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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jasper" data-source="post: 1986" data-attributes="member: 277">Tickleberry speaks,,,,Moving right along: Red drops out before we hit the Happy Hobbit. Seems we were a little too busy for him. When we all get together,I take inventory:Two halforcs Thock and Burke, a halfling like myself, named Billen; Celwyn, the bard; Colin, the mage; Lana, procurer of hidden items; Ember, the unconscious; the paladin and the cleric. Those two, I've never heard by name, jeez, talk about getting into your occupation!Anyhow, this misadventure takes off with the simple delivery of a note."Mister! Mister! Got a note for you mister!" This kid, taller than Billen, hands him a note. "That man  over there said you'd give me four silver pieces." The kid points to a stranger that melts back into the crowd when we look over there."Wait a second," says Billen "He'll give you two gold when you take this reply back" Billen writessomething on it, and hands it back to the kid. He takes off."It appears that my name is Madrigus, and some unsavory characters expect me to pay up for a double cross tonight behind the Blue Oyster (or something like that)." "Mister, Mister, he was gone mister!" The annoying kid is back, beating on Billen with the note. "here kid, go away." Lana says as she deftly snatches the note as she gives him a gold. "Thanks!"They all seat themselves about the table and proceed to peruse the letter. I wanna look. They play keep away. I finally go under that table and over Lana's shoulder. She finally gives in to the                       inevitable. These guys have indeed mistaken Billen for somebody else. Now I have to find out how Krell, and Cassata are. If a halfling theif in a halfling town can't find anything out, then I'll never eat another mushroom. (No danger of that, ever!)I find out that Krell is yet another half-orc. Time to find out about Cassata. Seems she's a cleric of                        Farlaign, or something. I find her rickety shrine on the docks, but no cleric. I leave a silver, and go.Oh, I found a few other interesting things, but so had the rest of them when I got back, after a futile comparison of notes.This time, the paladin watches the half orcs as they go investigate Krell's whereabouts. The elvingirls, Lana and the cleric go investigate the Blue Oyster. No luck there. We(the rest) go enmass to this Cassata's merchant shop. Billen, of course, hidden behind the bigger folk, where I am."May I help you?" states this imposing lady. Brr, if her tones were any colder, you could freeze rations for a month!"Yes, my lady, we'd heard how fine your wares were, and came to see for ourselves. Is the                    propriortess about, Cassata, I believe?" I couldn't see which of them said it. They are all so full of                       blarney, and one elf voice is fairly like another."A moment, please, she is doing accounts." The lady leaves. And stays gone, a long time."Go get the others" "Right" After all, I'm only the messenger girl. So I take off to get the others.This I get later from the bard:THe lady comes back, dressed for battle, and she isn't alone. Only one is visible, but experiencessays there are more. The bard tries to reason with her, and that nutty elf, Colin (floppy) pulls that                       darned sword out, and says"ASk daryl, he's been with us for ages) Luckily, the lady only draws her weapon, not blood, and lowers them when the sword starts to babble. Then, once Billen has proved he isn't Madrigus, Colin(floppy) is stationed at the door to prevent a replay at the Emptykeg mansion.In the style only a possessed floppy-eared elf could, he explains that he isn't trying to escape, but                       prevent further blood.Enter another Krell. The paladin and the two orcs go to what amounts to a Half-orc hiring/training hall to get information. After Burke and the paladin bludgeon idiot Thock into silence (he tried to challenge the doorkeeper for information), they find out that Krell had been by, and was indeed looking for Madrigus. Then this half-orc steps forward "I heard you're looking for me?" It is Krell, he is a halforc, but it isn't the one looking for Madrigus. ANd he is very interested in another carrying his name. In fact, once I got them all together again, Billen had him ready to track down the other and kill him.Cassata was interested to see the note, and vowed matters would be settled, and would we please leave her overcrowded shop.Since there was no more there to do, the only job we could find was transporting dogs to another                       city, so we did that. OOOOOHh, did things get scary there. tickleberry speaks,,Alright, we have reached our destination, (Brinkford?) and have delivered our goods, and are intent on enjoying the sites. More halflings, everywhere, and I feel right at home in the middle of a crowded fair. Thinking on nothing more than enjoying myself, I hear more than the simple sounds of a crowded fair. Screams, horrified, scared to death, screams. No fair food would cause THAT kind of panic. The tides of people turn against me, so I scale the nearest solid object to get bearings, and make my way to the epicenter of activity. As any overly curious and adventuresome hobbit would. Rats, big, hairy, ugly, oversized rats are making mincemeat out of the townspeople. I unlimber the                       bow that the gatekeepers had us put up in deference to the fair. I take aim as one of the larger rats tries to reach me. He's gone before I get the thing strung, and before I can get a bead on any of them, they are vanquished, and two run away. Managing to disappear in the chaos. Two of the dead rats turn into men. I shudder. One was the one who'd tried to reach me.I start a full out quaking when I realize that the halforcs took bites from them.Now, I belong to a rather dubious crowd, and we hear things, and one of those things is that a bite from a rat that was a man is a very serious thing that needs to be seen about IMMEDIATELY!!!Lana obviously heard the same things (belonging to the same dubious group) and starts general                        treatments. Utilizing that grand paranoia that has kept me alive despite the life I lead, I load up Burke with two of the townspeople who'd also been bit and start toward the nearest temple. It happens to belong to Pelor, who is one of the better gods. He's no Brandobaris, but he should have clerics that can do the job right.WRONG!!! We get to the door. It is closed. I knock, no answer. I have Burke knock, no answer. I notice that the door is simply pushed to. I open. OH HOly sweet Brandobaris on a bender with Tymora ticklin' his toes! THe place is covered in soot, there is a pillar of fire in the center and the ugliest put together thing you ever saw bearing down on us. I flip down the stairs and start running for my life.It chases us, it chases us far down the street. I feel funny waves wash over me, but I keep running, ignoring them. Then I don't hear Burke behind me, but I still keep running. I run right into the Happy Hobbit. I know I'm babbling, but my heart is still in overdrive."The place...and soot... and big thing... with tail... and it got burke..." At this point my poor wobbly legs went out from under me, right onto Billen. At least he catches me. Sitting down, with some water. I try again. This time, I'm a little clearer on the details. No one believes me. I ask if that dippy sword could verify what I'd said. "Dude, the hobbit is tripping, can I have some of her stash?" First chance I get, that sword is going in the drink, or forge.They do call the watch, and they find nothing wrong at the temple. The only thing that puts any                       doubts in my companions minds is the fact that Burke is gone.Luckily, I hear about the missing clerics at the other temple, and the paladin fainting. I go with the party as far as outside the temple, but I'm NOT going in.When a wall of ice separates the party, I take off to find a watchman that will come back with me.By then, the fight is over, and the party has a demon's head to show that I WASN't lying or tripping.THank you, guys. Unfortunately, Burke hasn't been since. Sorry, Burke, I won't forget you soon. Brionninn speaksThat Tickleberry is so paranoid. Of course we believed her! It was never a question of did she see "IT!" but rather what was "IT!". Wouldn't you know that the 'Elf Babe' has to save the day again?!Tickleberry's account is pretty accurate as far as it goes. Much better than StupidSteel over there                       though he had the story right I suppose, if you're as stoned as he is. (You know, Tickle, we really                       should throw that thing somewhere ... maybe back into that grave!) Do you know these adventurers were playing WWF with demons? Unfortunately Darryl didn't lie about that part. That ice wall was very well placed. Out of the magic weapons in the party (you know, the ones that could actually HURT something), all three of us were on the wrong side of the wall. Didn't the party notice that only the three of us really killed those wererats? Did they think it was some kind of coincidence? Well thank Olidammarra for Back Doors. There is always a back door, if there isn't, make one. Nice rule there. While the party is fighting, and doing nothing... though that's not completely true, the half orcs were holding their own. I shouldn't complain. I mean, Krell nor Whats his name died. Bellin wasn't doing so bad. The paladin was bleeding, Ember was unconscious, but heck, what's new with that? But once again, here I come to save the day. Dang that's happening regularly! Maybe because I think about things BEFORE I charge? Nah, surely that has nothing to do with it.  But anyways, Colin and Krell come busting in one back door, Cellwyn and I take the other. (The Cleric hiding behind us). As we stand and gape for a few seconds at the sheer stupid...er... bravery of the rest of the party (minus Tickleberry, she had done something intelligent, having no magic weapon, she had run for backup), anyways, as we uh... watch the fiasco...er... antics of the party, we decide quickly what is needed. Cellwyn starts casting spells. VOILA magic weapons online! Gee, should we have done that BEFORE we started this fight? I believe the paladin probably thinks it was HIS god that made his weapon suddenly work. but that's the bard's problem. For once I do the stupid, I jump right on in with Cellwyn and Colin flinging in as well. Fortunately I'm quicker than Lurch with a tail so I never got burned. However, the Demon feels the pain! Bye bye demon. And if that wasn't enough, we had no sooner started really getting on him than some clerics of his and a couple of hellhounds come bounding in. Seems that our less than quiet entrance had attracted some attention! Well finally something that other people could hit. Let's just say we made short order of everything. You know, this town ought to be grateful. Saved from becoming wererats and saving their temples from corruption and destruction. Wonder what kind of reward we will get? Hm..., maybe I should go procure some weapons ... hm... hey, guys, have to run. I'll be back later. Tickleberry speaksLana, I'm thinkin' stoned steel would make a super wind vane. He's already lightheaded, so it wouldn't be a stretch for him. I think he ought to see a blacksmith very soon. Do you concur?  Brionninn speaksyou know, a blacksmith would be mighty handy. But this time can we make sure he's real and that he's not going to disappear on me? Man, that was unsettling. If I could pull that trick, think how much more I could ACQUIRE.  But you know, I've been thinking:Why are we telling the story lately? Where is that blasted bard when you need him? Heaven help us if the mage gets involved. That man can be long winded and smart alecky! I suppose it is to cover up some deficiencies?  You know, hm... what do they say about the size of feet, what about the size of the ears?</blockquote>

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