Ao the Overkitty
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Synopsis of 2/20/06 session - "A Dom’s Pretty Hat"
Synopsis of 2/20/06 session
"A Dom’s Pretty Hat"
On the last day of Calibration, Tiger approached A-dom about dealing with Gareth’s ‘little problem.’ He felt the most expedient way to get rid of the three men who wouldn’t make the pact would be for them to just disappear (in a bloody way). A-dom didn’t think it was such a good idea to do something like that behind Gareth’s back, so went to Gareth about dealing with those crewmembers.
Gareth took Jade’s Luck and A-dom along with him to go try and talk some sense into those three crewmembers in the brig. Since the damage was already done by Jade’s Luck letting certain info out, he decided the best way to deal with them was full disclosure. He told them the group were Solars, not anathema. They were good guys and had been in charge long ago, but the Dragon-Bloods didn’t like being the foot soldiers of the Exalted and rose up and overthrew their masters. Since then the Dragon-Bloods had been spreading lies about their former masters and killing them whenever one sprung up so they could stay in power.
Jade’s Luck: Do we actually know all that?
This was all, of course, true. Not that Gareth knew that. He had just taken info gleaned from several visions he had had and extrapolated likely connecting parts of the story, with a favorable spin. Gareth figured one of these days he needed to teach Jade’s Luck how to lie better.
In any event, it didn’t work. He offered to heal the three offenders, but they refused. He tried bringing Ceri in to take a look at their wounds and try and talk some sense into them. They just tried to escape. He tried drugging them with his happy touch. That actually worked and they were willing to make a pact, but Tiger wouldn’t seal it. Something about the people needing to actually mean it when they said the words.
It was ultimately decided that the Circle would see if there was someplace they could drop these three off where they wouldn’t have contact with trade ships or be able to get off island. After all, they knew about the Circle and what they looked like. Not a good thing. The only places Ceri could think about dropping them off either weren’t large enough to adequately house them or involved cannibals. Not that there is anything wrong with that. They decided to talk to Ceri’s mentor about them and possibly altering their memory with sorcery.
The morning after Calibration ended, they sailed off to her mentor’s island. Before the Circle plus Ceri went ashore, Jade’s Luck made sure she specified that the trio in the brig should stay in the brig, alive. This made Tiger sad, since the pirates were going to solve the problem for the Circle, their way.
They took a dinghy, went ashore, and started walking. Jade’s Luck asked about plants that might eat them, then went into an explanation about Jahar and plants that liked to eat him. After they had walked for a while, A-dom pointed out that there was a panther shadowing them. Ceri told the group to stop as she went over to greet the panther. She decided she wasn’t going to sniff her mentor’s butt, since she was in human form. The panther walked behind a tree and a large man (larger than A-dom) walked out. Gareth still didn’t notice.
Jade’s Luck: Hey, she can do that too. That’s really neat.
Gareth: Huh?
The large man walked into the clearing they were standing in. Gareth noticed him when he was about a foot away from him.
Gareth: Oh. Hi!
Ceri: This is my mentor. Dylan Stormskye. I’m sorry for bringing so many without asking, but it seemed kind of important.
Dylan: Found some new friends?
Ceri: More like they found me.
Dylan: And who are they?
A-dom: We’re exalted.
Gareth: I’m Gareth. We’re Solars.
Ceri: You said something about them coming back en masse at some point.
Dylan: They certainly seem to be en masse. Is Mog around?
Jade’s Luck introduced herself as they found out that Mog was a Solar who visited about thirty years ago and borrowed something from Dylan. Ceri mentioned Jahar and Lightbringer, which Dylan responded that Mog said he had once been Lightbringer.
Gareth: Was Mog a shifty guy who was very secretive?
Dylan: Yes.
Gareth: Yup. Jahar. What’d he borrow?
Dylan: He borrowed one of my swords. And he said he’d bring it back.
A-dom started laughing. Gareth and Jade’s Luck groaned.
A-dom: Did this involve suicide and coming back and
like that?
Dylan: He thought it did. I didn’t really think it’d work and all.
Gareth explained that the Dragon-Bloods destroyed it by tossing it into a volcano. Dylan said that wouldn’t destroy it, but it might be getting a little soft by now. He said to tell Mog to get the sword out of the volcano within the next fifty years so it wasn’t completely destroyed.
Ceri switched topics, explaining that the Unconquered Sun hadn’t given the Circle much in the way of information and that they thought going to heaven to find out was a good idea.
Dylan: I’m pretty sure they’re allowed to go.
Ceri: Yes, but you haven’t spoken with them very much yet.
Dylan: Ah, so there is some things I should know, huh?
A-dom: So we just look up an address, right?
Ceri: A little more knowledge would probably serve them well.
Dylan: What do you know so far?
*Sound of crickets chirping*
Gareth: Um, we’re Solars. We used to be in power.
Jade’s Luck: Apparently we’re not anymore. But we’re supposed to be.
Gareth: Dragon-Bloods are now in power. That is not the order of things.
Dylan: Okay, you’re doing okay now.
Jade’s Luck: Um, apparently um, well okay actually the whole Death Knight thing, um, I didn’t get such a great feeling about them. From the unconquered Sun…
Tiger: Is summoning demons still bad?
A-dom: (laughing) Eh. What the. I like undead!
Dylan: Oh…Okay. Stop! Stop any sexual relations you’re having with them.
A-dom: What? No! No. Not like that. I just make them.
Dylan: Oh. You should probably not do that very much either. Definitely not with the sexual relations.
A-dom: I’m with you there.
Dylan: Good. Causes all kinds of complications.
A-dom: See, we want a book. One that says do this, don’t do that.
Dylan: Sorry, those were all destroyed.
Gareth: Sorry. My bad.
A-dom: What, did you build a book destroying machine?
Gareth: No. I destroyed the library.
A-dom: Oh. That’s kind of cool, though.
Jade’s Luck brought up the crewmembers in the brig. After the situation was explained, Dylan agreed to let the three stay on the island where he could smack some sense into them.
Ceri: So you’re okay with them going to heaven?
Dylan: Depressingly, I think going to heaven might be good for them.
Ceri: Someone might straighten them out a little?
Dylan: Yes.
A-dom said he had heard that there was a lot of paperwork. Dylan said he had heard that too and told them not to get audited. This made A-dom laugh. They got into a discussion about Tellus the Fierce and leaving things in binding circles.
Jade’s Luck: Remind me to throttle my past lifetime if I ever get a hold of him.
Ceri: Is it safe to enlighten them?
Jade’s Luck: We’re completely unenlightened. We’ve got a sorcerer who thinks he can control demons. Then there is Mr ‘I like Death Knights.’
A-dom: There is one that I’m on good terms with.
Dylan: No sex!
A-dom: No. I haven’t had any sex with a Death Knight. Not with any undead. I actually haven’t gotten laid since I’ve Exalted.
Tiger: That’s not technically true
*A-dom glares and growls*
Dylan: Well, it is POSSIBLE, as a sorcerer, to control demons. After seven hundred years of practice, I think I might be able to do it. If it was really important.
Jade’s Luck: He wanted to clear vegetation off of an island.
Dylan: That’s not so bad.
Jade’s Luck: An inhabited island.
Dylan: Yeah, you should probably discourage him from that.
Ceri: This is Lightbringer they are speaking of.
Dylan: Yeah, Mog always was kinda… *makes crazy sign*
Gareth: That can be used to describe several people.
Dylan: He died a lot. That’s not very good for your past lives.
They then went into how the Circle met Ceri and about the demon that got released. Jade’s Luck asked if there was a way to banish demons, but Dylan said there wasn’t a way to do it very well.
A-dom asked him what he knew about Death Knights. Dylan said he didn’t know much, since they tended to avoid him. He said he’d heard there was one up north. Jade’s Luck said that he sounded very reasonable, but that she didn’t trust him. Dylan told her to keep that attitude. A-dom said that he didn’t necessarily trust him, but he did accept his gifts. Dylan muttered something about Greeks and horses.
Jade’s Luck: They seem to think that shadowlands were a reasonable addition to Creation. That doesn’t seem quite right.
Dylan: I don’t think reasonable is…
Gareth: Those were not his words.
Jade’s Luck: Well, the way he was talking about it he said they were part of the natural order.
Gareth: No, he said shadowlands don’t really belong in Creation. He was against the further creation of them. Or at least that’s what he said.
Dylan: They have existed since The Great Contagion.
Jade’s Luck: Is there a way to get rid of them?
Dylan: I would imagine so.
Jade’s Luck: Then we’ll help the bod his vatta by learning to get rid of shadowlands.
Dylan: I think it involves a lot more living people.
Ceri: So it is a lot like pushing away the Wyld.
Dylan: Yeah, same principle.
Jade’s Luck proclaimed that she was right that lots of babies solved the problems. A-dom then demonstrated his idea of how he thought you could just poke a woman in the right place and the baby would drop out. No more labor.
Dylan: He should NOT be allowed near pregnant women. Ever.
A-dom: It’s magic it’s what we do. (to Gareth) You’re with me on this. You’re the medical guy.
A-dom then went into how the babies wouldn’t fall out, they’d shoot out.
Gareth: (to Dylan) Yes. You have now met A-dom.
Jade’s Luck quickly added that that A-dom killed babies. When he asked when he killed a baby, she brought up the bricking in the head of the small child in Atlantis.
Dylan: Yeah. He isn’t allowed to opt out of the trip to heaven.
A-dom: It just seemed like a really good idea to kill people then. I don’t normally feel that way.
Dylan: Are you sure?
A-dom: Yes! Well, in large scale. Like, sometimes, a person, but not, like, everyone right now.
Jade’s Luck: Well, he had had a very trying evening.
A-dom: Evening? Week! Longer.
Jade’s Luck: But anyway there were circumstances where it wasn’t unreasonable for him to lose his temper.
A-dom: Yeah.
She then switched back to condemning him for killing a baby. She then went into explaining about what A-dom had done. When she said he had destroyed a Dragon-Blood’s compound and probably family, Dylan told A-dom good job. She tried explaining the situation and said that he had been bought by this Dragon-Blood.
A-dom: I was under cover.
Gareth: You weren’t under much cover, I’m sorry.
Jade’s Luck: It started with a bit of horse thievery and kind of escalated.
Gareth: Lightbringer got him sold into slavery.
A-dom: Yeah, yeah. Lightbringer! The bastard.
Ceri didn’t understand why the Circle cared what the Dragon-Bloods thought and why they continued to live with them. Jade’s Luck explained that they had families.
Jade’s Luck: I have a family. He {Gareth} has a family. Jahar has a family; we’re not sure if he’s fond of his family, though. We’re trying to figure that out…
Gareth: We’re pretty sure he’s not fond of his family. It is just his father we’re unsure of.
Jade’s Luck: We’re trying to figure out if it is okay to kill his family or not.
Gareth: You see, Jahar is a noble. In a Dragon-Blood house.
Dylan: Mog really was an idiot!
Jade’s Luck: YES! Well, his new wife is a member of the ‘we want to kill all anathema club.’
A-dom: And love horses. They specified that.
Empty Bucket was mentioned. The song was mentioned. A-dom was predictably enthusiastic about the song and having his own song. He told Ceri & Dylan that they had to hear the song.
Jade’s Luck: I can sing the song anytime anyone really wants to hear it, but it is best when Jahar is around.
Dylan: Anyway. Back to the subject at hand. Which is hitting small children with bricks.
Jade’s Luck: Is bad!
Dylan: I will comment that the Exalted are people with extreme powers. They also tend to be people with extreme tempers. So when things go bad they tend to go bad in a very large way. I had a friend that sunk an island. He was drunk.
Gareth: I destroyed a library. I also almost destroyed Atlantis just cause I didn’t want the Dragon-Bloods to have it.
Jade’s Luck: You destroyed a library? You bad, bad man!
A-dom: You didn’t destroy Atlantis? You bad, bad man!
Dylan: So, anyway. It’s not unheard of. Just watch yourself. Try to stick to smashing Dragon-Bloods into pulp. Avoid Dragon-Bloods.
Jade’s Luck: And no puppies either.
A-dom: Where is the line?!
They then moved into explaining why they weren’t aging, mostly with regard to Jahar. Dylan figured they only had twenty years for him, so they needed to start working on the explanation/fake death now. Gareth was already old, so he was covered.
Dylan commented on A-dom’s brownness, which A-dom then ‘turned off,’ and the fact that they had wandered into a Wyld area was explained. When asked if the others had learned their lesson and become protected from the Wyld, Dylan was told all but one had, and Tiger was pointed at.
Dylan: (to Tiger) The Wyld is not your friend!
Tiger: (acting like he just woke up) What? What’d I do?
A-dom: Aylee is my friend.
Jade’s Luck: No, not really. Aylee is now bugging Dragon-Bloods and not my island. That’s what all that was about.
A-dom: The Bodhisattva, Aylee, Skelly, you don’t like any of my friends.
Dylan restated that a trip to heaven would do A-dom a world of good.
Ceri: Guess we’re going to heaven.
Gareth: Well, first we need to talk to the Feathered One.
Jade’s Luck asked Dylan which was better, summoning elementals or summoning demons. He said that elementals had somewhere to be, so when you summoned it up, something was going wrong somewhere else.
Dylan: If you were to, say, take the water elemental from an oasis in the desert somewhere, that’d probably be bad for the locals.
He then said the upside to dealing with demons was they had nowhere better to be. And, if they did, no one cared. The downside was that you needed about a thousand years of practice before they were manageable. The conversation got around to having demons unleashed on the Realm, which led to thinking certain ones would like it is demons did unspeakable things to them.
Dylan: Nononono. No sex with demons. No sex with undead.
Jade’s Luck: No sex with anything you don’t want to have freedom. That about sum it up?
Dylan: Yup.
Jade’s Luck brought up Jahar’s kid and wondered when they’d have to kidnap it. Dylan didn’t know what would happen with a half Dragon-Blooded/half Solar child.
Dylan: Yeah, uh. I don’t know anyone who would sleep with a Dragon-Blood.
Jade’s Luck explained the whole thing with the family and the arranged marriage and the stamina/fertility potions. Dylan figured that, since there were potions involved, it’d be a Dragon-Blood child. He said to have someone with sorcery check the child at birth. He quickly realized that that person was Lightbringer and told Ceri to check the child when it was born.
Jade’s Luck then brought up her kidnapping and re-education program idea.
Dylan: Kidnapping one, probably doable. Kidnapping all of them, probably start a war. And you don’t look ready for a war.
Ceri asked Dylan if she was stuck with the Circle. He told her it looked like that. He then gave her an artifact that would allow her to contact him.
Gareth told Dylan that he was much more sensible than Jahar’s mentor.
Dylan: WHO is Mog’s mentor?
Gareth: A big slab of obsidian.
Dylan: Oh god! Mog was talking to that thing too. I think it gave him the crazy idea with the sword.
Gareth confirmed that.
Dylan: That thing apparently has a lot of knowledge. Far as I can tell, no common sense whatsoever.
Jade’s Luck repeatedly stated that it was Gareth’s fault.
Gareth: Lightbringer had a lot to do with it. Apparently I thought it was a good idea at the time.
Ceri: You’re much wiser this time around.
Dylan said that you were allowed to make some mistakes in your first life.
Jade’s Luck asked Dylan about heaven and made the comment that he was old. Dylan said he was only eight hundred and that wasn’t old. He was, after all, born after the Great Contagion.
Gareth: At least, for you, she’ll go away. I don’t have that.
Dylan: (muttering) I may have to move my island.
Dylan said heaven was big and city-like. He also recalled that there were boats for getting around.
They talked about the Wyld a little and Aylee while they walked back towards the shore. Dylan thought the Cave of Tomorrow was fun, but had terrible lines. He said Aylee tried to help people, emphasis on the try. He said Aylee helped plan Nexus, the largest city in the East. A-dom let Dylan know that the cave was moved.
Gareth and A-dom fetched the three from the brig. Gareth carried one and A-dom carried the other two. They were perfectly normal.
Dylan: What, you didn’t have rope? They could have walked, you know. Okay. *slap, slap, slap* You three are with me.
A-dom laughed.
A-dom: I like you. (pause) You know, I don’t think I’m evil, I’m just really agreeable.
Dylan went off with his three new toys and Ceri filled the group in on what she knew about the past.
Jade’s Luck admitted that she shouldn’t be in charge of things. Ceri pointed out that they were going to heaven to learn how, among other things. The discussion then twisted into how to deal with the Dragon-Bloods. Ceri pointed out that the Circle didn’t so much want to kill all the Dragon-Bloods as they wanted to break their civilization and re-educate them. Then Gareth got the idea for an artifact called The Chain of Command.
A-dom got the idea that they needed another contagion, but a Dragon-Blood contagion.
They got back on the boat and sailed off. It took them a month to bet to Abalone. Training was done. While Ceri was standing on deck one day when the ship was getting close to Abalone, she had a vision.
As the vision faded, a wave of dread washed over her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she realized she had found the half of her eternal marriage. She thought it best to keep this information to herself.
A-dom: Okay. Who here has been to Abalone before?
*Three pirates raise their hands*
A-dom: Alright. Abalone may have some very strict rules. Don’t break them. You get thrown in the volcano.
Pirate #5: No littering!
*Pirates nod*
A-dom: Yeah. I you not. No littering.
Jade’s Luck: And apparently do not steal the feathery hat.
A-dom: Can we not mention that?
Jade’s Luck: That’s a good one.
Pirate #3: What feathery hat?
A-dom: (quietly) The Feathered One’s.
Pirate #3: He doesn’t have a hat. He hasn’t had a hat for years.
A-dom: (quietly) Yeah… He hasn’t had a hat for years.
All the pirates then started looking at A-dom funny and backing away from him.
Pirate #6: Oh crap, he’s perfectly normal.
A-dom: The other part of that is pirates are okay. As long as they aren’t doing anything bad on land, they’re fine. (to Gareth) So NO killing pirates! Cause most likely, you’ll get in trouble for killing people. Or littering if you don’t clean up after. Okay?
Gareth looked a little sheepish and brought his hand up with his thumb and forefinger close to each other to mean, ‘how about a little?’
A-dom: No.
Gareth: What if I kill them and you bring them back and they walk away. Is that okay?
A-dom: I will not be bringing them back. I think necromancy is outlawed too. Being Solars actually isn’t outlawed, though. Remember that. Demon summoning isn’t allowed, but being an Athema is perfectly okay.
Jade’s Luck: (opens up Pursey) You hear that Jahar? No demon summoning in Abalone. Thank you very much.
A-dom: So, technically we can run around saying we’re Solars all day long and only get killed by people who want to kill Solars.
Ceri: But couldn’t they then leave the island and tell others to set them on your trail?
A-dom: Yup. They just can’t do the killing on Abalone, cause then they’ll catch the person and throw them into the volcano. They don’t really have any other penalty for crimes. It is usually only when the volcano is really angry, but they’re patient. You get a jail time. If the volcano gets angry before your jail time is up, in you go.
They quickly discussed how they were going to get the ruler’s permission to use the hut. Pursey spat Jahar out onto the deck of the ship.
Gareth: (to Jahar) Something you might want to keep in mind. You need to go collect that sword within the next fifty years.
He quickly got filled in that the sword his previous self used to kill himself belonged to Ceri’s mentor and he’d like it back. They also quickly told him not to break any rules on Abalone.
A-dom: Being a Solar is fine. Being a Dragon-Blood, Lunar, whatever. It’s fine.
Jahar: What about being A-dom?
A-dom: Uh, well. *chuckles* That’s different. Well, actually yes. Being a dom is just fine.
The pirate crew agreed with A-dom.
Pirate #3: Being him, maybe not so much. We’re not sure. He’s kind of dodgy about this. But being a dom is just fine.
Ceri: Is A-dom rather more a title than an actual personal name?
A-dom: (laughs) Uh, well, it’s a personal title.
The pirate crew giggled as the Circle played twenty questions with A-dom, trying to find out about his name.
Jade’s Luck: (to the pirates) What’s so funny, guys?
Pirate #3: Umm, you want to tell them where we are?
A-dom: This would be the Dom sea. Where my people are of.
Pirate #3: Anyone who works in the Dom sea is a Dom. A Dom.
Jahar: Why was I in that purse?
A-dom: Why are you ever in that purse? You were napping or weren’t paying attention or something.
Jade’s Luck: Pursey said you taste good.
Jahar: (sighs) How long was I in the purse?
Jade’s Luck: Uh, about a month.
Jahar: What’d my acolytes say?
Jade’s Luck: They didn’t care.
They filled him in on the important parts of their conversation with Ceri’s mentor. Namely, summoning demons at his age is bad.
Ceri: Oh yeah. You’ve breed with a Dragon-Blood? Ugh!
A-dom brought the conversation back to that about Abalone.
Gareth: Okay, if they chuck everyone into the volcano, how’d you get away?
A-dom: I got away.
Jade’s Luck: How?
A-dom: I got away. I have friends.
Ceri: You have friends?
A-dom: Fine! I have family.
Jade’s Luck: Would this be the Dom family?
A-dom: Yes! This would be MY family, so it would be the Dom family. They helped me get away.
Jahar: Why’d you steal the guy’s hat?
A-dom: (makes sound of disgust) Because the guy was a prick!
A-dom hoped the guy was chucked into the volcano long ago. That way he could be the hero who found the hat.
Over the next few days, most of the Circle noticed the big, red volcano with lava rolling down the sides. That was very much not a happy volcano. Jade’s Luck wanted to try talking nicely to the volcano. There was lava, there was a pumice cloud.
A-dom: Yeah, some volcanoes are mad. That is a pissed volcano.
Ceri: Uh, is he pissed cause the Feathered One jumped in without his hat?
A-dom: Jeez I hope not! That’s a scary, scary thought!
They postulated on what becomes of the hat when they jump in. A-dom remembered that there was also a feathered cloak that the Feathered One wore and jumped in with. Somehow, the next Feathered One always had a feathered cloak.
A-dom: Oh yeah. There is a cloak to go along with the hat. Don’t know why I didn’t steal that too. Oh well.
As they docked, the pirate crew headed down below. Upon instruction from Gareth, the rest of the crew headed down below as well.
The harbormaster and a couple of guards were waiting for them on the docks.
Harbor Master: Afternoon! Welcome to Abalone! The docking fee is (small, affordable amount). Do you happen to have any prisoners on board?
Gareth: Nope.
Harbor Master: No… shucks. Well, enjoy your stay!
The guards wandered off as Jade’s Luck inquired where the laws were kept. They found Abalone very nice and clean. There wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere on the street as they headed up to the law library. Once there, Jade’s Luck was directed to volumes one through thirty-nine of the local law code. She was instructed not to take the books outside the visible fence. A lone guard stood just outside the fence, poised for action.
Jade’s Luck found there were no laws with regard to being A Dom. There was a law addendum in the latest book connected to the Feathered One about the hat.
Law Book: The Feathered One’s hat is currently missing. Should it be found, it should be returned immediately. The ex-prisoner Johan, should he be found, should be immediately deposited into the volcano.
Tiger and A-dom noticed a guy across the street working on his roof drop his hammer. As the hammer slid down the roof, the man lunged after it. He wasn’t fast enough, as the hammer slid off and hit some man in the head. As he hit the ground after it, a whole bunch of city guards came over to him.
City Guards: Assault! He assaulted that man!
They slammed the man against the wall, stripped and tied him up, and hauled him off. A-dom noticed they weren’t taking him towards the jail but towards the volcano.
A-dom: Aww,. They’re out!
Jade’s Luck found out that the island was sexually segregated. All men worked at sea and all women worked on land. A-dom was asked about the hat and where it was. Looking around, he noticed where he thought the cave was was awfully close to a lava flow.
They all walked briskly towards the volcano (running in town was against the law). As they got out of town, people started running. The slow moving lava flow wasn’t to the cave yet, but it was almost hanging over the ledge. Once A-dom got in the cave, he found there might have been a cave in or two since he was last there. He piled on the strength and started digging. The others avoided rock chunks. Gareth tried to divert the lava flow, but was unsuccessful.
A-dom found the kind of wilted feathered hat. As he turned around, he saw the lava dripping over the ledge at the cave entrance. A-dom monkey leapt out of the cave, sheltering the hat. He twisted and turned so that he just barely managed to get out without burning himself or the hat. Once outside, the Circle could see it was a very dirty, wilted hat that looked like it had been buried in a cave for 15 years or so.
Jade’s Luck: So you guys are going to stick that on a guy’s head and shove him in?
A-dom: We could do that.
Ah, such planners this Circle was. Jahar talked about popping the hat on the Feathered One and letting him jump in on his own.
Tiger: Why give him the choice?
While others continued to argue, Gareth just looked at A-dom and Tiger.
Gareth: A-dom, put the hat on him. Tiger, push him in. Go.
A-dom made himself look like a generic crewmember. They then argued some more. Sometimes they really try Gareth’s patience. The volcano finally decided to break up their conversation by having a lava rock land in the middle of them.
A-dom: Right. Move away from the volcano.
The volcano was now spitting out rocks that were landing as far away as town, setting things on fire. This prompted A-dom to actually do what Gareth told him.
A-dom: We have the hat! We have the hat! We found the hat! I have the hat!
The Circle followed behind at a much slower pace. A-dom could see the old Feathered One he ‘knew and loved’ up at the top looking down at him. The Feathered One had a really nervous look on his face.
A-dom: (falsetto) I found it! I found it! I think I found it! This is it, right?
Feathered One: Good… Umm, thank you.
A-dom: (falsetto) You’re welcome.
The Feathered One put the hat on.
A-dom: (falsetto) It looks very good on you sir.
Feathered One: Is he insulting the Feathered One?
A-dom: (falsetto) No! I meant it.
Guards: Yes! Yes he is!
A-dom picked the Feathered One up and chucked him into the volcano. The Feathered Hat and Cloak flew back up out of the volcano and landed at their feet, looking like new. The volcano started settling down.
Jade’s Luck and Tiger: Yeah! Yeah Feathered One! He’s a hero!
Guards: (to A-dom) You’re going to have to come to jail.
A-dom: Do I have to?
Guards: Yes. You’re lucky. Insulting the Feathered One is only a four day jail sentence.
A-dom: Yeehaa! It’s the jail for me!
Jade’s Luck: Are you going to be okay, A-dom?
A-dom: Yup!
Jade’s Luck: You going to need anything? Water?
A-dom: I’m sure they have a very large meal budget at this point.
The guards beat and stomped A-dom on his way to the jail and he happily accepted it. He got thrown in a huge jail cell, alone. He was quite happy.
Jade’s Luck let the pirate crew know that right now was the safest time it was ever going to be on Abalone. Gareth let the regular crew know the same.
Over the next four days was elections time for the new Feathered One. Jade’s Luck went to the jail to find out who they should contact on the island, but she found out visiting prisoners was against the law. So Tiger snuck in to go talk to A-dom.
A-dom was perfectly happy to kick back in jail for his sentence, but that would make it hard for them to sway any votes for the Feathered One, if they wanted to do that. He said that they could go talk to his relatives, but they should find out if they want to kill him or are happy with him or whatnot. Tiger suggested that, during the night, he stand in for A-dom so he could go out and get stuff done.
Jade’s Luck and Jahar discussed the sword he needed to retrieve and bring back to Dylan. He didn’t know what volcano the sword was tossed into. Jade’s Luck suggested to him that he talk to the Dragon-Bloods in his family to find out what happened to it. He didn’t really like that idea. He really didn’t like that he would have to talk to his mother about it, since she was the one who disposed of the sword.
Jahar: I killed myself. In my room. Literally the room I grew up in. Do you know how that makes me feel?
Jade’s Luck: DUMB? I hope it makes you feel dumb!
Jade’s Luck, Jahar, and Ceri then discussed the Feathered One elections and swaying votes to get one in that would like them. They thought that talking to the Fire Elemental might be a good idea. If the next Feathered One didn’t have to jump in the volcano, it might make him very happy. But, this triggered a vision for Ceri.
Looking over to Jade’s Luck and Jahar, she told them that they put the volcano spirit there.
Jade’s Luck: Was this one my idea? I hope this one wasn’t my idea.
Ceri: No. It was Calibration’s Diplomacy’s idea. Evening Tide of Autumn made the hat. Calibration’s Diplomacy said they got kind of an angry spirit, but it was all taken care of. I’m guessing that it was taken care of by telling the spirit that it was okay to eat the Feathered One every once in a while. And criminals.
A-dom snuck into town and found where he lived when he was fifteen, but his parents didn’t live there anymore. His mom’s shop was still there, but closed. He talked to a night watchman, but was told to inquire at the shop in the morning. So, a-dom went back to the ship.
Jade’s Luck: You’re out early.
A-dom: Yeah, Tiger is sitting in for me right now.
He let them know that he was trying to help them find a favorable person to be the Feathered One, but he couldn’t do that in jail and needed to find his mom.
Jahar: Does she smell like you?
He did his best to ignore Jahar and told Jade’s Luck that his mom was a blacksmith in town and had a shop, he just needed to be in jail while it was open. He wanted her to let them know he was back in town and wanted to know if they wanted to kill him. And he wanted to know where she lived so he could go visit her the next night. Since she couldn’t visit him in jail.
Jade’s Luck: Do you want me to go there and say, ‘A-dom’s back in town and he’s going to come visit you’?
A-dom: Oh, I don’t know. I suppose.
Gareth: I don’t think she’s going to understand ‘A-dom is back in town’
*A-dom grumbles*
A-dom: Johan. Tell her Johan is back.
They talked for a little more before A-dom went back and swapped out with Tiger.
During the day, Jade’s Luck, Gareth, and Jahar went to visit A-dom’s mother. Jade’s Luck put up a few social charms just so she would be at her best. Inside the blacksmith’s shop, they found a big, muscular old lady hammering away making horseshoes. Kind of like an older, more feminine A-dom. Jade’s Luck talked about wares for a few minutes before she brought up Johan. She said that Johan wanted to inquire of her health and good will.
A-dom’s mother, Opal, went and found a calendar and flipped through years worth of pages.
Opal: Well, it is nice of him to ask (pause) for the first time in fifteen years. I’m doing well.
Jade’s Luck: Uh, he’d like to visit later when he’s free.
Opal: Free?
Jade’s Luck didn’t do so well covering that one up. That Manipulation of 1 really bites you some times. That’s what the social charms are for. She inquired about whether they bore him any ill will, considering past events.
Opal: Yes. Apparently the hat he stole was fairly important. My cousin Franny’s house got burnt down by a lava rock the other day. That could have been avoided if he hadn’t stolen the hat. However we did help him get off the island, so I suppose if the local constables aren’t looking for him, I wouldn’t mind him visiting.
Since they took the time to write into the law books that Johan needed to die, his mother suggested that he not spread it around who he was. She said she wouldn’t. She had hoped that he would have grown up by now.
Jade’s Luck: Well, he’s older.
Jahar: He’s a very strong man, if that’s what you’re saying.
Gareth: Personality wise, not so much.
A-dom’s mother sighed and inquired if he had gotten married.
Jahar: Nope, but he’s gotten brown.
They finished up their conversation with Opal. She eventually gave Jade’s Luck her address so A-dom could go visit her. After Jade’s Luck and Jahar left, Gareth stuck around for a while and talked shop. He also let Opal know that A-dom had problems with camels nowadays, so they should be kept away from him.
Synopsis of 2/20/06 session
"A Dom’s Pretty Hat"
On the last day of Calibration, Tiger approached A-dom about dealing with Gareth’s ‘little problem.’ He felt the most expedient way to get rid of the three men who wouldn’t make the pact would be for them to just disappear (in a bloody way). A-dom didn’t think it was such a good idea to do something like that behind Gareth’s back, so went to Gareth about dealing with those crewmembers.
Gareth took Jade’s Luck and A-dom along with him to go try and talk some sense into those three crewmembers in the brig. Since the damage was already done by Jade’s Luck letting certain info out, he decided the best way to deal with them was full disclosure. He told them the group were Solars, not anathema. They were good guys and had been in charge long ago, but the Dragon-Bloods didn’t like being the foot soldiers of the Exalted and rose up and overthrew their masters. Since then the Dragon-Bloods had been spreading lies about their former masters and killing them whenever one sprung up so they could stay in power.
Jade’s Luck: Do we actually know all that?
This was all, of course, true. Not that Gareth knew that. He had just taken info gleaned from several visions he had had and extrapolated likely connecting parts of the story, with a favorable spin. Gareth figured one of these days he needed to teach Jade’s Luck how to lie better.
In any event, it didn’t work. He offered to heal the three offenders, but they refused. He tried bringing Ceri in to take a look at their wounds and try and talk some sense into them. They just tried to escape. He tried drugging them with his happy touch. That actually worked and they were willing to make a pact, but Tiger wouldn’t seal it. Something about the people needing to actually mean it when they said the words.
It was ultimately decided that the Circle would see if there was someplace they could drop these three off where they wouldn’t have contact with trade ships or be able to get off island. After all, they knew about the Circle and what they looked like. Not a good thing. The only places Ceri could think about dropping them off either weren’t large enough to adequately house them or involved cannibals. Not that there is anything wrong with that. They decided to talk to Ceri’s mentor about them and possibly altering their memory with sorcery.
The morning after Calibration ended, they sailed off to her mentor’s island. Before the Circle plus Ceri went ashore, Jade’s Luck made sure she specified that the trio in the brig should stay in the brig, alive. This made Tiger sad, since the pirates were going to solve the problem for the Circle, their way.
They took a dinghy, went ashore, and started walking. Jade’s Luck asked about plants that might eat them, then went into an explanation about Jahar and plants that liked to eat him. After they had walked for a while, A-dom pointed out that there was a panther shadowing them. Ceri told the group to stop as she went over to greet the panther. She decided she wasn’t going to sniff her mentor’s butt, since she was in human form. The panther walked behind a tree and a large man (larger than A-dom) walked out. Gareth still didn’t notice.
Jade’s Luck: Hey, she can do that too. That’s really neat.
Gareth: Huh?
The large man walked into the clearing they were standing in. Gareth noticed him when he was about a foot away from him.
Gareth: Oh. Hi!
Ceri: This is my mentor. Dylan Stormskye. I’m sorry for bringing so many without asking, but it seemed kind of important.
Dylan: Found some new friends?
Ceri: More like they found me.
Dylan: And who are they?
A-dom: We’re exalted.
Gareth: I’m Gareth. We’re Solars.
Ceri: You said something about them coming back en masse at some point.
Dylan: They certainly seem to be en masse. Is Mog around?
Jade’s Luck introduced herself as they found out that Mog was a Solar who visited about thirty years ago and borrowed something from Dylan. Ceri mentioned Jahar and Lightbringer, which Dylan responded that Mog said he had once been Lightbringer.
Gareth: Was Mog a shifty guy who was very secretive?
Dylan: Yes.
Gareth: Yup. Jahar. What’d he borrow?
Dylan: He borrowed one of my swords. And he said he’d bring it back.
A-dom started laughing. Gareth and Jade’s Luck groaned.
A-dom: Did this involve suicide and coming back and
like that?Dylan: He thought it did. I didn’t really think it’d work and all.
Gareth explained that the Dragon-Bloods destroyed it by tossing it into a volcano. Dylan said that wouldn’t destroy it, but it might be getting a little soft by now. He said to tell Mog to get the sword out of the volcano within the next fifty years so it wasn’t completely destroyed.
Ceri switched topics, explaining that the Unconquered Sun hadn’t given the Circle much in the way of information and that they thought going to heaven to find out was a good idea.
Dylan: I’m pretty sure they’re allowed to go.
Ceri: Yes, but you haven’t spoken with them very much yet.
Dylan: Ah, so there is some things I should know, huh?
A-dom: So we just look up an address, right?
Ceri: A little more knowledge would probably serve them well.
Dylan: What do you know so far?
*Sound of crickets chirping*
Gareth: Um, we’re Solars. We used to be in power.
Jade’s Luck: Apparently we’re not anymore. But we’re supposed to be.
Gareth: Dragon-Bloods are now in power. That is not the order of things.
Dylan: Okay, you’re doing okay now.
Jade’s Luck: Um, apparently um, well okay actually the whole Death Knight thing, um, I didn’t get such a great feeling about them. From the unconquered Sun…
Tiger: Is summoning demons still bad?
A-dom: (laughing) Eh. What the
. I like undead!Dylan: Oh…Okay. Stop! Stop any sexual relations you’re having with them.
A-dom: What? No! No. Not like that. I just make them.
Dylan: Oh. You should probably not do that very much either. Definitely not with the sexual relations.
A-dom: I’m with you there.
Dylan: Good. Causes all kinds of complications.
A-dom: See, we want a book. One that says do this, don’t do that.
Dylan: Sorry, those were all destroyed.
Gareth: Sorry. My bad.
A-dom: What, did you build a book destroying machine?
Gareth: No. I destroyed the library.
A-dom: Oh. That’s kind of cool, though.
Jade’s Luck brought up the crewmembers in the brig. After the situation was explained, Dylan agreed to let the three stay on the island where he could smack some sense into them.
Ceri: So you’re okay with them going to heaven?
Dylan: Depressingly, I think going to heaven might be good for them.
Ceri: Someone might straighten them out a little?
Dylan: Yes.
A-dom said he had heard that there was a lot of paperwork. Dylan said he had heard that too and told them not to get audited. This made A-dom laugh. They got into a discussion about Tellus the Fierce and leaving things in binding circles.
Jade’s Luck: Remind me to throttle my past lifetime if I ever get a hold of him.
Ceri: Is it safe to enlighten them?
Jade’s Luck: We’re completely unenlightened. We’ve got a sorcerer who thinks he can control demons. Then there is Mr ‘I like Death Knights.’
A-dom: There is one that I’m on good terms with.
Dylan: No sex!
A-dom: No. I haven’t had any sex with a Death Knight. Not with any undead. I actually haven’t gotten laid since I’ve Exalted.
Tiger: That’s not technically true
*A-dom glares and growls*
Dylan: Well, it is POSSIBLE, as a sorcerer, to control demons. After seven hundred years of practice, I think I might be able to do it. If it was really important.
Jade’s Luck: He wanted to clear vegetation off of an island.
Dylan: That’s not so bad.
Jade’s Luck: An inhabited island.
Dylan: Yeah, you should probably discourage him from that.
Ceri: This is Lightbringer they are speaking of.
Dylan: Yeah, Mog always was kinda… *makes crazy sign*
Gareth: That can be used to describe several people.
Dylan: He died a lot. That’s not very good for your past lives.
They then went into how the Circle met Ceri and about the demon that got released. Jade’s Luck asked if there was a way to banish demons, but Dylan said there wasn’t a way to do it very well.
A-dom asked him what he knew about Death Knights. Dylan said he didn’t know much, since they tended to avoid him. He said he’d heard there was one up north. Jade’s Luck said that he sounded very reasonable, but that she didn’t trust him. Dylan told her to keep that attitude. A-dom said that he didn’t necessarily trust him, but he did accept his gifts. Dylan muttered something about Greeks and horses.
Jade’s Luck: They seem to think that shadowlands were a reasonable addition to Creation. That doesn’t seem quite right.
Dylan: I don’t think reasonable is…
Gareth: Those were not his words.
Jade’s Luck: Well, the way he was talking about it he said they were part of the natural order.
Gareth: No, he said shadowlands don’t really belong in Creation. He was against the further creation of them. Or at least that’s what he said.
Dylan: They have existed since The Great Contagion.
Jade’s Luck: Is there a way to get rid of them?
Dylan: I would imagine so.
Jade’s Luck: Then we’ll help the bod his vatta by learning to get rid of shadowlands.
Dylan: I think it involves a lot more living people.
Ceri: So it is a lot like pushing away the Wyld.
Dylan: Yeah, same principle.
Jade’s Luck proclaimed that she was right that lots of babies solved the problems. A-dom then demonstrated his idea of how he thought you could just poke a woman in the right place and the baby would drop out. No more labor.
Dylan: He should NOT be allowed near pregnant women. Ever.
A-dom: It’s magic it’s what we do. (to Gareth) You’re with me on this. You’re the medical guy.
A-dom then went into how the babies wouldn’t fall out, they’d shoot out.
Gareth: (to Dylan) Yes. You have now met A-dom.
Jade’s Luck quickly added that that A-dom killed babies. When he asked when he killed a baby, she brought up the bricking in the head of the small child in Atlantis.
Dylan: Yeah. He isn’t allowed to opt out of the trip to heaven.
A-dom: It just seemed like a really good idea to kill people then. I don’t normally feel that way.
Dylan: Are you sure?
A-dom: Yes! Well, in large scale. Like, sometimes, a person, but not, like, everyone right now.
Jade’s Luck: Well, he had had a very trying evening.
A-dom: Evening? Week! Longer.
Jade’s Luck: But anyway there were circumstances where it wasn’t unreasonable for him to lose his temper.
A-dom: Yeah.
She then switched back to condemning him for killing a baby. She then went into explaining about what A-dom had done. When she said he had destroyed a Dragon-Blood’s compound and probably family, Dylan told A-dom good job. She tried explaining the situation and said that he had been bought by this Dragon-Blood.
A-dom: I was under cover.
Gareth: You weren’t under much cover, I’m sorry.
Jade’s Luck: It started with a bit of horse thievery and kind of escalated.
Gareth: Lightbringer got him sold into slavery.
A-dom: Yeah, yeah. Lightbringer! The bastard.
Ceri didn’t understand why the Circle cared what the Dragon-Bloods thought and why they continued to live with them. Jade’s Luck explained that they had families.
Jade’s Luck: I have a family. He {Gareth} has a family. Jahar has a family; we’re not sure if he’s fond of his family, though. We’re trying to figure that out…
Gareth: We’re pretty sure he’s not fond of his family. It is just his father we’re unsure of.
Jade’s Luck: We’re trying to figure out if it is okay to kill his family or not.
Gareth: You see, Jahar is a noble. In a Dragon-Blood house.
Dylan: Mog really was an idiot!
Jade’s Luck: YES! Well, his new wife is a member of the ‘we want to kill all anathema club.’
A-dom: And love horses. They specified that.
Empty Bucket was mentioned. The song was mentioned. A-dom was predictably enthusiastic about the song and having his own song. He told Ceri & Dylan that they had to hear the song.
Jade’s Luck: I can sing the song anytime anyone really wants to hear it, but it is best when Jahar is around.
Dylan: Anyway. Back to the subject at hand. Which is hitting small children with bricks.
Jade’s Luck: Is bad!
Dylan: I will comment that the Exalted are people with extreme powers. They also tend to be people with extreme tempers. So when things go bad they tend to go bad in a very large way. I had a friend that sunk an island. He was drunk.
Gareth: I destroyed a library. I also almost destroyed Atlantis just cause I didn’t want the Dragon-Bloods to have it.
Jade’s Luck: You destroyed a library? You bad, bad man!
A-dom: You didn’t destroy Atlantis? You bad, bad man!
Dylan: So, anyway. It’s not unheard of. Just watch yourself. Try to stick to smashing Dragon-Bloods into pulp. Avoid Dragon-Bloods.
Jade’s Luck: And no puppies either.
A-dom: Where is the line?!
They then moved into explaining why they weren’t aging, mostly with regard to Jahar. Dylan figured they only had twenty years for him, so they needed to start working on the explanation/fake death now. Gareth was already old, so he was covered.
Dylan commented on A-dom’s brownness, which A-dom then ‘turned off,’ and the fact that they had wandered into a Wyld area was explained. When asked if the others had learned their lesson and become protected from the Wyld, Dylan was told all but one had, and Tiger was pointed at.
Dylan: (to Tiger) The Wyld is not your friend!
Tiger: (acting like he just woke up) What? What’d I do?
A-dom: Aylee is my friend.
Jade’s Luck: No, not really. Aylee is now bugging Dragon-Bloods and not my island. That’s what all that was about.
A-dom: The Bodhisattva, Aylee, Skelly, you don’t like any of my friends.
Dylan restated that a trip to heaven would do A-dom a world of good.
Ceri: Guess we’re going to heaven.
Gareth: Well, first we need to talk to the Feathered One.
Jade’s Luck asked Dylan which was better, summoning elementals or summoning demons. He said that elementals had somewhere to be, so when you summoned it up, something was going wrong somewhere else.
Dylan: If you were to, say, take the water elemental from an oasis in the desert somewhere, that’d probably be bad for the locals.
He then said the upside to dealing with demons was they had nowhere better to be. And, if they did, no one cared. The downside was that you needed about a thousand years of practice before they were manageable. The conversation got around to having demons unleashed on the Realm, which led to thinking certain ones would like it is demons did unspeakable things to them.
Dylan: Nononono. No sex with demons. No sex with undead.
Jade’s Luck: No sex with anything you don’t want to have freedom. That about sum it up?
Dylan: Yup.
Jade’s Luck brought up Jahar’s kid and wondered when they’d have to kidnap it. Dylan didn’t know what would happen with a half Dragon-Blooded/half Solar child.
Dylan: Yeah, uh. I don’t know anyone who would sleep with a Dragon-Blood.
Jade’s Luck explained the whole thing with the family and the arranged marriage and the stamina/fertility potions. Dylan figured that, since there were potions involved, it’d be a Dragon-Blood child. He said to have someone with sorcery check the child at birth. He quickly realized that that person was Lightbringer and told Ceri to check the child when it was born.
Jade’s Luck then brought up her kidnapping and re-education program idea.
Dylan: Kidnapping one, probably doable. Kidnapping all of them, probably start a war. And you don’t look ready for a war.
Ceri asked Dylan if she was stuck with the Circle. He told her it looked like that. He then gave her an artifact that would allow her to contact him.
Gareth told Dylan that he was much more sensible than Jahar’s mentor.
Dylan: WHO is Mog’s mentor?
Gareth: A big slab of obsidian.
Dylan: Oh god! Mog was talking to that thing too. I think it gave him the crazy idea with the sword.
Gareth confirmed that.
Dylan: That thing apparently has a lot of knowledge. Far as I can tell, no common sense whatsoever.
Jade’s Luck repeatedly stated that it was Gareth’s fault.
Gareth: Lightbringer had a lot to do with it. Apparently I thought it was a good idea at the time.
Ceri: You’re much wiser this time around.
Dylan said that you were allowed to make some mistakes in your first life.
Jade’s Luck asked Dylan about heaven and made the comment that he was old. Dylan said he was only eight hundred and that wasn’t old. He was, after all, born after the Great Contagion.
Gareth: At least, for you, she’ll go away. I don’t have that.
Dylan: (muttering) I may have to move my island.
Dylan said heaven was big and city-like. He also recalled that there were boats for getting around.
They talked about the Wyld a little and Aylee while they walked back towards the shore. Dylan thought the Cave of Tomorrow was fun, but had terrible lines. He said Aylee tried to help people, emphasis on the try. He said Aylee helped plan Nexus, the largest city in the East. A-dom let Dylan know that the cave was moved.
Gareth and A-dom fetched the three from the brig. Gareth carried one and A-dom carried the other two. They were perfectly normal.
Dylan: What, you didn’t have rope? They could have walked, you know. Okay. *slap, slap, slap* You three are with me.
A-dom laughed.
A-dom: I like you. (pause) You know, I don’t think I’m evil, I’m just really agreeable.
Dylan went off with his three new toys and Ceri filled the group in on what she knew about the past.
Ceri’s info paraphrased said:
Jade’s Luck admitted that she shouldn’t be in charge of things. Ceri pointed out that they were going to heaven to learn how, among other things. The discussion then twisted into how to deal with the Dragon-Bloods. Ceri pointed out that the Circle didn’t so much want to kill all the Dragon-Bloods as they wanted to break their civilization and re-educate them. Then Gareth got the idea for an artifact called The Chain of Command.
A-dom got the idea that they needed another contagion, but a Dragon-Blood contagion.
They got back on the boat and sailed off. It took them a month to bet to Abalone. Training was done. While Ceri was standing on deck one day when the ship was getting close to Abalone, she had a vision.
Vision of Better Times said:
As the vision faded, a wave of dread washed over her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she realized she had found the half of her eternal marriage. She thought it best to keep this information to herself.
A-dom: Okay. Who here has been to Abalone before?
*Three pirates raise their hands*
A-dom: Alright. Abalone may have some very strict rules. Don’t break them. You get thrown in the volcano.
Pirate #5: No littering!
*Pirates nod*
A-dom: Yeah. I
you not. No littering.Jade’s Luck: And apparently do not steal the feathery hat.
A-dom: Can we not mention that?
Jade’s Luck: That’s a good one.
Pirate #3: What feathery hat?
A-dom: (quietly) The Feathered One’s.
Pirate #3: He doesn’t have a hat. He hasn’t had a hat for years.
A-dom: (quietly) Yeah… He hasn’t had a hat for years.
All the pirates then started looking at A-dom funny and backing away from him.
Pirate #6: Oh crap, he’s perfectly normal.
A-dom: The other part of that is pirates are okay. As long as they aren’t doing anything bad on land, they’re fine. (to Gareth) So NO killing pirates! Cause most likely, you’ll get in trouble for killing people. Or littering if you don’t clean up after. Okay?
Gareth looked a little sheepish and brought his hand up with his thumb and forefinger close to each other to mean, ‘how about a little?’
A-dom: No.
Gareth: What if I kill them and you bring them back and they walk away. Is that okay?
A-dom: I will not be bringing them back. I think necromancy is outlawed too. Being Solars actually isn’t outlawed, though. Remember that. Demon summoning isn’t allowed, but being an Athema is perfectly okay.
Jade’s Luck: (opens up Pursey) You hear that Jahar? No demon summoning in Abalone. Thank you very much.
A-dom: So, technically we can run around saying we’re Solars all day long and only get killed by people who want to kill Solars.
Ceri: But couldn’t they then leave the island and tell others to set them on your trail?
A-dom: Yup. They just can’t do the killing on Abalone, cause then they’ll catch the person and throw them into the volcano. They don’t really have any other penalty for crimes. It is usually only when the volcano is really angry, but they’re patient. You get a jail time. If the volcano gets angry before your jail time is up, in you go.
They quickly discussed how they were going to get the ruler’s permission to use the hut. Pursey spat Jahar out onto the deck of the ship.
Gareth: (to Jahar) Something you might want to keep in mind. You need to go collect that sword within the next fifty years.
He quickly got filled in that the sword his previous self used to kill himself belonged to Ceri’s mentor and he’d like it back. They also quickly told him not to break any rules on Abalone.
A-dom: Being a Solar is fine. Being a Dragon-Blood, Lunar, whatever. It’s fine.
Jahar: What about being A-dom?
A-dom: Uh, well. *chuckles* That’s different. Well, actually yes. Being a dom is just fine.
The pirate crew agreed with A-dom.
Pirate #3: Being him, maybe not so much. We’re not sure. He’s kind of dodgy about this. But being a dom is just fine.
Ceri: Is A-dom rather more a title than an actual personal name?
A-dom: (laughs) Uh, well, it’s a personal title.
The pirate crew giggled as the Circle played twenty questions with A-dom, trying to find out about his name.
Jade’s Luck: (to the pirates) What’s so funny, guys?
Pirate #3: Umm, you want to tell them where we are?
A-dom: This would be the Dom sea. Where my people are of.
Pirate #3: Anyone who works in the Dom sea is a Dom. A Dom.
Jahar: Why was I in that purse?
A-dom: Why are you ever in that purse? You were napping or weren’t paying attention or something.
Jade’s Luck: Pursey said you taste good.
Jahar: (sighs) How long was I in the purse?
Jade’s Luck: Uh, about a month.
Jahar: What’d my acolytes say?
Jade’s Luck: They didn’t care.
They filled him in on the important parts of their conversation with Ceri’s mentor. Namely, summoning demons at his age is bad.
Ceri: Oh yeah. You’ve breed with a Dragon-Blood? Ugh!
A-dom brought the conversation back to that about Abalone.
Gareth: Okay, if they chuck everyone into the volcano, how’d you get away?
A-dom: I got away.
Jade’s Luck: How?
A-dom: I got away. I have friends.
Ceri: You have friends?
A-dom: Fine! I have family.
Jade’s Luck: Would this be the Dom family?
A-dom: Yes! This would be MY family, so it would be the Dom family. They helped me get away.
Jahar: Why’d you steal the guy’s hat?
A-dom: (makes sound of disgust) Because the guy was a prick!
A-dom hoped the guy was chucked into the volcano long ago. That way he could be the hero who found the hat.
Over the next few days, most of the Circle noticed the big, red volcano with lava rolling down the sides. That was very much not a happy volcano. Jade’s Luck wanted to try talking nicely to the volcano. There was lava, there was a pumice cloud.
A-dom: Yeah, some volcanoes are mad. That is a pissed volcano.
Ceri: Uh, is he pissed cause the Feathered One jumped in without his hat?
A-dom: Jeez I hope not! That’s a scary, scary thought!
They postulated on what becomes of the hat when they jump in. A-dom remembered that there was also a feathered cloak that the Feathered One wore and jumped in with. Somehow, the next Feathered One always had a feathered cloak.
A-dom: Oh yeah. There is a cloak to go along with the hat. Don’t know why I didn’t steal that too. Oh well.
As they docked, the pirate crew headed down below. Upon instruction from Gareth, the rest of the crew headed down below as well.
The harbormaster and a couple of guards were waiting for them on the docks.
Harbor Master: Afternoon! Welcome to Abalone! The docking fee is (small, affordable amount). Do you happen to have any prisoners on board?
Gareth: Nope.
Harbor Master: No… shucks. Well, enjoy your stay!
The guards wandered off as Jade’s Luck inquired where the laws were kept. They found Abalone very nice and clean. There wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere on the street as they headed up to the law library. Once there, Jade’s Luck was directed to volumes one through thirty-nine of the local law code. She was instructed not to take the books outside the visible fence. A lone guard stood just outside the fence, poised for action.
Jade’s Luck found there were no laws with regard to being A Dom. There was a law addendum in the latest book connected to the Feathered One about the hat.
Law Book: The Feathered One’s hat is currently missing. Should it be found, it should be returned immediately. The ex-prisoner Johan, should he be found, should be immediately deposited into the volcano.
Tiger and A-dom noticed a guy across the street working on his roof drop his hammer. As the hammer slid down the roof, the man lunged after it. He wasn’t fast enough, as the hammer slid off and hit some man in the head. As he hit the ground after it, a whole bunch of city guards came over to him.
City Guards: Assault! He assaulted that man!
They slammed the man against the wall, stripped and tied him up, and hauled him off. A-dom noticed they weren’t taking him towards the jail but towards the volcano.
A-dom: Aww,
. They’re out!Jade’s Luck found out that the island was sexually segregated. All men worked at sea and all women worked on land. A-dom was asked about the hat and where it was. Looking around, he noticed where he thought the cave was was awfully close to a lava flow.
They all walked briskly towards the volcano (running in town was against the law). As they got out of town, people started running. The slow moving lava flow wasn’t to the cave yet, but it was almost hanging over the ledge. Once A-dom got in the cave, he found there might have been a cave in or two since he was last there. He piled on the strength and started digging. The others avoided rock chunks. Gareth tried to divert the lava flow, but was unsuccessful.
A-dom found the kind of wilted feathered hat. As he turned around, he saw the lava dripping over the ledge at the cave entrance. A-dom monkey leapt out of the cave, sheltering the hat. He twisted and turned so that he just barely managed to get out without burning himself or the hat. Once outside, the Circle could see it was a very dirty, wilted hat that looked like it had been buried in a cave for 15 years or so.
Jade’s Luck: So you guys are going to stick that on a guy’s head and shove him in?
A-dom: We could do that.
Ah, such planners this Circle was. Jahar talked about popping the hat on the Feathered One and letting him jump in on his own.
Tiger: Why give him the choice?
While others continued to argue, Gareth just looked at A-dom and Tiger.
Gareth: A-dom, put the hat on him. Tiger, push him in. Go.
A-dom made himself look like a generic crewmember. They then argued some more. Sometimes they really try Gareth’s patience. The volcano finally decided to break up their conversation by having a lava rock land in the middle of them.
A-dom: Right. Move away from the volcano.
The volcano was now spitting out rocks that were landing as far away as town, setting things on fire. This prompted A-dom to actually do what Gareth told him.
A-dom: We have the hat! We have the hat! We found the hat! I have the hat!
The Circle followed behind at a much slower pace. A-dom could see the old Feathered One he ‘knew and loved’ up at the top looking down at him. The Feathered One had a really nervous look on his face.
A-dom: (falsetto) I found it! I found it! I think I found it! This is it, right?
Feathered One: Good… Umm, thank you.
A-dom: (falsetto) You’re welcome.
The Feathered One put the hat on.
A-dom: (falsetto) It looks very good on you sir.
Feathered One: Is he insulting the Feathered One?
A-dom: (falsetto) No! I meant it.
Guards: Yes! Yes he is!
A-dom picked the Feathered One up and chucked him into the volcano. The Feathered Hat and Cloak flew back up out of the volcano and landed at their feet, looking like new. The volcano started settling down.
Jade’s Luck and Tiger: Yeah! Yeah Feathered One! He’s a hero!
Guards: (to A-dom) You’re going to have to come to jail.
A-dom: Do I have to?
Guards: Yes. You’re lucky. Insulting the Feathered One is only a four day jail sentence.
A-dom: Yeehaa! It’s the jail for me!
Jade’s Luck: Are you going to be okay, A-dom?
A-dom: Yup!
Jade’s Luck: You going to need anything? Water?
A-dom: I’m sure they have a very large meal budget at this point.
The guards beat and stomped A-dom on his way to the jail and he happily accepted it. He got thrown in a huge jail cell, alone. He was quite happy.
Jade’s Luck let the pirate crew know that right now was the safest time it was ever going to be on Abalone. Gareth let the regular crew know the same.
Over the next four days was elections time for the new Feathered One. Jade’s Luck went to the jail to find out who they should contact on the island, but she found out visiting prisoners was against the law. So Tiger snuck in to go talk to A-dom.
A-dom was perfectly happy to kick back in jail for his sentence, but that would make it hard for them to sway any votes for the Feathered One, if they wanted to do that. He said that they could go talk to his relatives, but they should find out if they want to kill him or are happy with him or whatnot. Tiger suggested that, during the night, he stand in for A-dom so he could go out and get stuff done.
Jade’s Luck and Jahar discussed the sword he needed to retrieve and bring back to Dylan. He didn’t know what volcano the sword was tossed into. Jade’s Luck suggested to him that he talk to the Dragon-Bloods in his family to find out what happened to it. He didn’t really like that idea. He really didn’t like that he would have to talk to his mother about it, since she was the one who disposed of the sword.
Jahar: I killed myself. In my room. Literally the room I grew up in. Do you know how that makes me feel?
Jade’s Luck: DUMB? I hope it makes you feel dumb!
Jade’s Luck, Jahar, and Ceri then discussed the Feathered One elections and swaying votes to get one in that would like them. They thought that talking to the Fire Elemental might be a good idea. If the next Feathered One didn’t have to jump in the volcano, it might make him very happy. But, this triggered a vision for Ceri.
Vision of Better Times said:
Looking over to Jade’s Luck and Jahar, she told them that they put the volcano spirit there.
Jade’s Luck: Was this one my idea? I hope this one wasn’t my idea.
Ceri: No. It was Calibration’s Diplomacy’s idea. Evening Tide of Autumn made the hat. Calibration’s Diplomacy said they got kind of an angry spirit, but it was all taken care of. I’m guessing that it was taken care of by telling the spirit that it was okay to eat the Feathered One every once in a while. And criminals.
A-dom snuck into town and found where he lived when he was fifteen, but his parents didn’t live there anymore. His mom’s shop was still there, but closed. He talked to a night watchman, but was told to inquire at the shop in the morning. So, a-dom went back to the ship.
Jade’s Luck: You’re out early.
A-dom: Yeah, Tiger is sitting in for me right now.
He let them know that he was trying to help them find a favorable person to be the Feathered One, but he couldn’t do that in jail and needed to find his mom.
Jahar: Does she smell like you?
He did his best to ignore Jahar and told Jade’s Luck that his mom was a blacksmith in town and had a shop, he just needed to be in jail while it was open. He wanted her to let them know he was back in town and wanted to know if they wanted to kill him. And he wanted to know where she lived so he could go visit her the next night. Since she couldn’t visit him in jail.
Jade’s Luck: Do you want me to go there and say, ‘A-dom’s back in town and he’s going to come visit you’?
A-dom: Oh, I don’t know. I suppose.
Gareth: I don’t think she’s going to understand ‘A-dom is back in town’
*A-dom grumbles*
A-dom: Johan. Tell her Johan is back.
They talked for a little more before A-dom went back and swapped out with Tiger.
During the day, Jade’s Luck, Gareth, and Jahar went to visit A-dom’s mother. Jade’s Luck put up a few social charms just so she would be at her best. Inside the blacksmith’s shop, they found a big, muscular old lady hammering away making horseshoes. Kind of like an older, more feminine A-dom. Jade’s Luck talked about wares for a few minutes before she brought up Johan. She said that Johan wanted to inquire of her health and good will.
A-dom’s mother, Opal, went and found a calendar and flipped through years worth of pages.
Opal: Well, it is nice of him to ask (pause) for the first time in fifteen years. I’m doing well.
Jade’s Luck: Uh, he’d like to visit later when he’s free.
Opal: Free?
Jade’s Luck didn’t do so well covering that one up. That Manipulation of 1 really bites you some times. That’s what the social charms are for. She inquired about whether they bore him any ill will, considering past events.
Opal: Yes. Apparently the hat he stole was fairly important. My cousin Franny’s house got burnt down by a lava rock the other day. That could have been avoided if he hadn’t stolen the hat. However we did help him get off the island, so I suppose if the local constables aren’t looking for him, I wouldn’t mind him visiting.
Since they took the time to write into the law books that Johan needed to die, his mother suggested that he not spread it around who he was. She said she wouldn’t. She had hoped that he would have grown up by now.
Jade’s Luck: Well, he’s older.
Jahar: He’s a very strong man, if that’s what you’re saying.
Gareth: Personality wise, not so much.
A-dom’s mother sighed and inquired if he had gotten married.
Jahar: Nope, but he’s gotten brown.
They finished up their conversation with Opal. She eventually gave Jade’s Luck her address so A-dom could go visit her. After Jade’s Luck and Jahar left, Gareth stuck around for a while and talked shop. He also let Opal know that A-dom had problems with camels nowadays, so they should be kept away from him.
