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- Draxon Musings
-
- by Rob Howard
-
-
- (Based on Chapter 5 of the Draxon fluffline)
-
-
- The clouds gather and seeth in fury. A Storm is brewing, and with it
- comes death. But I do not fear death. I have been it her icy grasp once
- before, and escaped her, with the aid of my Emperior.
- Times have changed since I last roamed the land. People now look apon my
- Emperior and me as evil - but that will change, when I throw down the foul
- oppressor of Attilla, and free the people from his power. That time shall
- come soon.
- My men too have changed. There was a time when I would not be seen with
- such a band. But my Emperior commands it, and I must obey. I've never
- seen such a heartless group. They do the limit a soldier should do and
- no more. None of these sloths shall ever be a hero, let alone a Paladine.
- Still, I am troubled, by one girl and her view of me and herself. I am
- glad that the mage managed to pull her to safety, and yet feel pity for her.
- Such a curse, to reverse one's views of good and evil. She had actually
- accused me of being evil! Me, the last of the Paladines of the Emperior.
- I wish I had freed her soul, but rejoice for her life. And despise the
- small part of me which wishes her dead even now. I fear this evil that grows
- within me, this evil that wants me to kill all who stand in my way. Even
- though it speaks wisely, I still fear it. But the Emperior's will must be
- done. I must obey this inner voice, as it speaks true.
- We slowly approach the edge of this foul forest - which dies within my holy
- aura. It will bring joy to my heart to leave this foul place. I have heard
- of creatures that roam within it, killing all who dare trespass. While I have
- not been bothered, I wonder at the power of this Attilla, who makes these
- beasts leave alone his scouts.
- I reflect upon others I have seen since my rising. Sir Aceles also
- branded me evil. My loyal cleric branded me evil, but I have shown him
- my way. Perhaps the sheer weight of a quest such as mine surpasses the
- common mind. All brand me as evil because they cannot see past their own
- petty problems.
- I am glad the Emperior is back to his good-natured self. I hate
- recalling those days when the Paladines faith in their Emperior was
- faltering. Had not that little assasin strangled me, even I might have
- left him. Fortune has spared me and given me the chance to prove myself
- again, even though this past-dead state of mind disconcerts me sometimes.
- Ah, my thoughts return to the lass again. I believe that they called her
- Kitty, or something akin to it. Such innocence, and yet cursed at such a
- young age - I doubt she was my age, when I first died.
- And back to death again. I remember vague images, of some lady who sang
- to me, trying to keep me at peace. While the inner voice screams that she
- is evil, I doubt it this one time. Death is not evil, just just.
- The inner voice calls me back to the world of the living, such as it may be.
- How can I describe this state that I feel? My purpose is plain before me.
- My mind seems to be detatched from my body somewhat. I cannot remember
- the last time I slept, or ate, or felt any longing for any sort of
- companionship. This way I am free of any temptations to stray from my
- purpose. Attilla must be vile indeed to inspire the Emperior to put me
- upon this path.
-
- I still have my old soldiers routine of caution. I will send forth one of
- my flighty servants, though I should give it more power to ward off any
- attacks apon it, and let it communicate with me directly.
- My sword crackles with holy power, and the shadowy form takes shape, and
- grows wings. At one time, I would not have associated with such assistance,
- but the vastness of my purpose entitles me to some aid.
- Was the lass correct? Are my eyes deceiving myself? Perhaps it is *I* who
- am cursed, and not she? Wait, this is the path to paranoia. I must keep
- my faith despite all tests.
- My musings are disturbed by the winged shadow - someone has send a wind
- rider against my servant. I look at where it's foul form lay, and send it
- back to it's foul realm. I do not need my servant to tell that someone is
- waiting for me.
- The shadow flies back to me, and tells me of a wonder - a spot of ground
- that stays dry despite the rain! The shadow laughs, and then quiets under
- my quiet gaze. It quietly states that some large form had hidden itself
- with spells and wards, and waited to ambush us. I then ordered my people
- forward, but withhold the clericspirit. I tell him of a mission he must
- perform, and he silently glides away. Just in case these adventurers are
- more than they seem, I do not want all my men destroyed.
-
- Many minutes pass, and we near the sight of the upcoming battle. A form
- shimmers, and starts to glow. I can see her unholy aura from here, and
- her armor glows with evil magics. In her hand is a sword of vast evil.
- She floats into the air, and her companions reveal themselves with bolts
- of magic.
- Look at this winged being. She has the insolence to interpret and
- judge by the law instead of just enforcing it. Dispite her strength I
- know she would fail any test of a true Paladine. She is but a vigilante.
- Listen. She calls for my surrender as an attestment to guilt without even
- asking for my purpose. She judges without hearing all sides of a story,
- the makings of a vain and petty tyrant. I will see her spitted on the end
- of my blade.
- I fear my poor steed has fallen. I myself was able to ward off the bolts,
- but I am flung off my steed as it dies. Now I have something to fight for -
- vengence. Only fools fight animals.
- She calls apon me to surrender to her will, but I ignore her, and ready her
- to meet her master in his infernal realm.
- In times past I realize I would lose this fight quickly. Magics have
- been used and are now a part of this fight. It is a test to my worthiness
- that I have the will not to use my magics until there is but no other
- choice. I believe the only reason I possess magic is so that my purpose
- will not fall to them. Best to know your enemy.
- I speak a holy word, one which I know will destroy all but the most evil of
- foes, and she starts to falter, but with a prayer to her foul diety, overcomes
- my holy magics.
-
- It is too late for me to protect my men, as a small evil dragon liquifies
- the ground beneath them, and they sink to their waists before the ground turns
- solid once again. But I realize how I can avenge them.
- In the witch's grasp is an evil sword that destroys flame - much needed for
- her as she will be soon going to the fiery realm of her master. I send a ball
- of flame toward her, as she calls apon me to surrender once again. As she
- lifts her sword to smite my ball of flame, I part it with my will, and send it
- around her. Each half ignores the witch, and instead attacks her dragon allies
- instead. Killers of unthreatening animals should burn. Such acts are
- low and dispicable. Have they not the guts to fight me as thier real
- threat?
- I wince inside at the deathcry of the large dragon. This creature had some
- honor, misplaced as it may have been, and had shielded the others with it's
- life. Its screams are cut short by the flames, and its death is quick.
- The witch twirls back toward me with naked fury in her face. I remembered
- a similar look on the girl Kitty, when she believed her friend had been killed.
- But they were different! Not the same! Slowly it dawned apon me that I may
- have been duped, as many a hero in a bard's tale, and that I may actually
- serve evil. Could it be that Kitty was right and I am evil? It matters
- not, for both sought to judge me. Judgement of the law is all that
- mortals can do. Judgement of good and evil is a job left to the gods, not
- women or wingfolk.
- I realized that I had to die. Maybe I was wrong, but if I was, then Death
- would prove to me what was correct. But I had to die honorably, or else I
- would prove them correct. No matter what I have become, I must die with
- dignity. And if I should slay my foe - then my trial by combat would be
- through, and I would be proved good, and my foe evil.
- I create a wall of ice from the rain of the Storm, and watch as the lady
- I fight smashed it into snow. She came at me wide open, and I responded in
- kind, creating another wall of ice to entomb us both in our deaths.
- As her sword pierced my side, and darkness fell around me, a face appeared -
- the face of the lass I had fought before. And I wondered as I fell back to
- the earth, what the difference between us there ever was. I must not die
- again! No! Intolerable! The quest must go on! Who will bring down the
- ursurpers of Stonegrip? Where is my Emperior now? Where are my fellow
- Paladines?
- I saw her speak to her friends, speaking of the evil of her sword, and
- heard the reply of the Dragon who was her guide, speaking not of good or
- evil, but darkness and light. And I saw the faces of all I had killed as
- I had killed them. Some were in agony, some were quiet. I will not rest.
- I have but to break these weak bonds.....
-
- ========================================================================
-
- THOTH-AMON <PFREY@DREW.BITNET>
-
- "The Leper's twisted words, A.D. 19"
-
- Why do You run from me? Is my leprosy so livid? i have
- nothing to fear, so why do You draw back? Come, embrace me! Let
- my running wounds bathe You in their putrescence. Behold my
- rotted flesh as its iridescent colors reflect rainbows. When i
- sit by the road, asking for alms, i look to You for mercy. Now
- it is my turn to give alms. Listen to my words. i have much
- wisdom to share. Turn away! You will miss what i have for You,
- and gain my disease in Your afterlife. i will laugh down at You
- when we arrive there.
- If You can survive the sight of my decay, You can survive the
- sight of no eyes. Look closely at my visage. i lost my eyes to
- my disease long ago. Gaping black abysses remain. Without Your
- eyes, You can see more. Without eyes, You will not be blinded by
- wealth or prejudices. Without eyes, You will be forced to look to
- Your self for answers. All answers lie within You.
- Why do You pass me by, madly dodging my clawed hand? Do the
- blackened nails give You reason to fear? Shake my hand--it is my
- last. Grip it firmly. What is left of it will fit easily within
- Your uncalloused hand. Friend me, and You will be reborn.
- Take me into Your home. Dress me in Your finest clothes.
- Take the rags i have lived in these nineteen years past. Wear
- them to Your finest revelry. Wear them with pride. They have
- become stained yellow from my wounds.
- You scold me behind my back. i can hear every word. You
- speak as if You have nothing to lose. Your naivety amuses me. i
- can destroy You with but a word. There is no limit to my
- vengeance. Confront me with Your words. Ask me if i will save
- You. Your face shall pale in my darkness. Let me tell You what
- lies in store for You. The more You disregard my pain, the more
- You spend Your life in corruption, the deeper i shall plunge You
- into the abyss. For every pain i have endured, i will rise many
- miles above you. i will fly as high as the sun. Heed my words.
- The more You ignore them now, the greater shall be my pleasure
- when You realize their full magnitude.
- You drink expensive wine. You believe it to be the most
- exquisite beverage mankind can provide. Drink from my gourd. It
- is sweet with leprosy. i drink from it every day. It is an
- ambrosia that Zeus and Jupiter would fight to the death to
- attain. It will rot Your body and strengthen Your soul.
- Join me at my street corner. Sit beside me and declare to
- the world that i am Your brother. Join me and live a beggar's
- life. A beggar has no pride; society will not let him. Enjoy
- the prestige of living a life of vulnerability. Show the world
- Your pain. You will not be able to conceal the corruption of
- Your body. Live without a home. Live without love. Pain and
- solitude shall be Your masters. Live to survive. Survive to
- endure pain.
- Receive my leper's bell. Place it around Your neck. Even
- night will no longer hide the horror of Your martyrdom. As you
- walk the hostile streets, do not muffle its ring. Let the world
- know that you are unclean. Do not be afraid of their virulent
- hate. The world is full of people's hate. It is a privilege to
- be a subject of their hate. Despite is humanity's highest
- achievement, no matter how much they try to conceal the fact.
- They are revealing their greatest secret to you. Feel
- privileged! Ring Your leper's bell with passion. It is Your
- greatest strength.
- Chant my words with me. Do not hide the froth on Your lip or
- Your bloodshot, wild eyes. Spread Your disease to as many as You
- can. Though people may spit upon You, they love You with their
- hearts. They need people to focus their hate upon. Shout Your
- words at them. Let them know how despicable You really are.
- i declare my ostracism. i am an outcast. The sign decreed
- by law to hang from my neck proclaims me a pariah. i am the
- pinnacle of utter debasement. i am the acme of decay. This sign
- is my label. It is a wall which projects my vulnerability.
- Children throw stones at me. The wounds their projectiles
- cause, fester uncontrollably. It a pleasure to sit for their
- mockery. i spread my shoulders, and open my chest to their aim.
- Let them concentrate their spite upon my body. my spirit feeds
- upon their anger. i grow stronger with each weakness i pass
- through. Their is no limit to what i can survive. Physical
- survival is inconsequential to my spirit. my lust for the power
- of endurance is never sated.
- The refuse i dine upon is a feast. Every king sups upon
- empty food. Let them eat my food and they will realize what it
- is to devour sustenance. The offal i dine upon is the finest
- meal to be had upon this earth. Join me in my dining. You will
- never be hungry thereafter. i eat such food every day. Behind
- your averted eyes, i see Your desire for a taste of my meal.
- Try to teach me Your scripture. You will find to Your dismay
- that i far surpass Your greatest philosophical teachings. my
- life is philosophy embodied. my words shall fill Your mind with
- the terror of realizations. You can not endure my strength.
- Live a leper's life, and You will know what living is.
- Live Your life of pleasure. Every comfort You lavish upon
- Yourself i will enjoy in my afterlife. A life of luxury is a
- life of ignorance. When You ignore lepers, You damn Yourself. i
- live for such masochism. i feed upon Your ignorance, and grow.
- Repent for the sins of Your life. You have many. i know
- them all. Do not try to hide Your black soul from me. Without
- eyes, i am capable of seeing through You. You have much which
- You try conceal from me with Your air of superiority and health.
- You fool only Yourself. i see Your greed, malice, and conceit.
- i have no potential for such evil. i am the savior of mankind.
- If You throw away Your corruption now, You can still be saved.
- You have married Your daughter to the wealthiest merchant.
- You believe she is well off, but the truth shall shine forth if
- You marry her to me. You shall witness the decay of her body
- under my touch, but my words shall strengthen her soul against
- all hells. A fat merchant can only strengthen her body.
- There are only two fates to endure: pain and pleasure. i see
- through Your evil guise. i know Your fate shall be torturous.
- Behold my limitless agony, and know a pleasurable afterlife
- awaits me. i have suffered my entire life because i am the
- savior of mankind. i can alleviate all Your sins. Embrace my
- agony, and You shall be saved.
- Turn away! Do you heed not my words? The more You ignore my
- words, forgetting my life-lending pain, the more You shall suffer
- in Your afterlife. i do not confuse myself with wealth. i know
- pain. i have been the target of hatred. If You do not take me
- into Your arms, breath my breath, and hear my words, You shall
- not be saved.
-
- ========================================================================
-
- Thoth-Amon <PFREY@DREW.BITNET>
-
- Arcadia's Collapse
- Banished to the Abyss
-
- The nefarious thunder roared over the heads of a thousand
- beings, widened eyes gripped to the heavens. The crimson sky
- lashed with tongues of acrid rain the conical mountains of
- prussian blue, lurid in the haze of the sky. Never had they seen
- such vehemence of their gods. They ran madly, backs bent in
- their terror, some on as many as twelve legs, others crawled away
- on one leg. Their world, as they had known it for the past
- nineteen centuries since its birth, was coming to an end. They
- made for their spheres of sanctuary deep within the folds of the
- earth. One of their number had ventured too far over the distant
- horizon, dreamed a nightmare of unspeakable terror, and forsook
- the land. He had wrought a rip in the basic fabric of their
- world. Now, their introverted dimension was extroverting, taking
- on new dimensionality; drawing without into the surrounding
- states of existence. Within their night had come a blinding day.
- Their world had once been one of wondrous beauty. They could
- perceive the violet suns through the translucent, emerald lakes.
- Intricate designs would reflect on to their upturned faces. The
- serpentine rivers, saturated with the beryllium they fed upon,
- were known to come alive over night, and teach them all the
- secrets of their world. On the following night, the rivers would
- ruturn to their world of visions, where they would remain for
- many decades. The air was rich with life; one needed no other
- sustenance. Their spheres of sanctuary, hidden under the earth's
- surface, were filled with azure flames which would blanket their
- souls with a soothing warmth.
- Now, beauty is but a memory to their dying world. The rivers
- are dried up. The ground is scorched black. The sky, stained as
- red as blood, imprisons air that permeates a stench as
- sickeningly sweet as a leper's open wound. The mountains are
- stripped of all shape, leaving skeletal forms. The bond that
- once kept the suns together has been severed. The suns wander
- endless space alone, becoming deadened globes of ice. At night,
- ravaging claws of nightmares embodied rape the earth's flesh;
- torturously tearing and twisting great boulders from its exposed
- sides. The inhabitants are not untouched. Heads were reattached
- at random positions to the body as if by a blind man. Some
- faces, once beautiful visages of aquiline perfection, were
- obliterated, leaving blistered, putrescent wounds. Other faces
- were loosened from the skull and left to slide blindly beneath
- the skin, never finding a home. Bones were broken in many places
- without being reset, creating an appearance of curved arms,
- backs, and legs. Well formed limbs were rent by the handful from
- some bodies, and adhered at insane angles to others. The former
- crawl by means of a single appendage, while the latter move
- uneasily on a potpourri of arms and legs.
- The world was being destroyed because one rejected it. He
- had visions of a different place. His vision punctured his own
- land. His vision ruthlessly and irrevocably drew him out of the
- world that was natural to him. He became surrounded by a world
- without beauty; a place of grey reality. His need to survive the
- new conditions that he faced influenced him to believe his
- natural world was useless. His dream world dictated that his was
- a land of ephemeral dreams: their world was the only world that
- existed. He believed them. His values became those of his dream
- world. With this perverted vision, he viewed the land he had
- grown up in, gained knowledge from, and developed beauty from, as
- a lie. His new world decreed such falsity as an incorrect
- belief: it had no use in his life. Innocent of his danger, he
- turned his back to his native existence and embraced his dream-
- world. His doing so destroyed his true world. He could never
- return to it.
- Eventually, he realized that he too was being destroyed; he
- had not been created to survive the horrors of his newfound
- world. Desperately, he tried to return to his old world, but
- discovered it had been destroyed. He could not find it. It was
- too late for him to turn back. To his horror, he realized the
- destruction he had wrought.
- His new world was one of cold, hard stone. No grass grew on
- the unyielding, metallic surface. No trees broke the indigo
- horizon. It was always night--thick and oily. Night gripped his
- world with icy fingers that knew no remorse. Night blotched the
- surface of his cold world a corrosive hue of purple.
- "Fear is a terrible thing. To be alone. Stripped of the
- protective walls which keep one safe. When the mind stops
- protecting the soul with distracting words, danger strikes the
- senses. The vulnerable self cannot hide anymore. It is
- delicate; defenseless."
- He was a solitary figure who wandered the endless expanses of
- that world like an insect. Every step brought pain--pain which
- pulsed throughout his entire body. He was a broken man--a man
- torn asunder. One thing he had learned: to endure. When he
- gathered enough strength, he would throw his head back, spread
- his arms, and bare his soul to the empty, violet sky. For hours,
- he would scream for mercy--for freedom. Screams ripped from his
- ragged lips by the shrill wind. He needed answers to his
- torment. He would ask: "Why must this be?"; "Why am I refused?";
- "Why must I go on alone?"; and "Does anyone care?" The mauve sky
- would yield but one answer: unrelenting silence which would
- oppress his very body.
- When he could no longer bear the monolithic burden, he would
- collapse. A crushed, lifeless body. How long he would lie
- there, none knew. None witnessed his defeat. He was alone. No
- one to take his hand. No one to share his burden. Time would
- pass. Life would again amass strength in his battered body. He
- would again arise like the phoenix, and trod on. He could no
- longer feel terror. Terror had drained long ago from his body in
- the light of his darkness.
- In his wandering, he came upon a massive pyramid. Like an
- accusing finger, it spread its crimson bulk against the
- ultramarine sky. Its very sight pained his probing gaze. It
- cowed him. It was another barrier that stood undaunted before
- him. His agony drove him to beat his punitive fists against its
- adamant side. Its thunderous mass emasculated him. It tore his
- virility from his naked, frail body. It stood before him as a
- symbol of yet another of his failures. A beaten man, he turned
- his back to it. Slowly, mechanically, he moved away with steps
- that brought pain--pain which pulsed throughout his entire body.
-
- ========================================================================
-
- Kyll <C09615TC@WUVMD.BITNET>
-
-
- The 101st Thing to Do with a Potion of Stone to Flesh
-
- by Timothy D. Coats
-
- Graak tossed the last of the battered orc helmets over
- the embankment where it thudded in the brush below causing a
- pair of squirrels to begin chittering cusswords at him. He
- and his fellow adventurers had just finished crushing an
- ambushing band of orcs, who had slightly overestimated their
- battle prowess and had attempted to waylay them. To the
- party it was only a moderate inconvienience, they had
- suffered a few minor wounds and it had slowed down their
- travel somewhat, but it was nothing major.
- Graak turned to the party's money handler, Brastier.
- "How much did they have?"
- "About 8 flenit, not bad for orcs."
- "Well, we had better get moving, its getting close to
- nightfall."
- The rest of the party climbed back onto their mounts
- and the group headed off into the deepening evening.
- Sir Butch, the paladin of in the group, was not the
- least bit pleased. He was the supposed leader of the group,
- but everyone always followed Graak. He had tried, one
- several occasions, to explain the benefits of following his
- code and leadership, but most of the party only half
- listened. During the skirmish with the orcs he had tried to
- organize their counterattack, but everyone had insisted on
- doing their own thing. It's not that he hated the rest of
- the party. He actually kind of admired Graak, who wasn't
- bad for a barbarian. The one he didn't like was Brastier,
- who had a tendancy to steal everything from everyone, yet
- for some reason had been designated the party money handler.
- They continued their travel until it had gotten so dark
- that the horses began tripping and spilling their riders.
- They would have stopped earlier, but speed was important
- enough to tolerate a few bruises and dents in their armor.
-
- Finally, they gave up for the night and camped in the
- darkened woods below the mountains.
- As the night went on Ralden, another fighter in the
- group, discovered that they were camped only about 100 feet
- from a small temple-like structure. He probably would not
- have found it if it had not been for the call of nature.
- Upon returning, refreshed and envigorated, he told the
- rest of the party about what he had found, and since there
- was nothing better to do than lay around the fire, drink
- ale, and pick their ears, they decided to go investigate.
-
- "Wow, look at this," said Brastier as he hefted his
- torch into the face of a statue of a scantly-clad woman
- standing at the entryway to the temple.
- "Not bad," said Ralden, with his tongue hanging out to
- his belt buckle.
- While the two were occupyed with the statue, the rest
- of the party had discovered a similar statue on the other
- side of the doorway and had gone inside.
- "Brastier, quit drooling and get in here," yelled Graak
- after a few minutes. The two went inside to join the others
- and found themselves in a small sanctuary. In the front of
- the area was a tall idol of a gorgeous woman in a
- constrictively tight dress. To each side of it a large
- golden candelabra burned brightly. Brastier, seeing the
- candelsticks, lifted one and began heading for the door.
- Sir Butch started to object, then realized it wouldn't do
- any good anyway.
- Just as Brastier was about to reach the door an elderly
- priestess stepped into the room and greeted the party with
- the words, "Welcome, dear pilgrims. Welcome to the shrine
- of Bimbette, goddess of short skirts, low-cut blouses, and
- otherwise tantalizing apparel. May you forever look good in
- a french-cut bikini..." The party was shocked at this
- greeting, which made no sense to them, a bunch of macho
- fighters, a bandit, a cleric and a macho magic user.
- Brastier, seeing the cleric had not noticed him,
- continued out the door trying not to yell as molten wax
- dripped onto his shoulder and seared his skin. In several
- minutes he returned, nurseing his wax burns.
- Meanwhile the rest of the party had arrived at the
- conclusion that the old cleric was both blind and deaf, and
- had no clue who they were. They had asked her several times
- about this temple and its followers, but all she would reply
- is "Through that door, 2 flenit...."
- Ralden finally came to his conclusion of what she must
- be talking about, though it took alot of thought. With an
- evil grin on his face, and his money pouch in hand, he
- headed off through the doorway the cleric had indicated.
- Graak realized what Ralden was doing and called the rest of
- the group to follow him cautiously to keep Ralden out of
- trouble. Sir Butch prefered to remain behind.
- Inside the door was a small boutique selling skimpy
- langerie, halter tops and postcards of the temple. Ralden
- was standing beside a rack of leather mini-skirts with a
- dejected look on his face. Evidentily the cleric had
- assumed they were looking for the gift shop. In a few
- seconds, however, the dejected look changed back to a smile
- as he noticed the priestess behind the counter. She looked
- much more like the statues out front, and that he liked.
- The rest of the group began to look around the shop,
- but not much was of use to them so they got bored quickly
- and left, though Brastier took a few postcards.
-
- Meanwhile Ralden was trying to put the moves on the
- cleric behind the counter, and was soon "silenced" and
- "commanded" to follow the others.
-
- As the party exited the shop Sir Butch was just coming back
- with the candlestick, which of course he felt obligated to
- return. Brastier quickly removed it from his possesion,
- with Graak's help, and started out the door with it again.
- "It's only a candelstick Butch. Chill out!" said
- Graak.
- Sir Butch was enraged at this, but kept his composer
- for the time being.
- The old cleric was still standing where she had entered
- and was still saying her message at regular intervals.
- "They could have just cast a "magic mouth" to do that job,"
- mocked Alakapoofi, the groups magician.
- The party looked around the temple a little more, then
- started to leave. It was then that they realized that
- Ralden was missing. A scream erupted from the boutique,
- then the roar of flame could be heard. Smoke billowed out
- around the door and the party hurried to open it.
- Inside stood the priestess, rubbing her rear end with
- one hand and with the other pointed at Ralden, who was now a
- black cinder, as was everthing around him. Several pairs of
- spandex tights smoldered on the rack nearby, and small
- patches of flame sparkled here and there where there was
- still enough fuel to burn. Ralden collapsed into a charred
- heap.
- "The pervert pinced me," the cleric explained.
- The party's cleric, Volvo, who worshipped Vroooom, the
- god of speed, stepped forward to at least partially heal
- Ralden. "My aren't we a little trigger happy," he commented
- and then smiled at the priestess. "He finally tangled with
- a woman who could handle him..."
- Graak and Alakapoofi helped Ralden out of the boutique.
- Sir Butch followed saying nothing. "He go his just do all
- right," he thought to himself, "He should have got that
- along time ago."
- Volvo surveyed the remains of the boutique and then
- looked again at the priestess. "Whew!" he whistled, "not
- bad." He turned and headed for the door, then stopped.
- "Don't you think the "flame strike" was a little much
- though." Again he chuckled and exited.
- The rest of the party had already gone back to camp, so
- Volvo did the same.
-
- The next morning the party set out again, leaving
- behind the temple of Bimbette and the priestesses.
- Brastier was the last in line, his horse limping slightly
- from the weight of the huge candlestick strapped to its
- side.
- Later that morning they rode through the small town of
- Endorith and stopped briefly at Warhammer William's Quicky
- Mart on the way out of town for some supplies.
- By nightfall they had entered the mountain pass where
- their destination was supposed to lie, but decided to camp
- and look for it in the morning. They were looking for the
- cave of Attumbha, a fearsome creature that could turn people
- to stone by its gaze. The cave was ledgendary in these
- parts, but none so far had been able to defeat the creature.
- They, of course were conviced that they could.
-
- The morning dawned bright and clear and the party
- prepared themselves for the confrontation with the monster.
- Each readied his weapons and spells, and polished his pocket
- mirror brightly. Sir Butch was again offering his input on
- everything and explaining how it all should be done. Again
- no one listened.
- It took them only about a half an hour to find the cave,
- partly because it was on the slope of the hill above the
- tree line, and partly because of the large assortment of
- custom statuary dotting the mountainside around it. They
- approached cautiously and readied their mirrors. Gradually
- they worked their way into the cave. It was not comforting
- to see that several of the statues in the entranceway also
- were carrying mirrors.
- After about ten minutes they had reached a large cavern
- in the heart of the mountain. Tripping over the rough
- flooring they worked their way out into it trying not to see
- anything except what showed on their tiny little mirrors.
- Suddenly they were under attack. Several flying
- creatures from somewhere high above swooped down attempting
- to rip their heads off. I his surprise Sir Butch dropped
- his mirror. He looked at the shattered pieces of the mirror
- on the ground for a couple of seconds in disgust, then drew
- his sword to face the flying attackers. It a few minutes
- the last of the creatures had been killed or driven off.
- Graak kicked his way out of the heap of carcasses,
- which were piled well up over his knees. He cleaned off his
- battle axe and again got out his mirror. The rest of the
- party did much the same.
-
- They worked their way across the cavern to a smaller
- side cave. Inside they could hear the movement and
- breathing of something large. Several more statues adorned
- this area, most with "oops-I-sure-blew-it-this-time"
- expressions on their faces.
- Then the creature came. It was green and scaly and
- big, very big. Each one of them could see small parts of
- its anatomy, but not the overall view. To help the
- situation Volvo cast a continual light on one of the nearest
- statues, a dumb looking warrior with a sword raised high
- above his head. Everyone drew their weapons and waited for
- the creature to get near enough to strike.
- Sir Butch was the first to attack. He had managed to
- get a glimpse of the creature from Graaks mirror and,
- realizing he could get behind it and avoid the gase, he
- jumped at the opportunity to slay this fearsome beast, get
- all the glory for himself and save his fellow party members,
- even though he was only slightly interested in the later.
- His first attack severed one of the creatures six legs
- and caused it to start bleeding badly. It thrashed its tail
- and tried to turn, but the other party members were
- attacking it from the front so it couldn't turn around
- totally. Again Sir Butch attacked and plunged his sword
- into the creatures side. This time the creatures tail swung
- and knocked him sprawling. He tried to get up, but he could
- not move. Gradually he too turned into yet another one of
- the statues at the entrance to the creatures lair.
- The rest of the party continued to attack. Alakapoofi
- arched a lightning bolt over his shoulder and into the
- creatures face. It roared in pain and anger as its eyes
- were now blinded. Brastier accidentally looked at the
- creature and found that it could not harm him while it was
- blinded. He yelled this to the rest of the party and each
- of them tossed their mirrors aside and attacked again with
- heightened morale. None noticed that Sir Butch was no
- longer in the fight.
- The creature moved forward to bite Graak and missed.
- Graak's axe glanced off the side of the creature's head.
- Then it turned to attack Ralden, who, though still slightly
- singed from the previous day's adventure, had just stuck a
- spear in its side. It bit him hard. Almost before it could
- release its bite he too was a statue.
- By now, however, Graak was striking another blow and
- this time it split open the creatures head. It slumped to
- the floor of the cavern and nobly croaked. The party
- relaxed. They tried to decide what to do about Ralden, and
- found Sir Butch when Brastier tripped over his reclined
- statue. They could come up with nothing, so they decided to
- search the beast's lair.
- In the next cave they found a huge pile of gold,
- silver, gems, weapons, glass marbles, junk jewelry, and
- balls of aluminum foil. They sent Brastier to get the
- horses while they began to sort through the pile. Naturally
- he objected. They put the gold and silver in sacks, and put
- the gems in Alakapoofi's pouch. The marbles and balls of
- foil they threw aside. Most of the weapons in the hoard
- were not of much value, so these too were discarded. They
- did find one +4 vorpal defender dagger of life stealing, and
- Alakapoofi got that for blinding the creature. They also
- found three potions, which the tested by pouring some of
- each of them in a cup of water, which they gave to Brastier
- when he returned. He drank it and didn't die, so they
- assumed they must not be bad potions. After some further
- investigation Alakapoofi decided that they must be two
- potions of stone to flesh, and a potion of haste.
- "How convienient," said Graak.
- They packed the treasure on the horses and then went
- back to their two petrified comrades. They poured the
- potion on Ralden and watched him unpetrify.
-
- "What happened," he said, when he could move his lips
- again.
- "The creature touched you and you turned to stone.
- Obviously the legends failed to mention the touch part. Oh
- well! You're fine now."
- The party then proceeded to where Sir Butch lay frozen
- in stone. Graak was just about to pour the potion over him
- when Brastier yelled, "Stop! I have a better idea," and
- whispered something in Ralden's ear.
- "Yeah! Sounds good," Ralden beamed.
- The yell had caused a little of the potion to spill
- onto
- a loose rock on the floor turning it into a nice juicy rump
- roast. Graak sealed the potion bottle and asked, "Well,
- what's your idea."
- "Wait and see."
- "So what do we do, just leave Sir Butch here," retorted
- Graak.
- "Sure why not, all he is a pain in the rear anyway.
- Besides, we can always come back and get him later, he's not
- going to go anywhere."
- Reluctantly Graak agreed and the party left the cavern.
- They set out again on the return journey and by the end of
- the day were approaching the Temple of Bimbette.
-
- In the morning they rode on again and, when they neared
- the Temple of Bimbette, Brastier and Ralden insisted that
- they stop by for a visit. Graak conscented and followed
- them to the shrine. He was starting to have an idea of what
- they might be up to.
- The party dismounted their horses and followed Brastier
- to the entrance of the temple. There he stopped and
- climbied onto the pedistal of the statue he and Ralden had
- found earlier. He unstopped the potion bottle and began to
- pour it over the statue. In seconds the statue was
- transformed into a voluptuous blue-eyed blonde. She smiled
- at the party standing around her, even though they were an
- unshaven, dirty, smelly and partailly burnt bunch.
- "Thanks alot for freeing me, it was awfully boring in
- there."
- "You're welcome," said Graak, who was now nigh to the
- point of drooing himself. "Would you like to come with us
- on our trip home."
- "I think I will," she said, she certainly had no where
- else to go. She looked around and started to ask dozens of
- questions about the new world around her. The party
- returned to their horses and Graak helped their new found
- friend onto his horse, of course. The party then rode off
- into the lands from which they had come, split the loot, and
- lived happily ever after. All except for Ralden, but that's
- another story...
-
- ========================================================================
-
- Thoth-Amon <PFREY@DREW.BITNET>
-
- The Fallen Paladin
-
- Part I of I
-
- Cries of terror broke the stillness of the forest. A woman's shrill
- shrieks cut the clean forest air like knives. A trio of heartless
- bandits were marauding the damsel, tossing her back and forth between
- her, laughing mirthfully.
- A glint of gold flashed from the smiling mouth of the leader as he put
- out his foot to trip her. The other two set upon the fallen lady, eyes
- burning with lust. Their illkept leather armor was soon to fall from
- their backs. The leader put a dirk to her chin to quell her helpless
- struggles. Their purpose was clear until a thundering of hooves
- brought them about.
- The trees seemed to part and the undergrowth crumpled as the awesome
- figure came upon the brigands. His mount was ablack, war stallion.
- Its hooves tore the underbrush before it. Froth flew from its heavy jaws.
- Barding armor of iron, inlaid with veins of gold, creaked on its vaunting back.
- The rider wore black armor with a cloak of raven's feathers flowing
- from behind him. Curled ram's horns sprouted from his fearsome helm.
- The warrior leaned to his right side as he came upon the vile robbers,
- his bastard sword of inflexible steel came level with the head of the
- leader.
- The leader's head flew from his shoulders before he could so much as
- scream. Full in the chest of a second, two heavy hooves kicked. His ribs
- snapped audibly as he fell to the ground with chest caved in. The
- third leaped up from the damsel and drew his short swort with
- quivering hand.
- The warrior twisted to face this warrior. He swung his blade in a
- whirling arc, blood spraying from its length, and tore through the
- torso of the wretch.
- He dismounted to attend to the lady. His horse stood by his side,
- still snorting and pawing the ground where the spilled blood colored
- it black. He doffed his helm to reveal a solid jaw, burning green
- eyes, and closely cut black hair. His visage was that of a nobleman.
- The lady cried tearfully as she kissed his hand and thanked him
- profusely. But now she saw in his eyes a madness that she had not
- seen before. His face twitched and he seemed to look right through
- her. Buried beneath his left shoulder was the broken shaft of an
- arrow worked in glyphs in runes. She could barely make out the
- existence of the writings because of the black blood that coated it.
- She could see a festering wound where the shaft had buried it.
- She saw in his eyes a lust a great as the bandits'. He flung her to
- the ground and she became a victim of his madness.
- He awoke to find his head cleared of the evil magic that had gripped
- him after the dark elf had sent his arrow into his shoulder. He had
- ridden like the wind in pursuit of the laughing, evil being. It
- had ever elluded him, flitting from one dark shadow to another. His
- rage had built to a frenzy in his desire to slay it. He heard cries
- ahead through the blood lust that gripped his mind in crushing claws.
- He thought he had found the elf at last when instead he found...
- His mind rejected it. Never! But the stench of the mangled bodies
- near him made it clear...NO!...but the raped body of the once beautiful
- lady to his side, now with head turned to an unnatural
- direction...NEVER!!...but the foul bandit, armor and clothes removed
- as were his for the same purpose, only he had actually committed the
- act--so vile his mind reeled...I WOULD RATHER END IT NOW!!! He collapsed,
- vomiting his innards.
- He awoke in a small hut. He lay on a course bed of straw. He looked
- around to see his armor and sword set besides him. He was undressed.
- The hut was cluttered with kettles, herbs, bottles, crude clothing,
- shelves on which rested books, scrolls, and many other undescribable
- items. A strange scent filled the room.
- He lay still, wondering if it had all been a nightmare. He looked at
- his left shoulder and saw a ghastly scar. Then it was no illusion!
- Black thoughts hammered at his head. He wanted to tear it off to
- punish himself. A door, out of his line of sight, opened. The soft
- pad of barefeet approached him.
- A women, so beautiful it made him swallow hard, entered. Her long
- brown hair which flowed just under her shoulders, was untamed. Her
- earthy robe reached to her ankles, but failed to mask her exquisite
- shape. Her face was at once both gentle and stern. Ageless
- knowledge showed in her brown eyes. Ears, tapered to a graceful
- point, were visible beneath her hair.
- She put her hand to his forehead and looked deep into his eyes. He
- once would have been able to return that gaze with equal strength, but
- now his eyes faultered and lowered. He looked up again to see
- compassion and understanding. Silently, she helped him up from his
- bed and robed him in white. She reached for a small, crystalline
- vial. This she opened and sprinkled its contents on his forehead and wrists,
- making the sign of a celtic cross on each. He closed his eyes as a
- warmth seemed to prevade his body.
- He opened his eyes again and found himself in a frigid barrenness. A
- blizzard of small, but furious, flakes whipped him in its icy grasp.
- The cold, dry wind chaffed his cheeks. Snow came up to his knees.
- He was in his armor and his sword he gripped in his right hand. He
- was wrapped tightly in his raven cloak. In his left hand he found
- that he was gripping a small packet of what appeared to be seeds. He
- somehow knew he had to plant them at a spot he would know upon seeing
- it.
- His thoughts were disturbed by a shout. Not a shout from a human
- throat, but a roar from a being many times as large as he. Out of the
- blizzard came a grey figure so immense, his mind nearly rejected it. Its
- size over doubled him. It brandished an axe as white as the hoarfrost
- which covered its armor. It bore down on him, axe raised to slice him
- in twain. Braided lengths of red hair flowed from behind its head.
- Its inhumanly blue eyes stared murderously at the small figure before
- it.
- The paladin leaped out of the way as the axe passed where he had just
- been, biting deep into the snow. The giant was quick. He tore his
- axe free and swung again. But the paladin was quicker. He swung his
- sword in a high, whistling arc at the giant's exposed back. The blade
- rang from its armor, merely denting the chain links.
- The axe hit the paladin in his side. His mail tore open under the
- weight of that blow. The swing was slowed by its impact with the metal,
- but tore the flesh beneath. The blade was like ice which burned his
- side. Hot blood spurted from the paladin's wound, to fall steaming upon
- the snow. The red liquid soaked deep into the ice, to freeze and become
- one with it. The momentum of the blow knocked the paladin to his
- knees.
- The giant howled with blood lust, twisting and yanking his axe free.
- More blood fell and more armor was rent. The giant braced its legs
- and brought the axe back over its head, ready to split the paladin
- from head to toe.
- The paladin leaped upwards and forwards, blade gripped in both hands
- and point directed towards the giant. His six and a half foot body
- sprung towards the giant. At the last possible instant, he stabbed
- his blade at the wide open stomache of the giant.
- The force of that piercing blow with the heavy sword tore through the
- links of its mail to pass deep into its abdomen. The giant screamed
- in agony. The paladin pushed the blade still deeper into the wound.
- The giant kicked the paladin from him.
- The paladin sprung up and drew his dagger. The giant had dropped
- its axe and was trying to pull the five foot length of steel from its
- midsection. The paladin rushed at the giant, avoiding another of its
- kicks. He ducked as it swung a bloodied fist at him. Then, he
- struck it a telling blow, full into its groin. It buckled over in
- torment.
- The paladin backed off to watch it die. He pitied it, but it had
- been a fair fight. He retrieved his weapons, cleaned them on the
- giant, bandaged his wound, and headed in the direction of his quest.
- His side ached with each step he took.
- Mountains came into view. Grim crags of rock. He had never before
- seen their stony faces, but knew that at the base of the largest was where
- he must go.
- The blizzard had lessened slightly, and gradually becoming but a
- flurry. He could now see the spot he needed to bury his seeds.
- When within fifty yards, he saw a hooded form of a man sitting on a
- stone bench before the spot. When the paladin came within ten paces,
- he stopped and called to it. No reply. He came closer and saw that
- its hand, which grasped a walking staff, was skeletal. The paladin
- believed it to be dead, until it drew back its hood.
- The being was indeed a skeleton. A visage with gaping holes of black
- set in place of eyes and a grin of exposed teeth where lips should cover
- met the paladin. Its teeth champed together as it spoke.
- "You of forsaken paths shall not enter here! Keep away! You shall
- not bring seeds of life to the Valley of Death!"
- "With these seeds of life I shall conquer death. This barren plain
- I see now to be the workings of one immersed in evil. These seeds I
- now understand will bring back the life it deserves!"
- Death gnashed its teeth. From the folds of its cloak it brought
- forth a bauble. It glowed ruby red in its chalk bone fist. At the
- feet of the paladin it cast the sphere. Wisps of red smoke curled
- around and around the paladin, gripping him in its ephemeral grasp.
- The paladin's heart did not waver though the smoke burned him like
- hellfire. He dove through the magic to land before the skeleton. It
- raised its fists, and fire gushed forth. He felt himself boil in his
- armor. The flames licked his flesh hungrily. He felt all the sins of
- his life burn free. Still he pushed forth towards the skeleton.
- The skeleton swept its left claw in a wayward motion while its right
- stabbed forth. A cold wind blew upon the paladin. His grasp upon his
- sword became numb, but he held tight. His bones felt fit to be
- cracked. The cold was soul gripping. He was but two steps away from
- the deathless one.
- Now the skeleton pointed a bony finger at the paladin. Lighting
- sprang forth. Wracking pain knit the muscles of the paladin. His
- spine began to arch and spit drooled from the corner of his mouth. A
- tingling from the electricity, so intense it felt like millions of
- maggots eating his flesh, took hold of his body. He collapsed before
- the skeleton. He crawled towards it, sword shakily held.
- The skeleton balled his fists and squeezed them tight. The paladin
- felt his ribs bend, as if an unseen hand was gripping him. And yet he
- still crawled forwards.
- He did not swing at his tormentor. Instead, he gouged a hole in the
- ground. With his left hand, he moved to toss the seeds into the
- furrow he had created.
- The skeleton saw what he was about to do and made another motion.
- As the seeds tumbled into the hole, a baleful blue wave of energy
- rushed towards the paladin, but it was too late. From the hole sprang
- a tree of white wood. It rose from the hole at a breathless speed.
- The blue light was disrupted as it passed through its net of branches
- on its way towards the paladin. The branches took on the semblance of
- life and curled around the skeleton, to crush it into a powder.
- The paladin rolled onto his back. His life had nearly seen its end,
- but he had accomplished what he had come for.
- He saw in the azure sky above him a feathered horse descend.
- Beautiful it was in its feathery of the purist white. Upon its back
- rode the lady who had sent him on his quest. She wore a white shift;
- not the coarse, brown robe he had seen her in earlier, but a
- shimmering cloth knit as if from clouds.
- She dismounted and knelt before the mortally wounded paladin.
- "Brave and noble sir, you have done well. See around you the fruits
- of your most holy task." With those words she touched his body and he
- felt the strength of goodness flow throughout him. He stood up and
- beheld a sight wondorous to behold.
- Blue sky swept from horizon to horizon. Tall, green fields of lush
- grass covered the surface of the earth. No more the blizzard. No
- more the desolation. Birds coated the sky and grazing herds roamed
- the plains.
- Turning around, he saw the tree had grown tall and strong. Many
- others like it spread out from its father to form a forest of trees.
- "This shall be your land. You shall rule it wisely. Let no evil
- enter this land that goes unbanished. Let noone destroy or maim these
- trees, for they feel as any other and shall stand as bastions of the
- strength of good. Build a fortress mighty and people will flock to
- you. But never, never let evil into this land to do its carnage."
- With that she flew off. The paladin built his kingdom to be strong.
- The land prospered and flourished. It was not in the paladin's time
- that evil entered the land, but that is another story that may be told
- if ears are willing to hear......
-
- ========================================================================
-
- Carn the Bandit
-
- by Brad Samek
-
-
- Carn looked down upon the road. In the distance, he could see the
- dust that the caravan train kicked up. He glanced around to make sure
- that all was in readiness. His archers were hidden on this bluff to
- the north and in the trees to the south. His Mage had cast an illusion
- of a great barrier or rocks, as though a minor avalanche had blocked the
- road. He knew that his men hiding behind the illusion stood ready, as
- well as the group he had left back down the road to catch any stragglers.
- As time passed, the caravan approached. Carn could see about ten
- wagons, a good haul. Times had been lean, during the War, and only now
- was banditry beginning to pay off again. Finally, the train ground to a
- halt. The head Merchant, his blustery face darkening with irritation,
- started shouting orders. The caravan guards spread out, ignoring the
- merchant, made a half-hearted attempt to circle the train.
- Carn almost laughed outloud. He leaned over to one of his men and
- whispered, "We could take 'em in a fair fight." The man responded with
- a smile and a nod.
- Finally, the head Merchant managed to bring some small measure of
- order to the confusion. A couple of men started walking towards the
- illusion, shovels in hand. Carn, seeing this, signalled the attack.
- Swarms of arrows flew out at the unsuspecting guards and most fell under
- the onslought. Then, charging through the illusion, came a group of
- horsemen who engaged the those guards still able to fight. After a
- brief struggle, the guards gave up and those who were still able, made a
- run for it back down the road. Carn left them to his rearguard and went
- down to the road.
- The head Merchant turned toward him, cursing him in a way that only
- a true merchant can. Carn, listening to the cries of dismay turn to
- cries of anguish in the distance, merely smiled at the man, ordering his
- gang to take the rest of the train captive.
- Carn ordered a trusted friend to inspect the wagons. He turned and
- motioned to a group of men, "Gather the horses," he faced another group,
- "Search the bodies and cover our tracks." He signaled to a horseman, "Go
- and bring the others," and finally, "You others, check the prisoners and
- chain them." His men scrambled to obey, working quickly and efficiently.
- The man inspecting the wagons returned, "It's mostly foodstuffs, but
- we found a cache of weapons and some gemstones." he said, indicating
- the chest resting nearby.
- Carn smiled at the Merchant and spoke to his friend, "Did you happen
- to find any rope?" At this, the red-faced Merchant paled visibly. At
- the man's nod, Carn said, "Good, take this one well back into the forest
- and hang him. Maybe, just maybe, that will shut him up."
- The man gathered a couple of others and headed off into the woods,
- followed by the Merchant's incessant whining. By the time the men
- returned, the group was ready to leave.
- Carn was well pleased, the entire episode took only an hour from the
- start of the raid until he and his men rode off in the wagons, and without
- losing a man. They rode westward, heading for a small town where Carn
- had a few 'friends' who would be interested in buying the gems, the
- wagons and the slaves.
-
- ========================================================================
-
- The Trials Of Faere
-
- by Marc Lichtenwalter
-
-
- Tymber walked down the street grumbling to himself, that precocious old
- bitch had no right to send him out to get the weeks supplies. He had been a
- great warrior, now he was just a supply-carrier. He had done this routine now
- for almost two weeks, but he still hadn't gotten used to it. His sword hung in
- his room, unused, but not forgotten.
- He longed for the days when he could be free. He remembered his childh
- ood, he
- had been the choice of the litter, all
- of the other cubs had hated him. Only one in a million of the Ffolke could
- assume full human form, and that was Tymber. Not his real name of course but
- one his old fighting comrades had given him. His real name almost
- untranslatable into a form humans coul understand was a representation of
- strength and power, with no fear.But those days were gone now. In his last
- battle with the crazed mage Chrysallim he had been forced to choose
- what form he would forever remained locked. He had chosen his human form,
- because that is the form he had lived most of his life in. But he missed his
- wolfen days, when he could sense the true emotions of a person, and not be
- subject to the petty sensory downfalls that so readily affect humans.
- Suddenly he was dragged out of his dream, roughly by a piercing shout for help.
- He
- He started to change to full wolf to get there faster when he realized that was
-
- gone. Cursing himself he ran towards the source of the scream. He found
- himself in a dark alley where he saw three large men in black surrounding a
- small huddling figure. Against one of the walls he saw a fourth man in black
- frozen in place suspended ten feet in the air.
-
- "Alright, little wizard, how do we get 'im down," one of them said
- holding his fist above the little man's head.
-
- "I don't know, I didn't know I could do that," the man said almost in
- tears.
-
- The big man smashed his fist into the wizard's face. Tymber heard a
- sickening crack and blood sprayed one of the men holding the wizard down.
- Unable to control himself Tymber let out a mighty cry and jumped into the middle
-
- of the group. He grabbed the man who had punched the wizard and spun him around
-
- landing a square punch to his jaw, which sent the large man reeling, he kicked
- one of the others in the chest and drove his elbow into the third. They lay
- still. Tymber walked up to the small huddling man, who he saw for the first
- time was wearing the grey robes of a wizard.
-
- "Are you okay, little wizard,? Who are these men?" he said, helping
- the man, who seemed to weigh nothing, up.
-
- "I'm fine, thank you. Who are you?"
-
- "I'm Tymber, warrior of the Realm, and you are?" He said in his usual
- resonant bass.
-
- "I'm Archus, former wizard's apprentice to Chryssalim the great,..."
-
-