Editing Raphael's Personal Journal (section)

== ENTRY 3 ==
OK, so it's the next day, first thing in the morning... I got distracted by something amazing last night and forgot to finish. I can barely believe what is happening and what has happened... but I don't want to get ahead of myself, so here goes:

As I headed to the Arco Station to fill up, my mind reeled at what was going on.  I was reminded of an RPG called Shadow Run I played many years ago. Somehow... Slugger and I were now on a different world, a world that seemed to be just like what happened to the Earth in that RPG.  Then my mind drifted to Amber, and the ADRPG, as it usually does. What if a Shadow Path is what brought us to a Shadow Next Door, a different version of Earth... but again, how?  It might explain getting to Fort Garland much quicker than should be possible and me not recalling a part of the trip.

When I pulled up to the Arco, I was greeted by a Dwarf with a mohawk and a long beard, both rainbow colored.  Not a Little Person 'Dwarf', but more like an RPG Dwarf... like D&D... or ShadowRun more precisely; he was carrying a shotgun over his shoulder.  He introduced himself as Rodak and we bartered for a full tank of gas plus two gas cans; was gonna cost me one hundred bullets, mixed types.  But when he mentioned the scarcity of ammo, I decided to pay with something more valuable I'd picked up in the pile of motorcycle and bodies back where I'd encountered Slugger.  It was more valuable than I thought; Rodak filled my tanks and cans, said he'd do it again before I leave, and set me up with a Tab under his name; he suggested I talk to Woody about a place to store the trike and to mention his name and The Tab when speaking with Woody, and others, when bartering for food or rooms or other services... said he was something of the local banker. Then he goes on to mention that he and his Trucking Buddies, the Arco Boys, were all here when the Change happened; and they all turned into Dwarves.

I went and talked to Woody, who appeared to be in his mid twenties, but turned out to be an elderly hippie; the Change made him young again.  Woody ran a storage yard filled with many shipping containers, full and empty, several farm vehicles and several Rvs. He also ran a campground.  I paid him the same way I paid Rodak; I ended up with a storage container, an RV and a camping space for more time than I thought I would be spending in Fort Garland.

On the way in to town I saw and smelled a BBQ place back near the Arco Station, so Slugger and I headed out on foot to get some food; Fort Garland was not that big of a place and having grown up in small towns I was no stranger to Hoofin' It.  We stopped along the way so I could talk with Slugger; I told her about what happened with us coming to another world and not to talk about where we came from. She took it all pretty well.  She also mentioned having dreams of Gandalf fighting the Balrog, and wanted to know if I had seen those movies.  Odd that she would have the same dreams as I did... or perhaps not... the medallion may have many powers and effects not listed or expected.  Though I have never raised children, I do know for sure that most 10 year old kids are waaaay smarter than most adults give them credit for... and Slugger was... and is.  

Out of nowhere, Slugger asked me what the cat's name was. I said I thought that it was her cat because her Uncle had told me to make sure she take care of it.  I looked a the cat and I said the word “curious” and Slugger thought that was what I had named him, so that is now the cat's name.  And he is a curious cat... quite smart... perhaps more than he seems to be...

The proprietor of the BBQ place was a spry 80yr old named Old Bruce... reminded me of my dad. Old Bruce served good BBQ and gave good advice. When I went to pay the same way I had before with Rodak and Woody, Old Bruce refused it and said I should put it on Rodak's Tab; he didn't want anything that valuable around to make him a target... he suggested I pay for everything on Rodak's Tab to stay safe... even warned me about some locals that had 'gone Orc', but weren't associated with the raiding bands of Orcs that might attack the walls of Fort Garland. Then he stuffed a couple of rolls with shredded BBQ and wrapped them in a napkin along with some bones for my poodles.  I asked about the closest place to get a drink, he gave me directions.

The place was a long narrow room with a bar to one side and some tables and chairs to the other... looked like it might have been a sandwich shop at one time.  I didn't ask the barkeep's name but I'll call him 'Broheim', as that's how he addressed me when he asked what I wanted. At the sight of my poodles, Broheim the Bartender asked if I was interested in fighting them in the dog pit out back; I was appalled, but I let him know in a polite and firm way that my dogs don't fight and that I didn't approve. I ordered a yellow ale for Slugger, like a homemade Budweiser... supply chain issues; so it was homebrews or nothing... she said it was like something her dad made.  I ordered a brown ale for myself, something like a porter.

We barely got our drink on before Curious started some trouble.  I saw him head out the back door toward the dog pit, so I followed knowing there would be trouble.  By the time I got there a pair of.... Half-Orcs? Kinda looked like methheads in a way... they had spotted Curious, one of them picked him up, got his face hellishly scratched up, then he tossed Curious into the pit with a pair of pit bulls that had been fighting.  It was over in less then three seconds.

Curious puffed up and hissed, one pit bull pulled away instantly, one attacked Curious. The cat was a blur of swats and swipes, the pit bull pulled back whimpering then rolled onto his back and showed his belly in submission. Curious jumped out of the pit then leapt onto my shoulder and then lounged across my neck and shoulders. He appeared to fall asleep purring contently. There was definitely something odd about that cat.

Before I could say anything to Mr. Scratches, the Half-Orc Methhead that tossed Curious into the pit, a man walked up to me and said I had won, gave me a brown bag with a few small bills and slips of paper; IOU's for chores and odd jobs. I wanted to drink and relax, not pick a fight, so I walked away.  I stuffed the bills in my pocket, gave the bag of IOU's to Broheim as a tip and went back to my table with Slugger.

When it was time for a refill, I went to the bar and was greeted by two different Half-Orcs, wanting to know if my cat was for sale; I said no, in a very polite way. Then they asked if I wanted to fight my poodles against a corgi; again, no in a polite way. I expressed my distaste for dog fighting to them in a polite and firm way, as I did with Broheim.  And I also asked them to tell Mr. Scratches that if I had been less interested in drinking and more interested in fighting he would have ended up in the pit as well. Then I wished them both a good evening and returned to my table with fresh brews.  

Soon thereafter a pair of musicians went up to the bar, one with a guitar, the other a harmonica, and they began performing songs that I would best describe as having aired on the Dr. Demento show, back in the day; I was a huge fan.  A sing along began, which surprised me a little, but not much, I used to sing and DJ Karaoke.  So, of course, I joined in, heartily.  I ordered more brews, I got buzzed, Slugger looked like she was buzzed too, she was smiling and trying to figure out the words so she could sing along as well.

We were feeling good, forgetting our woes and stresses. It was nice to hear live music again and be around people enjoying themselves... it had been over two years that I had been 'locked down', 'self isolating', 'socially distancing' and 'avoiding social gatherings and events'... constantly having to wear a surgical mask outside my home... never fully seeing anyone's faces... then the weeks, months, of ever climbing death tolls as the Omega Variant began wiping out nearly all of Humankind... then the lawlessness began, followed by more deaths and in greater numbers over a shorter time... all leading to a time of pure chaos that lasted for days, perhaps even a couple of weeks... but that finally spiraled downward into a whimper... then into eerie silence, punctuated only by the sounds of dogs and cats fighting for survival with each other and with the other desert predators that had begun returning to the city.  The months of isolation in my apartment with only my Poodle Boys for company was difficult; my Family was gone, my Best Friend died before my eyes; I buried her in the backyard. Having to barricade my apartment and hide out from the horrors going on outside in the neighborhood and the city around me, having to keep the dogs quiet, hoping nobody would come, hoping I wouldn't get sick like my Best Friend did, but sometimes hoping I would.  Then followed the weeks of scavenging, never seeing or hearing another person... thinking I might be the last person alive in the city.  Yes, it felt good to be around people again.

As the night wore on the musicians finished their set and joined their friends at a table to drink and talk.  Slugger and I drank in silence, getting more and more drunk... but not as drunk as I should have been, figured it was weak beer.  I pet the dogs and gave them the bones to occupy themselves.  I scratched Curious behind the ears as he 'slept' across the back of my neck and shoulders.  I noticed more Methhead Half-Orcs and Humans coming in to place drink orders then going back out the back door, people I hadn't seen come through the door I used... must be a back way in to the pit area I hadn't seen behind the small crowd of cheering spectators.  I also noticed a few of the Methheads hanging about the bar and looking my direction. I stopped drinking, but continued to 'take sips' from my tankard and act drunker than I was.  As it approached midnight, I would guess, more Methheads were gathered in the bar, all looking my direction. But trying to not look like they were.  I knew things could get complicated when I got up to leave... 

However my natural good luck saved me and Slugger from a possible mugging or worse. (My Best Friend always said I was lucky or blessed in some way, based on the 'verifiable stories' she has heard about my life before we met and then all the things she 'saw' for herself from then on.)  A Dwarf with a multicolored mohawk walked in carrying a big warhammer in his right hand; it looked rather like a big thick block of metal with a handle shoved into it and some designs or runes engraved upon it. In his other hand was a huge tankard; how very Dwarven. The Methheads faded back into the back room nearly as quick as roaches fleeing when the lights come on.  The Dwarf walked up to me and introduced himself as Wrecker and said he was a friend of Rodak's and that Rodak had sent him over to drink on my dime and then escort me and Slugger back to Woody's guarded campground. 

Wrecker went to the bar and filled his huge tankard, on my tab, then came back to the table and said for me to grab my gear, so I roused Slugger, who looked tired and ready to pass out or fall asleep, then told her to wake the poodles and grab their leashes; they all grabbed their bones to take with.  I shouldered my pack and Curious neither moved nor made a sound as I slid the straps under his dead-weight sleeping body.  On the way back to Woody's there were no incidents and Wrecker talked of the Methheads being a recent problem in town and that word had gotten out about me flashing my currency around town.  Then he offered me a job; Rodak was sending tankers to Denver in two days to get fuel and he said I could ride along if I was interested.  I told him I'd think it over.  When we got to the RV I put Slugger, the Poodles Boys and Curious to bed in the bedroom at the back of the RV then returned outside, dropped my pack and I showed Wrecker my custom made warhammer and bearded axe; he liked the axe.  He mentioned that he spent some time in the military out of country, where he met Rodak; both drivers and mechanics. We shared a drink of Pappy Van Winkle Reserve and I shared a bit about myself with him; my camping and other hobbies like SCA and such.  I tell him a bit about my military training and experiences. We finish our drinks and he bids me goodnight. 

I brought my gear in and secured the door, then opened the roof vent all the way, poured myself some more Pappy, pulled out my journal, weed and lighter, rolled one up and took a seat in the back of the booth.  While writing in this journal, smoking and sipping, I discovered a most wondrous thing; I had Magical Abilities! 

While writing, my joint went out so I went to relight it but the lighter was empty. So I tried to relight it with a Firefinger Cantrip, just like I used to do back during my gaming years, as a joke before I grabbed another lighter from my pack... BUT IT WORKED!!! Sort of... I was so surprised the flame was barely there and went out before I could light the joint. I looked around the RV in surprise, as if I was trying to find somebody else to confirm what I saw; Slugger was still sleeping but I noticed that she had an odd symbol on her forehead, the cat licked that exact spot a couple times as I stared... the symbol was familiar...  then, as I thought about how amazing and shocking it was that Magic worked and I performed Magic again; suddenly my body sort of felt like it was 'steaming', but it was a cool sensation.  I noticed that I suddenly smelled fresh and clean, or more accurately, that I didn't smell bad, or at all, really. I looked at my hands and they were clean, even under the nails... even my hair was clean.  I turned my hands over and there was a symbol on the palm of my right hand... the same one that was on Slugger's forehead.  The same symbol that was on that foot shaped medallion I found... and somehow that symbol seemed familiar.

I focused my mind, knowing I could do it, and I lit the joint successfully with another Firefinger Cantrip then I pulled out my laptop and booted it up.  I went directly to my personal Gaming Wiki folder; copies of all the info from my ADRPG GM's Wiki files online.  I searched for: 'foot shaped medallion', somehow knowing I would find something.  And I was right; three different entries.  The first two were about NPCs; both mentioned the foot shaped medallion but not much else about it.  The third entry was the bullseye; Medallion of Mesob. 

The entry mentioned that the origins of the medallion are lost to time but did mention something about Tosa.  It also said the the powers are not uniform and power levels vary, then listed rumored powers, in order of most commonly rumored to less commonly rumored. (A very impressive list of powers that I will not list in this journal until I actually achieve them.) The one definite thing it did list was its shape, that it melds with the holder and leaves a symbol tattooed upon the palm of one hand and the forehead, but it can only be seen by other holders of the medallion. There were also three pictures accompanying the text, all of the Symbol of Mesob; one by itself, one shown on the palm of a left hand, one shown on a forehead.  It also listed known holders of the medallion; two of which I had heard about during game play, and encountered both of them with one of my characters, and two that I had just read about in the previous two entries.

I wrestled with disbelief for only a moment, before accepting what I was reading as truth, because I wanted it to be true so badly.  I tried another Cantrip; Clean on my field jacket and it worked perfectly.  Then I instinctively, it seems, Zapped a fly out of the air that was buzzing around my head... I'm gonna really love that Cantrip.  I thought things over, reread the entry several times, reviewed events of the day and concluded that I had indeed found a Medallion of Mesob and was gaining its powers; no longer being sick (no further symptoms of my illness from earlier in the day), coming to this Shadowrun World (without realizing it or using a magical portal or spell or such), feeling stronger and heartier that I have in 20 years (and not wasted drunk as I should have been).  And the Clean Body power and the Cantrips.  Yes; I have magical powers. And yes; I am in a different world... a different Shadow, actually. For I am now fairly certain that I am somehow within the Amberverse that my GM and I (and others) played in for years.  And it is REAL and I have information on it.  Information that could be very useful if accurate.

I looked at Slugger realizing she had found a medallion too and might have some of the same powers that I have... probably why and how I found her... I wonder now if that park was even the same Shadow Earth I came from. I knew I would need to learn more, experiment more, to find out my powers and help her figure out hers.  But that would have to wait til morning, as I needed sleep.  I shut down my computer and put everything back in my pack before rolling up my field jacket to use as a pillow, then laid down to rest.

Sleep came easy. I dreamt of RPGs I had played, old books I have read and Gandalf fighting the Balrog.  

I woke up late this the morning, Slugger and the Poodle Boys were already outside when I awoke, they are outside playing as I finish my thoughts from last night and prepare for a new day, in a new world, in a new life.

'''<big>R</big>'''