Novel, New Edition DQ & More Gaming, Snow and Socialising

[tcpip]

The Outcast Girl continues in NaNaWriMo. Have fallen behind significantly over the past five days (writing on only two of them), but am not so far behind that I can't complete in the allocated time. Currently dealing with the fun to be had at Krakatau, drinking soma, and encounters with Garuda and Naga.

In very big news I've received a thumbs up from Jolly Roger Games to write a variant of DragonQuest set in the Barbarian Kings world. This has caused quite a stir among the various DQ lists and, of course, our own core of DQ players.

In other gaming news I've ended up in a Diplomacy PBeM. anthanum (France) and myself (Germany) have formed a promising Franco-German alliance. Tomorrow will be finishing Slave Pits of the Undercity in the Norman Britain AD&D game. It has an extra bite.

On Wednesday went to the National Rhododendron Garden as part of a Unitarian Church outing. Rather unusual for Australia in November, it snowed. tau_iota_mu_c (who visited the evening previous from NSW) informs me that NSW/ACT also had the same experience. This is late spring in Australia. It shouldn't be snowing. The weather is broken. Other social events include another great dinner with ser_pounce and wolf_in_winter on Monday. Tuesday night dining was provided with anthanum and missmilky with fine Japanese cuisine. Last night played Scruples with caseopaya and zen_cat.

Comments

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Chapter Four: Of Naga and Garuda

At first Teman felt a great sense of euphoria from consuming the soma. This was so overwhelming that for a minute or so she felt distinctly uncoordinated in her arms and legs. With a single step she almost floated, travelled twice the distance that would normal, only to clumsily land and stumble as she regained her footing. As she paced around the cave trying to compensate for her changed momentum she noticed that the others, except Topeng, were likewise engaging in such excersises. In contrast Topeng, obviously experienced in the use of soma, was simply stretching his limbs.

Having regained control of her limbs, Teman noticed the cave itself seemed to have changed. Instead of the golden-brown walls with their unadorned smooth walls and flat floor and ceiling, there was no a kaliedoscope of images and movement. At first they were simple, like golden rays and sparks emanated which from the walls, that pulsated like they were breathing. The rays looped, formed rings, occurred singlerly and in bundles. From the ceiling drops of golden light, like rain without substance, fell to the ground from euphemeral clouds.

Initially these occured at the periphery of Teman's vision, but they increasingly grew in strength and complexity until they took up her entire field of vision. In addition to the golden walls, bright luminous sheets of colours in red and green danced rapidly around Teman, touching her. There was a sense of synesthesia; the red provided warmth and crackled, the green sexual sensations and whispered. When the golden rays touched it cancelled the effects of the others, giving a heightened sensual clarity as it sung.

Suddenly the lights and rays, the clouds and the rain, vanished, and the cave returned to darkness with the exception of a brief glow from the walls and ceiling. The walls had returned to their dull golden-brown colour, but continued to pulse. In the silence and darkness there was audible, but distant, hissing sound. Slowly, swastikas began appear forming in mid-air amongst those present. These were joined by small coloured squares, the yantra, symbol of Durga, and Shiva's three-pronged trishula. Then the aum, symbol of the primordial mantra, the primal sound, appeared.

But that was not all. The hissing sound in the background increased in volume, and lines began to form around the Hindu holy symbols. The lines formed humanoid heads on them and started to move like a snake through the air. The heads would strike quickly at any symbols they encountered, consuming them, and then disappearing. Every symbol, the yantra, the trishula, the swastika and even, lastly, the aum, were consumed by these symbolic serpents. Then there was nothing; there were no sounds, there were no visions, nor light. Teman was even aware she had utterly lost her sense of touch. She tried to let out a cry, but there was no air and she wasn't even breathing. At that point she even lost of sense of continuity. Time itself ceased to exist.

Out of the nothingness, came a single sound, slow, distant and as gentle as a heartbeat. Aum....Aum....Aum.... Gradually consciousness reawoke from its slumber. The mantra became stronger as Teman and her friends became increasingly aware of themselves and their surroundings. Eventually their eyes flickered and they awoke, one by one, to find themselves lying on the floor of a building not dissimilar to the cave the entered, but most certainly not the same place. Sitting in the lotus position in a trance-like state, his eyes still shut, Topeng was clearly the source of the chanting.

"That was close", said Topeng, opening his eyes. "I was worried that some of you wouldn't make it."

[amazinggoatgirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, snap!

Superb.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

My first reviewer comment!