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[Dashael]

[Note: I've done no research regarding the race of this stories protagonist, and have no intention of letting facts get in the way of a good story]

Among my kind there is much ancient wisdom, such proverbs and adages as would guide our young and even our less astute adults through such trials and tribulations as the universe offered. Such wisdom as "Into every life some rain must fall." and "Everything lost is in the last place you look.", simple, obvious yet profound and memorable.

At the time, most of those proverbs would seem to contradict my choice of actions, but with the advantage of hindsight on my side, I am now glad I chose to enter the strange whirling portal I found on that fateful day.

No pain I had experienced before or since would ever compare to the experience of having my being twisted and spindled in that tumultuous anomaly. I felt my mind being pressed upon by all sides as my body was stretched and pressed by forces of which I had only the barest comprehension.

Finally the pain ended, as suddenly and sharply as it had begun, and a new sensation embraced my mind. Later I came to know it as freefall, the natural response of matter to a curious force unique to this new place I had found myself. It was strangely liberating, as free as traversing my home, but at the same time this sudden and constant compulsion downward.

It became clear to me quickly that unless I somehow controlled my decent, this freefall thing would end badly for me, so I focused my vision on that which seemed to be rushing up to meet me, the "ground". Pushing outward against the air I was able to subtly alter my trajectory, directing myself to something resembling a settlement, hoping something there would break my fall, if not cushion it.

I was heading towards a bank of fallen leaves, raked into a pile by someone or other, planning to land safely, however before I could alter my course again, a tall hairless biped emerged from the pile.

"Ahhh, never has Minsc slept so soundly as in a pile of fresh fallen leaves." Minsc stretched his arms languidly above his head, " Now to find Dynaheir and return to my dajemm...."

BONK!!!!

So much for my soft landing, perhaps this hairless pink biped can tell me where I am....

My questions would have to wait as the velocity of my impact with Minsc's head had rendered him unconcious. I began to tap my paw impatiently, a deplorable habit of which I have long tried to rid myself, as I began observing my surroundings and attempting to gather as much information as possible.

Using the leaves and trees as a basis for comparison, I seemed to be no larger than my terestrial cousins, the first thought to cross my mind was that this planet had larger than average lifeforms, but I quickly dismissed that, deciding instead that the anomaly had deminished my mass somehow. Thankfully my intellect remained, and a small form was compact and easy to conceal if threatened, for the most part, not an adverse change.

Minsc continued to sleep soundly, such sounds included snoring, incoherant grunting and occasionally shouting the name of his female, Dynaheir, all without regaining consciousness. Still I wasn't sure if I could make contact with these other bipeds, so I continued to wait for him to awaken, turning my attention instead to observing the bipeds.

Most of those I could see from the leaf pile were scurrying about engaged in simple rituals, hunter-gathers scavenging from each other for fodder and materials for bedding and clothing to cover their hairlessness, giving some kind of metal discs in exchange, this struck me as strange as several of the bipeds bit the discs, which they called coins before hiding them away. I have surmised that bipeds store these discs away for winter, or whenever it is they are out of season, though having sampled them I find them both tasteless and of dubious nutritional benefit.