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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 1944529" data-attributes="member: 63">Hiya.  I'm an author, and I've got a fantasy story available to read online - the first four chapters, at a dinky little website - <a href="http://www.geocities.com/rangerwickett" target="_blank">http://www.geocities.com/rangerwickett</a>.  Just click on the link for Stories.Today, I got a ride to the DMV so I could get a license, because I need a license so I can be hired at a job, which I need because I'm close to broke.  I spent only 2 hours in line, but then I discovered that I didn't have the proper paperwork, so I'll have to go back again.  To make matters worse, my ride assumed I'd be there for 4 or 5 hours, so he took a nap, not answering his phone.  I had to pester my friends until one took pity on me and picked me up.So I'm frustrated.  Not sad, thankfully, just a little wound up.  As an author, few things are better for me than knowing people are reading my stories.  Even if people don't like them, if they read them, I get all tingly inside.  If they give feedback so I can know better how to entertain them, I feel wonderful.For a teaser, here's the first part of the first chapter.[sblock]“I told you: practically no monsters.” Allar planted the crossguard of his scimitar in the nearest ghoul’s eye, then spun his blade, slashing the creature’s head in two. “And these certainly don’t qualify.” Allar ducked and slashed out a ghoulish knee as beside him, his armor-clad and bull-horned ally Babb rammed his long shield into two ghouls at once. Babb dodged as another ghoul’s claw swept at his face, and then he retaliated, kicking the ghoul in the chest with his hoof. To Allar he boomed, “They’re walking dead. What do you think counts as a monster?” On Allar’s left side, Lirensce stabbed a ghoul in the chest and replied, “Golems. Chimera. Very irate clowns.” All down the hall, from long abandoned mine tunnels, secret treasure stashes, and shallowly-buried coffins, the horde of rotting undead pressed after the adventurers. Outnumbered, they fled, with Allar, Babb, and Lirensce forming a defensive line of swords the width of the hall, and David, Lacy, and Crassus directing the group down the twisting tunnels of the old tomb. Panting desperately, the three-foot tall David led their retreat, his glowing light talisman revealing the path as fast as his short Jispin legs could carry him. The expedition’s leader, Crassus, shouted directions to the others, his gravely voice strained and nervous. Lacy was mostly quiet except for the occasional incantation as she dropped magical barriers behind them to slow the pursuit of the undead. The whole tomb was riddled with anti-magical wards, and the barriers never lasted long. “I can’t keep this up much longer,” Lacy shouted. “It’s alright,” David gasped from the front. “We’re coming up to a door. Sealed, with sigils in Ragesian. It’s probably trapped.” Angered panic in his voice, Crassus shouted to David, “We’re being overwhelmed. There’s no time to look for traps. Just blast the damned door.” David shook his head. “If we can get inside we’ll have cover. I’m not destroying it.” “I’ll be there in a moment,” Allar called back. A ghoul leapt at Allar and knocked him to the ground, but it was only a moment before Lacy slashed at its face to drive it back, and Babb clove it in two with his sword. Lirensce grabbed Allar by his arm, and he was back up before the swarm of ghouls could take advantage of the opening.  “So,” Babb said over the stinking snarls of the ghouls, “undead count as monsters.” A ghoul dove in under Babb’s shield and bit him on the thigh through his plate armor, and Babb growled to emphasize his point. Allar slashed it away with his scimitar, then ran to catch up with David, letting Lacy take his place in the line. David pointed at the door, and Allar hurriedly slid up next to it to look for triggers, traps, or other dangers. He could just barely feel the vibration of hostile wards on the door, but he needed time to see just where they were. As he searched he shouted back to Babb, “Undead are a special case. They’re cursed uneasy spirits, not mindless monsters.” Twenty feet away at the defensive line, Babb shield-bashed the nearest ghoul, then hacked through it and the ghoul next to it. “Until I hear one talk, they’re monsters.” Allar kept searching the door, while behind him the sounds of combat dwindled to just the hisses of ghouls and the scrape of their claws on stones. “They’ve stopped,” Lirensce said. “They know we’re trapped.” Allar glanced back, then chuckled weakly. “Obviously too smart to be monsters. Hey Lacy, it’d help if I knew what all these curses and damnations on the door said.” David held up his fire talisman for Allar to see, and he grinned. “This ought to hold them off.” A moment later Lacy was beside him, and Allar felt and heard a distant explosion of fire, followed by shrieks of burning ghouls. He watched Lacy translate the inscriptions, listening to Babb cursing the stench caused by David’s fireball. Lacy whimpered and looked down to Allar. “The door says, ‘Death to all magic.’” Allar quickly stepped away from the door, and Crassus snarled angrily. Lacy shrugged to them. “Heads up!” Babb shouted. Allar looked back to the wall of ghouls blocking their escape, and saw a ghoul shoving its way to the front of the horde. Its body was tense with muscles rotting through emaciated flesh, and it wore a kingly brown burial robe with red suburst etchings. To Allar’s dismay it leaned low and shouted to the ghouls at front. “Mbi aonxkbhi octahobnte nx npexae uem ohn npoceinaiot Leska.” Everyone held their breath. “Kto to nonyvaer mhe wnary,” the ghoul continued, shoving a lesser ghoul away down the tunnel. Allar readied his sword and moved to support the others in what might be their last defense. When he came up beside Babb, Babb whispered, “Alright, you win.”[/sblock] If anyone else is having a bad day, feel free to make requests too.  *grin*</blockquote>

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