Unknown men hug the danger gang, Diogenes experiences loss and reunion.

June 31st @ 2:00pm

First, just to note, we lost a day and like 10 hours in nirvana. Time is weird there I guess? Just want to keep these records straight.

I’m not sure that I ever slept with her on, but boy did I feel absence of weight on my when I woke up this morning. This is really bothering me. I mean, I only had the thing, what, for two and a half or three days? I don’t covet wealth. I certainly don’t want to look beautiful. Why do I miss this necklace so much?

After Zombres played with some books for a few hours in the morning we went to visit the 9 unknown men. Thavar invited us into a palace. It was beautiful and the necklace would have liked it. He then shoved us into some polygonic room with wooden doors and wooden faces on them. There was a huge rat with an open soar.

Some monsters come to kill us. I cast protection from evil 10’ radius and it works against a bunch of really adorable tiny elephants and rhinos; I slowed Gwyn’s poison, but my heart wasn’t really in it. This is just so weird. I love it when my spells work. Not as much as when they don’t, but still. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt like this before. I wonder if I’m being tested, or cursed, or something. It must be something. Yeah, I’m under a curse. I will have to discover the nature of that curse.

Anyway, there were three nagas there—and one wrapped Arben. That was a drag. Zombres drank poison rat blood and kept trying to bite people, but he was really bad at it. That was kind of funny.

Turns out this whole fight was a test anyway. That kind of perks me up a bit. I thought I was being tested and I was! I do love tests, even when I’m mistaken about the test I’m taking at any given time. They ask us to forgive them, which is silly.

Time then for formal introductions. They’re the nine unknown men, and we’re the Danger Gang. Gerbertus speaks highly of us, as does Harald. We speak highly of Gerbertus and question the 9 men for putting any stock in Harald’s opinion and even more for putting stock in his words. Gerbertus is doing fine, and that makes most everyone glad. I don’t know this guy, so it doesn’t have much of an effect on me.

Then the nine unknown men try to give us two quests. First, fix math. Second, solve the puzzle about the relation of the spheres. Turns out that we had already accomplished those quests. At this one of the wooden panels slides open and a very dashing man comes out to shower us all with hugs and kisses while shouting something like we can do it! [editors note: by comparing several documents it appears that this man only showered Gershom with hugs and kisses. It is unclear why Diogenes would lie about this, though some sources indicate that Gwyn complained about not being kissed, leading to some to speculate that their relationships was more than just one of friendship.]

The nine unknown men make themselves known to us. They are:

• One of these is RajaRajaChola
• Emperor of sorcerers is there neradahadahada
• An old Chinese looking guy (in his 80’s) (donesa)
• Nateridata, once king of pontus (westerner)
• Bill Hodda -- Byronic Swashbuckler
• Fairy lady Sukamarika
• Other lady, not magic (looking) kasi --always clad in head to toe, super modest, like a belly dancer?? Muslim modest rather than hindu modest.
• Guy with turban and veil, Alamatasa
• Hanusa, a golden mongoose.

We find out about how the planet got shot at the earth. Then we find out that I was right! There is an evil word---mu—that can destroy thousands. Maybe a god? There are almost definitely a set of 49 evil words. We have to find them and just shout them over and over and over so everyone hears them and they loose all power. That sounds like such fun!!!!

At this point the nine unknown men and Zombres talk a lot to try to figure out what we should be doing while they’re in space. Some say we should attack Harivarma; others the Rakshasa, others still Uppsala, Even others U.A.Lao. It is clear that the 9 men are loosely if at all organized. I pretty much stopped listening here, because they were obviously not trustworthy because they fought amongst themselves so much. They have none of the intra-group harmony that makes the danger gang so successful. I was about to start getting sad again, until this amazing thing happened.

Okay, so the Rakshasa were discovered by two people. First, our jewel eyed money friend with the string on his wrist. Second, by DOCTOR STUPIFEROUS! Man, if there was anyone who could fill a five huge black rock shaped holes in my heart it is that guy. I missed him so much that I forgot about how much I missed him until I saw him again. Life is pretty good again. I guess that means I failed the test. I should have been fine, but Jesus—the pal that he did—sent just what I needed my way. Hey, wait, no! Maybe I passed the test! Maybe the necklace was the test, and if I hadn’t gotten rid of it then we never would have gotten to meet Dr. S. again. Maybe I passed the test and saved the day for everyone!

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