"Master Alfred! Master Alfred!", said Troddle the Gnome.
Alfred: "Troddle, the grown-ups are talking, we're trying to discover what happened to Binky, can't it wait?"
Troddle: "I witnessed a strange event going event going back from school today!"
Alfred: "There is no reasonable hope that you could talk about it with your mum or your dad, or basically nearly everyone in Foggy Bottom who isn't a level 20 character, which actually eliminates 97% of the registered population?"
Troddle: "It was very strange and I was afraid!!!"
Alfred: "I guess I could cast Bestow Curse? One of the options grants the Mute conditions, doesn't it?"
Butler 433: "Actually, it's the Deafened condition. There is no Mute condition in this Edition, Sir, and I think Ilmater would disapprove harming children."
Alfred: "OK, Troddle, let's listen to your fascinating story for the sake of political correctness."
Troddle: "I was walking back collecting interesting mushrooms along the way, and suddenly, I heard a scream!"
Alfred: "I see."
Troddle: "You are supposed to ask what it was!! You are not good at listening to stories!!"
Alfred: "Sorry, I didn't concentrate my studies on small talks, being derailed in this endeavour by the need to unravel the mysteries of Time itself."
Troddle:"That's a lot of complicated words...."
Butler 433: "You'd be better served by asking him what the scream was about, Sir."
Alfred: "What was this scream about?" To Butler: "I created you to take care of small talks, not to tell me how to do it, you know?"
Troddle: "It was Manikin, my pet animated doll! It screamed once, and suddenly dropped to the ground, like a lousy regular doll!"
Alfred: "Ludicrous! Magic items don't stop working this way... Wait, it wasn't a magic item, it was an Homonculus. Technically it could be dispelled..."
Troddle: "and then i heard voice that I couldn't locate, it seemed to come from some bushes but I couldn't really see anything, it chanted some incantations..."
Alfred: "What did you do?"
Troddle: "I remembered your stories about rising in the air to avoid danger! Except that I can't cast any spell yet... Except Expeditious Retreat!"
Alfred: "Ah what did you do next? The suspense is killing me!"
Butler: "That's better but don't overdo it."
Troddle: "I ran! My parents told me I should be wary of stranger anyways and his chanting gave me the spooks. So I ran back here. It was 20 minutes ago. Halfway the chanting stopped and a large cube of darkness appeared in middle of the forest, at the place I was when I heard the chanting begin.".
Alfred: "Listen Troddle, it's very important... did you find the voice melodious?"
Troddle:"Err, I suppose so..."
Alfred: "OK, low-INT, high CHA... It's a Sorcerer. Probably the one who killed Binky twice already."
Butler433: "I feel that my days are numbered."
Alfred: "Why do you think so?"
Butler433: "Being created with all your memories each time gives me a lot of perspective. Plus, you stopped giving us names after 6."
Alfred: "Fair point."
