The Unusual Heroes Reborn

A New Beginning


Prologue

The grey-haired halfling stood up from his spot by the fireplace to answer the door. He did not move as slowly as one might expect from a halfling his age, and his mumblings were proof that he was rather spry as well.

“Damn Lumley…can’t let me relax…always ‘lookee here what I found’ and ‘lemmee see what that is…”

As he approached the door, he sighed, thinking of how lonely he’d been since the death of his wife. Lox Lumley may be a mischievous young fellow, he thought, but he is also a distraction from the loneliness.

“That you, Lumley?”

“Oh, boy, Nuttin! Wait ‘till ya see who’s here!”

Nuttin opened the door to see his hairy-footed halfling friend with his eyes aglow and a smile on his face that showed all of his teeth.

“Nuttin! It’s Dent! Look, he’s back!”

Nuttin stepped out from the doorway to see their half-elven friend smirking.
“The months go by, yet Lox Lumley remains unchanged, eh, Nuttin?”

“Isn’t it grand, Nuttin? So what sorts of monsters and baddies did you see while you were away, Dent? Was it like that one time when we went into those Dwarven mines? Did you bring me anything sparkly or some sort of magical bauble?”

“Lumley!” bellowed Nuttin. “Settle down. Let the ranger have a seat and a hot meal before you go driving him loony with your silliness.”

“Okay, okay. I was just hoping for something interesting. It’s been awful boring around here, Dent. You must have an exciting story to tell us, right?”

Dent just shrugged and entered Nuttin’s abode with Lox following closely behind, chattering away.

***************************

After a few days, Dent Masterson decided he would venture off again. He did not enjoy spending long periods of time in town, even one as small as this in Featherdale. Just as he finished packing up his things, Lox burst through the door.

“Hey Dent! Nuttin! Guess what I found at the tavern?”

“It better not belong to the serving wench again, Lumley! You’ll be tossed outta there for good if you keep up your shenanigans,” grumbled Nuttin.

“Naw, nuthin like that. Besides, I just found her pretty brooch on floor next to the bar that one time. I was just holding it for her so she wouldn’t lose it…”

“Lox, what did you find?”

Lox looked up at Dent.
“Oh yeah! I found this flyer on the wall. Everybody was talking about it. I thought it would be a great adventure for the three of us!”

Lox held up the flyer, which read:
“Make your dreams come true! Brave Lord Korvish challenges you to conquer his maze for the reward of one True Wish!”

The flyer looked as though it had been torn hastily from the wall, and was missing a portion at the bottom. (Lox forgot to tell them it was the part about the “perils” and “dangers” of the maze.)

“Can you imagine? What would you wish for, Dent? I think I’d wish for ten bags of gold…or no, wait! Ten bags of gems! Or better yet…”

Lox’s excited, shrill voice trailed off in the ears of Dent Masterson, who was thinking that this “true wish” could make his own desire a reality. He took the flyer from Lox and studied the script with serious eyes.

“What sort of nonsense is he spouting now?” asked Nuttin.

“A wish! A true wish! Imagine anything you want, Nuttin! Wouldn’t it be just wonderful,” Lox continued.

“Eh? A wish? Well, that’s a mighty interesting reward for conquering the maze,” Nuttin thought aloud, “but how do we know what the maze is like? Where’s the rest of the flyer, Lox?”

“Oh, uh, I guess it must be stuck on the wall still. I had to jump up to reach it, you see,” he said with a sheepish grin.

Nuttin began to imagine what a wish could do to drive away the loneliness he felt in his heart. What if it was really true? A wish…

“When do we leave?” asked Lox.

“Well, do we even know where this maze is? It’s probably the part you left hanging on the wall, you oaf.”

“It’s on the outskirts of Waterdeep,” interrupted Dent. “I can take us there.”

“What? Can we really take this seriously,” asked Nuttin.

“Lox, when was this flyer posted in the tavern?”

“Today. I watched the bard put it up on the wall.”
Lox reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a plush bag.
“He dropped this pouch, but he left too quickly for me to give it back to him. Wanna see what it has in it,” asked Lox excitedly.

“Lumley!!” shouted Nuttin, shaking his fist angrily.

“If we are to take this maze and the wishes seriously, we should depart in the morning,” began Dent. “Who knows how many others have read the poster…or how many have already left to get to Korvish’s maze. A wish is a hefty prize to be awarded. It’s sure to attract many adventurers.”

“Oooh…you mean we’ll get to meet other adventurers? I bet they have plenty of stories to tell. I could tell them stories, too! Like the time we went into the Dwarven mines to rescue Alfred, or when I helped the Paladin shine his armor, or that one time…”


The Adventure Continues…

The Road To Waterdeep

Dent and Nuttin quickly found that Lox Lumley did not tire easily. The morning they left they had a hard time getting him out of bed, but he was a bundle of energy once he was on his feet. Constantly telling stories, (“Did I ever tell you about that one time…”), and forever “finding” things that belong to Nuttin (“I was just holding it for you…”), it seemed that Lox was truly tireless. The only time he was quiet for a short while was when Dent told him brief stories of living in the wilderness, or when he was asleep. (However, even while sleeping he managed to make enough noise by snoring to keep Nuttin annoyed).

If nothing else, Lox’s stories helped to pass the time on their somewhat long journey. One story that interested both Dent and Nuttin was about the current leader of the Thieves’ Guild in Waterdeep.

“Rumor has it that he made it through the maze and got a wish,” cried Lox in awe. “I wonder what he wished for…do you think that’s how he managed to become the leader? I wonder if I could wish for the same wish that someone else already wished…Nuttin, do you think that could happen? Or do you suppose it would just not work, or maybe there would be some sort of magical explosion…”

Nuttin just sighed and rolled his eyes, losing interest in Lox’s story. Between reprimanding and keeping an eye on Lox, Nuttin felt as though he was still raising one of his younglings. When Nuttin told stories, it was usually about his wife or kids, or the times he had when he was a young halfling. These stories usually ended with “and if I ever tried to get away with the shenanigans you pull Lumley, my hide would be as tanned as leather!” Nuttin considered his stories to have some worth, not like the chattering that Lox spewed.

Dent was quiet, almost somber, on the way to Waterdeep. His eyes often showed that he was deep in thought, and something serious furrowed his brow. Many times he would scout ahead and long moments would pass before the halfling duo saw their friend. Dent would return with interesting berries to snack on, or a quick story about an animal he saw in the woods.

Several weeks had passed when Dent informed his halfling companions that they were nearing the area of Lord Korvish’s Keep. The trio had gone South-West through Cormyr, traveled through the Western Heartlands, and then followed the coast North towards Waterdeep. Finally, they had arrived.

“I don’t see a maze, Dent,” said Lox, looking about.

“I hate to agree with Lox on anything, Dent, but where is this maze supposed to be?” asked Nuttin.

“I believe Korvish’s Keep is South from here. When we locate the Keep, I’m sure they’ll give us the location of the maze,” Dent replied.

The halflings followed Dent, trusting their friend to get them to Korvish’s Keep. Before long, they came upon a small traveler’s town that surrounded a large, lavish Keep.

“Whoa, I bet that’s it!” exclaimed Lox.

“To be sure,” Nuttin smiled.

“But I don’t see a maze,” Dent noted. “They must give you the directions or the location once you agree to take the challenge.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s accept it,” cried Lox, running off into the town.

“Lumley, get back here,” bellowed Nuttin, trying to catch up with Lox.

Dent just smirked and shook his head. Perhaps their wishes were about to come true.


The Adventure Continues…

Ziona-- NICE!
I forgot about what a writing style you have. Your dialogue here is pretty much as we tried to deliver it. Are you really going to try to recount the whole story of the maze, and bring things up to date? Quite a task...

Great to see my character Nuttin getting some respect in writing from the person whose PLAYER gave him the MOST CRAP.

Again, great job. You keep that last sentence in mind next time you call me confrontational, "you g.d.m.f..."

Lord Korvish’s Keep

The traveler’s town was a busy spot, with common folk peddling their wares and walking about the streets. It was obvious to Dent that there were more people in town than the peddlers were used to. The merchants hurried about, answering questions, showing off their items and trying extra hard to push their goods. Dent thought he spotted a few adventurers here and there, noticeable by their armor or the weapons they carried. It was a small town, but the busyness of it made him feel anxious, on edge.

“Hey Dent! Over here!”

He recognized Lox’s shrill pitch. When he turned to look, Lox was holding a pint of ale.

“They have great ale in that tent over there,” he smiled.

“Lox, where is Nuttin?”

“Uh, oh yeah. Where is Nuttin? Shouldn’t he be here?”

“Lox, how many pints have you had? Nuttin went running after you into the crowd,” Dent said, looking around. “You must have seen him.”

Lox just looked around, trying to see what Dent was looking for, and spilled his ale all over himself.

“Lookee what happened, Dent…guess I need another,” he sloshed.

“I don’t think so, my friend.”
Dent grabbed Lox by the scruff of the neck and lead him forward, keeping an eye out for Nuttin. He caught bits and pieces of conversations going on around him, most of them pertaining to the maze.

“Yeah, well, I heard that only eight people have ever made it outta there…”

“It’s supernatural magic, that’s what it is! He used supernatural magic to create it!”

“…the monsters are captured and put in there to scare people, or kill those who dare attack them…”

“…those adventurers have been in there for years trying to escape! The only thing that keeps them alive is a magical ring that Korvish gives ‘em to keep them from starving…”

Dent began to wonder where the maze actually was. Could it be in Waterdeep? Perhaps it has a spell on it to make it invisible, or maybe Korvish casts a spell on you and sends you into the maze.

“Crazy thoughts…these common folk and Lox are wearing off on me with their silly stories,” thought Dent.

“What do you think?”

Dent spun around to see Nuttin standing behind him dressed in cranberry colored robes.

“I hope they didn’t cost too much,” hiccupped Lox.

“I was not addressing you, Lumley,” said Nuttin. “You keep up wise mouthin’ and I’ll show you what a wizard can do.”

“Your robes are fine. We should keep moving and get to the keep,” Dent advised.

“Fine robes, yes indeed,” Nuttin beamed. “These robes are the bees knees.”

“Bees knees? Do bees have knees, Nuttin? This one time, my Great Uncle Lumpkin Lumley got stung on the cheek and his face got swollen and he looked like a chipmunk…”

“Enough, Lox. We’re going to see Korvish about the maze,” said Dent flatly.

The guards at the gate asked if they intended on accepting the challenge of the maze, and allowed them to enter a reception hall. Here they saw a few other adventurers who planned on entering the maze as well. One, a red-haired male, had a scimitar strapped to his hip and a fiery, penetrating gaze. Another was a female who had bare feet, no armor, and a head void of hair except for a braid that stemmed from the back of her head, and ran the length of her back. Finally, there was a man who carried a spiked chain, dressed in black, and wore a silky black mask.

“What an odd lot,” whispered Nuttin.

“An elf with two halflings are far from ordinary,” spat the man in black.

“Half-elf, actually,” corrected Dent. “Your eyes must not be as keen as your ears, my friend.”

Lox looked up and saw the man in the mask and was instantly intrigued.
“What an interesting mask you have! I bet it’s made of the finest materials. Why do you wear a mask? Is there something wrong with your face? Is it scarred and burned? Can I see it? I bet that’s an interesting story…”

“Lumley, quiet down. This is no time for your nonsense,” reprimanded Nuttin.

“Nonsense is all that can come from a halfling,” said the woman flatly.

“Now you listen here, little miss,” began Nuttin.

Just then a middle aged man with graying hair and deep violet robes entered the room. His stature was regal, and Lox’s eyes bulged when he saw how many golden trinkets the man wore.

“Greetings. I am Lord Korvish. Welcome to my Keep.”


The Adventure Continues…

WOOT!

Dr Midnight said:

Ziona-- NICE!
I forgot about what a writing style you have. Your dialogue here is pretty much as we tried to deliver it. Are you really going to try to recount the whole story of the maze, and bring things up to date? Quite a task...

Great to see my character Nuttin getting some respect in writing from the person whose PLAYER gave him the MOST CRAP.

Again, great job. You keep that last sentence in mind next time you call me confrontational, "you g.d.m.f..."

Click to expand...

Thank you for the praise. I appreciate it.
Of course my character gave you crap...but only in return for the crap she was given!! Did you really think you were going to get away with calling her "baldy?"

Yes, I am going to bring the story up to date, which is going to be time consuming, but I'll get it done, "you g.d.m.f."

I was just waiting for the halflings to die. I didn't care enough about'm to make fun of them

Fun game last night- GUESS WHO'S BACK?
The black fist of justice returns to the table with a new Roundie. Still bravely attacking things he doesn't have much of a chance of beating, and WINNING!

Awesome ... cant wait to see what else you have coming out

Keep it up

Ack ... silly sig, thats better ... anyway, on with the show WOOOHOOOO

At last I've found the new thread!!!