FLUFF: Jammers: Turn 24 Aside Chapter 1

The Past Adventures of my Jammers PBEM game.

For me, one of the joys of PBEM gaming is the ability to revisit the
old adventures by reading the turn summaries. I think they make great
fan fiction.

This game has been going on since September, 1997. I thought folks
might enjoy reading the old turns in order, as fluff fiction. I know
I post the current turns as fluff as well, but the past turns were,
well, six years ago and new list members, as well as some old, may
still enjoy getting the old reads in their mailbox once per week. If
not, let me know and I'll stop sending them.

To give folks an idea of how much is still to come, the game is now
in Turn 36 of Chapter 7. Chapter 1 has 30 turns...

Running split parties is always hard, even in PBEM games.  But I
enjoyed this section, i got to play Estriss of Cloakmaster fame... :)

This Group included Nilaroo and Jamila.

----------- = Meanwhile, elsewhere...
*********** = Later...

IC:
Meanwhile, out in the back courtyard...

   Italapate strides out into the courtyard, catching Deigatt before he
starts practicing.  "Deigatt, man, I was not offended.  I didn't want you
to be offended by what I said.  Look, the Rock is this huge... let's see,
try not to use metaphors... its just a huge city.  In the city, there are
maybe more humans than anyone else...but after that, there are all the
races and cultures you could ever want to see, crammed into one tiny, tiny
town on the grand scale of things.  Even amongst us humans, there are
hundreds of different cultures represented. Some of us humans fear our
enforcers, some of us trust our enforcers with their lives, and some of us
(that would be me) haven't a clue in
Hades what an enforcer is (though I suspect you mean constables, I could be
wrong).  I'm just trying to warn you that making broad observations
(especially based on the ramshackle group we have assembled under that
roof) can get you in trouble with some people. And lastly, with the
Company, you aren't going to make any friends if you sit in the back, make
disparaging comments about us, then sulk out whenever you are spoken too,"
he finishes, cocking his head to one side
and smiling at the big minotaur.

"You suggest that I did not hoffend you, Comrade Hitalapate, yet you call
my comments 'disparaging,'" Deigatt replies somewhat confusedly. "You hand
the humans hon my world har so very different. Hon Geb, the humans har--
perhaps I should not generalize, has you say. Comrade Hitalapate, I ham
only trying to hunderstand humans, hand I ham having little luck doing so.
You have forbidden me from discussing what Comrade Leera did hon the
eelship, but I ham still confounded that the rest hof you so readily
haccepted hand condoned what she did. Hand repeatedly you make light hof
what happears to be a gracious boon granted hus by the Lady Moune, even
though you voluntarily signed her contract. I mean no disrespect to you hor
your kind," the minotaur continues. "I have seen none hof my race so far
hon this rock, hand I have thrown my lot hin with yours, the company's. But
you must realize that hit his difficult for me to trust what I do not
hunderstand, hand there happears to be so much that I don't hunderstand."
Deigatt strokes the whiskers of his chin as he speaks. His voice
grows softer, although no less audible. "Comrade Hitalapate, I must confess
I ham feeling some frustration hover the visit with Lord Hestriss hearlier
today. I'm sure that he can provide the guidance that Comrades Billy hand
Kain seek, but I don't think there his hanything he can provide for me."

Italapate smiles as he leans against the inn's wall.  "Don't get me started
on Moune, all right?" He shakes his head, grinning.  "Ah, she's all right.
I just don't like putting so much on the line.  As for me being offended by
your words, that might be kind of hypocritical.  But I do recognize
disparaging words when I hear them. Humans can be hard to understand,
especially when you consider how hard a times humans have doing so.  Their
might be some generalities you can
draw, but on the whole, they are very different. You would not judge me or
Raken the same despite we are both what you would call 'priests'.  Nor, I
hope, would you hold me responsible for something a Xeno did or said.  You
want to talk about Leera, I am here, I will listen.  But, let me say that I
wasn't happy about what she did.  That doesn't mean I can't see how such
disruption would be effective against an enemy." Lots of things to not
understand. Some of which will always remain a mystery.  I don't even know
why I act the way I do, I can't imagine someone else figuring it out," he
grins openly. I don't know about Hestriss helping you, but I don't know if
I would trust any illithid," his face grows darker for a moment.  Then it
brightens and he laughs out loud.  "HA!  There I go!  Maybe I shouldn't
judge this being based on his kind."

"Hindeed," Deigatt says, "I found his happearance to be hunsettling, but he
did not seem to be a threat. Hof course, seemings har not halways
realities. Comrade Hitalapate, I must confess I was not haware that you
were a priest. I had thought that you were hof the profession that travels
and storytells; Parthan told me what these humans were called, but I have
forgotten. You do not behave has hany priest I have hencountered before;
neither does Comrade Raken, who seems too selfinterested to be priestly.
The priests hof Geb-- Wait, I ham being disparaging hagain; I should not
have said that habout Comrade Raken, has he has been a conscientious member
hof the company!" The minotaur stares at the smooth blades of his axe. "I
ham not meeting my challenges headon," he says. "Commander Dinistkin would
have had me roped by now."

Italapate claps the minotaur on his shoulder.  "Commander Dinistkin isn't
here... " he says softly.  He grins broadly, "As for me being a priest, of
course I am.  I am the highest ranking shaman of Coyote on this Rock." he
looks around, then shrugs his shoulders. "To be honest,between you and me,
I am the _only_ shaman of any of the Poscadar spirits on this Rock. Our
culture values immensely the tradition of storytelling, it is how morals
and histories are passed on in a culture with very little in the way of
writing.  My service to Coyote and the Great Spirits relies heavily on my
relation of the old tales.  But there you go.  See how different we are?
The Priests on Geb are probably nothing like Raken or I. We are different,
neither better than the other.  Understanding is an excellent goal, but you
need to open your heart, your mind, and your eyes.  Understanding may be
you changing some of your thinking, not your finally being able to
pigeonhole that which is different into your own belief system and
experiences.  Wildspace is big, it is beautiful and wonderful.  But it is
chaotic, a mixing bowl of more cultures and races than you will ever be
able to meet in an elf's lifetime.  There are some you will understand
right away, some paladins I've seen from the churches of Torm, Tyr, or
Cuthbert.. the Giff... the Trading Company.  These people have a structure
you would readily recognize, but they are such a small part of a larger
whole.... That's the fun part."

"I ham willing-- I ham trying to open my mind, Comrade Hitalapate," Deigatt
replies. "Hat least, I believe I ham. But opening my heart-- I have
hexperienced pain hin the past, comrade, pain brought habout by priests hon
my homeworld. By one priest hin particular." Deigatt's voice is rough and
thick, but as he speaks further his words become quicker, more heated.
"These hold tales you speak hof, these har your way hof hunderstanding your
hexistence, your place hin the universe? We have like stories on Geb, tales
hof the birth hof the minotaur race hon Geb hand hof the coming hof the
minotaurs from Krynn, hand hof hour hendless battles with the-- hour
struggles for survival hin hour world. From these many
hof hus gain honor hand, hin turn, dedicate houselves to honoring hour
predecessors. Yet there har those, the priests hof Geb hand their
followers, who suggest we gain honor not for hourselves but for some 'god,'
some superbeing to whom we har somehow hindebted. How can there be honor
hin henslaving hourselves to some hother being? We har then no different
than--." He stops abruptly. "I hapologize hagain, Comrade Italapate. My
hanger sometimes hoverpowers me, but I'm sure you're not hinterested hin
the problems of my homeworld when we have more himmediate concerns."

"You should never enslave yourself to anything, or anyone, Deigatt." 'Pate
says  "Your 'god' needs you, sometimes more than you need him.  I would not
have come out here if I was not interested in your problems. The others
seem to think they know what they are doing as far as our immediate
concerns.  I talk, sometimes more than anyone wants to hear... but I am
also capable of listening."

"No, no, comrade, I have no hillusion that Sargonnas has need hof me,"
Deigatt says with a frown. "Hand I have no need hof Him! He has done enough
evil to me hand my family. Let's not talk more hof religion, Comrade
Hitalapate. Hit only
frustrates me."

"While I disagree with her method, the lesson Comrade Leera attempted to
teach hus his one well-learned. While I see no need to happrehend this
Gantius which has captured the company's hattention, having a common,
easily identified henemy will make hour unit more cohesive. You hagree?"
Deigatt has resumed his usual, relatively unreadable demeanor. He grips his
axe shaft firmly with both hands and  swings it slowly and methodically,
concentrating on his movements as he
speaks.

Italapate shrugs.  He reads that the desire is to change the subject so he
complies.  "A common enemy is not a very permanent glue... but sometimes a
little glue holds two boards together while you fetch the nails.  How was
that metaphor, I'm practicing you know.  That kind of thing is expected of
shamans..." He grins genuinely.

Deigatt grunts. "Given hour different goals hand perspectives, a temporary
bond may be the best we can hachieve hat present. With determination that
bond can grow stronger, but hit will be a difficult path for hour company.
Hit his my desire, however, so I will support hits growing. Hand has you
mention practicing, " he continues, "I believe that his why I came hout
here."

"Now, if you insist on practicing out here, while everyone in there is
plotting our demise," Italapate spins his tomahawk with something less than
practiced ease.  "Perhaps you can teach me some things that would translate
to this hand weapon."

Deigatt looks uncomprehendingly at Italapate's tomahawk.  "I ham skilled
with my great axe hand with my flails," Deigatt says, "but I've never used
a throwing haxe before. Hit his not metal?"

Italapate sighs.  "No, it is stone.  I'm sorry, I thought, for a second
there, that you also used one handed axes.  This weapon can be thrown, yes,
but it can also be used in hand.  I thought some hand axe techniques could
translate. Oh, well, I can always ask Radick..."

"Comrade Radick his good with his haxe," Deigatt says. "I've not seen such
a weapon made hof stone has this tomahawk, however. You can hactually use
hit hin combat?"

"Uhmmm, can _I_ use it in combat?  Not so much.  But I have heard tales of
some who were quite accomplished.  It is all I have in any case. Why do you
think I am so interested in talking my way out of problems?" 'Pate says.

"That question his rhetorical?" Deigatt grins. More seriously, he
continues, "A stone weapon will not last long hagainst han harmored foe,
comrade, hunless hit his henchanted. Still, hit his a strange-looking
weapon. Perhaps you can use hit to hintimidate your opponent. May I feel
hit?" He extends his hand.

Italapate freely hands over the tomahawk.  "It's not designed to fight
armor. Where it originated, armor is unknown.  It's designed to break
bone... I think."

Deigatt inspects the unfamiliar weapon, finding its shaft difficult for him
to hold in his big hands. "This his hinteresting, comrade. Hon Geb, south
hof Durtan, the city I ham from, there his han harena, the Kon Stirrit,
where we go to compete with hothers hin contests hof skill. No metals har
hallowed hon the harena floor, but a weapon such has this would be handy
there." The minotaur grasps the tomahawk in his right hand as he readies to
throw it, but abruptly it leans backward out of his fist and falls to the
ground. "Well, perhaps with some
modifications," he muses, looking down at the weapon. Then he picks it up
and returns it to Italapate.

Date/time:  12:05 pm  17th day of the 4th Month, 5049 OC
--
"...How shall a man judge what to do in such times?!"
"As he has ever judged," said Aragorn "Good and evil have not changed
since yesteryear..."
J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_

Paul Westermeyer,  pwestermeyer@????????.??.com