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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 547897" data-attributes="member: 1210">A Knock in the NightHorbin and Lester are sharing a room after a head full of wine.  They’re getting along fine at this point, although the wine and the fact that they’re asleep may have something to do with it.  A stone statue- Lester’s assailant- is in the corner, their cloaks hung on it.  But then a knock on the door wakes them both.“Ah!” cries Lester, startled.  He jumps to his feet, his bat-wings shivering.  “Who is it??”A low voice comes from the other side of the door.  “Quietly, friend.  I have a message for you.”“You’re from the Grey Brothers, aren’t you??” Lester shouts.  “You’re trying to kill me again!”“Keep it down in there,” the voice hisses.  “Come with me.  My... associates would like a word with you.”“No way!” Lester yells.  “You’re going to try to kill me!  Why’d you send this Zelon guy after me anyhow?”“Not at all,” the voice says soothingly.  “If I wanted to kill you I’d hardly have knocked.  Nobody wants to kill you.  In fact, we need to clarify things for Zelon.  But keep it down, will you?”  This last comes in a low hiss.Horbin, meanwhile, has pulled out his mace and is starting to strap on his armor as best he can.  He doesn’t like the sounds of these assassins, and if hostilities break out he sure wants to be ready for it.“Why are you trying to kill me?” Lester yells again.“We just want to talk to you,” the voice on the other side of the door murmurs.  “Come on, no harm will come to you.  My associates are waiting nearby.”“No way!” Lester retorts.  “If they want to talk to me, they can come here!”A muffled heavy sigh comes from the other side of the door.  “Fine,” the voice calls.  “But in the names of the gods, be quiet in there!”  Footsteps recede from the door, and Horbin and Lester hurriedly finish donning their arms and preparing their weapons.  “Listen,” says Lester as they finish preparing themselves.  “I have an idea.  If they’re going to take this guy away” –he jerks his finger at his petrified enemy- “that’s fine, but I get to keep his stuff.  Why don’t we break his arm off and then turn him back to flesh, then we’ll take all his stuff?”“I don’t know about that,” says Horbin, thinking that sounds somewhat cruel.  “Can’t you just stone shape him or something?” “I guess I could, be not right now, and I’ve a feeling that we have limited time.”  He scratches his chin.  “Well, how about if we blindfold him and tie him up as best we can, and then I’ll turn him back to flesh and we can take all his stuff?”“Sure,” says Horbin, “I can dominate him, then we won’t even have to fight him.”After a few minutes, they’ve tied up the statue as best they can, wrapping a cloth around its face.  Then Lester gestures, channeling elemental power, and the figure turns back into flesh.  But moving so fast he’s a blur, the assassin is out of the ropes.  The blindfold is fluttering down to the ground.  And then Horbin’s magic grabs his mind in an iron fist, crushing his will.  “Hand over your stuff!” Lester yells, scrabbling for his rapier- and Zelon slips free of the domination, stabbing at the L again.  But it’s over in seconds, with the L and Horbin the Holy laying down some serious smack.  Once again they tie up their foe, Lester muttering to himself about not letting him wake up.  “Now we loot him,” he gloats.Just then there’s a knock at the door...Coming Soon: The party gets together!  Cluma, the Guardian of Order!  Fine restaurants, fireballs, and attorneys, oh my!</blockquote>

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