, and the deep spirit world ---
    the astral plane. The old city that I spoke of...the dead god...that was
    in the deep spirit world. Everywhere else, I suppose a dead god is a
    non-existent idea. So, this great mage was very powerful, to be able to
    make a ship to travel the deep spirit world and beyond. That is what this
    rock is...a ship. He promised the original refugees that he would take
    them to a place of safety, harvesting the bounty of a thousand worlds. You
    see, the spirit and shadow planes are like a sea that washes against many
    shores...your world, my world, this world, they are all reachable by the
    Ark. At first, we were able to impose our will upon the Change Engines,
    force a change of worlds, though we had little control of where we landed.
    Now we have lost even that. The Old Man, or perhaps it was a natural
    malfunction, rendered the Engines silent. Except when he sends someone
    through...like you, or that new one, Szadek."

Deaton takes in the explanation, mind recalling the listens of philosophy of
    his village's elders, the Wise Men and Women of the Spirit World.
    Explained in sucha fashion, he's heard of the concept, if completely
    unfamiliar with the how of it and of the details of such things. At least,
    it's not completley foreign. "So, we could have returned to our worlds,
    once, but now... we return to His mercy?"

Faiza sighs. "Someday. Someday we may break this Curse and go to where we
    will. Mages from Hawthorn Abbey --- they are a local order of druids,
    monks, mages, and the like --- they have studied the enchantments laid
    upon us, and the best they've done so far is crafting a few amulets that
    extend our ability to leave the Ark. Without the amulets, when we swear to
    return, we feel our oaths tugging unbearably at us within a few days."

Deaton once more nods his understanding, though this time his lips purse in
    thought. "How large is this... ark," he asks, still not having his
    bearings.

Faiza shrugs. "As an island, not big. As a house, not small. You can walk from
    one end to the other in a few minutes. Have you not looked? When our shift
    of guard is over, I'll show you...we even have a little boat on a chain to
    go to the ground. Just remember your Oath of Return before you set foot in
    it!"

Deaton does not look happy,but nods with a sense of finality. "I shall," he
    promises of the Oath. "I admit, I roamed just far enough to find the
    orchard in which you came across me. It seemed... almost a touch of my
    home that.. I stopped and stayed." An emotion is almost visible. A real
    emotion! His eyes seem to focus onthe waters of the well, as if there's
    something quite interesting to be seen.

Faiza nods sympathetically, falling silent for a moment. Just a few moments,
    then, "The land below is probably...not like your home. Unless your land
    was ruled by ogres and green dragons. Right below are woodlands...a buffer
    between the ogres, who hold the river valley, and the Wyrmwood, which lies
    north of the fence. If you look from the edge of the Ark, you can see it.
    It's not far from us. Best not cross it..."

Deaton seems almsot to smirk, but shakes his head this time. "For the moment,
    I think all I can handle is this small place," he comments softly. "I am
    not used to such upheaving changes."

Faiza takes another sip of water. "So, what's it like, your old home? Are they
    mostly human? When I came here, I was suprised by all the elves living in
    peace with the humans. Never mind the little folk and the furry folk..."

"Before a few days ago, I had never seen anything other than... human, you
    called us," Deaton asks, tone curious. "Odd word. We call ourselves Dine'h
    o't'eh Gael formally. Dine'h for short. ((Terran)) It means People Blessed
    of Gael." He regards his rippling reflection in the water as he speaks,
    the faces of his home weaving past his vision. "It was a farming village,
    on the edge of a mountain range over looking a river crossed valley. We
    grow rice and raised pigs. The Sword Masters would spend the winters
    crafting blades of such sharpness and beauty. And the Land's Lord would
    enteratain us with wordless stories with the most elite of his Protectors."
     He smiles lightly. "I had just been picked to train for the vaulted
    position. My father's death earned enough honor that Our Lord heeded my
    plea; to follow in his foot-steps and die that he and his might live."

Faiza listens, looking off into space as she pictures his words. "Ah...rice
    and pigs. Aye, that was what they grew where I came from, too. At least
    until the Goblin Khan overran our land...pigs and people slaughtered,
    equally, and roasted over the burning villages." She shakes her head
    sharply. "Though I imagine your land is not all peaceful, either. Sword
    Masters? Protectors? What enemies did you face? Other humans, then?"

Deaton considers the questions a moment. "Yes, sadly. A neighboring village
    whose Lord disliked our own. They fought together in the Emperor's Army
    before I was born. It is said the other Lord acted dishonorably, and our
    Lord mentioned it. The other Lord was shamed. The spent the winters
    raiding our food stores. Then there's the Dimjal o Y'enwoah, Horse
    Raiders. They didn't always come to our village, so far in the mountains,
    but when they did, we had to be ready."

Faiza nods slowly. "They say that our souls are our souls, whatever form
    colors our perceptions. Strife is inevitable until we all achieve
    enlightenment. Even without the Goblin Khan, my old country was never
    completely at peace, either. I was brought up in a temple, but...me, I am
    far from enlightenment! I only seek enough power to walk freely under
    heaven."

Deaton smiles softly. "I believed that was all the power I wished as well," he
    comments, then shakes his head, as if pushing those thoughts away. "What
    is a Goblin?"

[OOC: had to log off at this point, due to the time.]
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