Another day in the Tavern

[Kheldar Devaentar]

Kheldar jumps at the sound of the knight's voice.

"Huh? You!? - uhhh, no I haven't seen Leetah since all you people convinced her I was a murdering mad man. . . I'll be lucky if she ever speaks to me again."

Kheldar watches Trystan as the knight painfully unfastens his armor. . . This was strange. . .

"Umm, did you want to get comfortable before sending me to the local authorities? Last time I saw you, you seemed quite determined that that's where you wanted to take me. . ."

A serving maid with a full mug of ale past by. Kheldar considered slipping some poison into the mug. . . But let the opportunity pass bay. . . No point in harming the man until he was sure about a few things.

Kheldar slips on a peculiar pair of green glasses. . . no point in being careless either. . . and curiously watches the hurt man.

Artwork copyright © 2003, Gordon R. Quigley

 

[Duilya]

Duilya looks at the robot with an expression that can only be described as hurt. . .

She wasn't expecting the big shiny robot to snatch the pretty stick away from her; and further more, the robot did it with such speed and force that it scared the young elf!

With her lip quivering a little, the girl looks longingly at the stick again. She didn't even get to see what it did!

This is unfair! Why'd that metal guy steal that rod from me! I wasn't going to break it! And he hurt my wrist too! Stupid robot!

Duilya gives the mech a swift kick, and then clenches her foot in pain as if leaves the mech's hard metal frame!

OW!!! Ow ow ow ow ow ow OW!!!

Hoping up and down on one foot, and holding her sore one with both hands, Duilya quickly loses her balances and lands hard on her rump! Letting out a frustrated breath, Duilya picks herself up from the floor and looks towards Smithers. Tears and fury filled her eyes!

Artwork copyright © 2003, Christopher C. Quigley

 

[Coyote Skyheart]

Coyote momentarily reaches into his backpack, then stands up and walks over by the mechanical Smithers, then stops behind Duilya as she stands up from the floor.

Suddenly Duilya notices a rather tall, well built man standing right behind her. By his side is a slim female elf.

"Miss, here you go." He's holding the rod she was playing with! "You can play with it by our table if you want." He says, redirecting his kind gaze to look sharply at the gnome "We don't hurt kids over there, or steal from them."

A little sweat trickles down his brow. That was hard, almost beyond his abilities. Fortunately the mechanical golem had not been holding on too tightly, and didn't have the human reflex to clutch tighter when the rod was slid from its grasp. Someone might have recongized it as a pickpocket's trick, and a skilled one. Not wise, but he couldn't help restoring a smile on the little elf.

The mechanical Smithers turns to the gnome now proudly offering a fistful of daisies.

 

[Kathryn_aka_Kat]

"How they should end up? Oh, I'm a sucker for happy endings...please let it work out for them! And I'd love to get a copy when you're done."

But when Melynxt starts offering the other book, Kat stares at the woman in astonishment at her generosity.

"Mely, I don't know what to say! You can't be serious...oh, my. Thank you! As a journal...I don't know....I'm somehow almost sure it wouldn't work but maybe that's my natural skepticism. But I would love to use it for my poems. Look, Melynxt...if you give me this...please take this ring. Sell it or not as you wish, but please take it."

She presses the leaf ring into Melynxt's hand, and won't take it back.

"Now let me play with this!"

Kat loves the idea of customizing the cover, and laying her hand on it, it turns a rich ruby red. She picks up the gold leaf and starts playing with the embosser. Kat's still considering the title when she hears the clank of armor, and turns to see Trys entering.

"Hi, Trys! What happened to you? Melynxt, this is Sir Trystan, a very nice guy, mostly."

And I'm sure he'll let Kheldar talk him out of any remaining trouble.

She goes back to the embosser..."In Remembrance."

 

[Sir Trystan Gabriel]

He reaches over his shoulder, rooting around the armor on his back for a long moment before his hand finally comes away with a large tooth. He studies the tooth with a slightly surprised expression before depositing it on the table before him.

Actually....I wish you'd stayed around for a while after the 'trouble' started brewing. I wasn't really interested in hauling you up in front of the magistrates. Not without more direct evidence of you as an Assasin. I may be a Paladin, but I'm not a fool. Besides, you seem like a good enough person that it wasn't necessary for me to do anything of the kind. What I did was to help her make up HER mind about you. That's all.

He glances up at Kat, what happened to me was that I was sold a map by parties I believed to be trustworthy. They told me that it would lead me to an ancient holy artifact. Along the way I was set upon by a tribe of orgres, a dozen in all. I booted it up the trail in the hopes of finding a place to fight them where I could have a little more control of the battle. They followed me up the trail, and when the got caught up, they turned and ran away. Needless to say, I was pretty pleased with myself. Then I heard something behind me and looked over my shoulder. That's when I saw the dragon.

As he speaks, he reaches over and taps the small Elvish child on the shoulder. A visible aura appears momentarily around his hand and suddenly she find the pain in her foot gone.

 

[Duilya]

Duilya freezes for a moment as a cool soothing sensation fills her entire body. Any aches and pains she had previously felt were. . .gone!

Huh? What just happened? Who did that?

Frantically spinning her head around to catch a glimpse of who had just touched her, Duilya's eyes land on the Rod of Wonder that Coyote is now holding! An excited and happy voice enters Coyote's mind.

Oh thank you Mr. Nice Person! Thank you, thank you, thank you THANK YOU!!! In all honesty this pretty stick dose belong to Mr. Wrinkly Face over there, but now I want to see what it dose first!

Then, without wasting any time, Duilya takes the Rod of Wonder and flicks her wrist up towards the rafters.

(( Alright. . .Time to roll a d100. . .Hmmm got a 49. . .consult the Rod of Wonder Table in the DMG. . .Okay. . .here we go! ))

A flash of brilliant light emanates from the rod as hundreds upon hundreds of large butterflies pour out of it! So vast and colorful are these butterflies, that everyone within 25 ft. of Duilya is effectively blinded by their beautiful colors.

BUTTERFLIES!!!

Duilya stares at the colorful creatures with a big smile on her face! They were pretty!!!

Artwork copyright © 2003, Christopher C. Quigley

 

[melynxt]

*mely smiles at Kat as she nods "well..i will see iffin' they can end up happily...ya never know i spoze..." *She blinks as Kat places the Leaf Ring in her hand, very pleased that she likes the idea of her gift* "Oh...wow..um...th..thank ya Kat..but..um...i dunno..this looks ta be so much more than just a book of parchments ta write on...wow..um..what..what does it do? i wonder if there's someone around that could identify it fer me...i dun wanna put it on an then have it be cursed er sumpin...an no no i wont sell it..id like ta keep it, as a token of ya friendship, so even if ya dun remember me later on..i'll remember ya...if thats ok?" *smiles as she sees Kat change the book's coloring to red, and then glances at the man in the armor, nodding to him a bit* "Hi there sir..um...yeah...dragons ain't no fun...especially iffin ya kick em in tha head when they sleepin! but um...i dun reccomend that.."
*grins a bit as she listens to Kat* "well hun..iffin ya wanna use it fer poetry...go head an use it fer that..but i think it would be werth a try ta write down ya thoughts too...it seems ta help me at least.." *pauses midsentance and hundreds of brightly colored butterflies swarm the area, blinking many times, her mouth drops open a bit, before letting out a bit of a laugh* "oh..that must be that magical thing they be lettin tha girl play with...least its just butterflies ..an not rats...ew...haha" *looks at Kat as the butterflies dissperse, smiling as she sees her begin her embossing. She looks to the ring in her hand, and fights the felinic curiousity to place it on her finger, staring at the shimmering trinket*

 

[Kheldar Devaentar]

Kheldar blinks at Trystan. Then gets slightly annoyed.

"You wish I had have stayed? Why would anyone who suspects a paladin is after him want to st-*aahhy!"

Kheldar quickly ducks as a creature with colorful wings flies right over him. A butterfly? Then another flew by, then another, then another. Pretty soon his vision was completely blocked by large, colorful, flapping wings.

"What the. . ?"

In every attempt to move Kheldar felt himself being brushed by the creatures. . . I was a little unnerving. . . So was not being able to see. . . Kheldar had put on his glasses so he could see past magical illusions. The glasses didn't do anything against blinding swarms of butterflies.

Can't see a thing. . . Oh well. . . guess no one can see me.

Artwork copyright © 2003, Gordon R. Quigley

 

[Kathryn_aka_Kat]

"Ogres *and* a dragon? Trys, you amaze me."

Kat grins at Melynxt as the woman fingers the ring.

"Now don't get sentimental on me. If you need the money, sell it. And I'm afraid it doesn't *do* anything...it's just a pretty toy."

She starts a little as the butterflies start filling the room, then deliberately relaxes, trying to enjoy it without feeling bothered by the lack of sight.

 

[melynxt]

*smirks a bit and lifts up her pack onto the table, opening it up and placing the ring inside, and pulling out her black book of stories. Smiling, she gestures to Kat a moment* "When ya finished decoratin ya book, i wrote s'more of tha story, iffin ya wanna see it" *Smiles more so and pushes the book to the center of the table, leaning back in her chair and looking around*

((note, see Black Book of Stories))