The sphere of the mind has no physical effects alone. Sensing the thoughts of those around you, sharing information, adjusting memories, and creating illusions are its forte. - Antonio Ravnos

Adrian

As we wait, some soldiers bring us lunch, its smoked something. Pork? The sisters wouldn’t eat it but K did, so it can’t be harmful. I explained the conversation I had with Trían to Bryan and Abagail. They do not like the Althaen, well I don’t either. This whole only the rights of nobles matter, is garbage; but if I have to make them think I am one to not be a slave then I will be a noble to them.

We decided to not talk about anything important until we are in the free home. I am sure they have people listening. In the early afternoon, a soldier leads us to a small bank, there is a pile of bedding brought in and he says, K translating, that he would come in the morning to show me where our employment will be while we stay here.

Abagail looks over at the vault door, its closed “do you think it still has its contents?”

“I don’t think that the dollar has any value anymore.”

“No, I mean the safety deposit boxes.”

“No idea, but you can try to get it open if you want.” I look around, the bank is old aside from the vault it’s all brick. Is this old enough to be built back in the cold war? If it is there will be a bomb shelter, and we can hide anything we don’t want the Altaen to know about there.

Other than the lobby there is a hallway leading to a few offices, and a bathroom. The vault is in the teller section, which can only be enter from the lobby. I walk back into one of the offices as the rest begin to look around, and set up their own beddings.

There should be a printer in each of these, and I find the first office does indeed have a printer. I open it up and remove the paper. After grabbing some of the pens I turn around to see the trio setting up bedding, they want this room?

“You can have this room, but there is something I would like you to do. I want you to write down a pronunciation guide and translations for the language of these people. I’ll make one for English for you to learn from.”

“Why? One of us could just translate for you.”

“Because you all cannot follow me everywhere, and Bryan and Abagail will need to learn as well.”

"Fine, but we will want a reward for it."

“Fair enough. You have at least until tomorrow, if it’s not done just work on it as you have time.”

They don’t look happy about it, still they need to be able to communicate with Bryan and Abagail. Crap, I’m going to have to make two of these things. English to Elvish and Elvish to English, could I get one of the computers online and type it? Direct feed of electricity wouldn’t work, I’m not skilled enough for creating that sort of highly regulated flow. Damn, my hand is going to hurt.

“I’ll come back to talk later.”

I leave the room and check what rooms are still open. Of the four offices, Bryan took the furthest to the back and Abagail the one almost at the back. Why didn’t one of the trio room with Abagail? It doesn’t really matter.

I drag what bedding is left to the remaining office. Corse wool blankets, better than nothing but we have sleeping bags and bedrolls with the packs. I should probably see what all is in mine. It’s balanced but I’m sure the best packing decisions were not made. What can be expected when the packer didn’t know what the items were. Well there are pictures on a lot of merchandise but they can be deceiving.

I put my pack on the desk and sit in the chair as I remove all of its contents. While doing so Bryan walks in and takes one of the two open chairs.

“How are you so calm?”

“I’m not, I have no idea how we are going to survive long term.”

“Just holding on as we go?”

“Pretty much, I don’t think it will be easy to leave here either.”

“Why?”

“That noble I dueled will have family here, and I think Jason will try something.”

“What can they do, you’re a powerful mage?”

“I can’t do just anything I want with magic. All power comes at a price. Anyways how did my advice on the Grey Dream thing go?”

“Whatever thing made the sheet has no idea how to organize.”

“Well, what class and what not did it show?”

“I don’t think you are the DM right now.”

We both smile, that right players don’t ask to see each other’s sheets. Keep players from bickering over legal feats or races.

“I have two classes. There is some multiclass penalty though. We always ignored those.”

“Stop being a tease, and just tell me.”

“Only if you tell me about yours after.”

I nod and he continues, “level zero wizard and paladin, both of them can be specialized to a subclass. I’m thinking Undead Hunter or Inquisitor for the paladin, but I have to find a patron. Abjuration is my idea for the wizard specialization.”

“Sounds good, any idea how to get a patron?”

“None, hopefully one will show up. I don’t think I’ll improve much through that dream until I get one or spells to learn.”

“I’m going to try to teach the trio English, they know some magic and could help after you can talk with them. I will also be giving you something to try to learn Elvish.”

“Mr Garcia was always telling me I would need to know more than English.”

“I don’t think that he meant learning Elvish or whatever other languages are running around.”

We smile again.

“Why don’t you just teach me magic? I’ve seen you cast Energy Weapon, Scorcher, and Fireshield.”

“I can’t you’ll be manipulating mana. I don’t know how to do that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t use mana, I am a different type of caster.”

“You’re a divine caster? Who is the patron? Some god of fire and lightning?”

“No, I’m neither. It’s closer to Psionics but that is not it either”

“Weirdo.”

“Once you figure out the basics I can give ideas for new spells though. I always was a better mage player than you.”

“That’s because we accepted your bullshit blood magic and other crap.”

“Kythia, tried to get it to work. She says it works, but is inefficient because of some mistake she is making in it.”

“Really?”

“They haven’t lied to me yet so I believe her.”

“Fuck Abjuration then, I’m doing your crazy blood magic warrior thing.”

“That’s my build and you know it.”

“You can’t use it, no mana remember?”

“Screw you.”

“That’s someone else’s job.”

We bust up laughing, and Abagail walks in. “What’s so funny?”

“We were talking about what Bryan received in the Grey Dream. You want to join in?”

“That doesn’t seem funny.”

“We are weirdos who played games about things that are now real. Sit down, Bryan and me can help you figure out what to do.”

She sits down on the other open chair, I don’t think she believed my excuse. Not my problem if she finds out anyways.

“So, what do you need to know?”

“Attributes and class.”

“STR 11, DEX 14, CON 11, INT 15, WIS 13, CHA 15, APR 15, the class was bard.”

I’ll just have to write her off as a cheerleader. Unless she has some specialization to branch to. Decent stats for a human bard though. I think, I’m not sure of the scale being used yet.

“Any subclass or specialization option?”

She shakes her head no, well at least she will be helpful outside of fights. I look at Bryan, “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”

“The bard is a class that knows a little about how to do almost anything, but they are not great at anything. The only exceptions are emotion based magic and social skills. Don’t draw the enemies’ attention to yourself ever, and keep the party’s moral up.”

She looks disappointed, “you might not be much help in a fight but you can help us avoid them. Bards are also good with subterfuge, though straight up theft is better left to a rouge or thief.”

“Are you going to kick me out for not being helpful?”

Why would she think that? Because Jason wasn’t useful and ditched us?

“No, besides you are helpful. But unlike Bryan or me you are more useful outside of a fight than in one.”

Am I right in assuming that the classes will have to dictate the roll a person will play? If they want strength from the Grey Dream yes, unless there is dual classing. Or class changing, that may be somewhere.

“As far as the bard class goes it works primarily off your charisma, appearance and then intelligence. You can also learn to do almost anything just not as well as somebody else.”

“Are we still trying to get to Bryan’s parents?”

I sigh, I know there is no way for them to still be alive.

“That will be up to Bryan, we should try to see if they are here. They could have been picked up by one of these nobles.”

Bryan smiles at the idea, but I know it will be found false. At least there is hope right?

“What about your character sheet Adrian? Your turn to share.”

“I have something called free multiclassing, so I’m a fighter, dragon knight, and magus.”

“That doesn’t seem fair, I suffer a penalty why do you get the benefits without it?”

“That was my pay for inventing the character sheet.”

“You didn’t invent that.”

“But the Grey Dream thinks I did. It’s not all-knowing and it might be lying to us, so why not lie back and benefit off it?”

“This is why you never play a paladin.”

“Not true, I’ve played paladins of freedom.”

“That was once and you turned him into a Spellsword.”

“Still counts.”

Bryan gives me a dirty look. The DM for that campaign hated my paladin, but I kept the party in line and getting things done; even if I killed things I was supposed to have run from. Should I draw that guy back up and show Bryan how he worked? Will his build even work in this Grey Dream's system?

“Either way, you should get what you can out of the Grey Dream and stay skeptical about what it says. It might be telling the truth or might not. Now I have an English to Elvish translation guide to write and still need to see what is in my pack here.”

They walk out of the room thinking about our conversation. Did I forget to mention something? Character advise, don’t trust the Grey Dream, and language learning. Was there something else? Well I always remember things I find important so it must not have been.

Alright, the book I stole, some jerky, more empty nonfilter water bottles, a pump filter, more flashlights, a few shirts, jeans, socks, underwear. No two packages are the same size, I can’t use most of this. At least it all makes sense so far, here I was worried something stupid would be . . .

I was right to be worried, there is a box for the lamp part of a garden lamp post. Outdoor World doesn’t even sell these. Where did it come from? Mabey that lawn and garden where I buried Tomas? That is straight up useless, what would I want or need this for?

A mess kit, a few boxes of bullets, some of those heat your soup with propane cups, there doesn’t seem to be any propane though, or soup. There are however several packages of batteries, they must have seen them in the flashlights. And at the bottom there are two inflatable queen sized mattresses. I can understand a mattress but why two?