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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4457115" data-attributes="member: 143">I am trying hard not to make Devrem a carbon-copy of Varo. It's hard, as I'm editing the Rappan Athuk tale as I write this story, and revisiting all the details of Licinius Varo anew. But there are some unique features of his background that are rather different, so he should evolve into a distinct character. * * * * *  Chapter 27Jaron came up gasping for air.  The waterfall hadn’t been as intense as it had looked, and the current had quickly carried him out of the deeper spot directly under the falls, to where he could get his feet under him and stagger forward.  A few feet to his right, Beetle was... laughing? He turned toward his cousin, and thus the first javelin shot right past him, narrowly missing. “Kobolds!  Run, Beetle!” Jaron yelled.  He ran for the bank opposite the one where the two kobolds were, and emerged from the water just in time to see another pair emerge from the line of trees and start toward them.  One was another dragonshield, while the other... “Spitter!” Beetle hissed, and ran past Jaron toward the woods to the west.  That route would force them to cross the stream again, but it was infinitely better than staying here. That was reinforced a moment later as Irontooth emerged from the waterfall.  The goblin seemed unperturbed by the falls, and kept his footing easily as he strode through and fixed Jaron with a stare of pure malevolence.  A javelin clipped his arm as he broke into a run.  Behind him, the goblin was shouting orders, and he didn’t need to look back to know that the kobolds were charging after him.  A globe of acid shot past his head, splattering him with caustic droplets, but with his hair and clothes still soaked in water the stuff didn’t do him any serious harm.  It confirmed what Jaron had guessed, that the skull-wearing kobold was some sort of spellcaster.  As if they didn’t have enough problems.Beetle beat him to the stream and splashed across, avoiding the rough areas where the water bubbled over a treacherous stretch of jutting rocks.  Jaron could hear the dragonshield hot on his heels as he approached the water.  And then the black-clad man stepped out of the trees directly ahead.  Jaron’s heart sank yet further.  “Beetle, watch out!” he yelled.  The man raised his staff, and pointed it toward Jaron.  The halfling threw himself aside, and thus narrowly avoided the thrust from the dragonshield directly behind him.  The silvery radiance from the staff struck the kobold, which drew back, hissing in pain.  As if Jaron wasn’t confused enough already, Mara and Elevaren emerged from the forest behind the black-clad man.  “Jaron, it’s all right... over here, quickly!” Mara yelled.  The dragonshield, confronted by the sudden change in odds, drew back to await its fellows.  Jaron splashed across the stream, to join the others.  He turned and saw Irontooth approaching, the kobold priest on one side of him, the two javelin-chuckers on the other.  There was a second dragonshield as well, hanging back, on their side of the stream but a good distance back, within an odd-ring of small boulders that offered some decent cover.  The black-clad man raised his staff, from which a silver flare erupted, casting his features into stark relief.  “These two are under my protection, goblin,” he said, his voice deep and strong. “That is Devrem,” Elevaren said.  “He’s a friend.”  There was no time for more explanation.  Jaron took advantage of the momentary interruption to swap out the string on his bow.  Beetle had stepped back into the shadows under the trees.  Mara held a kobold javelin at the ready, and had two in her other hand, which she stabbed into the ground at her feet.   Irontooth regarded the foes arrayed against him, and laughed.  “You think that you control events here, raven-priest?  Your god will feed well today, at least if any dregs are left once my god is through with you.”“Take your minions and leave this place,” Devrem said.  “You will no longer find easy prey in Winterhaven.”“The dragonshield’s moving,” Jaron whispered, glancing left toward the ring of stones. “I see it,” Mara said, though she had not shifted her eyes from the big goblin. The goblin laughed again.  “Tell your god that her children will feast on the corpses of the people of Winterhaven.  And that they will be just the first to die.  Kill them, kill them all!” The last was directed at his allies, and at his shout the kobolds surged forward to attack.</blockquote>

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