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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 577162" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chinese Take-outChapter 74, “Future Boy”, September 28, 1018, 1:00 P.M. The lunch conversation immediately focuses on “Futureboy”.  Mojo begins to press the boy about information about his future, and the King who sent him.    The elvan boy is rather elusive with his answers, being reluctant to tell his full story.    Mojo is unwilling to accept this, and a heated argument soon develops between the two of them.   Mojo yells at the boy to disclose why his King sent him. The boy eventually reveals that “My King saw this point in time as a turning point in his own life, and thought that my changing it would be for the better.”  “I don’t care what your King thought!” Mojo yells back.  “Well you should!” the boy shouts.  “Why!” Mojo yells back.  “Because he’s you!” the boy answers.    A brief period of silence follows, after which most of the Silver Moon burst out laughing.  Lannon jokingly says, “Wait a minute.  If Mojo is the king does that mean we get to kill him?” Narg says, “OK, kid, now that you’ve spilled the beans you might as well tell us the full story.”  Fiona adds, “You previously said that your King was your stepfather.”  The boy says, “Yes, Mojo, my Mojo, was my stepfather.   I was raised on Silver Moon Island, and was educated at the school on the Island.   In addition to being a fighter with the Silver Moon Mojo was also one of the three Generals of the Phlooredah continent’s army, a position that kept him in close contact with Queen Jennifer.  They eventually became lovers.”  “Of course,” Mojo states matter-of-factly.  The boy continues “The Queen’s husband, King Matthan, died just prior to Queen Jennifer’s election for a third term as the continent’s ruler.”  “Something we had a part in?” Lannon inquires.  “I’d rather not say,” the boy answers.  The lad continues “Shortly thereafter she and Mojo were wed in a private ceremony.   For the next quarter-century I alternated living between Silver Moon Island with my mother and the royal palace with my Stepfather.   In the year 1070, which was four years ago for me, Queen Jennifer died.”  “What did she die of?” Serita interrupts.   Fiona comments “She was married to Mojo, so probably boredom.”  The boy continues “She died of natural causes, she was then eighty-eight years old.  The Lordholders gathered together to choose a new leader.  They unanimously voted that King Mojo be allowed serve out the remaining four years of Jennifer’s current term.”  “So your Lordholders are all insane,” Serita comments.   The boy replies “Well, Mojo and Jennifer had co-ruled for over twenty years at that point, so it made sense.   There also really was no opposition as the Silver Moon supported Mojo continuing, and by then six of the Lordholders were past or present members of the Silver Moon; seven if you also count Da’Bears (the Silver Moon’s spin-off group), which Lady Opal does not.”“I don’t believe any of this” Mojo comments.   “Wait just a minute here,” says Narg, “You’re saying that seven of the nine Lordholdings are ruled by members of the Silver Moon.”  “Yes,” the boy answers.  “Who are the Lordholders?” asks Mark.  “We already know that Mojo and Opal are two of them," adds Fiona.   “I probably shouldn’t say,” the boy states, “In your time two haven’t even been born yet, and another two are very young, so I would not want to say something that would change their destiny.”“OK, so you brought us up to four years ago for you.  How did you wind up here?” presses Cassie.   He continues “By that time I was the human equivalent of fourteen and had recently graduated from the Silver Moon School, so began living full-time with my Stepfather.   King Mojo instructed me in the fine arts of swordsman-ship and beverage appreciation.”  Fiona comments “More the latter I’d say, based upon how poorly you used the sword against the giants.”   The boy reluctantly agrees with this, commenting that “My Stepfather has been rather depressed since his wife’s passing, so he does tend to drink quite a bit these days.”  The boy continues “Last year, at a time when I was rather inebriated, the Pooka named Monty visited me.   Only then did I find out that Narg had indeed perished in battle fifty-five years earlier.”   Mojo very pointed and sternly states “And Narg was your father.”  The boy finally admits, “Yes, my name is Narg Junior, named in my father’s memory.”  Lannon blurts out “Congratulations Narg, it’s a boy!”   Serita comments “Hold on, if Narg died in this castle, and was never seen again, then for his son to exist that means Vallessa is currently pregnant!”  “I wonder if she knows that yet?” comments Fiona.  Narg Junior replies “Let me put it this way.   You remember that last month when Morgarth's troops attacked the Island her Pegasus was nearly killed in the battle and she was badly injured, then she was kept as a hostage for several days.  She wanted a piece of Morgarth just as badly as any of you, yet she never even suggested accompanying you on this mission.”  “Yep, she knows,” comments Serita.    Narg is still in somewhat of a state of shock, and mutters “Well, at least it’s a boy…. I wonder if Hobbson (his valet) knows anything about taking care of kids.”  “Hold on,” says Mojo, “If I was your stepfather then that means I was married to your mother.”  The boys says “My mother, Vallessa, held out hope that Narg still lived, had been rescued by his Pooka, and would one day return to her.  She remained faithful to him.  But she also recognized that her son needed a father.  She entered into an elvan “Parental Union” with my Mojo, officially making him my Stepfather.”   “Figures, just my luck” comments Mojo, “All of the responsibilities of a marriage, but none of the sex.”The boy continues his story “The Pooka Monty regaled me with many stories of my father and their journey’s thought time and space.  He even brought me to watch a few of my father’s favorite sports teams play.  I did not want to have to break this sad news of Narg’s death to my mother, and asked the Pooka about bringing me back in time to a point prior to my father’s death, to prevent it from happening.  Monty said that he could indeed do this, but warned me about the problems with changing history.  I decided to seek my stepfather’s advice about this.   King Mojo said he would leave the final decision to me, but that if I were to ever do this I should do so now, while I was still young and impetuous.   I told him I was committed to do this course.  He then described the specific events that transpired at the time of Narg's death, and suggested the best time for my intervention.  Finally, he handed me the Nargblade, saying, "You may need this to prove who you really are."  His final words to me were "Go, save me from a life of responsibility."   "Ah, finally something that sounds like me," Mojo comments. A rather confused Narg is still muttering about how this will change his relationship with Vallessa.  He states "The next thing you know it will be towels, the ones you can use and the ones you can't.  I can't do this?"   "What choice do you have?" Aradyn asks.   Narg looks across the table and asks "Hey Barthrock, do you guys have any openings?"   Serita sarcastically says, "Yeah, this guy is going to make a great father!"    She then turns to Narg Junior and say, "OK, just tell me one thing.  Do I ever find a man?"  A smile crosses his face, and he says, "Yeah, you sure do!"   The group waits in anticipation of her next question of who?, but she doesn't ask."What do I do now?" Narg rhetorically mutters, "I can't just show up from a battle with flowers and propose"  "Why not?" asks Cassie.   Mojo suggest to Narg that instead of flowers "Bring a bottle of good whiskey and a cheesecake, you might need them instead."   The discussion turns back to what to do with Li-Tak’s daughters.   Cassie reminds them of their obligation to Li-Tak.  Narg complains "Hey I never promised him anything."  Cassie replies "That’s not true.  When we accepted the map of this place we committed ourselves."  Barthrock says "Look, my team has been putting up with Morgarth and his group for a long time now, waiting for you guys to come rescue them.  You're not backing out of this now.  Besides, it's not likely that the Hengeyokai will let us leave without them.  Ebony Shadow said the Hengeyokai society would never accept them, as they are only half-Hengeyokai."  "Like they're someone to be picky," mutters Lono.  Cassie says "This is their land, they can make the rules.  If they want the girls gone, so be it."   Lono then turns to Cassie and says "Yeah, but all you want to do is marry them off to the ship’s crew."  Serita answers "That's because none of you other men are ready and willing to commit to a relationship….NARG!"    Barthrock adds "Besides, you want to take that library with you, which technically belongs to the girls."  Aradyn asks Barthrock "What makes you so sure the Hengeyokai will let us take anything?  The half-dwarf replies "Because if the army doesn't go as guards Li-Tak's daughters will be captured by the slavers.   Lono comments "So your threat is that if they kill your monsters the girls will all be taken away.  Sounds like a win-win situation to me."   Cassie asks Narg Junior when he will be returning to his now changed future.  The boy says “I can’t.  Pookas are capable of traveling through time in a non-linear fashion, and normally could take me back, except I have now changed an event that led to my meeting him in the first place.   A Pooka can only be bonded to one person at any point in time.   Following Narg’s death Monty bonded with another person for fifty-four years, then came to me after that person died.  That sequence of events has now been changed, as I prevented Narg’s death in 1018. I won’t see Monty again.""So, what will you do?" asks Serita.    The boy answers "Well, I can't go back to the Island with you guys, that would be too weird.   I could go and live with Da'Bears, as I don't really know much about them in this time.  The only one of them I've ever really gotten to know is Lady Opal."   Narg blurts out "You don't want to get caught up with Opal and her self-help group."    The boy turns to Narg and says "Or I could go to the Kingdom of Narg, and spend time with your folks.  I never really got to know my grandparents very well."  "Sounds like a plan," answers Narg.  [DM's note - the rest of the group saw this as a 'cop-out' from Narg’s player, as the new character would have made a fun addition to the other group.]</blockquote>

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