...to be awakened abruptly by the sounds of people yelling and screaming.
It is about three hours before dawn.
Caterina's pavilion is in flames, while Hardboard and Op Code - who had been on watch - try ineffectually to put them out.
Out of the flames run Cat and Jesse, mostly unharmed.
Cat is in nothing but a transparent chemise...and her towering hairdo is smoking.
Jesse is stark naked...and behold! all of you immediately note that he is not a he...but rather a she...
Op Code, in shock at the turn of events, utters "I figured Cat went both ways, but Jesse, a dyke? Now I've seen everything."
Darian picks up the blanket he was sleeping on and throws it over Cat's shoulders. "Someone, get a blanket for Jesse."
He takes a long look at Cat, but avoids looking at Jesse.
Upon waking Lore immediately grabs his weapons and stands up. You notice that Lore is still wearing his armour. Lore pauses a moment...taking note of the nude women, then rushes to aid the others in putting out the fire. As he approaches the fire Lore yells, "What can I do to help?....If some of you can stand aside, I might be able to put that out with the frost wand!"
Occa runs out his tent...sees the spectacle and says, "That makes alot of sense." He yells, "Get back."
He casts cone of cold on the flames...extinguishing the fire instantly.
Then he says, "Next time, don't play with fire!"
He goes back to his temple muttering, "Women!"
Those close might hear him say, "At least you have some sense Tracey."
As the mages put the fire out, Jesse stands there, shivering and crying. Tears flow down her face as she stands there nude in the night.
Suddenly she bolts into the darkness.
Cat rushes after Jesse, letting the blanket fall as she sprints after her. "You idiots!" She mutters, as she runs.
"Idiots? Us?" says Luann.
Occa snorts one final time before going back to sleep.
Pharian sits up, looks disgusted for a moment, then recovers, rolls his eyes, lays back down, and goes to sleep.
Valdar snores through it all.
It is about 22F outside in the snow...
"JESSE, COME BACK," Salaam yells as he run after her and Cat.
Darian picks up his blanket and shrugs his shoulders. "I guess she didn't want it. Oh, well." He settles back down to sleep.
Gilstrock looks at a ring on his hand. "Guess it's time to find out if this thing works," he says. He calls out in his Mighty Warrior's Voice [TM] to Jesse, trying to make full use of the Ring of Human Influence (he's using the "suggestion" function if he can, if not, the "charm" function). "Jesse, please come back, as we are your friends, and want to help you."
Jesse does not seem to respond with his first attempt, so Gilstrock tries again.
Jesse comes trotting back with Cat right behind her. The former comes up to Gilstrock...obviously charmed...
Looking about at the others. "Well, the Ring should work even better if its the truth, right? Somebody get him... um, her, whatever... some clothes out of the community chest to put on."
"Put on some warm clothes, get some sleep, trust that we are your friends, and you are released from the charm," Gilstrock says.
He looks about. "Did anybody come up with any clothes for this poor girl?"
Op Code mentions "Maybe Cat could loan her a chemise, or teddy, or something?"
Jesse has other ideas, though...
The nude woman walks shyly over to Gilstrock and looks at him. She then gives him a big hug and plants a kiss on his cheek. Turning her head she looks at Cat, she says "You were right, Cat... he does like me... can I ... can I please...Cat... it's ok if I... may I? Please?"
She turns her head back to Gilstrock and begins to kiss him some more. Slow sensusal kisses. "Take me... please. I'm yours... your's and Mistress Cats."
"Um," Gilstrock says, trying to get a word in edgewise. "Um, I mean, thank you and all, but let's not be hasty here. There's been a fire and such, um, you know. Say, just put some warm clothes on to protect yourself, and get some sleep, and we'll talk about it in the morning after we've had some sleep to clear our heads, okay? And, you're released from the charm."
Jesse blinks as the spell is lefted.
"And Cat will need some, too," says Robert, poking through the ashes...all that remain of Cat's pavilion and its contents. "All of those trunks of clothes have been torched."
"I have a dress she could borrow," says Brenda with a smirk. "Made of the finest burlap..."
Salaam steps up, and asks the naked women if they need any healing assistance as he offers them warming spells and blankets.
Apart from some near-frozen feet, they are unhurt.
Three hours later it is daybreak.
Occa arises, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and after a hearty breakfast, goes to work on his spellcraft.
"Good friends, I know that we are placing the accumulated wealth that we find in the community chest. It has come to my attention taht the grand sum of 22,500 gold is needed for my "journey". May I withdraw these funds and repay them as we continue ? I will not do so if someone has a problem with it." asks Salaam.
Lore and Darian begin their training today, too...
Pharian tells Lore it is time to begin his training in magic. Then they go do whatever it is mages do... maybe Pharian will start by having him recite the greek alphabet backwards.
"Sir, will you train me as well?"
Early in the morning, Gilstrock says, "Allright, Darian, let's go!" He goes over to the community chest wagon and pulls out a nonmagical suit of plate mail. "This magic stuff I'm wearing -- it's light, great for combat, but terrible for exercise." He puts on the nonmagical plate mail. He tosses the suit of elven sized non-magical plate mail to Darian.
"I'd prefer putting on my old set of chainmail, sir. Platemail's a little too bulky to cast some of your finer magical spells. I've got my old armor back in my tent."
"Whatever you want," Gilstrock says. "Given an alternative, I'd not wear this plate mail into battle. Still, though, it's good to push yourself when exercising."
Suitably encumbered by heavy armor, Gilstrock starts his workout program. He hits the ground and does 100 pushups. He then finds a tree with a suitably sturdy branch and does 40 pullups. He ends off with 100 jumping jacks, still wearing the heavy armor, probably rattling up a storm.
Darian will attempt to keep up doing fewer of each exercise as he doesn't appear to have the muscles that Gilstrock does.
Warmed up, he says, "Allright, anybody ready for a jog?" To Darian, Gilstrock says, "Later, we'll work on our swordplay. We can play around with the new swords, too!"
Darian runs after him, this being one exercise that he can handle.
When he gets back from his short jog, Gilstrock says, "Hey, what's for breakfast?"
Orlon whips up a pot of refried beans and calls out "Here you go Gilstrock. These will hit the spot."
Jesse, clad in a skirt and looking very uncomfortable, has spent a great deal of time watching Gilstrock. "mistress Cat, aren't his biceps just wonderful."
Tuning her lute, she begins to paly a melecholy tune, while she sits at Cat's feet.
Occa says to Jesse, "Are you okay? Did you bump your head? Or do you feel comfortable talking like that now that the jig is up? I am just curious, it would seem to indicate that everything that was Jesse was a facade...maybe that is the case, but I would thought that at least some of your character would show through." He shrugs and says, "Odd...and therefore, somewhat interesting."
Jesse loks at Occa, "You... you ...would not understand."She says and begins to cry, again.
Occa says, "I never said I would or could, I am just curious." He sighs and says, "You know there are worlds were people can't make a difference in what is right or wrong, this isn't one of them...unless you let it be." He shrugs and goes back to his studies.
Cat raises a brow in surprise, "Yes, you are quite right Occa ... and we will tackle that one day soon ... for now, Jesse just needs to learn trust ... and learn what it is like to live among people as a woman ... and as a person that is worthy of trust and respect ... I think in part that is what began the unraveling."
Cat sits back, still rubbing Jesse's shoulders lightly. She smiles, her green eyes sparkling a bit in firelight (or not :).
"You see ... I think being among us ... well, you guys mostly ... knowing some of you had probably discovered her secret with your high powered magics ... and yet trusting her enough to let her tell the tale, was a beginning." Cat shrugs lightly, patting her hair back into place.
"All will be well." She says with a satisfied smile. "All will be well."
Cat puts her hands gently on Jesse's shoulder and looks at Ooca, then at the others.
"I think Jesse is a bit confused at the moment ... it has been a very rough couple of weeks for her ... mostly because of me ... but also because her secret was slowly becoming unraveled." Cat looks to Salamm, then Valdar and sighs heavily.
"I hope you will give her some time and understanding to sort things out ... and let her become what she was always meant to be." Cat finishes softly, looking again to Occa.
"I know you are not a patient man, nor a particularly understanding one, but I ask you to be kind .. at least for a few days. Please .... " Cat says, looking intently at Occa - a look of warning but also of pleading in her eyes.
It takes Occa eight hours to prepare the magic items for the identify spell...but by midafternoon he is ready to start.
He looks at the first scroll. It contains the spell Mordenkainen's mgnificent mansion.
He is unable to determine anything about the wand (command word whoopdedoo).
Of the field plate, he determines that it provides protection equivilent to full plate and shield.
The shortsword improves the weilder's chances of hitting a target.
He is able to learn of the first eight potions, seven of them have life-giving abilities. The last one he cannot determine anything of.
Of the goodies from the party you blew apart...
The scroll contains the spell irritation.
Putting on the first ring, he determines that it is magical. He does not feel inclined to take it off afterwards.
Examining the studded leather armour, he determines that it provides protection equal to a suit of banded mail.
The next scroll he is unable to understand.
Examining the egg, he first notes that it is covered in some sort of oil. His spell tells him that eating it could have a beneficial effect on an ability...
Looking at the next suit of field plate, he determines that it provides protection equivilent to that of normal field plate and a shield.
The accompanying shield would give protection to an unarmoured person equivilent to leather armour.
Then he sits down, exhausted. It is late in the day, now.
Darian asks politely, "Would anyone mind if I took the shield? Or is there some other way we ask for magical items?"
Occa says, "Let's wait until all the items are identified before we take anything...except for this nice shiny ring. I think I will keep it." He holds his hand up for all to see with a big grin on his face.
"As you wish, sir. I wasn't sure how we went about doing this."
Op Code tells Occa "Practice what you preach Occa. You tell Darian to wait until everything is identified before we take anything, then you want to keep the ring to yourself. The least you could do is find out what the ring does, then let the party members decide. A bunch of simple tests will usually determine what it does. You don't have to do any fancy reaserch on it. If you want, I could help you with these tests."
Occa says, "Okay, I could use all the help I can get. Can you cast legend lore?"
Lore shakes his head, "No, I haven't learned that spell yet."
Op Code tells Occa "The tests are as follows: Jumping off a rock for 'feather falling'; Sticking hand in flame for 'fire resistance'; Have someone cast Hold on you for 'frree action'; ask if anyone can see you for 'invisibility'; try controlling a mammal for 'mammal control'; make a wish for 'multiple or three wishes'; hurt youurselp for 'regenerration'; have someone cast a spell at you for 'spell storing' and 'spell turning'; try to swim while heavily encumbered for 'swimming'; try to move something by just thinking about it for 'telekinesis'; try to have someone do something just because you want to for 'human influence'; strip and have someone create very cold conditions for 'warmth'; try looking through a rock for 'x-ray vision'. That would eliminate a good number of rings without having to do a legend lore."
Occa says, "Darian, where you in the military? Please call me Occa...that is my name."
"Sorry, si... Occa. Yes, I was in the army of Celene for a number of years."
"Ah, that explains it."
"What does it explain... Occa?"
"The 'sirs' and your willingness to follow orders...I was like that for a several years after my stint." He smiles and says, "And then I developed extreme problems with authority figures. OH well."
"Fortunately," Gilstrock says, "there don't seem to be any authority figures in this party."
Occa says, "Yes, thank goodness."
"Except," says Pharian, "for when Cat plays princess. That raises your hackles."
Cat, who has now borrowed various and sundry items of clothing and and put a little 'magic' on them smiles at Pharian.
"Indeed? Well, since I don't play princess, your hackles should be just fine."
"No it doesn't"
He says, "Valdar, can you look at this scroll I couldn't figure out?"
Valdar obliges.
"It's clerical," he says. "Slow poison, resist fire...and a second resist fire."
"Occa," Orlon reminds him, "you put on the first ring in the pile you designated as pile A. It was determined that the second ring in the pile was the cursed one. Therefore the ring that you are wearing is not cursed."
Occa says, "Well, tell the DM that...all I know is that I don't want to take this thing off." He will try to take it off...unsuccessfully.
If Occa can't get it off, then Orlon will cast 'remove curse' on Occa.
"Ohhh...he can get it off, alright..." says Tracy. "Oh! you mean the ring!"
Occa does not want to remove it.
Orlon casts his spell...but Occa avoids his touch.
Occa says, "You don't have to do that....don't worry about it."
Op Code will slip on the other ring and then do the following things to see what happens. He will try one at a time until he gets a positive result, at which time he will stop.
Jump off a rock
Crash!
Stick hand in flame
"Ouch!"
Have someone cast Hold on me. Can I still move. If not, then he'll wait until the spell wears off.
You wait.
ask if anyone can see him
"'Fraid so," says Valdar.
try controlling a mammal
The horse glares at you.
make a wish; He ishes for better Constitution.
The gods laugh...
hurts himself to see if he reheals
You do.
have someone cast a spell at him to see if he can turn it or store it.
Nothing happens.
try to swim while heavily encumbered
You sink out of sight...
try to move a rock just by thinking about it
You get a headache.
try to have Cat make a pass at Gonzo
You don't need a ring to make her do that!
strip to see if i stay warm or not
Not. Your weenie freezes solid and falls off...but then it starts to grow back...
try looking through a rock
Nothing.
"You see Occa. It's that simple." Op Code mentions as he puts the ring of regeneration back in the pile.
Occa says, "Okay, identify everything else."
"I meant to say that this is an easy way to identify rings," Op code replies.
"Oh, I thought you were being a smart ass like I normally am...sorry, when you aren't nice, then you expect others to be mean too." He shrugs and says, "Thanks for the tips...I will have to remember that for next time."
Op Code answers "No problem. I'm glad that all my experience in this world can be used for practical reasons once in a while."
Jesse, at an opportunity when everyone is gathered stands up and clears her throat. "Ummm.. well.. now that you all know my secret... I will tell you the tale, so perhaps you wil lunderstand me and why I made the decision to travel as a man."
Her eye brim with tears, but her voice is strong, as she relates her tale. "My family was a large, happy extended family of traveling musicians and tinkers. We traveled and lived free and traded our stories, our songs and our skills to locals for foodstuffs and other items. One day, when I was about 7, we were camped between two villages. WE did not know that there were bandit in the woods. "
"Our... our... our" her voice begins to crack..."camp was attacked.. I hid... My sisters, aunts and mother were... were" the tears stream down her face as she looks around, and focus on Cat's face. Regaining her strangth, she continues, tears flowing freely "were assulted.. My male relatives attcked and severly injured... Were it not for a lady in white, I might not be hre, but she saved my kinsfolk."
"We eventually settled in a large village, but the wanderlust is strong in my family. I did not want to get hurt and feared thta a lone woman might be... Thus, I became a boy. I have been a male for so long, I forgot how to be a woman. I feared that part of myself."
"It took a special person, my mistress, to show me that I was , I am worth something." Jesse breaths heavy and sighs, looking around as if she wishes to say more and yet...
As Lore listens to Jesse's long heart wrenching story, you notice a strange look on his face. He looks like he has eaten something extremely sour. He does not say anything however, but instead gets up from where is his sitting and starts to go through the items in his posession.