Alice	... ~Ostilliw, are our travel kits provided with some local funds?~
The_Guild	~I've thrown a few silvers into your pockets, yeah. Enough to get a couple meals and a room for a few nights.~
Alice	~Okay. Thanks.~
The_Guild	The training program continues it's lesson as windows appear before you, each showing the same scene: a small wooded clearing, surrounded by a thick stand of trees. ~The window before you is created by your Operations Shargat, and has been modified to create a portal. Concentrate on this window, will it to open and step through it.~
Alice concentrates.
Lopez concentrates
Do-N turns back into a human being (Jesus) and does it.
The_Guild	Though the technique is a bit harder than expected, it doesn't take long before the three of you are standing in that very grove of trees. The day is overcast, and odd birdcalls fill the air. The light seems to be getting dimmer.
Alice	[Can we see outside the grove?]
The_Guild	[Not from here. The trees are thick, and at least deep enough to prevent anyone from seeing in or out.]
Alice checks her equipment.
Alice	"Do-N, want to test what we were talking about before?"
The_Guild	The equipment you requested is with you: Weapons, armor, coins and envelope amulets.
Lopez	It's small grove hmmm interesting my internal access systems seem to be unchanged
Do-N is checking the fit on her clothes & gear, tightening up straps and whatnot.
The_Guild	You're all wearing travelling leathers of similar cut, Lopez' being of a more masculine trend, of course. Lopez' plate armor is packed together in a travel pack.
Alice	[Did I get my pistol?]
The_Guild	At first you don't think you did, but you find... a wand. About 13 inches long, carved of dark wood and laced with threads of Manite. It's in a leg sheath.
Alice	~Interesting... ."
The_Guild	Your looks have changed very little, though you have dirtied up a bit.
Alice	~Ostilliw, how does this work?~
The_Guild	~...at? Y... to co...tra... ...der.~
Lopez	I think you concentrate
Alice closes her eyes and concentrates on the message.
The_Guild	The voice of the training simulation cuts in. ~You may encounter initial difficulties communicating with your Operations Shargat. Dimensional weave typically resists such communication, but your Operations Shargat will overcome these difficulties in time.~
Alice	"Pode você compreender-me do-N?"
Do-N concentrates.
The_Guild	Alice's clothes slowly shift to an oddly bright reddish color.
Alice	"Lovely. Do I stand out enough Lopez?"
Do-N	"Clown shoes'd help."
Alice	"Nah, they are a pain to walk in."
Lopez	"like a sore thumb"
Do-N	"Well, fuck. This is pathetic."
Alice	"No luck with the languages trick?"
Do-N	"Nope."
Do-N pulls out an arrow and attempts to nail a bug to a nearby tree.
Alice	"Have you checked with the thinkers why this might be happening?" "Lopez, can you scan the area and make sure we are alone?"
Lopez	"we are...first thing I did"
Alice	"Good to know."
Do-N	[Any luck with the bug trick?]
Alice pulls out the wand and start pointing it at a nearby tree, trying to make it shoot something.
Alice	"Anyone know how magic wands would likely work?" Alice looks at Do-N.
The_Guild	[Are you shooting the arrow, or just using it to poke a bug?]
Do-N	[Shooting the arrow.]
Lopez is keeping a lookout while the other two play
Alice	"If you are looking for something to do Lopez, try scouting outside the edges of the wood and see what you can find."
The_Guild	While your archery skills are superb, the bugs buzzing about are just tooo dexterous to be pinned to the tree.
Alice reaches in her pocket and pulls out a scrap of paper. She reads it and then laughs out loud.
Do-N	~What's up?~
Alice points her wand at a tree away from the others.
Alice	"Bang!"
Lopez	"I don't need to I can see the edges of the grove from hear, granted its in X-ray but *shrug*
The_Guild	A rippling bolt leaps from the wand and strikes the tree, spewing up a shower of slivers and leaving a large gouge.
Do-N	"Bwahahaha!"
Alice	"Lovely!" Alice holsters her wand.
Do-N	"'Bang!' That's priceless."
Lopez	"Shhh Singing south-southwest"
The_Guild	Darkness slowly falls. The sound of birds and cute animals going to bed rustles about you.
Alice	~Who/What is it?~
Lopez	"working on it" "far off I'm having hard time telling mayble a kilometre and I hear a fiddle" "sounds like a party"
Alice	"There are a few more things I would like to check out before you head out. Do-N, any ideas why your power is failing? Did the thinkers know?"
Alice blushes.
Do-N	"So, it ain't a total bust... migh' just take a bit a' work."
Lopez	"guess someone needs some rulesets"
Alice	"Do you think you need to... "understand" my mind better?"
Do-N	"Yeah, it's pro'ly somethin like that."
Alice	"Okay, that is something we can work on."
Alice rummages through her pack looking for another set of clothes.
Do-N	"Sure thang."
Lopez	"So? are you two done playing?"
The_Guild	[That wouldn't work. Alice, your knowledge of specific skills is too dynamic to be grasped by a mimic, there's no "root" of Portuguese knowledge for her to access.]
Alice	"I need to find something less... conspicuous. For now." "And the 'play', Lopez, is both useful and important. We need to test our attributes and equipment."
The_Guild	Each of you has another set of clothes. Alice, the camo is actually a sort of coverall over the clothes you're wearing right now.
Alice strips off the coveralls.
The_Guild	Also, flint and tinder, and a few packages of travel rations.
Alice	"Shall we head towards this party? I would give us an oppertunity to meet some natives, face to face."
The_Guild	Bedroll, blanket, canteen.
Lopez	"sounds good"
Alice	[Ostilliw said she was providing us with some sort of identities as well. Any evidence of them in out minds or equipment?]
Lopez walks over to a sapling rips it out of the ground then cuts and trims it into a 6' Staff
The_Guild	Jack, Jill and Jane, from Corden. You joined the Royal Army of King Irwin two years ago and served under Captain Coburn. You're on leave for six weeks and have decided to travel.
Lopez	"well I know I'm Jack which of you is Jill?"
Do-N	"Wouldn't have been the first time I've been Jack... ."
Alice	"I'm Jane, she's Jill."
Do-N	[shrugs] "Sure."
Lopez	"yeah well I don't exactly have a girlish figure...although there was this one special ops assignment on Kithak VIII....*Lopez Smirks* Shall we go?"
The_Guild	Do-N shimmers pale blue for a moment. Then the glow fades.
Do-N	[Do they do last/family names 'round here?]
The_Guild	[No.]
Alice	"Feelin' a little blue Do-N?"
Do-N	":) Shiny." [She looks like she's on PCP when she says this.]
Alice	"That's the kinetic envelope?"
Do-N	... "Just gettin' my Terminatrix on."
Do-N picks up a small rock and crushes it in her hand. "Aw, hell yeah."
Alice walks around Do-N looking for any evidence which might tip someone off that she has changed.
Lopez	"careful it takes some getting used to"
The_Guild	There is nothing to mark her, just as there is nothing marking Lopez.
Do-N	"Oh don't worry, I'm *always* careful." [Rolls eyes]
The_Guild	Are you heading toward the party?
Lopez	"and now your strong enough to tear a tank apart with your bare hands...trust me I sent a guy to sickbay when I shook his hand after I got out."
Alice	"Boy, don't I feel weak. Shall we head out then?"
Do-N	"A tank, eh? Al-fuckin'-right on."
Lopez	"Yeah well you can tear a tank apart with your mind...so"
The_Guild	~...ot a poin...~ ~...uck.~
Lopez	"To the party!"
Alice	"Wait a secm, I think our little elf is getting upset. Why don't you two see about contacting back to her. You seem better at it than me."
Lopez	"ok"
Do-N	~Hey Otsi, wha's up?~
The_Guild	You make your way through the grove and come out a few moments later, standing at the top of a low rise, looking out over a new-tilled field. Across this field and the next, you see a group of people around a large bonfire.
Lopez 's eyes go out of focus as he concentrates
Alice	"Can you guys see any Rauka veins showing on me?"
Do-N checks Alice out carefully.
The_Guild	[Yes, they are visible.] [But mostly hidden by clothes.]
Lopez	birth defect?
Do-N	[Could it pass for anything else?]
Lopez	"ohh there are 25 humans out there "
Alice	" Do-N, can you help me cover them up with my clothes as well as I can?
The_Guild	~...ight. Jus... ...ve t... ait a second.~
Do-N helps Alice.
The_Guild	[Perhaps thick scar tissue? Except that they move if you watch 'em for too long.]
Alice	"They're Natilla-Vv's feeding tendrels."
Do-N	[Where are they located?] "Can she control 'em and keep 'em still for a while when you ask?
Alice	Any bandages in my medikit?
The_Guild	Of course.
Alice	[Arms, legs, torso and neck.] Okay, I do the best I can to cover them with clothes and see about putting bandages on the rest.
The_Guild	Done.
Do-N	"Bandages on the neck are gonna look sketchy... ."
Lopez	"dirty yourself up a bit more"
Alice	"Lopez, can I borrow some blood?"
Do-N	"Seriously... how many wounds can ya get that need a full neck bandage, but not a fuckin' casket?... maybe a brace or somethin'"
Alice	"You can get cuts not deep enough to cause serious injury in the neck which still require bandages, especially towards the black of the neck." "Or I could say it is a skin infection." "or really serious sun burn."
Lopez	'Sure"
Lopez slices wrist
Do-N shrugs. "If you think you can bring it off... ."
The_Guild	You get a nice view of the internal workings of a manimechano construct. But no blood.
Alice	"Very pretty."
Lopez	"Well that sucks"
Alice	[How much is still showing after the clothes?]
The_Guild	[Not much. Wrists and neck, but at the extremities it's thin enough to pass as scar tissue or similar disfigurement.]
Do-N	"I can hook you up if you like... no reason two of us can' be wounded."
Alice	"I think I will see how well the scar tissue excuse goes."
Do-N	"Acid burns maybe?"
The_Guild	[Do you want to be walking toward the party as you're chatting? It'll take a few minutes to get there.]
Alice	"We are in the military. I'll be very shy about it." [Okay.] [No wait.] "Did Ostilliw want us to wait for something?"
Do-N	[To Lopez] "You get anythin? She said fuck all to me."
Lopez	"Nothing..but I'll try again"
Do-N	"Let's hang back until we know what she's on about."
Alice	"I agree."
Lopez	"Indeed" She says: ~...oly fu...! ... me a few mi... to so... ...out!~ Which I think is something close to "holy fuck give me a few minutes to sort it out!"
Do-N	"'Kay... shame we don't have any bud to smoke."
Lopez	"Pity"
The_Guild	~...pid f...ing p... of cra... why the fuck aren't you... Hello? Hello? You guys there?~
Lopez	~yes~
The_Guild	~Damn this fucking static bites my tasty sn... I'd f... kill to... ...ck. Go ahe... ...atch from h...~
Lopez	~and now its worse~
Do-N	" "Was that a 'Go ahead, I'll watch from here'?"
Lopez	"looks like"
Alice rubs the back of her neck.
Lopez	"shall we?"
Do-N	"Guess so."
Lopez	"Alice?"
Alice looks distracted "Okay... . Sorry, talking with Natilla-Vv. Fine."
Lopez	"good..lets go mingle"
The_Guild	You tromp across new-tilled fields, churning up the dirt with your well-worn boots. You hop a log fence separating two fields and cross the second toward the gathering. People at the fire begin to point and look, though none look too concerned.
Lopez	"Hello there!" *waving*
The_Guild	A few tentative hands go up, wave uncertainly. "Hello! Welcome to Dribsdale! Come on and join the light!"
Lopez walks toward the bonfire
Alice comes over smiling.
The_Guild	A burly farmer extends his hand to Lopez. "Welcome to Dribsdale, soldier. I'm Walter."
Lopez	"Hello, Thank you My name is Jack, and these are my comrades Jill and Jane" Gesturing to Alice and Do-N " I hope we're not interuppting anything but we saw yur fire from a hill and came over"
The_Guild	Walter turns to Jill and Jane, extending his hand to each in turn. "Hey, good to meet you. I'm Walter, this is my wife, Tabby," he indicates a pregnant woman in a flower-print dress, smiling tiredly at you. "That's Joel, Robert and David over there, and their wives Deb, Harriet and Molly." Everyone waves, smiling.
Alice is acting sorta shy.
The_Guild	"And that," pointing to a boy running through the crowd, about six or seven, "Is Mark."
Alice	"It's a pleasure to meet you."
The_Guild	"You too. Where do you three hail from?" "Come on, have a seat. Mark! Get our visitors some of that chicken your mom made."
Alice	[Was a home town included in our identities?]
Lopez	Corden, Originally
Alice	[nevermind]
The_Guild	Corden? Gosh, you're a long way from home. Then, the army always seems to do that to a person, eh?
Lopez	"True enough *laugh*"
The_Guild	"You don't happen to know Martin, do you? From the tinkers? I think he's from Corden too."
Alice	...
Lopez	"No sorry haven't been home for a while..and well to tell the truth I really didn't grow up on the safe streets of the city if you know what I mean"
The_Guild	"Er... no, no I don't know what you mean? Soldier talk I guess!"
Do-N	... "I think I know him a little by face and reputation... scruffy fellow, mumbles a bit, likes his wine?... think that's the chap... you've got to be a more important soldier than me to actually spend much time with the tinkers though."
Alice looks around for that chicken that was mentioned.
The_Guild	Walter looks at you strangely. "Sounds like him, but important soldier? Heh. I guess he's busier in Corden, but 'round here the tinkers fix everyone's pots, no matter who they are." The chicken comes on a platter carried by the little boy, who struggles under it's weight. It's got a few slices of bread on it too.
Lopez takes some after Jill and Jane take their share
The_Guild	There isn't much left, and the three of you finish it off. The chicken is good, and the gravy is superb.
Alice	Very quietly to Tabby, "The chicken is very good. Thank you."
Lopez	"wonderful, Better than mothers...course Mom was never a good cook"
Do-N	"I guess we're not thinking of the same fellow then... I thought you were talking one of the army tinkers... we just use what we're given."
The_Guild	Tabby smiles back shyly. "You're welcome. It's my grandmother's recipe." The women blink at Lopez' comment.
Lopez	~so how have the feild's been this year?~
Alice	Still quietly, "She must have been a great cook then. And this is your son?" *looking at Mark* ~General message, Folks, these people are as clean and tame as possible. Lopez's comment about his mother lacking good cooking skills offended them! Tread carefully.~
The_Guild	"Yes, this is Mark. Say hi to Jane, Mark." Mark hides behind his mom's chair, waving and whispering "hi."
Alice smiles, "Hi Mark. Thanks for carrying out the chicken. It was very big eh."
The_Guild	"The work's been tough, what with all the rain. It's hard when it comes early, the troughers seem to act up a whole lot more in the wet weather. Robert's don't work at all when it's even cloudy out. Heh. Serves you right for buyin' the suncharger, eh Robert?" The little boy grins shyly. "Yeah." Robert grins and waves. "Gives me more time for designin', Walt!"
Alice	"So how old are you Mark?"
The_Guild	Walter grins, pointing a thumb at Robert. "Thinks himself an artificer, he does. He's got some good ideas, but he still needs the technical knowhow, book-learning notwithstanding."
Alice	~Artificer good new folks. That points towards manite. Lets follow up on it but be careful. I'll keep the wife and children happy.~
The_Guild	Mark looks at his fingers, then holds up a handful of fingers and a pair on the other hand. Tabby smiles, folding down one of his fingers gently. "Six, hon. Five and one."
Lopez	"Sometimes the greatest of men come from the simplest of beginnings, Artificer is a noble aspiration."
Alice smiles and winks at the boy, "I could never remember either when I was a kid."
The_Guild	Robert beams at the compliment, but Walter snorts. "Don't give him any ideas. He doesn't do enough work around here as it is." Then Walter and Robert look at each other and burst out laughing, joined by the other men.
Lopez	"well I'm certianly glad we stumbled upon such a jovial bunch of people here, would have been much worse huddled around a little campfire"
The_Guild	"Where are you three coming from tonight? Pretty lucky of you to have stumbled on us just as the sun was setting."
Lopez	"we're on leave, so we Thought "Why not go cross-country and see what's over the next hill...and after a while..well sadly I have to say we got...errr...lost"
The_Guild	"Lost? Lucky you didn't walk into dendrophiliac territory. Come out looking like a porcupine pincushion."
Alice	"Well thanks for carrying out the chicken, Mark. You know, I couldn't help but notice that you had something stuck in your ears though."
The_Guild	[Dendrophiliac is a tree-lover, btw. An elf.] Tabby looks startled, looking at Mark, who, mortified, starts rubbing at his ears. "Mark, I thought I told you to wash up after dinner!"
Alice reaches out and pulls a coin from each of the boys ears and folds them into his hands.
Lopez	"True enough...do you think you could give us the lay of the land? Lest we come back to our commanding officer with more holes than what we left with."
The_Guild	Both Tabby and Mark look startled, then Mark blushes, looking down at the precious coins in his hands. "Thanks." Tabby holds her hand out and Mark puts the coins in her hand, smiling up at her. Tabby looks at you. "Thank you."
Alice looks started and shy, "It was excellent food... ."
The_Guild	"Sure. We're twelve miles south of Durnburg." Tabby continues to smile. "So you're in the Army too? A medic, by the mark on your pack?"
Alice	"Yes. I like to help people and... I felt I would be be... best able to help as a medic."
The_Guild	"That is a noble calling. We really respect the work you do."
Alice	"Thanks..." Alice eats to cover up her embaressment.
The_Guild	"Are you married, Jane?"
Alice	"No. I had a... friend but he was in the army too and *tone drops* I haven't heard back from him in a while."
The_Guild	Tabby gives a frown of sympathy. "What's his name? I could speak to his mother for you, I'm sure."
Alice looks sad again. "Nnnoonoo. His... his platoon (correct for local military unit) hasn't been seen in a while. They tell me he is probably alright..."
The_Guild	Tears spring to Tabby's eyes. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry." She leans forward and takes your temples between her hands, pressing her forehead against yours briefly before letting go.
Alice flinches away suddenly.
Alice	"Sorry. Neck wound."
The_Guild	Tabby nods, "That's alri...oooh..." She sways, leaning back in her seat and covering her face with her hands.
Alice moves forward. "Are you okay?"
The_Guild	Tabby nods, sniffling and waving you away. "Headrush, that's all. Nothing to worry about." She wipes her eyes and sighs. "So, Jack, you must have some adventures to speak of. Want to tell us a tale?"
Alice	"Are you sure? I can check you out if you want?"
The_Guild	Mark takes Tabby's hand solemnly, stroking her fingers. Tabby shakes her head. "No, it's alright. Comes with the territory." She rubs her round belly.
Lopez	"well let me think... Ok here it goes, One time in my early days as a soldier, before I met Jill and Jane here, I was assigned to a special branch of the military..." "and that Branch was tasked with finding and dealing with dangerous criminals...So one day i was given orders to track down a ring of dangerous men who were trying to bring prohibited constructs into the capical city."
Alice gently rubs the back of her neck like she is massaging a wound.
Lopez	~so I spent weeks and weeks with no leads trying to find their base of operations, to no avail..."
The_Guild	Eyes wide, Walter croaks, "Dwarves? In Luntero? What did you do?"
Lopez	"then one night a few days before I was going to be recalled I was in a rather seedy tavern and I overheard these men talking..and as luck would have it was the very men I sought. SO I followed them back to their Hideout and waited...and waited then finally the guard they posted fell asleep, and I knew that was my one and only chance..."
Alice looks around for the privy.
Lopez	"I crept up to the guard and drew my sword, but rather and kill him, I knew my superiors would want them alive, so I knocked him out with the butt of my sword..and I crept inside..."
The_Guild	There's no privy, persay. Do-N goes off with a young man and joins the group of dancing eligibles.
Alice	"I'll be back in a bit."
The_Guild	Tabby looks concerned. "Are you alright, dear?"
Alice rubs her neck. "Just a headache. I should walk it off."
Lopez	"Deeper and deeper I went into the warehouse, black as death it was I couldn't even see my own hand in front of me, and that's when I heard *imitating a slurred huskey voice* "The King'll never see this comming, not in a thousand years! Hahahaha"...
The_Guild	"Alright. Don't go too far. The dwarves like to steal away unwary wanderers."
Alice nods and smiles and heads out into the darkness.
The_Guild	The one named David, listening to Lopez' story, nods seriously. "That's dwarves alright."
Lopez	"and peering around the corner of a box I saw two men, one was holding an odd sphere about the size of a child's ball glowing with manite, and the voice comming from a huge man must have been a head taller than myself said "when we get these sphere's into place, and they explode at the right moment the Kin'll never know what hit him, then the Palace will be ours for the taking!..." "hearing those..those traitorous words drove me to near madness How dare they..How dare they Try to kill Our beloved King!!! All went red, and the next thing I remember is waking up in the infirmary, apparently I had lunged out and attacked them, causing the man to drop the sphere which fell into the others and exploded with a thunderous crash thowing myslef and the other two men into nearby buildings. sadly nither lived, b alive and I was commended for my actions and promoted, and that's when I met Jane..cause you see Jane was the medic tending me, and the rest they say..is history *takes a bow* " ~we did find out one thing though the Sphere's wern't human in creation....they were dwarven...now the Dwarves claim to not know about them but..you know those gritsuckers they'd cheat their own grandmother for a silver
The_Guild	The men sit there, some with their mouths hanging open, others nodding sagely. "I think I've heard that tale before," says David, "Or at least about the explosion." "A giant dwarf? Holy crow," breathes Walter. "I would have wet myself."
Lopez	"What makes you think I didn't, I'll be honest I was scared for my life but my duty to my king and country came first,"
The_Guild	Robert begins to laugh. "Walter, you should see the look on your face. Geez!" Robert continues to laugh. "Good story, Jack, but personally I don't believe a word of it. Dwarves in Luntero. Giant dwarves in Luntero carrying fireballs. Riiiiiiight."
Lopez	"believe what you will good sir, but its not the truthfullness of the story but the joy and laughter and awe that it brings"
The_Guild	Robert continues to grin, nodding at that. "True, true. It's certainly a most entertaining tale."
Lopez	"well I am glad you enjoyed it"
Retrieving #BESM modes...
The_Guild	Walter stands up. "Well Tabby, you think it's time we took the boy home to bed?" Tabby looks at Mark, who's sitting at her feet and nodding. "It looks that way, Walter."
Alice approaches from the darkness, smiling a bit more.
Lopez	"Feeling better Jane?"
Alice	"Yeah, I just needed to walk for a bit."
Lopez	"well we better grab Jill and go find a place to set up camp"
The_Guild	Tabby comes up to Jane, taking her hands. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Jane." Walter offers his hand to Jack. "Jack. Good to meet you. Thanks for the story."
Alice	"The pleasure was all mine."
Lopez	"thank you walter for having perfect strangers join you...By the way you wouldn't know of an inn nearby? much as I love sleeping out doors sometimes a man longs for a bed and a warm fire"
The_Guild	The man named Joel approaches, his wife Deb following him. "If you'd like, you could bed down in our barn here tonight. There's enough hay to make a decent bed, and the roof is firm."
Lopez	"I wouldn't want to impose... ."
The_Guild	"Not at all, no trouble! Just being neighbourly. As long as you don't tip our cows, you're quite welcome."
Lopez	"well then I most humbly accept your off Joel" *Extends hand in gratitude*
The_Guild	Joel shakes your hand, grinning. "No problem." Deb nods and smiles prettily at you.
Lopez gets his gear packed up
Alice smiles and follows
The_Guild	The other couples smile and wave. "Good night."
Lopez	"Jill you comming?"
Do-N	Do-N gets up, shoulders her pack and follows.
The_Guild	You walk toward the barn of Joel and Deb's farm.
Alice heads inside
Do-N	[Ditto.]
The_Guild	Inside you come face to face with a glittering tank-sized crab.
Lopez heads in, turns and Thanks both Joel and Deb once again
Alice	"Yeegh!"
Lopez walks by the crab and heads for the loft
Alice	Quietly, "My you are big."
The_Guild	The crab sits silently and motionlessly in it's bay.
Alice climbs up into the loft.
Do-N	[To Alice] "Want me to check out that wand now?"
Alice looks around. Any civilians?
Lopez climbs up to the loft
The_Guild	Not that you can see.
Lopez takes a look around for people
Alice	Alice slightly timid air and stoop drops from her. "Sure here you go."
The_Guild	The loft is filled with hay, though not so much as to make getting around tough. It's a quick job to pile it into beds.
Alice	~Lopez, scan for watchers will you.~
Lopez	~doing it...if you want i can give you distance for everybody in a 1000m Radiu~
Alice	~Nah, I just want to be sure we aren't being spied on.~ ~Lovely, three beds... anyone actually tired?~
Lopez gives gives Alice a look
Do-N	"Not yet." [Do-N rolls a cigarette.]
Lopez	~Fates above I hope the hay isn't dry~
Alice	~What terribly dull, rural people. God I hate farms~
Lopez	~if your quite and don't do any loud and bright things you'll be ok~
The_Guild	[The hay IS dry.]
Do-N	"I'm not going to burn down their fuckin' barn... I'm all about ashing onto marble floors and shit, but this ain't quite the same thing..."
Lopez	~its your burnt ass then~
Do-N is pulling out a cup and putting a bit of water into it, to make a very safe ashtray as she speaks.
Do-N starts checking out Alice's wand to see what she can learn about it.
Alice	Alice is looking down at the crab speculatively. "Hmmm...."
Do-N tells her a bit about the crab.
Lopez	"so its a big crab? what about it?"
Alice	~I want....hmmmm... I want to eat the crab.~
Lopez	Ummm no...bad idea
The_Guild	It's a large metal crab, a threshing/planting machine made by the artificers.
Alice	~Yeah, I know. You just asked why I was looking. I was trying to work out why myself.~ ~Hey, it really is just metal. Damn and I really like crab meat.~
Lopez	~and I don't think you'll get much nutriton from metal~
Alice climbs down to have a closer look.
The_Guild	It seems incredibly efficient. Powered by some sort of Manite system, the controls are fairly simple, most of the work must be automated.
Alice	~Hey Jill, when you are done, do you think you can give me a rundown on how this works?~
Do-N	"Sure thing."
Do-N is still examining the wand, and smoking carefully.
Do-N carefully butts out the last of her cigarette into her cup and then drinks the whole mess.
Do-N is tapping her foot on the floorboard and singing under her breath as she checks out the wand.
Alice	~So what are our immediate plans then?~
Do-N	~Get some money and some established identities.~
Alice	"Thanks for checking out my wand Jill. Can I grab it back?"
Lopez	~Ostilliw is getting the bugs out so she should be in contact soon, we can work on the identities then~
Do-N throws it to her. "Sure thing."
Alice start practicing holding the wand and moving around, aiming, shadow dodging. No shooting.