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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tmart" data-source="post: 1447963" data-attributes="member: 11198">Seemed Like a Good Idea #2 -OR- Midnight snacksExhausted, Astor, Pendric, and Festrell find the entrance. Their indifferent mounts are laden with loot. The seven-foot-tall Michael gives the mounts a confused look. The five mules stare back. One drools. "They're so small," Michael says. He performs a short ritual. Everyone looks behind Michael to see a figures drawing closer on the horizon. It's a huge black steed with red eyes, a flaming mane, and flaming hooves. Michael mounts it handily and grabs a handful of fiery mane. He gestures to the paladin."Lead the way, Sir Pendric." Sir Pendric glares at Michael's evil mount, but decides to let the issue slide.They make a motley crew. Two mules are laden with gold; one carries a half-elf with a longbow; one carries a holy knight; another carries an androgynous halfling minstrel; and a flaming black stallion easily four times bigger carries Michael."I'd like to see my homeland," says Michael. "It's been a while. By which I mean several thousand years, of course.""I think we should go back to see the mage."Michael hasn't been filled in, but agrees to split up. He hands Astor a quiver. "To meet up again if we need to." Astor nods.---The three adventurers dismount at the foot of Fox's tower and approach the door. Pendric knocks soundly. The goblin from Pendric's last visit seems delighted to see him again, which he indicates by babbling and pointing.Pendric sighs, "Fox, if you please?"The goblin beckons them inside and pantomimes that they should sit. Loren Fox soon joins them. Pendric rises and bows shortly, followed by Astor. Festrell remains seated and contemplates his or her nails."Greetings all," Fox welcomes them. He does a double take when he sees Festrell. "Would ... you please excuse us?" The mage grabs an arm and pulls Festrell into the next room.They return shortly with Fox carrying an attractive jewelry box. He asks, "Sir Pendric, would you please open this box?" Pendric looks at his hands. A drop of black blood hits the mage's exotic imported caret. Pendric begins to stutter an apology, but the mage dismisses it with a wave of his hand. "Easily cleaned," he explains."Oh... the goblin," says Pendric."He is quite civilised!" Loren exclaims crossly. "Gobbly has been living with me for thirty years.""I... spoke out of turn. I apologise," Pendric offers, eyes low."Forgiven. Now, open the box."Pendric removes his gauntlet, prompting a gush of blood to splatter on the rug. He lifts the lid. There is an audible click, and it opens."Very, very interesting, Sir Pendric."Festrell's eyes light up. The halfling scampers behind Pendric and pushes on the backs of his knees, ignoring his protestations until he stumbles outside the tower. He turns around to admonish, but finds the door shut and locked in his face. He hears a high-pitched voice shout from the other side: "Now come back in!"Pendric opens the door, leaving a swath of black on it. Festrell is a ball of mirth on the floor, shouting, "Do you have any IDEA of the possibilities? We're rich!"Pendric gives her a stern look, and answers, "It should be obvious to you by now that there are more pressing concerns at hand."Festrell only laughs louder. "At hand? Ha ha ha ha!"The wizened old sage cocks his head to the side and peers inside a bulging sack overflowing with ancient coins which Festrell brought in. He points to an errant gold piece fallen on the floor, regarding Astor with a quizzical expression. Astor shrugs. Fox snaps his fingers and rattles off a gutteral phrase in what must be the Goblin tongue, as Gobbly skitters into the room, retrieves the coin, and skitters out again.Fox asks Pendric, "Where did you obtain these?"Pendric swallows uneasily. "They were... requisitioned.""The Storage Room?" Fox replies hopefully."How did you --""What did you think I discussed with Festrell?" Fox smiles. "I would very much like to study them. Could you part with them? I possess numerous magical items of some worth... somewhere. They might make suitable exchanges... yes, I'm sure you folk would have use for them. Gobbly!"The group sorts through magical equipment left behind by Fox's former adventuring companions. The figurine of wondrous sorceror receives a wand of wonder. Astor giggles like a child at his new elfbane mighty composite longbow. Festrell fancies an enigmatic but sinister-looking dagger. Pendric is drawn to a sunblade. While he inspects its balance, Fox puts his hand on Pendric's shoulder."This belonged to a man named Oscar. He was a holy knight, like you, of Lirus." He extends his hand, and Pendric hands him the sword. "It is too valuable, financially and emotionally, for me to part with it so cheaply. I could lend it for an oath, however." Pendric nods. Fox clears his throat. "Live for honour; wield it in the light; die holding it."Placing both hands on the grip and holding the sword to his heart, Pendric says solemnly, "I so swear.""Good. To pay the rest, you may come back to me when you are free," Fox adds. They stay the night in Fox's tower. As they simultaneously enjoy and mistrust the breakfast prepared by omnipresent Gobbly, Fox supplies unsettling news. "During the night, something attempted to penetrate my magical defenses. I would be very careful in my travel plans were I you."The adventurers exchange nervous glances. It goes without saying that they should set off early. Fox reminds Pendric to serve him later "in a way that would have pleased Oscar." He also gives a parting gift of thick gloves which help to check the bleeding.---The party sets off for Marival, the largest human city. Sure enough, on first watch, Astor spies undead warriors advancing in the dim glow of the fire. He lets loose an arrow, and shouts to wake the others. Pendric and Festrell emerge ready for battle. The undead walk toward the heroes, but ignore Festrell. What seems to be their leader even salutes. Festrell sits contented with an apple on the periphery of the melee.Pendric is without armour, and without Festrell fighting, things go poorly. Both Astor and Pendric pass out from blood loss before being revived by the box of healing to fight on. Gradually, the undead warriors are stuck like pincushions and chopped the pieces. The leader is virtually annihilated by a mighty swing of the sunblade. Panting after the heat of battle, Pendric and Astor exchange a sympathetic glance of acknowledgement for favours unpayable. They then look at Festrell, back at one another, and again at Festrell.Pendric takes a deep breath. "Now that that's over with, we have matters of," he pauses, remaining calm, "tactics, to discuss.""Sure," Festrell replies innocently. "What's to discuss?"Astor nearly shouts, "You sat down and ate an apple while we got pounded by undead! Would you mind not doing it again!?""Such a display of cowardice is not only damnable, but it also endangers the lives of everyone present," adds Pendric."Cowardice?" Festrell exclaims in an ear-piercing tone. "I was hungry!""There is a place for midnight snacks, Festrell. Combat with the undead legion is not such a place!" Pendric raises his voice to match. "If you continue with such displays of... of... undeniable hunger in combat, you will no longer be welcome in this adventuring party. We must be able to trust you with our lives."The discussion is interrupted by a giant bear emerging from the treeline. There is a collective groan as everyone notices a baby bear helping itself to the party's stash of food.Astor snaps his fingers and brings out the figurine of wondrous sorceror. It morphs into a human form. The Sorceror looks at the beast, and back at the aghast party. "Hmm. Let's try scaring it away." He draws his new wand from a pocket. "Here goes nothing." He gestures in the bear's direction, and a speck of matter flies from the wand to the bear's feet. It immediately explodes. "Ha! Fireball. Excellent."The bear, unfortunately, is not scared off. It charges. Several minutes of combat ensue, with massive blows traded by both sides. Astor, bleeding and barely hanging onto consciousness, nocks his last arrow and draws a bead on the bear's head. He narrows his soft half-elven eyes and lets the arrow fly. It passes into the bear's brain via the left eye. Its arm, mid-swing, continues on its path. Claws the size of candlesticks rake across Pendric's face and neck. The bear and paladin fall to the ground with a single thud, both very dead.</blockquote>

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