One day, my master came to me and said "I need you to carry a message to a friend of mine. There are several apprentices going--it will be an adventure for you all, and you can get used to the idea of working with other adepts. Meet them at this address, and you all can work it out from there. But remember, no matter what else, I need you to bring back a response to this message (and whatever else she needs to send to me) within two weeks. If you get into real trouble, knock on the door of any Purple Olliphant chapter house or any other Adept's house and they will get me a message. So, I packed up my backpack and walked to the house where I was supposed to meet these other apprentices. I walked towards it, through the craftsman district, and got to about a block away from the address when a big woman with a broom ran out of one of the houses, chasing a thinnish dwarf and carrying a large apple with an arrow sticking through it. He tripped, and she hovered over him, shouting. "If you shoot one more of my apples, I'll... I'll... string you up on my clothesline and leave you there with the wash for a day. See how cool and suave you look hanging from your beard, eh? Now get out! You've got a job to do and I don't want to see you back here until it's done!" The rather startled-looking dwarf picked himself and his spilled arrows up off the ground, put them back in his quiver and dusted off his leather jerkin and cloth trousers, and finally noticed that I was there. "Hello there. Are you one of the ones going to <suburb of Throal>? "I'm Josh. I'm an Archer. What's your name?" "Jenna Ravenhair, of the Order of Olliphants" "Oh, you're an Illusionist. <Jenna pouts for a second> Neat! <Jenna stops pouting>Can you make Mrs. Jernsen be chased by a big scary monster?" "Um... probably not. How about a mouse?" "Oh! Rock! That'll work... I think we'll get along great, Jenna" <weaves a mirage of a foot-long, purple mouse> "How's this?" "Oh, I like that!" "Okay. Is there somewhere we can watch from? "The skylight... it looks right in on the kitchen." "Okay, let's go" <concentrates to make the mouse run into the kitchen> <climbs up on the roof to look through the skylight> "look at her go! She won't get off the chair!" "I'm getting tired... I should probably drop this" "Okay. That was fun" <drops the spell with a puff of purple smoke> <the housekeeper jumps, then looks around. She hears Jhash and Jenna laughing and starts shouting at them> "You kids! I don't care if you *are* Adepts, I'll tan your hides yet!" Jenna says "Maybe we ought to get going..." Josh "Good idea... we stil have one more person to meet." Jenna "Okay. Do you know where?" Josh "yup. This way..." So we went off to another section of our part of Throal and met up with Ronee and K'han, an Elf and a T'skrang who were an apprentice Troubador and Swordsman, respectively. We set off on the road towards <place> and stayed in an inn along the way. Ronee wanted to sing in the bar, so all four of us stayed up with her. As the patrons got more and more trashed and listened to her less and less, K'han started keeping his hand on his sword, and I started weaving Mirages of tiny, drunken, purple, Olliphants marching around on the tables, and swimming in people's ale mugs. One of the patrons got a little upset when I accidentally turned his hair purple, and was probably going to beat me up, but K'han got in his way. When the drunken man saw K'han's sword, he backed off. I bought him a hat, which Ronee handed him, explaining that the hair would go back to it's normal color in a couple days, but as a gesture of good faith, he could have this (entirely non-magical) hat. This seemed to mollify him, and after Ronee sang a couple more songs, he was as cheerful and happy (though drunk) as everyone else in the bar. (I suspect Troubador magic) We left the happy patrons and went to the dormitories and slept until morning. When the sun rose, we set out again. We got to a part of the tunnels that I didn't recognise--further than I'd really ever been. K'han told us "This part of the road has a lot of bandits and thieves. Be careful." Just as he finished speaking, Ronee (who was in the back) screamed. "HELP! It's..." We all turned just in time to see three bandits with old-looking swords who had come out of nowhere. One of them was holding Ronee with his hand over her mouth. K'han drew his sword, and the one in front said, "Step any closer and we'll cut her throat" K'han backed off. I asked "What do you want?" "What do you think?" said the one holding Ronee."Money" Josh interjected, "But we don't have any money!" "Get real. Nobody would send out four kids without any money at all" I replied, "Nobody would send out four kids *with* enough money to be worth your while, would they sir?" "Hmm... you have a point there" "Exactly. And, really, what are you accomplishing by holding her? She may not be able to get away from your thug, but she's quick enough to get out of the way if my friends the Archer or the Swordsmaster decide you three need to learn a lesson" "Did you say Swordsmaster... like, an Adept?" "That's right. May I introduce myself? Jenna Ravenhair, Order of the Olliphant. This is Josh Quickshot, Order of the Straight Arrow, and K'han G'enghees, Order of the Bright Sword, at your service" "You're Adepts" <Jenna smiles> <K'han scowls><Josh fingers an arrow> "Guys, let's get out of here... we don't need no problems with no adepts. Not for a couple silver..." They dropped Ronee and vanished into a side tunnel. The three of us gathered around her, K'han still with his sword drawn and looking around. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine... that was scary... but you talked them out of it, Jenna!" "I was not at *all* sure that they'd leave... I'm so glad we had K'han and Josh here..." "Me too" "You guys are great" The day continued without any other major issues. Josh practiced shooting at targets on the wall that I put up for him, and almost hit a wagon train. We explained that Josh was practicing, and didn't see them, and they let us go on our way, but not without making us sit through a stern lecture on the proper use of a bow and arrow, and the proper place to practice not being a busy main road. The road got less and less busy as the day went on, however, and it became clear that we'd have to camp for the night. We decided to keep watches, in case those (or other) bandits came along. I took the first one, with Josh, and Ronee and K'han took the second. While I was on watch, I marched some elephants around the woods, drilling them in complex and intricate patterns (okay, so they were actually just the letters of the Sperethial alphabet, but nobody has to know that) and Josh shot at trees. Then we crashed and Ronee and K'han watched until first light. The next few days were about the same--another group of bandits came along, but a couple of arrows from Josh took one, K'han took another, and with a little help from Ronee, the other two took off screaming. I used a sleep and first aid spell from Olliphantia! on the two injured men, and left them a note saying "Don't do that again. Turn yourselves in to the police" signed "Ronee Clearvoice, Order of Troubadors, Jenna Ravenhair, Order of the Purple Olliphant, Josh Quickshot, Order of the Straight Arrow, and K'han G'enghees, Order of the Bright Sword" About a week after leaving home, we arrived in <destination>. - It was a city about like that which we left--a few houses on the outskirts, and many more as we got closer and closer into town. We stopped at a mule-feeding post and asked how to get to our respective destinations. Once we had directions, we went (together) first to the Swordsmasters' Guild. K'han started to step forward, but stopped. "This is my message to deliver, but I'm no good at introductions. Ronee?" So Ronee stepped forward, with the other three of us behind her, and knocked. "Who'se there?" "My name is Ronee Clearvoice. My companions and I bring a message from Throal" "Just a minute." An old man hobbled over to the door, opened it, and gestured us inside. The entry passage opened into a great hall--wide sweeping stone steps, a chandelier of living crystal, a great banquet table, and long, sweeping draperies in purple and crimson. We were escorted behind one of the draperies into a comfortable sitting room. "You can wait here. Master Brach will be with you shortly." Despite the cozyness of the small room, we whispered to one another. "This place is huge" "I know... did you see the sword on the wall?" "Which one???" "The glimmering one" "I bet any one of those swords would cost more than my whole education" "And you're right, of course" interrupted a voice from the entrance to the room. We turned to see the Swordsmaster, Master Ma'ak "Slice" Brach, sizing us up. "Apprentices, eh? Need to get used to being watched, kids. For the rest of your lives, you're going to be in grave danger at every moment. Sometimes, the dangerous things are on your side--like me, or your Masters, or even each other. Sometimes, it'll be straightforward--face the danger, kill the monsters. More often, the really scary things will be rogue--on nobody's side, above the sides, outside the battle altogether--and that's the most dangerous of all. But you should learn to pay attention, to not tell secrets where ears may be listening (which is just about anywhere that you haven't set up, and sometimes not even there) and to watch out for one another. But, anyway, you didn't come here to get a lecture from me. What news?" K'han launched into a long explanation of the situation with his Master in Throal. They walked a bit off from us, and, try as we might, Ronee, Josh and I couldn't quite make out what they were talking about. When they returned, Master Brach said "See what I told you about listening? But, now that I have the news, you all should stay for tea" It didn't take long to convince us, but once we had eaten, and told Master Brach about more general things happening in Throal, we had to be on our way. Next stop was the chapter house of the Order of Troubadours. Ronee was a little afraid when she approached the great door, but after standing there for a few moments, she called out "Ronee Clearvoice of Throal, bearing news for all who will hear" The great door opened, and an imposing but somehow welcoming face appeared, framed in warm yellow lamplight. "Come in, child. Bring your companions. Welcome to our house." (The four of us went on to visit an Archer and the Illusionist my master wanted to send the message to. We were given messages to take back, and news to take back (more from the Troubadours than anywhere else) and I managed to keep from playing jokes on any of the Masters. Then we went home, with very little trouble.) The four young Adepts had many more adventures: They went outside under the supervision of Ronee's Master, and saved her when she'd been injured by a BSM. They solved a bank robbery by catching a man trying to prove that mundane thieves were just as cool as Adept Thieves. Jenna and Ronee broke the "code" they were using, which was an obscure dialect of T'skrang with a simple cipher. (Onscreen uses of lockpicking and forgery (skills), of all first circle talents except for Karma Ritual, and of Disguise Self. Spells include "Innocent Activity" and "Displace Image") They caught a minor government functionary trying to steal finds from the Throallic treasury. They convinced him to confess (Onscreen uses of Disguise Self, all three Spell Matrixes, and (skills) Diplomacy and acting. Spells include light, invisibility, unseen voices, and see invisible.) Then, on a Tuesday just after the new year, Jenna's Master announced that he would be going on sabattical and leaving Throal to do research in the field. Jenna packed her things and went with him out to a tiny village--outside (learned and used weather cloak), past the Cervos Jungle, down the Snake River, and into the plains. <hr> I worked with my Master for a while in this small border village, impressing the yokels as I practiced and defended them from random tribes of "scary things." (Okay, so some of the scary things were phantasms... I had to look useful *somehow* and you can only scare off the real bad guys so many times before they just stop coming back. ) While we were there, he began working with a tribe of nomads called the Myrkrydia. They are the descendants of Namegivers left outside during the Scourge. They are the victims of Original Taint, but still willful beings--not horror minions. Because of their horror-modified appearance, though, they rarely get a chance to prove it. The ignorant villagers tend to throw stones, injure and even kill any Myrkrydia who tried to enter the village, calling them "Monsters!" and "Horrors". My Master arranged a sort of exchange program--working on a "good relationship" between their tribe and modern Throallic culture. After a lot of discussion, my Master took a young female Myrkridia back with him to Throal, and I went from the village to the camp of the Myrkridia. All I have to say is "Thank goodness for the Speak Language Talent". I spoke with the Dwn for a while, learned their language, and then began to learn more about the Kaerl'ni clan. One of the first things I learned is that the Myrkrydia, as a race, tend to be practical jokers. Good firsthand experience. Lots of "good" ideas--practical jokes have always been a hobby of mine--but theirs have a more serious purpose. You see, when Adult Myrkrydia fight, they fight to the death. No questions, no arbitrations, and no consequences for the victor--it is the way things are. One of the curses left on the race by the Horrors is their tendancy to Very Short Tempers. When they are in a fight, they lose all sense of rationality or will--animal instincts take over, and they fight to the death, whether they want to or not. Fighting is, therefore, taken **deadly** seriously. Jokes are jokes, games are games, but if you throw a punch, it's them or you. It made for an interesting first couple of weeks, let me tell you. This tribe didn't have any real Adepts, though their stories tell of times when they had Swordsmasters, Archers, Cavalrymen, Wizards, and others. Magic is used sparingly, if at all--the Dwn is a Shaman, I think. *Every tribe needs one... or, at least, has one*. He is a seer--in fact, that's why I'm here. He told me that I am special, somehow...Prophecies, dreams, that sort of thing. My leaving the Myrkridia for these Adepts, apparently, was Prophecied, (or he'd just have killed and eaten Thwack.) I'm not so sure what I think about that... three of my friends were killed by that thing, trying to catch some little spellcaster girl so I'd have someone to talk to. They shouldn't have been there, but the penalty for playing pranks should not be death. I wish I'd known what they were doing--perhaps I could have saved them--but at least now I can partially repay the Dwn for his hospitality and perhaps do some good. I sent a message to my Master saying my letters would probably be delayed for a while, as I was on a mission, but not to worry since I'd be with other Adepts. That's probably going to worry him, and confuse, too, since Adepts are rare around here. Maybe I can get these folks to come with me back to Throal for a while, once we get the people out of their Caer. It'd be good for them to see a Real City, since it sounds like their Caer forgot quite a bit over the years. I'll have to mention that, if they live through getting into their Caer...