The old lizard man seemed to set himself into a deliberate, but relaxed, pose. "Mentor, teacher, advisor, scholar, and yes, holy man. An Abb is all those things and more, but it may best be summarized as elder, or survivor."

His granddaughter joined us. "Also fool, meddler, and most of all, just plain old." and then struck a pose of her own, one that seemed to be changeling him. Her grandfather gave her a fond look and a bow that seems to acknowledge a hit. "Yes, all of that as well."

He then turned to the crowd that had followed Rill in. "Greeting. This is a human named Sean Murphy, and while I'm not certain why he carries a ill omened name, he has welcomed us to take shelter within his holy place."

"Please do not brandish your weapons here. While it is not forbidden, it is not customary."

While that bit about the cursed name had gotten my curiosity, maybe something to do with Murphy's law, the two dozen plus additional lizard people were, for the moment, the focus of my attention.

The group seems a even mix of several children in belted knee length pull overs, several more of them seemed aged, even to the point of seeming to need the staffs and canes they carried. The rest looked to be around Rills age with the same slim build, and shot wary, guarded looks at me.

They kept their left or right arms bared, depending on how their covers were draped, readied to pull out whatever sharp object they had tucked within their wraps.

The also had patterns of colored dots, x marks and other symbols running up their visible arms. Like multi colored text pictures. Some were abstract patterns, or pictures too abstract for me to figure out, while others seems to depict snakes, lizards, and even a cat with a deformed face.

Rill was the only one lacking such.

Before I could greet any of them, or ask about my name, I could hear clawed feet scrambling up the stairs.

I ran over to the staircase even as Rill and several others pulled out their hook shaped blades as they turned to face the door and Cazadora came running into the room. Then froze in place for a moment before she began barking like crazy.

I managed to beat the lizard people to the dog, and lifted her up in the air in both arms as I turned myself around to put my back to them as I stood between them and the pup.

I flinched in anticipation of getting a wicked hook tip in the back while Zadora squirmed and continued to bark while giving me a look like "I tried to warn you, why didn't you listen."

I heard Rill from right behind me. "This beast, it is not dangerous?"

I turned to see the lizard girl and three others as they finished circling me. "Well a little, probably not to you, or even your grandfather, but she can bite. However she's only half grown, she's more of a watch dog. Mostly she's supposed to bark to scare people off and warn her owner that someone she doesn't know is around."

"Please don't kill her."

The girl hissed at me while at least one of the others who had run up with her seemed more amused then concerned. "Keep it away from the children and elders, if it is under your protection, then you will pay along with it for anything it does."

Abb Olta wandered over to look at the hound with some curiosity, rubbing the top of his stuff under his chin. To Rill's annoyance the dog abruptly calmed down and even began to sniff at the old man in curiosity.

"Another mammal, but from the way you grabbed it I don't think it, or you, have the spurs our mammals do. You also lack the beaks. I'm beginning to think the Translation is not working as well as we hoped."

Beaks? Oh. "Ah, we do have a few, well two, mammals around with beaks and spurs..."

Then we all got interrupted as the last of the gray above faded away to a pure white sky.

Dawn, it seemed, was now here.

Good morning.

Everyone should now have a Template.

You have each been given a single grace point for arriving on your new world, which is enough to give you your template at first level.

Two additional grace will take you to second level, three for third and so so on.

This is apparently a very quick to advance system, but as I am only granting additional grace for disembodying demons and other relatively rare achievements, it should take you quite some time to make it even to second level.

The current number of Sophants had been counted as over three million divided largely between over thirty races as well many more races in much smaller numbers.

As this is your permanent home now, it is recommended you find a breeding partner of your own or a comparable race and begin reproducing as soon as possible.

You're welcome

Hashtag. Woo hoo! Make babies not war!

Secretary Prima. Say "Class" to receive information about your template.

Genre. We added more stuff to you character sheet because the old one sucked.

I happened to be looking in the general direction of Rill as I questioned part of all that out loud. "Compatible races?" which got me a narrow eyed glare from Rill, from several hasty steps away, with her cloth covered arm held up protectively."

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Her grandfather choking laughter for once sounded like he really was choking. "Chak, chak. Truly you are right granddaughter, you are not a child anymore. Even the mammal Sean sees you are a full grown woman. I approve. Your child will bind our people together, we will begin to build the breeding nest immediately."

Rill's, apprehension? With me quickly turned to anger as she began chasing after the old man who seemed to dance around each of her attempts to slap at him with her taloned left hand, and it didn't look like was trying to miss much.

I don't think I just got engaged? The old lizard was just joking, right?

At that point Chloe appeared in the door to the stairwell, took one look around and asked. "Are we good?"

I turned to glace at her, and seeing that she was still half asleep, handed her the half grown pup. "We're good, go back to bed and keep Zadora locked in the room with you until she get used to the new guys."

The dancer took the dog, with it's lower paws nearly on the floor, glanced around once, and still half asleep, nodded before heading back to her bed downstairs.

Well, that was easy enough.

So. Let's see what I got, "Template."

Rector - 2

You are a priest that controls a holy ground.

You have received a point of grace for existing on Quilt

You have been promoted to level 1

Level one. Rite of Sanctum

-You may claim one holy site per level and access the interface.-

You have received a point of grace for disembodying the demon designated Fancypants

You have received a point of grace for disembodying the demon designated Fancypants

You have been promoted to level 2

Level two: Rite of Sanctuary

-You may perform a rite to grant sanctuary to anyone currently on a holy ground under your control. Those under the effect of this rite receive a bonus to all ability scores equal to the the Sanctity score of the holy ground, while resisting any act of violence on themselves. Up until they initiate violence on another.-

"I'm a priest" I asked myself, and not apparently all that quietly as Add Olta felt compelled to yell out. "Congratulations, and welcome to the conspiracy. And at such a young age."

Rill had stopped chasing him to rub her knuckle below her chin, deep in thought as her grandfather let out a rumbling sound and said to himself. "Well, they certainly know how to flatter a old man."

So, character sheet or figure out how to claim the building? Building. Someone else might have a similar class and I don't want them stealing the place out from under my nose.

But how? "I claim this site...I claim this holy ground...Director how do I use the Rite of Sanctum?"

Nothing. Not even a try again later reply.

The Abb wandered over to me. "You seem to have been given some ability to lay a claim to this place based on it being holy? If I may suggest, perhaps go to where it is the most holy?"

I thought that one over. Maybe the alter? "Oh yeah, thanks"

I headed up to the chancel and stood before the alter. Or should I be behind the alter. Oh well, try from here first. Laying my right hand flat on the alter. "I claim this church."

At first I thought nothing happened until I saw the thickly built, older man, wearing light grey ecclesiastical robes with blue trim and a matching peaked cap. Just standing there giving me a warm smile.

All fourteen inches of him. Standing on the top of the alter.

"Hello Sean. I am Saint Kentigern, or a reasonable facsimile based on everything know about him that made it here. Perhaps you should just call me Kent in case the real saint shows up, to avoid confusion." He smiled again and looked up at a fascinated elderly lizard man suddenly standing on one side of me.

The Add glanced at me for moment. "I have soooo many questions, but don't let me interrupt."

I looked down at the mini saint, "Ah, what?"

The little man, who I could now see was slightly transparent, had a seat on the rather thick copy of the bible on the ciborium or top of the altar. "Well normally you are supposed to get a blue image telling you the Sanctum level is at one, for having at least one resident but not ten. Then it would tell you that you have a ten foot radius area around the altar in which no demon can enter, and it's influence over others are negated in that same area.

He held out his hand and waved in a arc around in front of him.

"It would also tell you that if you can get ten people living here, the radius would go out to hundred, and with a hundred people, it would go out to a thousand, and so on. No upper limit."

He turned to look at the old lizard man still starring at him intently. "Your people count, at least if you stay overnight. You'll get added to the count, or if you declare yourselves residents and Sean or his agents accept you, we can get that defensive measure up before the demon swimming this way hits the shore. No rush old man, it's your people who will end up fighting it at the front of the church, without the blessing, if you want to take the time to think it over."

The pocket saint set his elbow on his knees and leaned forward to rest his chin on his clasped hands. "I think they can take it, but who knows how many of them might be hurt."

Demon? What? From the water...

The Abb leaned forward. "You, I do not trust. Sean however..."

He turned to me. "As the Abb of clan Blue stone I apply myself and my kin as resident's of your holy ground, do you accept my people as your people Priest Sean Murphy."

"Ah, yeah. I accept you." The lizard people, or clan Blue stone, all seemed to jump, or at least jerk a little as they all received a message.

The saint spoke up. "That's four people, with another twenty seven, which brings us up to rank two of Sanctum and a one hundred foot protective radius. Which bring our entire church into the radius, but not your dollar store, other then the part of the alleyway behind it."

He looked to what had been the east. "Annnnnd...boom. Bless me, he does not look happy. You might want to get out there before he decides to take out his frustration on your supply building.

"It's also a chance to level up your group. No limit on how many people can participate, even if all they do is throw a rock at it from the narthex up front."

The Abb began throwing out orders, pointing at three of the younger warrior types. "You, you, you..." Then paused as he gave his granddaughter a short look. "...and you. Scout outside but go no further then seven strides from this building." He turned to the rest of his people. "Prepare to fight. Asle and Gwarth guard the front doors."

Finally he turned to me. "Perhaps you should get the other from where she went below the building while I fill in the large one watching us from the back room."

I turned around to see Tok shyly stepping out from where she had been lurking in the vestry.

She had gotten together some of the stick guys armor, but had passed on the remaining helmet, or possible even it was too small for her. She had acquired a conduit bender from downstairs as well, and was easily holding it in one hand."

The Abb added "It appears you may improve yourself to some degree from your information curtain, you might want to take a look at it before you do anything with the demon."

Yeah, that too, but first I needed to get Chloe up and ready to rumble if I wanted to her to get more grace. If demons were going to keep coming after us, and they would if we kept enlarging the area protected by the Sanctum, I wanted my friend to be strong enough to help me, and more importantly strong enough to survive.

But first, one more thing. I held up my hand, loosely clasped with my thumb pointed out to the side. Right about at the same height of the elderly lizard man in front on me, and after getting a curious but not hostile look in return, gently press my thumb up against his forehead.

I hope this worked. "I grant you sanctuary."

The old man chocked in laughter. "How? What is this? How many magic abilities did they give you priest of the martyr. Some one must like you."

Then I was off to wake up miss sleepy head downstairs and let her know about my eventful morning.