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[Dwarmin]

Miles...smiles.

"A Time Broker is specialty merchant who can go back and forth in time, gathering information or goods from people that where here or people yet to come. We've a special gift that makes if far less paradoxical for us than others...it gives us a number of advantages.

For example-As I'm sure everyone will tell you if they haven't already, I'm nearly five centuries old. At the highest point of my life-or lives-I trade a part of my self forward, and leave a part of myself behind, usually with whatever family I've had, to live out a natural life. The second part of me lands in the future, pulled forward by someone I have paid quite dearly to do so.

I've done this quite a few times, a good run all things considered. My memories and skills tend to regress though, so it's not like I'm a lich or anything-I have to earn my memories back. And last time was quite rough...

Ah, as for the Crusader. I sort of meant that literally. I'm French at heart, you know-and still a bit of a romantic-and, I can't resist a good cause, a good fight. It's going to be the death of me one day, no? But still, one my good friends once told me something..." Miles laughs to himself then, raising his mug. "Le monde est un bon endroit, mérite d'être défendue!*"

*The world is a good place, and worth fighting for

[Criptfeind]

David sat back, his face showing him to be impressed.

"Time travel huh? Wow that's pretty crazy sounding, even compared to, you know." David waves his arm around the room "All this." He leans forward, interest in his eyes. "So, you time travel, you're some crazy type of reincarnation of yourself, and you even know how to fight it would seem. That pretty much seems to be the jackpot for a coworker in this business, if you don't mind me saying. I was a little afraid that all the other bloodrushers would be, well, really green, like that singing chick, and me." He ponders for a bit. "Can you like, tell the future then? Do you trade with yourself from the future or the past?"

[Kansa]

Alice set the note down on her bedside table still slightly stunned from what had happened the night before. Almost in a daze she traced a finger down the dragon that now marked her arm, it was quite beautiful really. In a way it was a relief, Diana had come to visit and all that she had done was leave her this tattoo. A smile began to form on Alice's face, maybe she hadn’t made such a blunder as she had thought in telling her friend the location of where they worked, after all if she had wanted them dead they would be dead by now. Even with the terrible things she had heard about Diana she couldn't help but wish that the side that she had seen of her was the true one. She hadn't seemed like a bad person, just a little desperate and she had given her an amazing gift after all.
“Thank you” she whispered these words not expecting a reply, just glad that she hadn't lost a friend last night.

Spend 6 hours with Jacques researching about the Gailuf (Research 4d6+1)
Spend 6 hours researching magic that manipulates people’s emotions (Research 4d6+1)

[Dwarmin]

Miles thinks a moment.

Then he launches into a similiar speech he's probably given hundreds, or thousands of times-to friends, lovers, coworkers, students...

"Well, that's where it gets tricky.

See, the market considers information of the future valuable, almost like a rare commodity. If I were to travel to a merchant in a market ten years ahead of now-even myself-that person would have to extraordinarily careful about what they tell me. Likewise, I could go back to past and tell myself, say...there's a little fellow with a mustache and a bad temper attending art college in Vienna, he should die...I would have to be able to afford it. The Market would take a hefty sum as, insurance, say. Partially to keep a sort of balance in the universe. It's not much more complicated that what Merchants normally do-we cheat the market, but we keep the balance. The stakes are a bit higher in my case.

Let's say you died tomorrow. That's a stretch, of course.

I could save you if I found it in time-and only if, my balance could handle it. Otherwise, the transfer might be annulled. By which I mean, I'd probably be wiped from existence fully or partially, or reset with no knowledge of what I was doing. And nothing, or almost nothing would change. Or, if the powers that be felt in a punishing mood but wanted to keep me around, perhaps if I had a destiny of my own I needed to fufill, my powers and consciousness would sleep, until the knowledge could no longer change things-usually, in this case, one becomes either a lower or higher form with no more purpose or power in our world than a literal rat in a landfill.

The greater the effect of a changing timeline, generally, the greater the cost. At some point, certain events effect so many people to have become truly immutable to anyone with the exception of certain Gods...but, as a Time Broker, I can obtain this power-and use it as I want....

Ah, as for trading with myself? It's an intriguing question. It's not easy to contact ones past incarnation-like magnets repulsing each other, we just tend not to find one another directly. But, occasionally we do. I'll say, it's not always very pleasant.

Have you ever imagined all the ways your life could have gone? All the different people you could have become if you'd made different choices or lived in a different time? In my case, it's literal-we're not unlike a dysfunctional family that doesn't even come to barbeques together. Not to mention, they're all much more powerful than I am, by dint of age. So, it's not so much I couldn't, as I don't want to unless absolutely necessary.

Since that's the biggest part. I obviously can't harm my past selves-I would vanish. I don't even think the most powerful God could pay that balance!

But, see, they can harm me. Since, to them, I either don't exist-a slice of their own soul given a new body and flung into a future they'll never be affected by-or will exist at some point in the future, but don't at that moment."

Miles takes a deep breath.

"Well. I can certainly talk, yeah?" He says with a smile.

[KujiUn]

Turns locked and rolled, and might I say OH MY.

[Weirdsound]

Saturday, December 21th 2013, Week 1, Day 7

Vortanna:

When you declare interest in studying magical frameworks, Sweeny is quick to call in one of his employees to serve as a tutor for you. The tutor is a strange creature; humanoid with a squid for a head. Tentacles droop down his body. The creature introduces himself as Charlie, and begins a lecture on the topic. You listen closely. Although the subject matter is quite difficult, after several hours you feel as if you have learned quite a bit.

+1 Rank of Education: Magical Frameworks
Result = 7

After the lecture you decide to hop a teleport back to Arkham and do some studying at the library. Since you know that books about your exact condition are more or less non-existent, you instead look for spells that spawn a manifestation of your subconsciousness. Eventually you spot such a spell in a dusty old tome, and swiftly copy down the details to study at your leisure. The spell text mentions that the caster dosn't have any real control over the summoned creature...

+Opprotunity to Learn a Summoning Spell
Results = 16

Jeremiah:

It costs a good sum of money, but when a god tells you to go to Boston, you wake up, throw on decent clothes, and go to Boston. You didn't even bother with breakfast. Upon reaching Government Heights you begin asking around for Archmage Goldberg. Before long you find the building where she keeps her office. The lady at the front desk doesn't want to let you up to see her, but as fate would have it the Archmage you are looking for enters the building as you argue with the front desk, and is bemused enough to invite you up to her office.

Goldberg's office is an intresting place. You can tell by the holy symbols on the wall she is a Priest who favors the various gods of War and Combat. She seems to ingore the divide between natural, elder, and parasite gods, and has taken patrons from each group; She is the type of person who poses a conundrum to Aijorluk worshipers such as yourself... Do you protect her as a servant of the Old Ones, or punish her worship of false gods? You decide to use Fen Fwa's revelation as the deciding factor in the matter, an introduce yourself as a bloodrusher and Priest of Fen Fwa who has been sent in search of a job.

The Archmage frowns at your declaration. She looks to be in her late twenties with jet black hair and fair skin, but her face is composed, mature, and disciplined beyond her years. "Just when your day couldn't get any worse, you learn that a crazy chess master god has a stake in your plans... wonderful. Luckily for you I was considering flipping the job to dear old Fredric anyway, and I'm not one to deny a priest a fair chance at perusing a revelation, so I'll send the job details to that boss of yours."

She explains that the project she is working on calls for an artifact called the Pig Iron Trumpet. You have heard of this artifact before. It is supposedly used as a tool in powerful rituals relating to War Gods. Aijorluk supposedly threw it across the cosmos in a fit of jealous rage during his involvement in the Second Conquest and Glass Rebellion. She explains that she has located it, and will share the rest of the details on the mission request form that she will fill out with Fredric.

On your way out the door she stops you and passes you a briefcase. "You can use these on the job or whenever. I have better tools for killing things, so you might as well have em... I plucked em off an Olympian in another realm who went rouge and joined the Chaos Circle a few years back. Just stand a good distance back and throw one in the general direction of the things you want dead."

You look in the briefcase and can't help but display a huge shit-eating grin at the contents...

+3 Olympic Lightning Bolts (Single Use. AC 4. Range 15. Creates a 3m Blast. Attacks once for DB15 Electric Damage and once for DB DB15 Logos damage. All damage is magical.)
+ New Mission
-150 USD
Result = 11 (Crit Success)

Leaving Boston, you head to Innsmouth and track down Linus at practice, who you warn about Daintyroot. He does not seem pleased with the news, but thanks you for delivering it anyway.

You then head down to the gym, where the team is playing what basically boils down to a competitive snowball fight... With enchanted snowballs. Points are scored by hitting the other team's enchanter with red snowballs. Purple snowballs impart supernatural force on impact and send their victims flying. Yellow Snowballs paralyze their victims upper body for about a minute. Practice is fun, if not a bit scary at times, but it does become apparent that you have alot of catching up to do just to get back into athletic shape again.

Results = 6

You return home and take a nap so that you can stay up late to pray an work on some star charts. When you awaken you grab dinner and head to the observatory. You spend a few hours working on a star chart, but you fail to finish it to Aijorluk's standards before exhaustion begins to set in.

Results = 4

Before going to sleep you pray to your gods so that they might provide both Vortanna and yourself some healing should it be needed at some point in the future. You get a warm feeling in your soul that implies your prayers have been answered before dropping off to sleep.

Result for Jeremiah's Prayer = 15
Result for Vortanna's Prayer = 11
Remember to define which god(s) your prayed to before the start of the next mission...

David:

After returning to the Hostel from your night out, you talk to the support staff for a bit. When you learn Zhao does, you offer to buy a list of nearby nature spirits off of him. He offers to give you a list of the four he knows of off the top of his head for 200 bucks, and says he would be willing to do some extensive magical searching on the matter for 10 times the amount. You decide to buy the list of four for now.

The first spirit is Carl Mihilipxhits, an outer being who claims the school library and observatory as his territory, and works as the school librarian. His Element is Logos. The other bloodrushers hanging around the lobby all claim he is a decent and helpful guy, but none of them knew he was a nature spirit.

The second spirit on the list is Professor Blaize Newton. Blaize is 1/4th Salamander and claims several classroom, laboratory, dorm, and office buildings on campus, as well as the tunnels connecting them, as his territory. Blaize is the Chair of the Non-Mundane Chemistry Department and his Element is Genesis. He keeps drop in office hours all day Monday-Wednesday, but druids students in his class can also schedule appointments with him.

The Final two spirits are Yugg an Yugga, a mating pair of trolls that claim a 5 mile patch of territory in the woods that can be reach from Arkham by a 35 minute walk. They treat druids well, but are known to attack anyone else who intrudes on their turf. Yugg is a Male Frost Troll, and his element is entropy. Yugga is a female Regenerative Troll, and her element is procreation. Druids are free to drop in at any time.

-200 USD

Since you figure that the scholars will be easy to find at your leisure, you decide to first seek out the trolls. You bundle up and walk out into he woods, and before too long you find yourself face to face with a large sign which warns that you are entering troll turf. You walk past, and after 20 more minutes of searching you find yourself face to face with the nature spirits. Their English is rather bad, but they do identify you as a Druid, and you spend a couple hours enjoying awkward troll hospitality. Their huge troll egos prevent them from asking for help defending their territory, but they each agree to give you charges when you need them in exchange for a long term task:

The couple has three adolescent offspring who will be old enough to set out on their own come the spring thaws. They would like you to keep an eye open on your adventures for places where they could live. Trolls like dark caves or nooks in areas with lots of prey that is human sized or larger.

+ New Opprotunity
Result = 11

You leave the trolls and return to the Hostel, where you round up Thorton and demand a swordplay lesson. The large vampire is more than happy to oblige, and spends the last half of the day putting you through your paces with an exhausting set of fencing drills. By the end of it, you feel as if your arms are going to fall off, but also as if you have made significant progress.

+ New Feature
Result = 16

Miles:

After breakfast you return to your bed, and spend the rest of the morning reading the books you have checked out. The Cantrip book turns out to be a bit of a goldmine. Not only does it include a few Cantrips that would be of use to a merchant, but it also describes a specialized dance workout that can be used to improve both one's cardio and one's magical reserves.

+Opprotunity to learn an Artifice Flavored attack cantrip that transmutes a fallen foe into something valuable
+Opprotunity to learn a Cantrip that allows temporary access to an enbeaded object
+New Workout Opprotunity
Result = 18

The Magic Theory book is an outdated textbook, so all you have to do is simply visit the index to find where the tips on increasing one's own supply are kept. Most of what the book has to say common knowledge; work hard, perform the correct exercises everyday, and whatnot.

You do however spot a table listing foods that have a solid effect on one's supply, and the prices at which they can be obtained on the merchant network. You quickly copy the list down before heading to the kitchen to do some ritual work.

New Shopping Opprotunity!
Result = 17

The Jarl is out when you are ready to get started, so you decide to make your gem first. With deft proficiency you mix the beads containing the clown makeup, petri dishes, and shoelaces and slowly work the resulting gunk into the shape of a duel cut gem. You end up producing Worm Diamond, a thin and hard to shape gem that clumps together like spaghetti, and with much effort and sweat you are able to shape the unruly substance to fit your armlet before it becomes to solid to work with.

-Makeup
-Petri Dishes
-Shoelaces
+1 Psuedo Duel Cut Worm Diamond (A clump of clear spaghetti-like crystal that fits in your armlet slots)
Result = 9

When Jarl Snoori shows up, the pair of you get to work pushing a grandfather clock around and making potions. With his help the process runs smoothly... until you ask the man for some tips. He informs you that any potion can be made more potent by adding mead, and then proceeds to demonstrate by adding some to your highly sensitive temporal brew!

The nearly finished potions flare up with a blight red glow. When the concoctions settle one is blue and one is orange. They were supposed to be green. You can sense great power in each of them...

+1 Powerful Orange Potion
+1 Powerful Blue Potion
Results hidden until further notice...

Alice:

Jacques Beaumont meets you at the Hostel first thing in the morning, and takes you to the student union where he pays for a teleport trip to the manor of an old Wizarding family who has agreed to let him use their library. You spend three hours serving as the man's study assistant as he hops from book to book. Your job for the most part is to run through the Index of Books in search of the word 'Gailuf' where it may appear, and then make copies of the page on which it appears. When Jacques finishes his more in-depth reading of the few particular books he was after, he has you make copies of a few pages from those as well.

He then takes you back to campus and offers to show you an easy spell from the Pantomime Style of performance magic as a reward for your service: the classic invisible wall trick. It takes a bit of practice, but the spell is as easy as Jacques promised, and you get it castable within a matter of hours. You thank him for the new spell, and head to the campus literary.

+New Spell
Result = 12

You head to the library and start looking up spells that can be used to alternate emotional states. Sadly it would seem that most of the books on the matter have been checked out. Eventually you get frustrated and ask the librarian for help. He considers you request for a second before nodding. "Back when I used to roam the universe, playing people's emotions was my main tactic. I'll give you some lessons if you want. I should have some free time tonight to translate some of my spells from Internal Magic to performance if you wish..."

+New Mentor for Alice
Result = 15

[Weirdsound]

Reflection Time!

+1 GP to David for RP
+1 GP to Miles for RP

Since I know there is likely to be alot of points floating out there because I skipped the last reflection, and I don't want to be swamped, I am going to rule that for this particular reflection, nobody is allowed to request more than 3 Homebrew Things from me. (2 Cantrips will still count as one thing)

Spend your points now...

[Dwarmin]

Spend 1 GP to Learn the Two new Cantrips
Spend 1 GP to level up Reading Skill
Spend 1 FP to Learn a New Feature

[Kansa]

Spend 1 gp on levelling up research
Spend 2 gp on getting two new spells

[Grek]

Spend one GP on +1 to Agility
Spend one GP on +1 to Charm
Gain via Feature +1 to A Skill of the GM's Choice
E: Both prayers were to Fen Fwa and I am Renouncing Earthly Reward for Lisa

[Criptfeind]

Spend one GP for a maneuver
Spend one GP for two cantrips.

[Dwarmin]

Miles flips through his journal again...

Spoiler: Halberd and Topsail-Rising/Question, Denial/Nesting (click to show/hide)

Day 1
I thought'd it be nice to copy my thoughts for future iterations to pore and puzzle over. Not gonna make a lick of sense to you-I'm talking to YOU which is me-but you'll figure it out, huh? Or it will figure you out, chum.

Anyway, we're setting off today. She's a fine ship, hey. Two stacks and gleaming steel all around, bought her from an affiliate at the White Star Line. Captain Ornage. Not a mispelling, it's actually 'Ornage', not 'orange'. I think he's a Swede. Why would he be a ship captain from a landlocked country I can't say. He's a swell enough fellow, though he doesn't drink and I'm pretty sure he's not into baseball. Didn't even know who Babe Ruth was!

The ship, yeah. We named her the 'Aello', cause it was all fancy and whatnot. Hey, I'm just on guard duty, right? I'd have named her 'Merissa' or 'Kathryn'. A nice gal of  a ship, heh.

Anyways, the harbors calling me. We'll sail right out past the Lady with the Torch, she'll wave us goodbye, right? Cause I aint got not lady to wave me goodbye, that's for sure. Me and Evi hung that one up awhile ago...ahh, but I ramble on and on. You'll not get everything easy, future not me.

Day ?

We hit the current dead on. Ornage's one hell of a stick, turns out. Oh, jeez, this aint no normal current either. Otherwise why would there be all these weirdo's around like me? Seems we take the prize for diversity around here. We got a minotaur man calls himself 'Hax'-whose a pretty good cook too-he's always trying to armwestle me. Bloke could snap me like a piece of peanut brittle! There's also a Vampire Bloke, calls himself Husam, he's one of them Islams. Decent enough fellow, speaks good enough English. Hell, speaks English better than I do. Promised me he has enough blood for the trip. I think he was making a joke, but he's not the sort to tell you he's making a joke, right? Yeah, dry humor. I like that.

We got a few others...about a half dozen of those little Kobolds creeps..er, specialists. They're sort of creepy and real quiet. I think they're mercenaries, treasure hunters or something. Got a wing of winged guys (heh) who won't tell me if they're angels or demons or whatevers. They seem to be able to look however they want. Met a sweet thing, a little lady named Trish McClintock. She's sort of a Ghost huh, but a solid one-she's not like a zombie, or a vampire or whatver. She's nice to me. She likes it better this way, she says...told me she lives by snaking on 'emotions', like happy or sad or uh, turned on. Interesting lady.

That's the crazy crew, sure. Feel a bit outta place, being the only flesh and blood Human.

But, this ain't an ordinary ship right? We're sure not sailing on water anymore, hah.

Day ?

We bought spotted the White Whale, real close today. I saw her. Never thought I would. She was beautiful for something that could do so much damage...well, we were all loaded up and ready, yeah. We can't hurt her, nah, that's impossible. How about you try to extinguish the sun with a bucket of water or wrap a lasso round the moon? Nope! But, we've all got the skills to force her back...back where she belongs. So she doesn't come to Earth. All in all, most of us like Earth. We can't have some Old God's pet cat clawing the furniture, so to speak. Gods, right? They seem to be pretty careless buggers when it comes to these things.

But...we saw that Lady real close, and she just floated on anyway. Not paying us much mind. Captain's gonna follow her, real close. We're only gonna get one chance, and if we mess up, we'll be drifting in the black, or resting in her stomach.

Day ?

First blood, so to speak. It's not easy to herd something that big, even with all of us combined. The Kobolds clambered up on her, real gentle like-she coulda whipped them to eternity with one twitch. They put in the little gem things, which is my part of this whole shebang. I'm one to brag. I figured how to make these special gems, huh-they make spells hit harder, like the sun through a magnifying glass. But ya gotta put em on right, in the right way. That's the only way we can get her to pay attention to us.

Problem being, one of the Kobolds got spooked-his fellas tried to help him, but...well, the Lady didn't look kindly to someone crawling all over her rump. Next thing we know, the whole group is a big mess of guts and slime and all my gems I made.

I can make more, hey. But whose going to put them on?

Day ?
I'm a sucker for lost causes. Me and Trish have been getting close, real close. She says she likes that taste of my memories-'melancholy, but oh so sweet'. Ahh, she's cold to the touch...but I'm not a man to kiss and tell, future not myself. I guess that's why I'm writing this. Trish is already dead, but you're not. Hopefully she'll be around when you are. You watch after her, you hear? Or I'll come to the future and kick your ass!

Oh yeah, let's continue.

Hit the Lady with the first big spell. She turned about, good sight, hey. Away from home. I asked the captain-Ornage, not Orange-what he thought about what we were doing. He tells me she's not really much more than an animal, not malicious or anything. She just happens to eat planets. Not much more evil than a thunderstorm or a flood. I can understand that. I worry we bounce her away from Earth, she bounces off to someplace else, then we're to blame...but, I can take the bad dreams, if it means we're still here afterwards.

Day ? (what, ya think I'd number them, sucker?)

She's almost to home base, rounding third. We keep up the pressure. I gotta say, we're all pretty tired. I have to make new gems every day-and we didn't plan on it, but I'm pitching magic too. Every ounce I got. We'll put her off our scent.

Got to say, the only rest I get is with Trish. Not that all we're doing is resting. I wonder if we'll be anything after, or is this just a sort of fling, right? I don't know if...well, it'll happen if it happens. I can only keep going. For her, for everybody. Aint gonna get no ticker tape parade, but that's the thing right? We knew were probably weren't coming home anyway.

Praise Avias, I hope we can do this.

Day ?
S'done. The Lady turned off, she's in a new current now. Hopefully won't swing around to Earth for a good long time, though you best watch and make sure.

Well, like we guessed, the ship couldn't take the hit, the backflow, the reverb-whatever you like. We're adrift and Aello aint gonna sail no more on the wild yonder. She's a good ship, I guess. Got us far.

The others-who survived, anyway-are planning on last push. We got some portals out, to who the hells knows where. I looked in one and it led back to a place of damn giant lizard monsters. Sure, sure-next. Hax rolled on through, said he was looking for a challenge. Crazy, I tell ya! Hah.

Husam was next. He just picked up the first stone and walked through, said God is Great and he'll watch me go. I was sad to see him go. He's a nice guy, for a vampire.

Ornage-not Orange-also took his leave, tipped his hat and passed on. Problem was I thought I heard him scream before the portal snapped shut behind him. Ah, trick of the wind, right? Heh heh.

Now, if this was a rinky dink story with a sweet little tied in a bow ending, you'd see me write how me and Trish hopped through a portal hand in hand and strolled onto fifth avenue, happily ever after, had us a bunch of ghost children. Truth is, she was gone when I woke up this morning. Didn't even leave a note. I'm guessing she had a different way out than us, on account of not being alive. I don't blame her...I hope she's safe, wherever she is.

Well, that leaves just me right? Melvin West, that's my name, there ya go. Mel's taking the high road outta this dump. Got a portal that doesn't look totally instant death on the otherside, but would it? The winged blokes probably ended up in naturia...well, gonna finish up here and toss this journal into the pit. The words I wrote will reach ya, they always do.

Later, friend-future not me. Try to save the world at least once before ya go, right? We've got a reputation to live up to.

[ragnarok97071]

alright, so to tally stuff.

2 GP to spend.

auto-raise in Rhetoric, Edu(Frameworks).

and a summon spell possibility.

in that case...

1 GP: Learn that Summoning Spell.

1 GP: Raise Research 1 step.

[Grek]

What follows is theological pamphlet which Jeremiah received in a sealed envelope upon first meeting his mentor, High Priest Jonahson.

Spoiler: The Faithful of Fen Fwa - A Convert's Guide (click to show/hide)

[[The cover of this pamphlet is a full colour picture of the Southern Cross Constellation, all the stars save one neatly labelled in exacting script. The remaining body is marked only with a symbol - an eye within a mouth.]]

A small note has been handwritten in a spidery cursive script on the front of the pamphlet:

Greetings, Jeremiah Williams, of 1020 Little Tree Lane, in the city of Calgary, on the planet of Earth. We trust that this missive finds you well. If it does not, ask the High Priest who will be delivering it to you why he hasn't invited you in out of the cold yet. You may be wondering how we know your name and address. You may also be wondering if it is a scam, a prank or some other trick. You may even be wondering if this is a cult. We assure you that it is none of those things. All will be explained herein. Know that though your path is a hard one, your faith shall be rewarded.

---

Questions and Answers:
How do you know all of this about me?
The Faithful of Fen Fwa have observed you from afar throughout the past few years, your actions judged and weighed. The following is our determination: That your are one of the Elect; that you are of sound mind and sound body, or else that any illness within you is repairable; that you have not yet turned your back upon the Gods and still have room for faith within your soul; and most importantly, that you will welcome this opportunity to serve a higher cause. In short, you have been judged worthy of recruitment.

Who are the Elect?
Perhaps one human in four has within them the potential to grow beyond their natural abilities and become something more. These select few are able to do impossible deeds, to see the invisible world, to what can only be described as Magic. Unfortunately, the majority of those with the gift have either vices of character and spirit, infirmity of body or mind, an unwillingness to learn of their powers or some other flaw which prevents them from reaching their potential. Remaining are the Elect - those who have both the ability and the willingness to become something greater than merely mortal, to become a Mage. We have determined that you are one such person.

What is Fen Fwa?
Fen Fwa is the daughter of Aijorluk, brother of Vich Gor'Teerech, the Mother Planner, the Seer Unseen. Many of the Elect feel a calling toward religion, toward the worship of something higher than themselves. Such Mages are known as Priests and live a blessed life, directly in contact with the Powers which rule this realm. Fen Fwa is one of those higher beings, counted among the Outer Gods, and has taken a direct interest in you, her newest convert.

What is an Outer God?
The incredible forces involved in the creation or destruction of a universe leave behind vast quantities of spiritual debris - unused or sundered fragments of souls, magical energy unspent or long exhausted, and things stranger still, beyond the kin of humanity. It is from these unmanifested potentials and indestructible remainders that the first live and the last lives in a universe inevitably emerge. These alien beings are the Outer Gods, the Old Ones, the first and perhaps the most powerful Gods that Man has known.

Are there other Gods?
Yes, there are. In addition to the Outer Gods, of which there are many thousands throughout the Cosmos, there exist two other major forms of divinity. A Natural God is any being who has enough magical power to gain worshipers through miracles and acts of divine power. Well known examples on Earth include the Olympian, Asgardian and Egyptian pantheons. On the other end of the spectrum are the Ascended Gods, who first gain worshipers through charisma and their teachings and then later ascend to divinity through the combined faith of their followers. These Gods tend to be more active in the lives of their worshipers, having minds, natures and emotions akin to those of those who worship them.

Why should I worship Fen Fwa instead of some other God?
Very few Gods demand monoaltry and Fen Fwa is not counted among them. It is not only accepted, but encouraged for you, as a worshiper of Fen Fwa, to worship as many other Gods as you desire and to study and understand any Gods that you choose not to worship. Ignorance of the Divine can only harm you.

Are there any Gods that Fen Fwa does not approve of?
Only those Gods opposed to Fen Fwa are themselves opposed by Fen Fwa. Thus, with the sole exceptions divine sponsors of anti-Old One extremism and Gods who have defected to the Chaos Circle, the worship of any God or Goddess is permitted to the worshipers of Fen Fwa

What is the Chaos Circle?
The Chaos Circle is the chief enemy of Fen Fwa. They are a atheistic organization devoted to the destruction of the Gods, the slaying of their priests and the universal destruction of religion across the multiverse. Worshipers of Fen Fwa, or any other God for that matter, should shun the Chaos Circle where possible.

What does it mean to serve Fen Fwa?
To Fen Fwa, this world is as a board on which the Great Game is played against the forces of Chaos. Upon that board, all are as pawns of uncertain loyalty, proceeding forward in life unaware of the endless plots and perils around them and of ambiguous allegiance to all around them. Paranoia abounds and none are trusted. To survive, you must have faith. You must move as Fen Fwa commands you, for only the Seer Unseen can perceive the whole of the Game and move you to the greatest advantage. Serve well and you shall be promoted; to a knight, a bishop, even a queen. Fail and you shall forever be but a pawn for one side or  the other. And know this - in the end, it is the hand of Fen Fwa who moves both the black and the white, though they know it not.

What is the will of Fen Fwa for me now?
For now, you only need to have faith and grow strong. Study the religions of this world, and those of others. Learn of the enemy, the Chaos Circle, and prepare yourself to oppose them. Make plans for the future, vows to your Gods, and await the commands of Fen Fwa.

How will I receive new orders when the time comes?
 As you grow more experienced, you will learn to divine the will of Fen Fwa yourself, and to contact the Mother Planner when in need of her insight. For now, you must simply wait for orders to be sent. A messenger will appear to you when the time is right, either in person or in a dream.

How will I know a fellow servant of Fen Fwa?
On the final page of this pamphlet is the sigil of Fen Fwa. Those that bear it shall be known to you as the Faithful of Fen Fwa, and so too will they know you when that symbol is revealed to them.

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[[On the final page, in simple black ink, is the Eye Within the Mouth - the most well known of the sacred symbols of Fen Fwa.]]

[Dwarmin]

A Lovely Dinner

Miles swerved around the room with two plates in hand-one for him, one Alice. He was cognizant of the fact that a collision would be messy and possibly fatal, given the clientele. He swerved around a pretty Elven biker woman who was had paused to give him the once over, smiling and nodding at him. Ahh, on any other night...she must be brave to enter an Orc run place, but he couldn't place her name. Maybe she was new in town.

He scooted on past, enjoying her mingled look of consternation and dashed expectations.

He thought about Diana as he got back to the table. He had no doubt she watching them, watching them happy, watching them safe. It must have been torture, for her. He wondered why she would subject herself to it...Miles wondered if Alice should have reason slap him upside the head, and then if a Dragon Near-Goddess would come plowing through the roof and blast him out of existence. Oh, no, eternal torment was the term. He was sure she had her ways.

He remembered a story-about a Dragon who had blessed a man with the ability to regenerate from nearly any wound, and then swallowed him whole. Eternal suffering, digesting forever in the belly of the Dragon. How creative.

...

Realizing he was distracted from his meal-as was no doubt Diana's intention, to make sure he would as miserable as her-he turned to Alice and smiled warmly.

"Might I say, you look beautiful tonight." He commented-truthfully. She really did.

He could almost hear a Dragon crying somewhere over his shoulder.