The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

This is the forty-sixth part of an AU construction about a Gwynedd where the duel at Kelson Haldane's coronation went very differently indeed. We are now almost three years into the Gwynedd Wars-- Charissa's new kingdom at Valoret against the Haldanes in the south and the kingdom of Torenth in the east. This episode takes place a few days after "Roadways". As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated.


Bishop Brechlin is tapping a stylus against his notes. Kheldour and the Grey Death are across the great desk from him.  It's a summer morning in Valoret, and outside the great windows there's a cool wind in from the northwest. The bishop looks across at Kheldour.

"This man Stefan Coram," Brechlin says. "Who is he and what do you know about him?"

Kheldour picks up his cup and sips at it. It's kahwa this morning, dark and rich and thick. "A scholar," the Shadow Queen's husband says. "He's been a scholar since he was very young."

Brechlin frowns. "What does he read? Where did he teach?"

Kheldour looks over at the Grey Death and smiles. Meetings with Brechlin always feel like being a boy and being examined in front of your tutor.

"Philosophy," Kheldour says. "He reads Philosophy and Law. Some History. He was at Laas for a while. Maybe at Remigny, a long time ago. Maybe at Beldour when he was first a Magister. He was always itinerant. He likes being an enigma."

"Of course he does." Brechlin taps at the desktop again. "But never at a court?"

Kheldour shrugs. "Not that I've ever heard. His admirers— and he does have them —call him a fearless seeker after truth."

Brechlin makes a face. "One of those."

The Queen's husband nods. "Oh, yes."

The bishop leans back in his chair. "I know the kind. It's always the fearless seekers after truth who end up killing more people than quartan fever and the summer plague combined. What else?"

"The story is that he was born in Torenth, but that's doubtful. He's supposed to be in his forties, but that's doubtful, too. He's probably older. One story is that he was a tanner's son, but nobody believes that. He's gentry-born; you can always tell. He took minor orders once upon a time, too."

Brechlin raises an eyebrow. "A Deryni? That has to be in the Eastern Church."

Kheldour opens one hand. "In Tigre, I think.That's quasi-Western, anyway. Looser standards and less rigor, too. And, you know, the rules don't really apply to Coram."

"They wouldn't. I know his kind: a scholar and a fanatic. And he's head of this Deryni high council."

Kheldour looks over at the Grey Death and back. "He is now. He's had his own coup. He's taken charge and he's replacing everyone who might not follow him."

Brechlin looks down at his notes. "That would include this Lord Hagen from Autun and the Lady Roiste from the Connait. I understand they'll both be returning to Valoret with the Queen."

Kheldour draws in a breath "They are. They're both particular friends of the Queen."

"I'll need to talk to them."

"You'll have to ask the Queen directly about that. Especially about Kyri de Roiste. And... the Council is a badly-kept secret, but I think Kyri and Lord Hagen won't be willing to just defy their oaths to it."

Brechlin looks at him hard. "This Deryni council, my lord Kheldour— exactly what is its remit?"

Kheldour holds Brechlin's stare, "Two things. It was supposed to give aid and comfort to Deryni in the days of the Harrowing. It was supposed to help them escape persecution, help them re-settle, help them hide. And maybe defend them as well. It just didn't do a lot of defending, and it hasn't done much providing aid lately, either."

"What else? What's the second thing?"

"Discipline Deryni who wouldn't keep their heads down. Discipline Deryni who don't follow the approved narrative of how to behave and think. Discipline Deryni who behaved badly."

Brechlin's face sets. "Its own laws, its own enforcers, am I correct? It claims to govern Deryni apart from the crown."

"That's not wrong. The council isn't what it once was, but you're not wrong."

"Does it claim to govern all Deryni?" The bishop is looking at the Grey Death.

Aurelian shakes his head. "The Council of Saint Camber is an Eleven Kingdoms thing. Maybe just a thing west of the Rheljans. We didn't have it at home, and we didn't have anything like it. Not in my home city."

The stylus is tapping again at the notes. Brechlin looks up. "And this Stefan Coram and you crossed one another's paths before, I believe. What happened?"

Kheldour takes a breath. Yes, I'm a schoolboy again. "My lord bishop, I wrote a book. Coram had me called up in front of the council for writing it. He told me that I was undermining the council and that I was a threat to all Deryni."

"This would be...The Venture of Caeriesse, no?  Not Philosophy, I think. Nor Law. Neither of which would interest you. So it's History." He smiles bleakly. "Whose story were you telling? And Caeriesse is...what?"

Kheldour slides down a bit in his chair. He slides the cup away from himself on the desk. "The book was about the origins of the Deryni. Caeriesse is a place, or maybe was a place. It's supposed to be where the Deryni came from. There's a bad poem about it. It's the missing Eleventh Kingdom. It sank beneath the sea, all in a day and a night. Or maybe over a few dozen years.  Maybe. The Deryni fled from there to what turned into Gwynedd. None of which I particularly believe."

"Where was it, your missing kingdom?"

"That's a open question, my lord bishop. Maybe far out in the Western Sea. Maybe in the Kheldish Gulf. Maybe anywhere. If you sail around west by Ballymar, just before you turn south to go down by Kilarden, there's a chain of little islands that go out north-northwest. They're Les Escaliers, the Stairsteps, mostly called The Skaleers. The story is that if you sail to the end of the Skaleers you can look down in the water and see Caeriesse."

"Can you?"

Kheldour shrugs again. "It's open ocean there— black water. Out there, it must be a couple of miles down, maybe more. You could sink all Rhemuth and all Beldour there and no one would ever find them. Again, it's not something I much believe."

Brechlin is looking at the Grey Death. "My lord Aurelian, in your home city, where do they say the Deryni come from?"

Marc-Friedrich Aurelian shrugs. "We've always been there, my lord bishop. The city's been there something like eight hundred years. House Aurelian have been there for something like seven hundred of those years. My tutors told me that there were newer Deryni houses that came over the Grand Channel about six hundred years ago. I never heard about Caeriesse until I came to these kingdoms."

"The Moors say that there were Deryni in the far south long before the Messenger of God came to the Moors." Kheldour looks around. What he wants is a map, or maybe a lectern. "The Furstans came out of the East. Their own legend is that they followed a ghostly white hart all the way over the steppe to where Torenth is now. They were already Deryni." He smiles. "Coram hated that. He hated that I used Moorish records. He hated that I said that Deryni grew up alongside non-Deyni from the beginning. He hated that I said that Deryni weren't supposed to be something special and didn't have some ordained special purpose."

"That matters to Coram...why?"

"Stefan effing Coram wants to be God's red right hand. He thinks that the Deryni are tools God's given him to make a new world. Caeriesse explains why Gwynedd is special, and if it's special, it needs someone like him. He thinks the Haldanes are the link between ordinary people and the Deryni. Bad metaphor, and I'm sorry, but he thinks Deryni and non-Deryni should be linked together and he should be holding the chain."

"So he wants to kill you."

"He wants to kill the Queen. He wants the Haldanes, or maybe just the right Haldanes, ruling Gwynedd. He wants me dead because I'm the Queen's husband and because I talked back to him in front of the Council. You've been to Church debates— schoolmen and bishops calling each other names in Latin. Coram and I said a lot of nasty things in Latin and Torenthi to each other. I mean...that doesn't matter. I've been called worse all the time I was a light-horse captain. But he talks about making a new and hallowed world, about making Deryni see what they should be. Let's emphasize the should."

Brechlin's own smile is bleak as the northern sea. "What I'm hearing," he says, "is that he'll do a new Harrowing. Everyone says the Shadow Queen wants to burn the world down, but what the Queen wants is to re-draw the maps and set up a new dynasty and government. What your Master Stefan wants is something different." He tosses the stylus to one side. "I told the Queen once that the aim of any government should be to make life ordinary and boring. There's stability and order and ordinary people can lead ordinary lives and never have to think about grand delusions. Hallowing the world and renewing souls brings on harrowings. Always. This man Coram— he's a threat to the Queen, and to order. And that's a truth I know."

"I'm going to kill him. That's as certain as anything can ever be."

"Let's not wait. We'll be fighting in the Rheljans soon enough. It looks like the Duke of Corwyn is finally closing in on Warin de Grey and his rebels, so we'll be fighting in the south, too. One fanatic gone, and we don't need another. I know you're going up to Gwernach soon, but...as Queen's Justiciar and her first minister...use whatever resources you need." He raps with his episcopal ring on the desk. "Let's clear away at least one set of enemies before the storm breaks."

Character creation is done in 6 simple steps.

• Pick your character's Heritage (Human or Deryni)
• Determine your character's Traits
• Pick a Weapon Group Proficiency and a Specific Weapon Mastery
• Determine your character's appearance and gear
• Pick a Family Trade (this is what the character was trained in before becoming an adventurer
• Choose a Belief (this is a driving principle that the character lives by)

One you have all of these chosen. Post your character to this thread for approval.

There are only 2 Heritages allowed in Forgotten Shadows. If, as a player, you want to try to convince me that something else should be available in Katherine's world. By all means you can make your argument privately for the inclusion. If it's good enough you might just get it. But there would be only 1 exception.

Human
Humans are well, human. And outnumber the Deryni.

Hit Points: 6
Heritage Trait: None, but they get to pick a bonus Trait.


Deryni
The Deryni have hereditary Power. This makes them in many ways superior to Humans. Which the Humans have been known to resent.

Hit Points: 6
Heritage Trait: Power


Please note. There is no Half-Deryni Heritage. Half-Deryni, when looking through the multitude of Deryni novels by Katherine Kurtz, has always been used as a slur against the individual. If they were born with Power. They are Deryni. Calling someone with Power, a half-Deryni, is akin to calling them a mudblood in another fandom.

• Power
  
  • Healer
    
    • Blocker
  • Telekinesis
  • Spell-Trained*
    
    • Shapechange
    • Sword Spell
    • Ritual Magic
      
      • Awaken
      • Deryni Master

These are the know Deryni Power Traits. Each Trait has a detailed summary below. There are possibly additional Deryni Power Traits that await rediscovery.

Power: Power is neither good or evil. It is how you use it.
You have enough Deryni blood to manifest powers, or you are an Awakened Human. You are able to manifest an array of abilities that can cause fear in those without Power. All of your Power abilities are at Disadvantage. Touch or line-of-sight is often necessary to be successful.

Healer: I have taken an oath to harm no one.
The Power Trait is required to possess this Trait.
You are able to heal wounds and other ailments with a touch. A Standard Test is required to heal wounds. If successful, roll 1d6+1 for the amount of Hit Points that are restored. To heal other ailments, such as disease or curing poison. The Test is at Disadvantage.

Blocker: I can make the voices in your head go away.
The Healer Trait is required to possess this Trait.
You are able to block the use of Deryni Powers in any Deryni or Awakened Human. Effectively making them into a standard Human without Power. Use of this Trait requires a successful Test and physical contact with the subject. There is no Save Test against this Trait. The effect is permanent, but it can be reversed by another application of the Blocker Trait.

Telekinesis: If we concentrate, we can move it.
The Power Trait is required to possess this Trait.
You can manipulate small objects with just a thought. You must be able to see the object. Test at Disadvantage.

Spell-Trained: A fully Trained Deryni is a dangerous thing.
You have been formally trained in the Powers of the Deryni. This opens up additional manifestations of Deryni Power. All your Deryni Power Tests are now at the Standard 2d6.
A non-awakened Human can take this Trait without Power, they can make a Standard Test to identify specific Deryni manifestations in use.

Shapechange: You shapechanged?!
The Spell-Trained Trait is required to possess this Trait.
With a Standard Test you can change your own appearance to that of someone that you can see. This can also be used on someone else if you can physically touch them. To change your appearance without a model, the Test is at Disadvantage. The subject's voice can also be modified as can gender. The effect will hold even while sleeping. However, it is not permanent and must be renewed from time to time.

Sword Spell: It's a little grey on the edges.
The Spell-Trained Trait is required to possess this Trait.
This is a last resort effort in protecting others or in making a devastating attack. Use of this Trait is always Exhausting. The Deryni channels all of their power, usually along a blade for better accuracy. An Easy Standard Test is made. If the Test fails, the Deryni is Exhausted and looses 3 Hit Points. If the Test is successful, there is a blast of pure energy along the sword that hits the target. The Deryni is Exhausted and loses 1 Hit Point for every Power Trait they have plus 1d6 Hit Points. The sword is twisted and half melted from the outpour of energy as a result. And the target also suffers a tremendous amount of damage, if they are human sized they are charred beyond recognition. Structures will likewise be damaged. The extent is determined by the Game Master. This is usually used as a last act of a dying character to save others.

Ritual Magic: What wonders we can do.
The Spell-Trained Trait is required to possess this Trait.
You have been trained in the use of Rituals to further expand your Deryni Powers to the fullest. Some Rituals require multiple participants and others only require the solitary Deryni. Rituals succeed on an Easy Standard Test.

Awaken: A special gift for those we favor.
The Ritual Magic Trait is required to possess this Trait.
This is a special Trait and Deryni Ritual. With the proper assumption Ritual a Human can be granted permanent Deryni-like Powers. On a successful Test the newly Awakened Human automatically gains the Power Trait. Additional Traits can be given during the Awakening Ritual as long as at least one participant possess it. A Test at Disadvantage is must be made for any additional Power Traits. An Awakened Human is then treated like any other Deryni and can learn additional Traits on their own.

Deryni Master: The power that I command is more than you can imagine.
The Ritual Magic Trait is required to possess this Trait.
To be a Deryni Master takes years of training and practice. All of your Power Tests are now made with Advantage. The Game Master is the judge on what you can or cannot achieve with this power.

[18:11] * web82 (49ab39c5@CCN-FD80E4E6.hsd1.va.comcast.net) has joined #Deryni_Destinations
[18:11] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> Would that be our illustrious author?
[18:11] * web82 is now known as KK
[18:11] <The_Bee> Hi web82? Or are you KK?
[18:11] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I've never had the luxury of eating just clotted cream with my bare hands.  😉
[18:12] <KK> Hello, all.
[18:12] <~bynw> Hi KK
[18:12] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Hello KK
[18:12] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> Hi KK 🙂
[18:13] <KK> Eating clotted cream with bare hands?!
[18:14] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> my virtual self is eating virtual clotted cream sans scones
[18:14] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Hi KK
[18:14] <The_Bee> with strawberries might be better. and with a spoon
[18:14] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Are you licking it up like a cat, Nezz?
[18:14] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> I didn't say bare hands, but I did say I was "gobbling" it and that often implies with bare hands.
[18:15] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Seems like hands aren't quite the right tools for clotted cream anyway. 😁
[18:15] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> Evie, I'm willing to lick it up like a cat. 😄
[18:15] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Yup, it's good stuff
[18:16] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Be sure to lick your paws and whiskers daintily afterwards.
[18:16] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> *lick lick lick*
[18:16] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> *clean clean clean*
[18:16] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Dmitri says he'd like to try some of that cream too, but I told him it would just mess up his tummy
[18:17] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> yeah, three out of my four cats don't do well with dairy.
[18:17] <The_Bee> Most mammals are weaned of milk when they grow up.
[18:17] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> Fortunately, I can handle it just fine. 🙂
[18:17] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Now I wish I had some of the actual stuff....
[18:18] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Apparently the town 15 miles north of me is having a problem with teenaged furries dressing up as cats and playing in the public park, which might not be so much of an issue if it weren't for the fact they are also peeing in the woods there, not quite out of sight of everyone else there, apparently because they're cats....  🙄
[18:18] <The_Bee> HISSSS!
[18:18] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Ewwww......
[18:18] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Play acting is fine, but please use the public toilets anyway!
[18:18] <KK> Milk = good. Cream = good! Clotted cream = even better!
[18:19] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Ice cream = best. 😄
[18:19] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> That's pretty much how I feel about it, too.
[18:19] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Around here though....milk has to do
[18:19] <The_Bee> What's the difference between clotted cream, whipped cream and butter?\
[18:19] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> But you don't have to work very hard to convince me to have some ice cream....
[18:20] <~bynw> ice cream!!!
[18:20] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/257734/chef-johns-clotted-cream/
[18:20] * ~bynw had a Dairy Queen Blizzard this afternoon. And since it's in the 80s today. It was quite good.
[18:20] <KK> Yes! Just had some! Yum!
[18:20] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Butter is the solid content left behind once the milk is churned enough to separate the whey out of it and then the remaining solids are washedl.
[18:21] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Cooking is involved with making clotted cream. Whipped cream is not cooked, usually.
[18:21] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Butter is whipped cream that has been taken to the solid stage.
[18:22] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> I haven't had a Blizzard in ages, even though there is a DQ really close to my gym.
[18:22] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I've never made my own clotted cream, though. Not when it's readily available for sale. And I'm flinging dietary caution to the winds.
[18:22] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Though "Blizzard" and "gym" might be counterproductive. 😄
[18:22] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Location, location, location....😉
[18:23] <The_Bee> I once tried to show a young girl how to whip cream.  We wound up with butter.
[18:23] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> Not counterproductive: the gym cancels out the blizzard so you're left all happy afterwards with no regrets. 🙂
[18:23] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> hello  I'm gobbling up triple chocolate ice cream,  so i am a bit occupied.
[18:23] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> My workout isn't *that* intense. 😄
[18:24] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> And I'm writing in my other window, though if Laurna wants to trade, she can finish this scene while I finish her ice cream.
[18:24] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I'm  having tea, and finished a scone. Alas, without cream OR jam
[18:24] <KK> I didn't know cooking was involved in clotted cream.
[18:25] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I didn't either  untill I looked up a recipe
[18:25] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I didn't either  until I looked up a recipe
[18:25] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Brain freeze just for a moment there.  whoo  that was too good.
[18:26] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> I will put the remaining half a carton on the portal for you. but don't wait too long.
[18:27] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Ice cream transfter--yet another reason the modern world needs transfer portals. Or at least one of those Star Trek Transporters.
[18:27] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> yep
[18:27] <The_Bee> I can buy two 48-oz containers of ice cream, finish them both in two days, and still crave more.
[18:27] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> We'll hope the portal isn't trapped, or the owner will find it very....sticky.
[18:28] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Is it chocolate ice cream, Laurna?
[18:28] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> I'll use the magic portal, but I don't trust science-based transporters.
[18:28] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Chocolate chunk with chocolate brownies with chocolate waffers all in one
[18:28] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Where is my portal?
[18:29] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> A question I've asked myself many times.
[18:29] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> In Canada, I believe, Jerusha. 😉
[18:29] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> burr now I am cold all the way through.  but sooooooo worth it.
[18:30] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Well, I did have my last Rogers cream egg for desert.  To die for!
[18:30] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Portal relocated to Florida for the moment, but returning at the end of the month
[18:31] <The_Bee> don't you have a portal in both places?
[18:31] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> It's a transport transport portal.  Fits in a carryon bag.
[18:32] <The_Bee> Convenient!
[18:32] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Interesting getting through customs, though
[18:34] * CambersGhost [discord] <jerusha2> looks for a pin to drop
[18:34] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> I imagine customs in the modern deryni world would have a tough job regulating all the  personal portals.
[18:35] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Especially going through the scanner
[18:35] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Please Declair what you portaled home this week"  and we will know if you are lying.
[18:35] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Please Declare what you portaled home this week"  and we will know if you are lying.
[18:36] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I'm back. It's windy here today, and my internet connection has the unpleasant habit of cutting out on me unexpectedly. Usually at the most inopportune moments.
[18:36] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Not windy here, but we are expecting more rain.
[18:36] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> "Oh, that scanner thingy you use?  It's in Bremagne now"
[18:37] <KK> Ain't tech wonderful.
[18:37] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> "My prince, I cannot account for this milk-based, sweet sticky stuff melted all over your library portal. I've never encountered it before..."
[18:37] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Ice cream!
[18:37] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Quick put the freeze spell on it
[18:38] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> With little chocolate bits, unless they are juvenile stenrechts
[18:38] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> YICKS
[18:38] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Stenrect Ice cream....hard pass!
[18:38] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> DON'T bite into one
[18:39] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> I think if stenrects looked like chocolate bits, Alaric might have tried to eat the one in the garden rather than killing it.
[18:39] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> You sure know how to ruin a nice carton of ice cream
[18:39] <KK> We had some serious wind here last week. Brought down a lot of branches an most of a dead tree.  By the time the magical Junior and crew cleaned up all the mess and took down several other moribund trees, what it cost would've gotten me another Forester.  Gak!  But it's a safety issue.
[18:39] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I thought they were larger than a chocolate chip.
[18:39] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Once full grown
[18:39] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Ouch, KK!
[18:39] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Yikes. Sometimes, life attacks the pocket book.
[18:39] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Are we talking about embryonic stenrects here?
[18:40] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> But we don't want you to get bonked on the head, KK
[18:40] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> A dead tree will put a serious damper on your day if it falls on you.
[18:40] <The_Bee> Would chocolate have been known in Gwynedd in Kelson's time?
[18:40] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Chocolate yolk and vanilla cream around it
[18:40] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> It wouldn't be, Bee. The New World wouldn't have been discovered for another few centuries.
[18:40] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> How can I enjoy ice cream when the ingredients give me the serious willies?
[18:40] <CambersGhost> [discord] <evie.delacourt> Though carob may have been available
[18:41] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> I just had three pepper trees  which overhung the sidewalks trimmed back and that was a small fortune
[18:41] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I need to get my camellia bushes trimmed
[18:42] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Tree trimming is not cheap, but often necessary anyway
[18:42] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> But the camellia's should be blooming right now.  Don't trim them until the bloom is over.
[18:42] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> That's why I haven't done it. But the flowers are out of my reach!
[18:43] <The_Bee> I've ordereline.  I just hope I'll getthem planted in time.  I've had bad luck with that before.d flowers on-
[18:43] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> My grandmother had a green thumb for camellias  she had several that were 8 feet tall,  one had double pink blosums.  and the other was white.  so pretty
[18:43] <The_Bee> My computer like to reorganize my sentences.
[18:43] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I want to replant my color bowls near my front door. They're looking sorry for themselves
[18:43] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> If I plant anything, it is certain death
[18:44] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Except for the weeds
[18:44] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> I have five white camellias and  a deep pink one that blooms in the fall
[18:44] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Weeds are in my greenthumb catagory whether I like it or not
[18:44] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> They were planted by the person who used to own my condo
[18:44] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> *high-fives Jerusha as a fellow member of the Brown Thumb club*
[18:45] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> I do much better with Lego flowers
[18:45] * CambersGhost [discord] <jerusha2> bows in gratitude
[18:45] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Lego makes flowers?
[18:45] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Yes, some really nice kits
[18:45] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> lo
[18:45] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Every week though, winter keeps giving us a two day cold festival
[18:46] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/479836521864888347/1229216287859806238/image.png?ex=662edfe0&is=661c6ae0&hm=f908fc2f4d2a22e1017f7a7a7fa5121d0a4f82699886f8ab3ca200bbbcd17fe8&;
[18:47] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> That is really weird
[18:47] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> I bought the cherry blossom kit, and the result looks very good in a vase DS1 gave me ages ago and I never had a good boquet for it
[18:47] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Nice, Nezz
[18:48] <KK> One of the dead trees was a 100 ft pine; the boom with the basket on it only reached to 60 ft, so the tree climber had to go the rest of the way with tree crampons (?) and a safety harness and chain saw, and cut off the branches as he went up, then came back down cutting 5-6 ft sections as he went, and let them thump to the ground. Diameter of the
[18:48] <KK> tree was nearly 2 ft.ca
[18:48] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Oh my!
[18:49] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> WOW KK.  No wonder it cost the price of a car.
[18:49] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> That's probably one factor that ran up the bill
[18:49] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Better than falling on the car, though
[18:50] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Or on people, yes
[18:50] <KK> Yeah, or falling on a person.  They don't call those big,dangling branches widow-makers for nothing.
[18:51] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> So now it's safe to visit your house. =o)
[18:51] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> My mom had a cabin in Idyllwille( a snow ski resort town)  she had three pines that got the bark beetle disease.  it cost 2000 a tree to take down. and it was mandatory by the town counsel
[18:52] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> I don't suppose the council helped with the expense
[18:52] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> nope.  the cost of living up there.
[18:52] <KK> It's my rental house, not my abode.  My trees on Ritchie Blvd. are either small or on the other side of my back fence, where I can enjoy looking at them, and watch the wind lash at them, but no danger to anyone.
[18:52] <CambersGhost> [discord] <tm_9039> Can any of the above be used for firewood, at least?
[18:53] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> I hope you don't mean the rental house
[18:53] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> LOL  I hope not
[18:53] <The_Bee> They'd need to age first.
[18:54] <KK> Yes. We saved about $4000 by letting a wood-seller cut up the big stuff an take them away, rather than having to haul them to the landfill.
[18:54] <The_Bee> and they might have bugs or other critters.
[18:54] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Well, there's the silver lining
[18:55] <The_Bee> The rental house-- is that where your mom lived?
[18:56] <KK> I think the wood-sellers cut  up the big stuff and stack it to age, ten sell it next season.
[18:58] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Still a big ouch to the pocketbook
[19:00] <KK> No, it's the little Craftsman house up at the street, west of the cottage.  My tenant there would love to buy it, and I'd love to sell it to her, but she can't qualify for a big enough loan.  She's an AF veteran. She's been there for 15 years, since I did the big rehab on it, and has restored the gardens beautifully.
[19:01] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> How beautifull.
[19:01] <KK> A very big ouch, esp. since I'd paid cash for the new Forester only in February.
[19:01] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> She can't get a VA loan?
[19:01] <The_Bee> I hope she can manage to afford it somehow.
[19:02] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Are you still liking the Forester?
[19:04] <KK> Love it!
[19:05] <KK> It's that much smaller than the Outback, and perfecct for my needs.
[19:05] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Excellent.  I should have gone with a Crosstrek instead of the Outback
[19:05] <The_Bee> Is it easy to get in and out of?
[19:05] <CambersGhost> [discord] <tm_9039> It's a bit confusing to have tree-felling and Forester in the same convo ... Forester is a vehicle, I collect?
[19:05] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Yes, TM
[19:06] <The_Bee> subaru , think
[19:07] <The_Bee> I
[19:08] <KK> Crosstrek is built on the same platform as the Forester, and handled exactly the same, but Forester has been around a bit longer, and was a wee bit less expensive. It's also less boxy than earlier ones were--very handsome car--and if it had been a bit more streamlined when I was chosing my first Subaru, I would've gotten that instead of the
[19:08] <KK> Outback.d
[19:08] <KK> Very easy to get in and out of.
[19:09] <The_Bee> How are your knees, KK?
[19:09] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> If they had the wilderness edition of the Crosstrek, I might have gone that route.  I need the clearance for our not always plowed or graded roads
[19:11] <KK> Hanging there, though not as advanced as I had hoped, 6 months post-op. But the right knee is now at least as bad as the left one was before surgery, so it goes under the knife in August or September.
[19:11] <The_Bee> I gather you're not a city dweller, Jerusha.
[19:11] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> I live outback of beyond from late spring to early fall
[19:12] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> That seems a long time to recover, KK
[19:14] <KK> Right now, I'm wrestling with an injury to my left upper arm, which I think I did trying to peel off the arms of hoodies and the like, that get hung up on the underneath layer.  I've just started physio on that, and today it's killing me just to type, so I think I'm going to sign off for tonight.  Amazing how little bitty muscles are connected to
[19:14] <KK> so many other bits and pieces.  Only doesn't hurt when the arm is at rest by my side, with elbow at 90 degrees.
[19:15] <The_Bee> Bummer!
[19:15] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Rest up, KK. Hope the arm settles down
[19:15] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Oh dear, KK!
[19:15] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> So sorry to hear that KK.  Hope you feel better soon.
[19:15] * KK steps onto her Portal, waves goodnight, and disappears in a shower of purple sparkles.
[19:15] <CambersGhost> [discord] <stnezz> Hope you feel better and hope you have a great week
[19:16] <CambersGhost> [discord] <jerusha2> Nighters, KK
[19:16] <CambersGhost> [discord] <shiral_> Byem have a good week. No more expensive surprises, for  a while.
[19:16] <CambersGhost> [discord] <laurnarose> Good night KK.
[19:16] <KK> Yep.  See you all next week.
[19:16] <KK> Nighters.
[19:16] * KK (49ab39c5@CCN-FD80E4E6.hsd1.va.comcast.net) Quit (Quit: Client closed)

Quote from: Nezz on April 12, 2024, 10:00:28 PMOkay, don't make me get out my goth-Alaric-with-makeup picture...

Oh, O.K. I'll handle it for you.  Here.

Acrobat	Dark-fighter	Medical Savant	Shield Bearer
Alchemist	Defender	Nimble Fingers	Sneaky
Ambush Specialist	Diehard	Opportunist	Strong
Anger Issues	Drunken Master	Perceptive	Survivalist
Animal Empathy	Dungeoneer	Precise Attacker	Tactical
Armor Master	Educated	Predator's Sense	Team Player
Backstabber	Eidetic Memory	Perpared	Tough
Born of Stone	Escape Artist	Protective	Tracker
Brawler	Fleet of Foot	Quick Shot	Trader
Butcher	Fly Swatter	Resolute	Trapmaster
Charismatic	Hatred	Resourceful Fighter	Vigilant
Connected	Inspiring	Sharpshooter	Vocal Mimicry
	Marksman		Well Trained

This list of Traits is not complete. This is a good number of well rounded Traits that are available to all characters. Players are encouraged to create new Traits for their use. All new Traits must be approved by the Game Master.

Due to copyright restrictions we can not post the details about these Traits. Please refer to the Tiny Dungeons Book or contact me privately.

I'm putting the character traits in their own thread. As these are a large aspect of the game rules.

Character Traits will be divided among several types of Traits.

Okay, don't make me get out my goth-Alaric-with-makeup picture...