==========oOo========== NEVERWINTER NEWS Issue # 90 Week Ending 7-8-95 ==========oOo========== *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* FRONT PAGE *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Congratulations to UDL Diablo for winning last week's News of the Realm contest. UDL Diablo has earned choice of 4 Pearls or Access to the GOH (Guild of Heroes) WTG! <><><><><> <><><><><> : ***July Trivia*** Date: 95-07-08 05:12:41 EDT From: NW Strahd Posted on: America Online : ***July Trivia*** Please join NW Baldor and NW Strahd for a night of fun and prizes, while we test your knowledge of Neverwinter Nights Trivia! :) Date: Tuesday, July 11, 1995 Time: From 10:00 PM to 11:30 PM EDT Place: The Great Hall And those prizes to be awarded to the Winners:* First Place - 4 FREE hours and 25 Pearls Second Place - 3 FREE hours and 20 Pearls Third Place - 2 FREE hours and 15 Pearls (*all winners will recieve GOH access if they don't have it already) Hope to see you there! :) NW Strahd and NW Baldor <><><><><> <><><><><> *** DWARF-ONLY MINI-EVENT *** The Dwarves had their chance at a Dwarf-only Minor Gauntlet Mini-Event with NWA Skye. Survive a Charm Person, Poison, and Hold Monster, cast by myself, to win 2 pearls :D UNCLEAUGST BOFOR MORN BERNAISE1 All survived :D In order to fill some empty slots, the mini-event was later opened up to Theives of any race ... and they did try to sneak away with a few extra pearls ;> But only the Dwarves were successful. And, those few non-dwarf and non-theives patient enough to hang around received some charity on my part... I let them try to withstand my charming, poison-kiss, hug ;> TAMMINY SIR DORVAN Those lucky two win pearls as well :) Thanks all for your company :) NWA Skye <><><><><> <><><><><> The July 5th winner was Lordterekj who found "clean rooms. no dirty feet" The July 9th winner is roehl who found the man named Haljal. NW Kel <><><><><> *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* NEVERWINTER CALENDAR *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Be on the look out for those Mini Booths that seem to pop up out of nowhere! Can you be at the right place at the right time when the NW calls for a location? Keep your eyes and ears open for these events! Watch for the banners! New Player Tour: July 10th Monday 10:30 PM ET - Join NWA Ember for a tour of the Realm. Those interested should keep an eye out for the banner telling where to meet!;D New Player Tour July 12th Wednesday 10:00 PM ET - Join NWA Kyrae for a tour of the Realm. Those interested should keep an eye out for the banner telling where to meet!;D New Player Tour: July 15th Saturday 02:00 PM ET - Join NWA Jelal for a tour of the Realm. Those interested should keep an eye out for the banner telling where to meet!;D New Player Tour: July 16th Sunday 4:00 PM ET (Sat night)- Join NWA Shaka for a tour of the Realm. Those interested should keep an eye out for the banner telling where to meet!; <><><><><> <><><><><> "A Charmed Life..." Chapter I By: Dragonflyr and Augustus (Submitted by Sir Auggie) In the immense dining hall of Camelot, Dragonflyr and Augustus are finishing a private meal... All the others have gone to bed... and the happy couple share an intimate moment as they sip the last traces of chilly mead from the chalise they share... Augustus gazes dreamily into the sparkling eyes of his beloved... The same contented and peaceful gaze which has graced his brow since she first agreed to wed him... He takes her hand in his and looks down to the diamond ring upon her finger - the tip of his finger tracing the outline of the large gem set there... "My Love... I was thinking... Perhaps we might arrange a bit of a second honeymoon... Mayhap the islands would do us both a bit of good... You know, to get away from the crowds here in the city... What think'st thou...?" A charming and genuine smile crosses her lips and her eyes twinkle in joy... "Oh, Auggie ;) That sounds lovely..!!! I've not been there in so very long, and the time alone with you would surely be enchanting..." "Ah then.. it is decided.... ;> There is still time this evening for us to make the trip... Shall we..? In hopes that you'd agree, I've already had our travelling attire prepared for us... " "Oh yes, beloved Auggie... let's..!!!" They depart Camelot and head for the Neverwinter docks... within a few minutes they sail into a dark sea under the canopy of glistening starlight... as the ship moves into deeper seas, the air takes on a chilly breeze... against the railing of the ship they cuddle close and look out to the horizon... As Augustus' eyes trace the line where sea meets sky, his mind briefly wanders to the recent rumors he heard from YenLoWang of impending Pirate raids on the city of Neverwinter... He finds himself searching the waters before him for ships bearing unsavory minions and thinking of the impending danger... Dragonflyr, noticing his distraction, looks up to him... "Oh, Auggie..?" :::pinch::: She giggles, "I hope I'm not boring you..." ;> With a start... and a hand to hers to abate her further playfulness, he chuckles... "Oh.. not at all MiLove... You know well by now that I have difficulty turning my mind from the threats to the realms... but that is why we are taking this trip, is it not..? So that we might enjoy each other for a bit without such distractions..?" His hand traces the soft skin of her cheek as he gently brings his lips to hers... "Mmm... Yes Love... that is _exactly_ why we are here... ;>" From the bow of the ship a surly cry rings out... "Land Ho...!!!!" and within moments they have docked upon the island closest to the city.... Auggie and Dragonflyr lift their packs and stride arm-in-arm down the plank to the shore... As they step upon land, the gravelly voice of the shipmaster calls down from behind them... "Har.. ye two sweethearts enjoy yer visit..!! ;> Careful ye don't get feebed here tho'...!!" He roars a laughter which shakes his emmense belly so hard that he begins coughing... Auggie tips his hat to the shipmaster and Dragonflyr flashes the most disarming of smiles... The shipmaster pauses a moment... Then calls down... "Oh.. ye two waits a moment... I gots som'thin' ta makes yer visit a bit mor' pleasin'..." After a moment of turning away, he hurls a bottle of the ship's finest mead toward Auggie - who deftly catches it.... "Ahh.. Thank ye kindly Milord..!!" This fine bottle shall not go to waste.. ;>" Auggie nods and grins confidently to the captain... "Har..!! I kin bet it shur'ly shall..!!!" The captain laughs as he turns away from the railing... As his laughter fades he can be heard to mutter to his first mate... "Lucky &%#@*&..." Spying a small inn which seems a bit neglected but possessing 'character'... they approach the door and enter.... At the desk, a stooped woman with greenish skin arises and registers them to a chamber.... ascending the stairs, they enter the room which is clean but not regal.... ;> Auggie drops the heavy pack to the floor, but as he does so Dragonflyr turns to him... placing both hands against his armored chest... "Oh my dear... this shall surely be a lovely night.... but would you care to take a stroll and take in some night air before we retire..?" The coy smile crosses her lips that he never could resist.... so despite his fatigue... he grins... "Umm.. well... of course MiLove.. that sounds charming... ;>" They decide to exit the inn and stroll north.. and despite a few interruptions by Basilisk and other wild creatures, they happen upon a dock... Dragonflyr becomes enthusiastic for a boat ride and urges... "Oh, Auggie.. let's go on the boat... it shall be quite lovely, I'm sure..!!!" Augustus' brow furrows... "MiLove... Ye have not yet travelled to the outer islands... It is not altogether pleasant I assure you... ;>" "Oh.. you silly..." she leans against his chest. "I'm certain nothing in the realms could put hesitation into the heart of my brave Augustus... Let's do it.. okay..? ;>" "Hmm... well, okay MiLove... but we such action shall require caution... I hope that ye shall follow my guidance..." Augustus places a fistful of coins in the hand of the master of this small ship and they board.... "Take us north, good captain... if thee will'st.." Upon arrival, there is little to see.... they happen upon a captain of Neverwinter who explains.... "The Krakens have control of much of the islands... and they have sights on Neverwinter proper.... If ye have the heart, enter this passage to the west island and defeat the foul minion...." Dragonflyr's eyes twinkle upon hearing the challenge set before her... but Augustus once again furrows his brow.... "MiLove, we both know what lies behind us at the inn.... a second chance to return to what brought us to wed...." "Oh, but my dearest..!! How can we turn from this challenge..? Let us proceed into the passage and make the realms safer for all...." She grabs his hand and rushes into the dark passage.... Within an instant, they are on the western island.... Auggie wispers.... "Milove, we must exercise the greatest caution here.... evil most foul resides in this place.... as we open each door, we must prepare to the utmost to defeat them." Two Silver Arrows (Submitted by Lian Storm) It was near highsun when I saw him by the road. He didn't see me at first, he was too busy fighting back tears. I can imagine how I looked to him, in my dirty, patched, travelling cloak and tunic, carrying a magical sword in a jeweled scabbard. My walking stick was driftwood and my boots were from two different pairs. My hair was dusty and not well combed and I believe my ranger's hat has a tendency to bend my ears downward. All in all, I know few honest people who look more like bandits or scavengers than I. He was a young moon elf, though I can't recall ever seeing a man look older. He seemed thin and worn. I didn't miss the daggers in his belt, nor the dark stains that dotted the hilts. I followed his dejected gaze to a shallow grave by the roadside. Tears streamed unchecked down his face, which was so pale it was almost blue. He was sick with grief and my heart burned for him. I could think of nothing to say that would not sound shallow next to his agony, so I squeezed his shoulder and offered him my flask. As a rule, I'm not drunk often, and never when I travel alone, so the wine was weak at best. The elf, however, seemed all too willing to lose himself in it and emptied the flask in two long pulls. He handed it back to me and wiped his lip. "My thanks, good etriel." He spoke politely as if to some elven lady. I imagine I blushed briefly, having had few titles higher than "hey you." "The tears blur your vision my friend," I said, in accented elvish, "I am only a half-elf. Lianne Storm. I'm a ranger." "Divon Moonwaters" he said, dipping his head in a bow. He turned sadly to the grave. "And Kyana of Sune." ************************************************************************* Kyana was a young, beautiful, Sunite cleric, thirsting for the romance of the open road. She joined the Company of Silver Arrows after the winter frost broke. She enchanted the five other members, especially the elf, Divon, with her shining crimson locks and knowing crooked smile. On some nights when Selune was full she would dance with him in the woods to a music only the two of them could hear. Kyana was loyal and true in battle, and brought joy to her friends for nearly a year. It was deep winter, on the road to Nesme, when they lost her. She had taken the graveyard shift, from midnight to three hours before dawn. She kissed her elven lover and thanked Sune for bringing such joy into her life. She was so intent on her prayers, that she didn't notice the danger until dark hands closed around her throat. Screams of pure terror awoke Divon. He recognized Kyana's voice immediately. Running ahead of the others, he found her kneeling in a small grove of trees, screaming uncontrollably to Sune. She was trying, without success, to heal herself. Even with his night vision, the elf could see no signs of her assailants, save a broken vial and a small mirror. When he looked at his love, he knew the source of her anguish. The cleric of love and beauty stared into the mirror from eyes locked behind a shredded face. Neither prayers nor magic could heal Kyana's face. The morning found her hoarse from crying to Sune. She and Divon grimly left the company that day, heading back east toward Silverymoon for a cure. The ride was hard and despair had left Kyana weak and frail. Her prayers became empty shells as dark scabs formed a macabre pattern over her once beautiful face. Divon made her a veil from an old shirt and together they walked to the temple of Meilikki. Though even the high priest tried, no cure came for Kyana's condition. Tears welled up in her eyes as the old man shook his head. Divon reached out to comfort her, but she ran from the room. Kyana coughed in the smoky tavern air. She had come to drown her sorrows in cheap ale, but found she could barely lift the mug. Instead she fiddled self-consciously with her veil and listened to tales. Young lovers whispered in the corners, and drunk sell swords shouted for drinks. Two mercenaries at the table next to her caught her attention. "I'm worried, Raja. This last one makes four priests attacked on the road. Just the priests." "Why worry, lass? Whoever it is doesn't bother normal people or the priests at the temple. We didn't want to bring no stinkin' cleric on our mission anyway. Who needs 'em!" Kyana saw red. She was not alone and her attacker was still there. She would find this fiend. She would have revenge! The next morning found her in the stables prepairing a horse. She hadn't wakened Divon. She was too scared of what he would think of her. She wasn't beautiful and loving anymore; she was hideously scarred and bent on blood. One part of her screamed for her to abandon her quest and go to him, but she shoved it back as she slid herself into the saddle. "You would leave without me?" Divon's voice was choked with tears, but it did not sound surprised. "I-" she began, but looked away, unable to finish. The elf shut his eyes to hold back tears. "Kyana, I love you! I always will," he cried. Kyana looked down at him, steeling herself against the temptation to fall crying into his arms. "No," the cleric said coldly. "You loved Kyana of Sune. I am not her. Not anymore." "Kyana I-" "You can't love me Divon!" she bit her lip and then lied "I don't love you." Divon looked up at her as if she had just driven a sword through him. The cleric turned away from him to hide her tears. Standing in the dirt like a beaten dog, the elf could only manage a weak "I'm coming with you." "Fine!" she yelled in frustration. His presence made her feel ugly and unclean, but she knew she could not stop him. "Your horse is in the stall!" With that she set off at a gallop. Kyana and Divon said little to each other in the days that followed. The cleric's sleep was haunted by nightmares and the elf hardly slept at all. Instead he sat dejectedly and stared at the night. Kyana felt awful for the pain she had caused him, but she knew she would lose her nerve if she talked to him. The remains of their fire from what seemed like an eternity ago were still there. Kyana tried to sleep but couldn't. She sat up and walked over to her love. "Divon... I'm so sorry," she softly said, running her fingers through his dark hair. "I've been awful to you.... and no matter what I said....I- I love you." The elf stared up at her, his eyes wet. Kyana suddenly was painfully aware of the scars on her face. She turned quickly towards the bushes. Suddenly, a movement caught her eye. She let out a long hiss, grabbed her mace and rushed after it. The dazed elf followed. the cleric's prey wasn't subtle and the trail was easy to follow. She finally caught up to it in the clearing where Divon had found her that night. Glaring at her in the moon's shadows was a tall tattooed woman. She was unwashed and looked as if she'd been starved. Her eyes burned with a feral fury while in her hand she tightly clutched a bone handled dagger. The tattoos covering her body were of rotted bodies and plague and on her forehead was a triangle of tears. "You!" growled the cleric as she stalked toward the woman. The woman snarled back. "Talona will prevail. All things will rot! There is no other end." She lunged at Kyana. "Beauty cannot stop decay. Talona shall triumph over Sune and all the others. I beat that into you, you little witch! Why do you think you can't heal yourself? My Lady of Poison prevents it." Kyana tried to dodge the insane cleric, but both she and Talona's priestess were on the ground in seconds. "Kyana!" Divons voice distracted her, allowing the tattooed woman to plunge the dagger into her shoulder. A warm, drunk sensation overcame Kyana. Poison! She should have expected no less. The priestess smiled smugly up at her. Kyana said nothing, but slowly, with grim determination, raised her mace and slammed it down with all her strength on the woman's face. An emptiness spread through the cleric as the sickening crack echoed in her brain. She tried to speak a prayer to Sune, but found the words would not come. As Divon kneeled beside her she could say nothing. There was no sweet sense of justice, no peace, no redemption. She put her hand to her face, to feel for the scars, but it was numb. She stared pleadingly at Divon, and in response he kissed her. The sweet salty taste of his tears was the last thing she knew. Now alone in the clearing he stared down at the scarred face of the woman he would always love. ********************************************************************** I could say nothing as he finished his story. Words seemed insincere next to his tears. I don't recall crying, but my face was wet when his voice ceased. I helped him up and offered him my walking stick. He took it and I walked beside him down the long dusty road. Lost in the Wood's By Keglord "Blasted Slag's", mumbled Keglord, as he crouched just out of sight, of his enemies prying eye's. "You Just be hearing thing's Garlok", chuckled the mage. "You be right", answered one of the larger but dumber giant's. "Me just tired." A few moment's later, one of the Fire Giant's pet's, a hell hound of maximum size, leaped up from it's rest and began sniffing the air. Keglord's heart froze when he realized that the hound had began tracking it's way toward's his location. The young kuldar new that his situation had taken a turn for the worst, and the idea of taking on eight fire giant's (who's party included mage's) did not sit well in his stomach. The hound crept closer and closer. Idea's raced through Keglord's mind, but it was all he could do to keep from being over come by panic. He knew he could not outrun the hound, and attacking it would give the giant's enough time to reach him before he could flee through the wood's. An overwhelming sence of failure and lack of accomplishment filled the dwarf's mind. He new it was not his time to die, not yet anyway. And it was this dread feeling that made him snap out of it and react. He quietly loaded an arrow into his strongbow and focused on the hound. "Jus' a little closer ye blasted houn' ", whispered the kuldar to himself. "Jus' git's ye outta sigh' o' da giant's". The hound had cleared the camp and was out of sight of it's master's, who were too busy indulging themselves on a roast boar to notice the hound's peculiar behavior. Keg new he was not the best of archer's (what dwarves are) and the odd's of him instantly killing the beast were slim. It would probably cry out in pain, the kuldar thought to himself, and alert it's master's, but a slim chance is better than none. Keg held his breath, and pulled back on the bow string. "Well'n 'ere goes nottin'." An arrow hit the Hell Hound square through the temple, killing it instantly without a sound. The hot was perfect. Keglord could not have done any better. He looked at his hand's. His arrow had never left his bow............... (To Be Continued) Dreamscape A surreal landscape stretches before me I feel my legs running But I hardly move They are after me, I am chasing them Floating along, lack of control A glimpse of something in the distance Or someone? Things are moving so quickly Vision is sometimes blurred I catch bits and pieces As I try to hang on And grasp for a conscious thought An intelligent analysis Of these stark surroundings Trying to slow, lack of control I've been here before But the place is somehow changed Coming closer now I've seen that smile I know that face She wouldn't act like this Out of place Why am I here again? I shouldn't be Time seems warped Trying to understand... Trying to focus... It isn't her, she isn't here Here doesn't exist. That's it, finally got it Gaining control, some control Direction is slightly changed My ideas added to the script That plays itself out Before the stage darkens And I see the light. By Morngrym Verigost Knight-Commander Bard of KORT! "Be careful, mage, before ye choose to travel to other planes...for they are not like our own. Be careful mage, before ye choose to sleep...". Brothers (Conclusion) (Submitted by DarkWolfMM) I fell silently to the earth. The tenders blades of grass cousioned my impact. My heart pumped forth blood from the wound in my chest. The pain had come and gone, peacefullness replacing it. A certain exceptance, relief. Like the vision the drowing sailor has as he takes his last breath above sea level. The very last vision. But my mind told me at once that if I cared to die I could have done it myself. Conciousness brought the rebirth of pain. Pain is a enemy, that let's you know when you're losing, but still alive. And I was alive. I looked down at my shirt as it darkened. I felt the warmth go down to my belly. Again I fought off the vision of death. Pain made you aware aswell. I cast heal. The warmth ceased spreading and the pain subsided. I took a breath and stood. Mercanter stood with a newly shown mace, a few yards from Chris, who held a mace aswell. I carried pulled out a short sword. Mercanter's head snapped back at the sound. I moved so he was between me and Chris. "You're lucky little one," he huffed in between breaths, "but you're stupied too." "I'm alive, brother. More than you will be in a minuete." "Kill your own brother? Never heard of such a thing." He held up the knife that had pierced my chest, and wiped the blood off. "Fine, I've killed what now? Six of my family members? Counting old Wedge down there eh?" I remained unwavered. I'd learned my lession. The fool attacks in anger, not the paladin, not anymore. Chris inched closer. "There's no escape Mercanter." "Shaddup! I'm thinking here okay?" "Slowly Chris, " I said inching closer, "slowly." He did the same. Untill he was within reach. I jabbed observingly. Mercanter backed off and I went with, keeping him between us. I jabbed again, this time hitting his cloak harmlessly. He swung at my head. I ducked, and my backhand sweep went wide. Chris swung too, lower. A snap and I glimpsed Mercanter hobleling back a yard. Chris smiled, and Mercanter grimaced. "Can't beat ya can I?" He grunted as he limped back some more, "Well reckon I'll leave then." And he waved his hand in front of him. "Not again!" Chris cried as he pitched forward swinging. He connected with Mercanter's head as he ducked into the dimensional door. I stood gaping. The next day was spent buring the dead. Arrow's hold faded and he was alright. Mine brusies would heal. Wedge would not. Mercanter had slit his throat. Wedge and I leaned over him as he spoke his final words. "He's beaten me again....I, he's cursed. Michael, leave him be, don't you..go near him...I've hunted..him my life. All of it. And...he cursed you hear...let the past, die...now! All of it,...all of it." The Card Game (Submitted by SirExegete) As he recalled, it was when the two of Knives turned up in his hand for the sixth time in a row that Sir Exegete of the Forge, Knight of the Round Table began to suspect that something was not as it should be with the dealer. Exe looked up through narrowed eyes at the dealer. He looked innocent enough, but the Dagron always looked innocent, even with his sword in the guts of a vanquished enemy, so who could tell? Exe immediately discarded cheating as a possibility. Dagron would never stoop to something so low and dishonorable, and besides, Exe wasn't about to be the one to bring that subject up with such a one a Dagron the object of the inquiry. No, it was definitely wise to stay on Dag's good side. this had been reinforced quite recently in a small skirmish with several ITB's, handled comfortably by several Knights, Dagron included in the West Woods, was it just a day ago? But that is another tale. Rapping knuckles and the sweet, if impatient voice of the Lady Allsfaire brought Exe's attention back to the table and the task at hand. Exe looked around the table at the varying piles of cash. While his own pile was disappointingly small, Dag's was even smaller, larger than only one other player, and he was Dag's squire so he didn't really count. No, Dag couldn't be cheating because he was losing, but then, knowing Dag. . .no, he couldn't be cheating! He cast his glance around the table and met each of the other players. Tuvor, recently back from fulfilling his Ambassadorial duties with COR and still muttering something about Allanon and gating. Lady Blackcoral, beautiful and inscrutable, with the largest mound of cash in front of her. Exe briefly pondered the oddly shaped item next to her winnings (mostly from Dagron) and wondered about it once again. He'd never seen anything like it before. Coral had taken it from Dagron in pledge when his cash had run out earlier in the game. it was still Dagron's, but would remain in Coral's possession until Dagron retrieved funds from his vault after the game. "Exe, if you please?". this from Augustus, Knight Commander and Guild Arch-Mage. "Oh. . .certainly" Exe replied and selected the 9 of Swords and played it. Augustus followed quickly with the 10 of Helms and one the trick. Exe tossed the 10 Gold ante into the pot and looked to Augustus for the lead card for the next round. Augie lead the King of Shields with a quick snap of the wrist and a sharp slapping sound of card on table. Shogar, Lord consulate to the AGM, played next, and so on through the hand. Exe broke about even, but Dagron, increasingly frustrated, lost once again and was beginning to show it. "Dag, please, that's the fifth set of cards you've torn up since you took over the deal" Tuvor said with an easy smile on his face. A grunt his only reply, Dagron took a fresh deck and began to shuffle them. Tuvor looked around and caught the eye of the serving wench and motioned her to his side. "Yes Milord," she said with a shy smile "how may I serve you?", the tremble evident in her voice. Tuvor turned his full attention an the round lass. "I think another round, and you'd better bring some more decks of cards my love, I fear Sir Dagron is not yet finished his reign of terror yet." he said with a wink and a pat on her arm. The others around the table laughed as the young girl blushed at Tuvor's touch and backed away, nearly falling over a chair in the process. "You know Tuvor," Allsfaire began, a reproving tone in her voice, "If you weren't so. . . friendly with the servers in these places, we would get the complaints from the Innkeepers about disrupting their businesses. the last time we were here Strider complained that his girls were lovesick for three days after you left." "I don't know why there aren't more male servers in these Inns" Blakcoral complained. But the light tone of voice undermined the seriousness of her complaint. "The owners know they'd lose them all right quickly to you and Allsfaire Milady" Augustus quipped, with a smile on his face. "Here here" Exe added in agreement, finishing off his mug in anticipation of the round Tuvor had ordered. "Tuv, what happened to that blond wench, the one that was here last time we played?" A red tinge began to creep over Tuvor's face. "What blond" he asked, feigning innocence. "The one with the great. . ." Exe looked around, red encroaching one his own face as he caught looks from both Allsfaire and Blackcoral. "attitude." he finished lamely, an embarrassed look on his face. Allsfaire turned her gaze back to Tuvor. "Yeah, Tuv, what did happen to her? She hasn't been around much lately." she said in a tone that clearly said that she already knew the answer. Red, now fully evident on Tuvor's face, deepened in shade. He cleared his throat and scratched his chin, shuffling his cards repeatedly. "I'll tell you what happened to her." came the familiar voice of Duke Orion as moved toward the table removing his cloak. Tuvor looked at him with pleading in his eyes. The Duke met his gaze and smiled an almost devilish smile. Do the words "Paladine" and "Nunnery" bring anything to mind Sir Tuvor?" he inquired with a grin. "Let's play cards, let's play cards" Tuvor said, a bit loudly, his desire to change the subject evident. He cast a few coins into the pot and tried to look nonchalant. The others look expectantly toward the Duke. Orion moved around the table slowly. He paused and looked at the odd item next to Coral's pile of winnings. A small smile escaped his lips. "Coral, where did you get this?" he asked. "From Dagron" she responded. "He ran out of money a while back." Duke picked up the object and looked at it closely. It was a molded shape of a creature of some sort. Obviously very old, the handling it had received over the years had worn its edges and caused it to be less easily recognized. "It looks something like donkey's back end" Exe thought absently and he watched the Duke.. Orion reached into a pocket of his cloak and pulled out a pinch of matter and sprinkled it over the object murmuring an incantation. The objet began to glow slightly and Orion burst out into a hearty laugh. "This belongs to Dagron"? he asked? "Indeed" Coral replied, I'm only holding it for him 'til he can get to his vault. All at the table were interested now. Orion put the object down carefully and slung his cloak over an empty chair. "Can I get into the game?" he asked. "Dagron is dealing I take it?" He continued - "Deal me in!". "What is it Duke" Coral asked. "It's not worthless is it?" she queried, casting a suspicious eye toward Dagron. "No, by no means" Duke replied, giving another hearty chuckle. "It is very valuable in some circles " he added. Dagron, apparently further irritated by all of this, rasped "Let's play" and proceeded to deal out another round of cards. Exe looked at his hand and sure enough, there was the two of knives again. He bit his lip thoughtfully. Looking over at Duke Orion, he wondered what Orion knew that he didn't. Orion wasn't one normally to play cards, in fact Exe had never known him to enter a game at all. The Duke was one that liked sure things and made certain of the odds before he entered into a venture or an adventure. "A sure thing" echoed in Exe's mind. He pondered that idea over the next few hands that saw Orion gather a considerable pot of winnings. Most on the table lost some, but Dagron was losing most of all. Every time a hand was completed and the Duke gathered more winnings, He laughed until finally he was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. "Dag, aren't you just the slightest bit suspicious about all of this" he asked, wiping tears from his eyes. The others around the table looked at each other and then back at Dag and Orion. "Suspicious about what" Dag replied, suspiciously. He looked at Tuvor who shrugged his shoulders. Tuv was just glad that attention had shifted form his interest in serving wenches. "Losing is an art form Dag, an art form that some have undertaken to ensure." the Duke began. "Where'd you get that piece you gave to Coral?" he asked. "Dunno" Dag replied. "Won it off some Mage up in Vilnask I think" "Heheh" Orion replied. "Would I be correct in that the Mage bowed out of the game right after 'losing it" and that you lost a bundle to those left?" Dagron thought for a moment. "Yeah", he said "Come to think of it, I did lose quite a bit up there!" he said thoughtfully. "What's that got to do with now?" he asked. The Duke packed up his winnings and stood to his feet. Reality began to dawn on the other at the table, and they did likewise, hurriedly scooping their cash in to sacks and getting ready to leave. "Where's everyone going?" Dagron said sourly - I got a lot of money to win back. He looked a Coral who had taken all of her winnings except the icon. "Here Dag" she said - "forget about the rest - my treat" she added with a weak smile. "What's going on here" Dagron roared, beginning to suspect something himself. "Dag" that statue is an Icon of losing - somebody passed it on you and then took advantage of its magic to fleece you. It's called the Sucker's Medallion". Exe suddenly realized that it was indeed the image of hindquarters, though not of a donkey, but of a horse! "Gotta go" Exe said hastily, putting two and two together and realizing his winnings were in jeopardy. "See y'all" both Coral and Allsfaire said almost at the same time, obviously coming to the same conclusion and heading for the door. "Next time" Augustus V" said as he headed for the stairs. "Got some Guild business to attend to" he added as he went upstairs tree at a time. "If anyone wants me, I'm out of town" Tuvor said as he headed for the back entrance, giving the serving wench a wink on the way out. "Wait just a minute" Dagron roared. He looked at the Duke. "You mean this, this . . . . . . . . . thing MADE me lose?" he sputtered. "'Fraid so Dag" the Duke grinned "Ought to be more careful about this kind of thing" he added with a laugh. Allsfaire and Coral were obviously out of the question as far as refunds go. Exe was already out the door and Augustus was upstairs. Orion was unlikely to part with any either, so that left Tuvor, quickly disappearing out the back way. "TUVOR" Dagron hollered as he hastily began a pursuit. I want a word with you. . . . . ." The Joke (Submitted by SirExegete) Exegete and Tuvor hustled through the alleyway, the while incredible blast still echoed over their heads through the now shattered stillness of the night. "Damn Lucky If you ask me" Tuvor shot at Exe in a clearly incensed voice. "Great idea this" he went on as the ducked behind a shed. "Oh It was a good plan and you know it, stop complaining" Exe replied pulling several wood splinters from out the knee material of his breeches. "I can't help it if it didn't work the way I planned it." he added with a winch, pulling a couple splinters out of his left arm. "We should be glad it wasn't worse." he concluded. "Hummm" Tuvor grunted. "I don't know why I even went along with this scheme." he said angrily, pulling several splinters of his own out of various parts of his anatomy. "You're just mad because of the splinters in your butt" Exe said, "Here, let me help" he added. ""You really shouldn't have stayed on the roof so long. If you'd have come down when I said, you wouldn't have been there when he woke up, and you would have slid all the way down." "You're the one who told me to go up there to begin with" Tuv exploded. "Shhhssssshhh!" Exe said, "Not so loud" "Oh like my voice will wake up people that the explosion didn't" Tuv said sarcastically. "I wasn't thinking about that. There will be patrols now you know" Exe added, busily removing splinters from Tuv's posterior. "Boy, remind me never to surf a cedar shingled roof" He added quietly. "Ouch! Damn!" Tuvor said, barely keeping his voice under control. "I wish you'd be more careful" he added with a warning tone in his voice. "You and you damn illusions" he muttered. "I knew they were trouble from the first." "Oh yeah? You didn't say that when we got Dagron to buy us drinks and a good meal by making him think we were twin sisters in town with the Ballet." Exegete reminded him. Tuvor smiled "Yeah, that was fun." His smile faded. "But I was the one he got fresh with" he said. "Well, you always were cuter than me" Exe said. "Now be quiet while I finish this." The evening had started fairly well. Exegete had been studying his new book, "Illusion and the Modern Mage". He had been experimenting with a number of the techniques in the book and was wondering how he could make use of the latest illusion described when the news had come to Strider's back lounge that an ITB High Lord was in NW for the evening. The plan had come together quite nicely over the next couple hours and Exegete and Tuvor had polished the details over a last mug of Mead near curfew time. Using a basic illusion to give the appearance that they were still in their beds (just in c case of a random check by the Knight commander) they slipped out a window and made their way to the boarding house the ITB High Lord was staying, near Mataga's in the center square in NW. Tuvor's knowledge of the back alleys and secret ways was useful and they arrived unobserved. The idea of making an illusion of a silver dragon head enter the High Lord's bedchamber window and spew sewage over him was, in Exe's opinion, a perfect one. The ITB's spent an inordinate amount of time in the sewers and so, he reasoned, it would make the High Lord feel more at home. A knight was supposed to be charitable and hospitable after all. The single difficulty was in getting the parts of the spell matter that needed to be near the illusion to the third story window that was in the High Lord's chamber. That led to Tuvor climbing the building near Mataga's and skulking over near the window. Curious as he was, he wanted to get a look at the inside of the chamber and was precariously perched on the edge of the roof when things began to unravel. "You and your OUCH! illusions" Tuvor complained in the alley. "Never should have gotten involved Had to go wrong" he added bitterly. "How was I to know that he would be sleeping with a wand of fireballs under his pillow." Exe replied. "That's just not normal behavior" he added defensively. As the illusion began to develop, Tuvor had needed to change his footing and had slipped, making some noise. The High Lord had apparently been a light sleeper, heard the noise, and come up with the wand blazing, so to speak. All very bad luck for Tuvor. He slid down the roof and landed, thankfully, three stories below in Malaga's garbage for the evening. I say thankfully because it both cushioned his fall and shielded from the blast that blew out the entire side wall of the High Lord's bedchamber and set fire to the next several house roofs. Both Exe and Tuvor thought it prudent to depart the area immediately, resulting in their presence a small side alley picking splinters from each other's various body parts. "It's normal for ITB's" Tuvor exploded in a low voice. "OUCH! Are you done yet?" "Yes, Yes. that's the last one, at leas the last one I'll mess with" Exe said. "Your gonna be sore for a while." He added apologetically. "No stuff I'll be sore" Tuv said. "Be glad I'm in a generous mood or you'd be sore for longer" he added. "Sounds like there are patrols all over the place" Exe said, poking his head over the fence and looking out into the main street. "Geez, can't understand that. Somebody blow-up half of the square and sets fire to the other half and everybody doesn't just go back to sleep" Tuvor replied, pulling some bits of cucumber from his hair. "You don't have to be snippy" Exe said turning back toward Tuvor. "You missed a bit of tomato there, by you right ear. Smells like Italian Dressing" he added, sniffing. "Get away from me" Tuvor said, shaking the last of the salad from his hair. "Let's get out of here - Augustus won't be fooled long by those lame illusions you put in our beds. I definitely don't want any questions about this nights work." They moved out of the yard, and down more of the alleys an paths back toward the KORT Barracks near Strider's. they moved stealthily and quietly, using all of their cunning and every bit of their experience to remain unseen and unobserved in their progress. So it came as quite a surprise when they found themselves almost within spitting distance of an ITB Patrol. They were practically within sight of Dorm, right at the corner near Strider's when the patrol came out of the alleyway that led to the sewers. "Well" Tuvor said. "Lookee here - Skorp and few buddies" "Tuv, we don't have time for this" Exe said in a warning tone of voice. "Let's just go back to the dorm" But Tuvor wasn't listening. You know how he gets sometimes. "Hey Skorpie!" he called. "You still the only pervert in your family?" he called stepping out of the shadows. The six footmen with Skorp were obviously only recent recruits. The newness of their uniforms clearly showed that. Their halberds looked sharp enough though and the Sergeant that was with them was clearly a veteran. "Tuvor, you charmer you" Exe murmured as he drew his Pike and readied himself for the party he knew would follow. "Freeze Wuss" came Skorp's voice, the closest thing to a verbal sneer that Exe had ever heard. "That's what I like about you Skorpie" Tuvor said "Always such a pleasure to run into" "You take the footmen and I'll entertain Skorp" he murmured to Exe in a low voice. "Sure, no prob" Exe replied in a low voice he hoped was dripping with sarcasm, but was more likely the dry croak of a frog. Exe readied a bit of sand in preparation of the sleep spell he would cast. Murmuring a few words he blew the dust toward the soldiers and one by one the each fell asleep, slumping to the pavement, their halberds clattering to the ground with what seemed to be an abnormally loud noise. That left the Sergeant to deal with. "Be careful Milord" the Sergeant intoned drawing his long Sword. "There's another of 'em in the shadows there" "I see him" Skorp replied. Tuvor moved to the left and Exe exited the shadows to the right an circled toward the Sergeant, his pike at the ready, not time for another spell. Tuv finished casting a protection spell and began to cast another, offensive spell, even as the glow from his first spell was still fading. Exe heard Skorp murmuring the words of an incantation as he closed with the Sergeant and that matter began to take all of his attention. "If I was you friend" Exe said as he circled the Sergeant "I'd find another line of work" "Shaddup and fight" the Sergeant growled as he feinted with his sword. he followed the feint with an attempted bash with his shield and then an overhand chop with the sword which Exe easily deflected with his own shield and, ducking inside his guard, rapped him in the teeth with a gauntleted hand. The Sergeant feel back a pace, spitting blood, and launched a series of thrusts and sweeps. "You're a lovely dancer" Exe said sweetly as he dodged and parried the flurry of blows. "But..." he added after a few more moments, "I like to lead". And with that he launched a series of cunning blows that lead the Sergeant raising his guard against what he thought was a coming overhand chop. Exe dropped to the ground and swept the legs from under the Sergeant with the butt of his Pike. the Sergeant fell with a clash of armor, losing his grip on his long sword momentarily. Exe leaped to his feet, and in a bare half second had kicked the Sergeant into unconsciousness as he tried to rise. "Sorry" Exe said quickly. "No seconds" Exe turned quickly to see how things were between Tuvor and Skorp in time to see the flash of magic and the glow of a hold spell settle on Tuvor. "Damn" Exe murmured. Skorp was already in the beginning stages of casting another spell, Cloud Kill from what Exe could make out. Exe knew he didn't have many spell left himself, most of his energy having gone to set up the illusion at the High Lord's bed Chamber. He scanned his memory, considering what he did have left. Nothing that the protect spells would turn aside he realized with increasing panic. Wait! A smile crossed his lips. He did have a couple illusions prepared, just in case. Exe grabbed in his pouch for the components. Tuvor would understand, he hoped. He spread them to the breeze wafting across the square and murmured the incantation. It took but a moment for the illusion to settle. Skorp opened his eyes for the final part of the cast he was doing and his eyes fell on Tuvor to target the spell. What he saw completely destroyed his concentration and burst out laughing, almost falling to the ground. That gave Exe the time to cast the Flash/bang effect. A loud thunderclap rolled across the square and a brilliant light illuminated the sky, and kept it illuminated. Skorp cursed and looked around knowing that he hadn't time to finish his business with Tuvor. He faded quickly into the alley he had come from, abandoning his patrol to the coming KORT guards. Exe quickly approached Tuvor. "Sorry Tuv, I'll make it up to you, it was all I could think of" Exe whispered in Tuvor's ear. "Don't have a dispel or I'd take you with me." He looked over Tuvor's still "held" form. Surpressing a smile he said "I really am sorry Tuv" and with that was gone into the shadows, circling the barracks to enter from the rear. Curses and shouts came from the KORT barracks and the sound of running feet followed as the knights on watch poured out of the entrance into the square. Augustus V, Knight Commander of KORT strode out onto the square, surveying the sleeping ITB footmen and the unconscious Sergeant of the guard. "What the hell. . ." he said to Berrun and Dagron who had by now emerged from the building. they both shrugged and looked at one another. "Over here Augie" came the lilting voice of the Lady Allsfaire, and obvious smile in her voice. "You've got to see this" She stood with a group of KORT'ers encircling something further over in the square. Augustus made his way over and the group parted to let him through. There in the middle of crowd, clad in a pink skin tight TuTu, Arms frozen over his head in a pirouette, was Tuvor, Knight of the Round Table. Augustus stopped dead in his tracks, then smiled, then laughed out loud. He circled Tuvor once. "You know, not everybody can wear a TuTu with combat boots" was his only comment. "Yeah" Allsfaire Agreed. "And on him . . . . . . . .It looks good!" The Emerald Brooch - Part 2 (Submitted by HG Renik) The mid-day heat continued unabated by the thick green canopy overhead, as the Harper Renik, and the young ranger, Wigleaf, inched their way north thru the Centaur Wood. Foul monster's seemed to "sense" their presence, and were attacking Wigleaf so often, that at one point, Renik had the weary ranger empty the entire contents of his backpack on the forest floor, checking for anything that would act to draw the foul beasts to them. Discarding the "week-old" haunch of wild boar Wigleaf had been saving, the two adventure's continued their trek, somewhat less plagued by attacks, and soon found themselves at the northeastern edge of the Centaur Wood. Wigleaf, using his ranger skills, noticed several broken twigs on the thick scrubs, as if a large beast had passed not long ago. Stepping thru a concealed passage, they were met by the wood's protective denizen "the Centaur". The horse-man seemed very agitated, and continually pawed the forest floor with his fore-hooves as he revealed to the pair of adventure's the evil that was now plaguing his forest. "Rid the forest of this evil, and perhaps I can be of further assistance" the Centaur said, as he once again disappeared into the thick foliage. Using Wigleaf's innate Ranger skills, the duo soon tracked and dispatched a nest of snakes, and a small contingent of manticores hiding in the southeastern section of the woods. Exploration of the northwestern section lead them into the webs of several phase spider's, and after a quick, but furious fight, the forest was rid of these foul creatures as well. Wiping gore from his short sword, as they made their way back to the spot where they had first encountered the Centaur, Wigleaf tiredly commented "Whew, I sure hope that's the last of them", "as me arm feel's like a Hag caste 'Reduce' on it". The Centaur met the two adventure's in the same area of the forest as before. He was very pleased, and thanked both Renik, and Wigleaf for ridding his forest of the vile creatures. He also explained that the evil seemed to emanate from a dark hole that had appeared in the southwestern section of the woods. "Many have been taken down into this hole, never to return" the Centaur said, "Several days ago, a guide was sent to find the missing souls, and he too, has not been heard from since!". "Here" the Centaur said as he handed the two a coil of rope, "take this magical rope, as it may aid in your descent." With that the Centaur once again disappeared into the forest, leaving the two adventure's to make their way southwest, where they soon stood at the dark, ominous aperture. Evil seemed to permeate the air, as they securely fastened one end of the magical rope to a near-by tree, and began their decent into the dark, dank hole. Walls that glistened with a rank, purple slime greeted their eventual arrival at the bottom of the pit. The iridescent fungus coated the walls, ceiling and floor, casting an errie glow on the narrow corridor's ahead. Cautiously, Renik and Wigleaf inched their way down the winding, twisting tunnel's that seemed to be taking them deeper into the bowels of a festering evil. They came upon several doors, and after bashing them in, released the starved, and half-crazed prisoners within. After seemingly endless hours of searching, Renik detected a secret passage to the west, in one of the main north/south tunnel's the duo had explored. Many of the prisoners had warned them of the "Evil Sorceress", so preparing for the worse, they cautiously triggered the hidden latch and entered the secret passage. "Seize them!" the Evil Sorceress cried to her two Cloud Giant Shaman aides, and two Iron Golem bodyguards. It was well that they had prepared, as the fight was indeed furious, what with the Shaman's casting "Dispel" and "Silence", the Sorceress casting "Ice Storm", and the Iron Golem's "Bashing", Renik and Wigleaf were both exhausted by the time the final Golem went down. "After we rest a bit" Renik panted, "We should check the remaining cells for more prisoners". Checking the remaining cells also proved to be a challenge, as the cells appeared to be alternately filled with prisoner's and evil monsters. In the last cell the duo came upon the lost guide, Borth Jhandelspar, who told them of "two exits" from this evil place, and to "be careful" in our search. Just as Borth made his departure, NW Snowie arrived. Snowie was checking into the mysterious "teleportation" of the Ranger Wigleaf to the Centaur Wood, she too, advised the duo to use caution, and "Remember the clues" provided by the released prisoners. Putting their words into deeds, the two adventure's searched the remaining corridor's, finding a magically sealed door, and a secret passage leading east. Wigleaf noted the small depression's in the soft fungus nearest the secret passage, so the duo opted for the secret passage as the best way out. Several more encounter's greeted them down these twisted shafts. They had to defeat another Evil Mage, Zentilar Soldiers, Stone Golems, and a Fire Giant Mage before finally emerging into an uncharted section of Triboar. "There is yet a pall of Evil in the air" exclaimed Renik as they made their way north thru the small scrubs of this lightly forested area. It wasn't long before they could see the familiar streets of Triboar on the path ahead. But, standing directly on the path, maw open, revealing rows of large, sharp teeth, stood the skeletal, decaying form of one of the most feared creatures in all the Realms, a "Dracolitch". Wigleaf, too tired and frustrated to carefully consider his actions, shouted "Eeeeenuffff", as he charged forward, short sword swinging wildly. Renik, following the enraged ranger, managed to caste a "Fumble" on the beast, as Wigleaf cut the Dracolitch into small, bony pieces. As they made their way thru the remains of the Dracolitch, a green light reflected off a small object near the center of the huge pile of bones. Wearily, they kicked aside the bones to uncover an Emerald Brooch. "Hmmm" Renik wondered, as the two tired adventure's set foot once again on the streets of Triboar, "I wonder if Lord Nasher" would have an interest in this artifact?" Humbly, HG Renik Fireworks insparation (Submitted by FF TEMPEST) When the rifle's crack and the cannon's roar Becomes the pop of fireworks and the cheers of the crowd, When the screams of the dying Becomes the babie's laugh, When the shockwave of the bomb Becomes the cool sea breeze, When the scorched, pitted earth below you weary feet Becomes the rich, dark soil of peaceful farms, When the rumbles and quakes of the massive artillery barrage that are felt through the entrenched ground Becomes the steady heartbeat of the one you love, You are home. You are free. Lt. Tempest Birchbough, Fighting First Forever Dark Heart of Neverwinter (Submitted by UDL Diablo) The spirit of Diablo floated quietly along the streets of Neverwinter, the adventurers going this way and that, until he spotted the destination of his current curiosity, the Inn of the Midnight Society. The demonic spectre let his form become but a mist as he slipped through an upper window, totally unnoticed by the occupants within. For Diablo sought information, and stealth sometimes provided more than direct confrontation. Once inside, the spirit flowed out of the room and up towards one of the rafters that held up the vaulted ceiling. From his perch high above the tavern below, Diablo watched, his crimson eyes burning with curiosity at the patrons that downed ale at the tables below. Each and every one of them he had met, always in a hostile situation, never with any intent on conversation. They spoke aloud below him, speaking often of the Undead Lords and their lack of honor. Often about how the Lost Hills would belong to them. Then his eyes focused on the ring leader, the one who talked the loudest, the one stirring the Midnight Society into a frenzy about the Undead Lords. Jack Henle stood at the bar, downing one whiskey after another, speaking so many untruths about one of Neverwinters most powerful guilds. Diablo could see the mans true intent, as he was unnoticed, his powers of observation cleared his vision. The man was certainly using the Undead Lords to further his own ambitions. He wanted to become Guild Master once again. Now Diablo understood the reason for recent events. There were those who were new to Neverwinter, listening intently to this man, for they knew no better. And their attention he had. He would send them to their deaths, night after night, to gain but one thing. A position of power for himself once again. Diablo recalled his many meetings with Lord Wamphyri, a man of honor. He recalled what Slayer, the leader of the Undead Lords had told him about the Midnight Society. There was to be an alliance between the two guilds. The foundations of which were being destroyed by the one called Jack Henle. Were the members of this fledgling guild so entranced with Jack's words that they did not know that an alliance with the Undead Lords would bring them sanctioning from Lord Nasher quicker than war with UDL. Yes, this one called Jack Henle would have to be brought down, and Diablo had decided to make it a personal mission of his. He would return to the Castle of Bones and let all his brothers and sisters know of his latest revelation. Perhaps Slayer and Lord Wamphyri could still work out this alliance if the truth of Jack Henle's personal desire was known. Perhaps it would not be to late to stop a war that would do nothing but spell disaster for the Midnight Society. For the young and uneducated within this guild do not truly realize the power and might of the Undead Lords. The spirit of Diablo floated once again to the upper room within the inn, from there making his way once again quietly out into the street. Yes, to Slayer he would now report. The true nature of this traitor within the Midnight Society must be made clear to both guilds. As he floated along the now quiet streets of Neverwinter, Diablo remembered the words that Jack had spoke to him, not but three nights ago in the old hags house within the Lost Hills. "I am the true and only Guildmaster of the Midnight Society, and if I say there will be war, there will be war Diablo", Jack had screamed at him during the fight. For three days Diablo and his brothers had fought the Midnight Society, and for three days, all had done nothing but serve the purposes of one man. Jack Henle. Now this man needed to be brought down. The Making of a Guild Member (Submitted by Deere jon) For those of you I have not meet yet..I am Seeking (pun intended :-) entrance to "The Seekers". My assignment from the Lord Magus-Dethlicker was to journey to Port Llast and find the Medusa, slay them and return with proof. As a third lvl Paladin, this task seemed quite formidable. As I sat at an inn in Neverwinter mulling over how I was going to accomplish this task...quaffing a few ale's for courage in the process...I chanced upon a friendly sea elf of neutral align named Anteku Rra. We discussed my predicament over more ale, when Anteku Rra decided that this indeed was a noble task and would lead the way..... Gathering those possesions we would need for the journey, we set off to the Port, Anteku leading. Upon entering the province of Windycliffs, we were beset upon by a pack of wolves and a horrid creature called a Great Vilsnak the likes of which I had never seen. Alas, Anteku was a greater warrior than I had first guessed, casting spells that dispatched these beasts. That out of the way it was the inn in Windy..(for more ale to calm my nerves) and a brief rest. When finally reaching the Port, I was able to train up a lvl, better preparing myself for the fight to come.. As we entered the docking area, the port master tried to warn us away, but being on a quest, we were determined to enter. As we entered we were immediatly set upon by a troll, which was dispatched in a timley manner, only to find ourselves face to face with not one, but three Medusa's...thanks to the fast casting by Anteku, all three were held...the gods were with us!! After dispatching the Medusa's and heading out of this ghoshtly ship, we spied a shiny object...a brass button!!! The proof I needed...at last! We made haste back to the inn....and after more ale..(I like ale :-) we parted our seperate ways, Anteku for more dangerous realms and I back to NW to find the Lord Magnus-Dethlicker, to tell him of my exploits and give him the proof he desired. I am making this dispatch from Strider's in NW, recovering from my journey. Tomorrow I meet with Dethlicker....I must get some rest... End of part 1...... -------------------------------------------------- It was a perfect evening and I arrived early to the appointed meeting place...the air seemed electric. I was to meet with the highest echelon of The Seekers to see if I was worhty of acceptance to this most noble of guilds. Dethlicker arrived first to receive the proof of my quest. The foul button would not leave my hands...it seems that certian quest items are for Nasher's eyes only...this was confirmed to me by Nashers on duty NW's. "No matter" replied Deth, "Twas but a test, the button ya can keep..it was yer spirit I was testin'.." As we discussed the guild and it's philosphy, others of the guild soon gathered to greet me. Phantra, Wkndwarr, Whiiplah, Darrlak and others...back slaps, ale and gifts were flying... I was fourtunate in receivng many fine gifts...bringing my AC from 3 to -2...I no longer walk the realms naked...and a finer set of clothes I have never worn...!! My heart was filled with pride at being a part of this brotherhood. Wkndwarr, after the chatting was out of the way decided to lead myself and Dar out into the realms in search of evil to vanquish...gathering our possesions for the journey, we set off towrds the province of Vilnask, where Wknd had heard there were fierce Dracs terrorizing that town...a noble cause indeed for such as us, (evil killers), and off we went. On the way we talked much about ourselves, getting to know each other. When we arrived into the more dangerous realms, Dar and myself were made invis by Wknd's fine sorcery. Told to help as needed when called upon, Wknd dispatched the creatures that beset us with due haste....... Finally, we arrived in fine shape to face the dreaded dracs...upon arrival, we found the dracs engaged with citizens of the realm and entrance blocked...alas, we could not help.. As the fight seemed to dwindle and the citizens rested, more dracs appeared, attacked and Dar was able to cast his help into the fray... Wknd and myself were proud that our guild was present in the fray, but worried by the fact we couldn't aid him... But Dar held his own thru two (that I saw) Drac fights and helped keep Vilnask safe for travelers... When I saw the need for my help diminish, I went to seek out boarding for the eve'... At the local tavern, as I quaffed the local brew, I reflected on my week and slept in front of a warm hearth, content with myself, the world and my guild....for I am now a Seeker!!! Deere Jon Crusader of the Seekers! Starflash The Sword of Agility Chapter One (Submitted by Niasen ) In the Times of Service, When sword and shield Clashed in bloody war, There came a general for the goblins. A cold death knight Whom could not be turned by any cleric, Or harmed by any magic, But could be defeated By the one sword. Starflash he named it. The hilt was adorned with a yellow gem Letting off a faint light Which is made more brilliant At the wielders command Guiding him through the darkest passages. And the sword was empowered in another way The greatest undead could be banished With a single command And a fatal strike, Sending them unto the non-existent. Starflash he named it, And the god, Stanch, would have used it Had he not other things to attend to (Such as a card game). It became a gift Unto a faithful warrior And with the sword Rackath gained the power And relieved the goblins Of their leader, Shattering his lifeless body Into a burst of blue sparks. The legend of The Sword of Agility was the farthest thing from Grath's mind. He had other things to ponder on, such as why he was here in his old home town of Chelcoth. All he knew was that he and his friend, Inferno (a name of his friend's own devising), were given a message in Sitaria to come to Chelcoth. He and Inferno then set sail on a merchant ship and, once landed, traveled from Dock Town to Chelcoth where he now waited in The Lonely Inn. The inn had no tavern, and therefore was usually lonely. "Waited for what?" he wondered, just when he heard a knock on his door. It was a messenger from the Reeve. The message saying, "Come to my house where I will explain why I have sent for you." Grath didn't wait a second more. He threw the note down onto the bed and headed for his old lord's house. What adventure awaited, he did not know. Inferno, upon hearing the request from the Reeve to return to Chelcoth had sent word to a friend of his named Bobby. Not quite the name you would expect for an adventuring cleric, but he kept it nonetheless. Inferno had met up with Bobby the half elf and they were both in the same inn as Grath. Grath just didn't know Bobby was there yet. The two received the same message shortly after Grath, and headed towards the Reeve's house. Both expecting quite an adventure being as the Reeve had sent all the way to Sitaria for Grath and Inferno. The only problem that they feared they would face was that Bobby was not acquainted with the Reeve, and had not been invited. Grath and Inferno had grown up in Chelcoth and the Reeve, the towns leader, had talked a time or two to both of them. For Terrance Almain, the Reeve, knew that Grath had potential as a swordsman, and he always liked the idea of added armament. As for Inferno, the Reeve just talked to him because he was always by Grath. Inferno claimed that he was going to become a mage. The Reeve rather doubted it. However, a few months after Grath and Inferno had moved to Sitaria, Terrance received word that Inferno had found a mentor who would train him. Grath had went to Sitaria with his mother and father, and had also found a teacher. Najarathan, a well known sword master, trained adventurers in all types of sword fighting. So Grath sent word to the Terrance that he was even better with the long sword. Now, two years down the road, the Reeve found out from one of his contacts in Sitaria that Grath was quarreling frequently with his father. Now was the time to get that good sword arm back to Chelcoth to join the ranks of the army. Thus, Terrance Almain had sent the message requesting Grath and Inferno to return to Chelcoth. He was now also interested in the young mage's abilities. "Orcs!? He called us all the way here to fight orcs?" Grath yelled as he, Inferno, and Bobby returned to the Lonely Inn. The Reeve had given them the job to go just outside the city to a forest where a camp of orcs was sighted. He hadn't trusted Bobby, and had the guards eyeing him the entire time the three were in his meeting room. Bobby claimed to be a cleric, but one could never know for sure. "At least he let me stay," Bobby said quietly, "I was afraid he'd have me thrown right out, 'specially since I'm a half breed." The half-elf had little difficulty discussing his heritage, for it was out of real love that he had been born. Many half-elves are the product of rape, but Bobby's parents had been truly in love. His mother, an elf, had been caring, and taught him most of what he knew. His father was a paladin. Bobby's mother past away from plague when he was fourteen. His father had left on an adventure when Bobby was sixteen and hadn't been seen since. Bobby believed like his father did, but he wanted to be a priest rather than a warrior. Such is how he came to be a cleric of Kirrinth. Inferno walked silently beside his two friends. He knew what Terrance was doing. This was obviously just a test to see if they were fit for some greater adventure. He was glad that the Reeve had allowed Bobby to help them, even though the half-elf wasn't trusted within the walls of the Reeve's home. Inferno and Bobby had met when they were both adventuring. Inferno was testing one of his new spells and Bobby was just traveling to search his soul. They were good friends and the only thing that Inferno despised about Bobby was his ridiculous name. Inferno had a regular name too, but it was never told to anyone anymore. He continually urged the half-elf to get an intriguing surname. Finally Inferno broke from his silence and said, "This is obviously a test to see if Grath is worthy of a greater adventure. I say that it is for Grath, because I know that the Reeve doesn't yet consider my magic impressive. And we know he doesn't care about Bobby." He said the name of his friend and scowled. "Well, I suppose we will prove worthy," said Grath, "I'm much better with my sword now. I just wonder how many orcs there are. We could go ask the Military Chief to see what the scouts have told him." The other two agreed that they would seek the chief's help tomorrow, before going to the camp. Thus they reached the Lonely Inn, but found it to be not quite so lonely. Upon entering the newest inn in Chelcoth, they found the inn keeper talking to a beautiful elven girl. Beautiful, but obviously a fighter, for she had a long sword sheathed at her waist. Her hair was blonde, like most elves, and draped down just over her shoulders. She was only four feet eleven inches tall, but most elves were somewhat shorter than humans. Even though she barely reached the chest of the six feet tall but rather thin Grath, he was immediately attracted to her; especially by her now wondrous brown eyes. Even Grath could tell she wore an elvish outfit due to the forest colors...and the short skirt. She was seated on a small bench the inn keeper kept in the front room of the inn, and she now leaned back slightly and eyed the group. And what does she see? Grath thought to himself. She sees me, an incredibly tall and thin fellow with a sword thumping dumbly against my leg, my short, brown, and non glamorous hair, and my dull hazel eyes. Grath wasn't really too ugly, he just didn't think she liked what she saw. Then he thought of his companions. Inferno in his blasted robes, hood drawn over his cloth covered face, and standing yet again an enormous six feet two inches tall. Then there was Bobby. Dressed in a strange array of colors that somehow represented his faith. He had red, yellow, green, purple, and blue all over him on various articles of clothing. She sees his very short brown hair, yet again nothing glamorous, thought Grath, but better looking than mine. He reached up and pushed the hair back, maintaining the part in the center. Suddenly he felt the girl's eyes on him. He blushed slightly as he looked down at her. We must look like giants, Grath thought. Then he found himself moving across the room towards the bench. "Hey, feet, I didn't say to move!" he said in his mind. Then he found that his mouth was against him too, as it opened and asked, "May I sit here?" "Sure," she said in a soft, yet rather happy voice. Grath sat down next to her. "Great," Inferno whispered to himself, "now Grath is going after that elf." Then he turned to Bobby and said, "Well, might as well get to our rooms. Grath has this situation under control." He said the last loud enough for all to hear, then he headed toward the rooms in the back of the inn. Bobby followed silently. "I am Grath, who are you?" Grath blurted out. "I'm Julie, Julie Syrus," she said with her eyes wide and bright. Grath still couldn't pull his gaze from her eyes. "You look to be trained in the use of a sword..." "As do you," she interrupted. "Well, I'm here to fight orcs, what are you here for?" "I'm searching for adventure." "Well, we're looking for help; my companions and I. Would you like to join us?" She hesitated. Too soon, Grath thought, I asked too soon. "What's in it for me?" she asked. Whoa! Grath thought, she's a real adventurer all right! "You get a share of whatever money we find on 'em," he said smoothly. "OK, I'll help. I think I'm gonna like you Grath, even though I just met you, I think I'm going to like you." She smiled at him. Grath smiled big and blushed. "As for your friends," she continued, "I'm not too sure about either of them." The two friends had gone to there small, yet cozy rooms, until Bobby had an idea. He went out into the window lighted hallway and knocked on Inferno's door. The mage came to the door and thrust it open. "Yes?" he asked in a professional tone. "Let's go to a tavern and drum up some help," Bobby suggested. "Good idea, I think we may need it. Let's go to the one on this side of town. It's poorer, but it has more able fighters in attendance. At least it did before I left." On the way out the two didn't see Grath. He had gone back to Julie's room to discuss the mission further. Perhaps to his disappointment, that's all they went there for. So Inferno and Bobby left the Lonely Inn and passed through the streets to The West Tavern. Inferno thought the place used to have a more lively name, but it must have changed ownership. He and Bobby entered the place and found only a few people within the dirty, weather beaten walls. Old tables were scattered across the floor, the bar was dull and could have been rotting, everything was covered by a thin layer of pipe smoke. Though the people came and went, the smoke always seemed to remain. Not to mention the terrible stench. Inferno was glad his lower face was covered by cloth, he peered through the smoke and immediately picked out an odd character in the corner sitting at a table. He was hooded, and very small. Probably a halfling, thought Inferno. Bobby made his way to the bar and ordered an ale. Inferno slowly moved across the dim room, for the shutters were closed most of the way, toward the shady character. When he came closer, the eyes beneath the hood looked up and Inferno now realized he had been correct. The halfling sat there glaring at him without saying a word. "Can you fight?" Inferno found himself asking. What kind of dumb question is that? he asked himself. "I will have to show you if you don't leave me be," the halfling said coolly. "We need help, we're hunting orcs in the forest east of here. You look like the type that might take interest in this. There would be some money in it for you, of course." "I don't come cheap, and I don't think you have enough," the halfling said as he lifted up a pouch that looked peculiarly like Inferno's purse. "Hey!" Inferno cried, "Give me that back!" He looked nervously over at Bobby. The cleric was paying no attention to his friend, he was busy talking to a pretty red haired girl sitting next to him. "Fine time for that," Inferno muttered while he looked quickly back at his purse. The halfling didn't seem to notice the last remark. "I'll need 100 gold pieces for going along, and a share of what the orcs are carrying," the shadowy face said, still staring at the wizard. "I can get some more money, wait here. By the way, what's your name?" "Just call me Shade." "OK, Shade, if you'll give me back my purse, I'll go get the rest of the money," Inferno suggested. "I think I'll keep it here while I wait for you." Shade smiled. Inferno didn't want this. He thought for sure that the halfling would be gone with his purse before he ever got back with a portion of Grath's money. Instead, he went over to Bobby and asked him to go get Grath. Meanwhile, he went and joined the halfling for a drink. When Grath arrived they hired Shade as a mercenary and had to pay him half up front. Then they went to the inn to get some rest before the next day when they would attack the orcs. Grath realized that he couldn't afford another night with the amount of money he had. "Tomorrow," he thought aloud, "I'm gonna have to either come up with some money, or sleep in the streets." Then his mind strayed to Julie, the elf he had met. "Unless of course someone wouldn't mind being my roommate and splitting the rent!" (To be continued) by Niasen of The Conclave Soldiers of Tedenon Part 2 - Rebuilding (Submitted by Whiiplash) Darkness closed over the bloody battlesite. Fires, writhing arms reaching hungrily for the night sky, crackled and hissed across the destroyed city. Walls, broken and crumbling, collapsed as the wind howled past. Life was evident only around the fires. . . beyond that, lay only darkness. Telagor, Commander of the Second Legion of the Red Command, felt a chill tingle work its way up his spine. The whole city felt, dead. . . yet alive. As if the bodies were watching through those glazed, never moving eyes. The most disturbing thought haunting Telagor's troubled mind lay in the issue of Lord Shenathon's body. Her charred corspe had disappeared before the night following the attack. The guards were found outside the outer perimeter of the town walls, bodies twisted and torn to die slowly, life slowly seeping out. . . Telagor forced the thoughts from his mind. He looked down at the blade he had looted from the blacksmith. He felt no pangs of guilt. . . Only sorrow, as if it were etched in the blade. He felt the name "Black Widow" felt appropriate, and sheathed it. Perhaps - hopefully - he would never have to use it. Bannon had explained a million times how he and another wizard had survived the blast. In fact, it was a simple globe of invulnerability he had extended to encompass the other wizard. Given time, he might have surrounded the whole group, but the blast was quite surprising. "In fact, "he was saying to the gathered magic users, known as the Elder Council, "I believe she had cast from this amulet," he said, holding up the amulet so it spun on its short chain and reflected the light from the candles and torches about the room. "It is quite powerful. It creates a massive fireball of sorts, that will destroy even the most powerful of walls. We, we could use this to destroy the inner, and usually strongest, wall of any fortress we were attacking. And in the case of defense we could fire it into the main portion of the advancing army and. . ." Dawn came slowly, it's golden light cleansing many hearts of the chill that hung thick in the air. The light spread as if from crack to crack, slowly taking the darkness from the stronghold. The town was burned to the ground, fully looted of possessions by the soldiers of Tedenon. The main castle was left as it was, a few walls still standing but most collapsed and destroyed. Finally, the dread spread across the hushed crowd of soldiers and common-folk, the appointed time come. Clerics began a chant, the crowd sung a tearful song. And slowly, one by one, the bodies were tossed into the fire. Flames licked at the charred corpses, the fire rose higher. People fell to their knees in the street, crying out for their loved ones. And slowly, the final bodies were tossed into the fire. ". . . And may the gods take these souls, who have fallen in the most glorious way, who have died honorably and with dignity, to their heavens, where they may escape from the horrors of this world, and move on to the next, where the gods may protect them. . ." The crowd, tearful and mourning, stumbled away from the fire, which still licked and reached for the sky. A few days later the camps at Shenathon were abandoned. Tedenon was hard-pressed to recover from the drastic losses, having lost nearly half their troops. Most were refitted with better weapons and armor, looted from Shenathon. Blue was merged into the ranks of red, their blue platemail discarded for the red chain and leather. Most retained their pikes and spears. The four companies began to recruit new fighters, and wizards were trained from the promising commoners or soldiers. Tedenon slowly rebuilt itself, the ranks of soldiers swelling until they were nearly as large as before. The new trainees trained day and night, perfecting their skills. Years passed, scouts monitoring the surrounding strongholds. They were refitted with black leather armor and daggers, and they would double over as troops in times of need. The Elite Guard, or Black Knights, recruited very few new riders, keeping their ranks under a score. Green Archers numbered over two score, having lost no one on the raid of Shenathon, and the red soldiers numbered over one-hundred. Brown riders were converted into White Knights, their skills believed to be adequate to survive under the name. They were given white plate armor and broadswords, their shining armor looking magnificent in the sun. The centuars allowed themselves to bear a rider, making them quite formidable as a team. Catapults were constructed, five of them, to protect against large-scale assault. Tedenon rose in power, viewed as the strongest force in the area. Their fortress shadowed the sprawling town below, which bustled with activity. Caravans arrived from the West, from the desert, and caravans from Tedenon departed to the North. Armorers, Inns, Taverns, Temples, Merchants, Foodstands -- all lined the busy streets. Tedenon was growing. People had filtered in from surrounding communities and strongholds, and a new section of the city began construction. Beyond the city walls lay vast fields, where farmers grew crops to trade with other cities. A new wall was built, this one just beyond the outermost, forming a large double wall. More soldiers were trained, more wizards learned their trade. Tedenon was almost indestructable. Then the news came. A scout, battered and scraped, stumbled into the throne room and spoke quickly and quietly with the king. A new, powerful force had arisen. The fortress of Darkwind, second only to Tedenon, was amassing for war. "It can only mean one thing. . . " The withered king began, "Commaders, prepare for war. We will-- can, not be taken down. These fools will be destroyed!" The Story of the Bracelet Chapter 24: A Fearsome Feline On the bridge of The Phoenix, Leoster, Crystal, and Jasmine gazed into the crystal ball situated between the two helm chairs. The image on the sphere was a picture of Agrabah as viewed from above, a gold light was blinking in an area near the marketplace. "That dot represents magic being worked at that location." said Leoster "Unfortunately, it's causing interference with our scrying and preventing us from finding the Master Gem." "What kind of magic is it?" asked Jasmine "That's the problem." began Leoster "It could be anything from a Fortune Teller looking into the future, to a Necromancer creating undead." Suddenly, a green line coming from the edge of the image traced a path to touch the gold light, turning it a solid green. "Why don't I like the look of that?" mused Crystal "This is bad." began Leoster "Looks like whoever's pulling the emerald strings here is corrupting that spell. We'd better get over there quick!" "We can get there in a hurry by riding carpet, let's go!" came from Jasmine's lips. Leoster, Crystal, and Jasmine ran up on deck and Jasmine called to carpet. Both the magical rug and Genie came. "If you guys are going after the guys who hurt Al, I'm going too. After all, a little semi-phenomenal nearly-cosmic power might just come in handy." "Alright Genie, come on." was the response from Jasmine to Genie's statement. They flew towards the site where the magic was occurring, little knowing that Jasmine already knew the party involved. In her sandy lair, Sadira was working a combination of spells that she was sure would allow her to steal Aladdin's heart, the first of which was in the making. Suddenly, the energy around the sandy circle turned green and began to crackle with lightning. "What in the world is happening?!" she wondered "The spell isn't supposed to do this!" Just then, Leoster, Crystal, and Jasmine flew in on the flying carpet with Genie flying right behind them. "Sadira!" began Jasmine "Get out of here! Your spell's being taken over!" "No way!" retorted Sadira "Nobody messes up one of my spells just when I'm getting good at them!" Leoster opened his amulet and looked at the circle, which now floated in air, through it. "This is not good," he said "that portal is opening onto a plane called Morbia, not a good place." "I'll say!" said Genie "Morbia is the home of Evil Incarnate, me and Al have gone up against her before, she goes by the name of-" "Mirage" came a feminine voice within the portal "at your service." came the voice again as a brown furred cat the size of a woman walking on 2 legs came out of the portal. In addition to her usual blood red clothes, she wore an emerald on her belt. "Well, well, well." Mirage purred "Three heroes ripe for the plucking. FIRECATS! Destroy them!" Suddenly, several flaming beasts in the shape of cats flew out of the portal. "Don't worry guys!" came Genie's voice "These things can't do a thing to you if you're not afraid of them!" With that, he turned into a lion tamer with whip and chair. He cracked the whip at the nearest Firecat but instead of it shrinking down, it flew straight at him, smashed the chair, and cut the whip to shreds with it's fiery claws. "Gee, that didn't happen last time." came the remark from the dumbfounded Genie. "Oh, did I forget to mention?" began Mirage "This new adornment of mine, the one you see on my belt, I'm using it to fuel my Firecats, no amount of bravery will keep you from being ripped to shreds this time! HAHAHAHA!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ANNOUNCEMENT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Freya's eve, the last day of Juno's month, I had the distinct honor of wedding two most wonderful people. The groom, Dersiden, was wedded to his lovely bride, BlueRose2, in the Ivy Mansion of LongSaddle. The happy couple were attended by TruKn1ght, best man, and Skribbles, maid of honor. The mansion was absolutely filled to bursting with numerous guests who gathered to share in the couple's happiness on this, the beginning of their voyage of love together. Congratulations to them both!!! May their hearts be tightly weaved with love, together, for all their days.... and beyond........ Submitted by: AllsFaire, occasional woman of the cloth and wedding coordinator. Hail Brothers and Sisters of the Protectorate:) As most of you know, there have been many changes in our guild in the last few weeks. Quen Dalk and Trustrik have stepped down from the guild leadership and have assumed the respected positions of TP Elders. I'm sure that you all join with me in thanking them for their devoted service to TP ;D. They will continue to advise the guild, and I am sure that we will all benefit from their experience and wisdom. The new Highlord (GM) is Tyst, former Elite Guard Captain. Valor, former Lord of Mages, will now serve as the Underlord of TP (AGM). Due to the promotion of Tyst and Valor, and the retirement of a number of other Class Lords, several other Tp'ers have also been promoted. The new Lord list is as follows: Highlord - Tyst (GM) Undelord - Valor (AGM) Membership Chairman - Bonkon Mages - Algannar, Jecele Paladins - Sir Dorvan, Talgar Clerics - Jedi Chris, BBW Lover1 *Fighters - Mioke, Boltthrwr Rangers - Vslanter, Lord TKE, Swordshear (Ranger Captain) Elite Guard - Sauradon (Elite Captain), Cudge (Elite Lieutenant) * - The fighter sect has been temporarily absorbed into the Mages. Hopefully, the fighters will be returning to their own quarters in the guild hall soon. Congratulations to all of the new Lords;> There are going to be quite a few other changes in the activity of the guild, as well. There will be one official guild-wide event per month; in addition, each class will also be sponsoring one class-wide event per month. Of course, ALL classes are invited and encouraged to attend as many events as possible, not just the one sponsored by their own respective sects. These events will be both non-PvP and PvP, so there will be something for everyone. Also, there will be many activities designed specifically to assist the Probationary members of the guild in maxing, quest completion, etc. These changes have been carefully thought out to assure TP's position as the best guild in NW; however, your participation in these events is a necessity in order to continue our success. If you have any questions, please contact your class Lord(s) or Tyst. Cyas in the realms:) Swordshear Ranger Captain of The Protectorate On the day of the 15th of July in the year of our lord 1995.. I will be joined by holy matrimony to Lady Cameo.. At that time the Regents of Valor will have a King and a Queen.... Thanks gyellejr regents of valor gm <><><><><> <><><><><> Gimme a Scoop! Enter the weekly News of the Realm contest by submitting text for publishing. If your Announcement, Article, Helpful Hint, NW Abby Question, Poem, Fiction, or Tidbit wins, you'll have won your choice of 4 Pearls or Access to the GOH (Guild of Heroes) ! 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