Chapter #149
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
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+ Epic II +
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+ The various characters contained in these writings are +
+ copyright 1994 by Thomas Miller. Any resemblance to any +
+ persons or characters either real or fictional is utterly +
+ coincidental. Copying and/or distribution of these tales +
+ is permissible only under the sole condition that no part +
+ of them will be used or sold for profit. In that case, I +
+ hope you enjoy them... +
+ +
+ Thomas Miller +
+ tmiller@cimmeria.oit.gatech.edu +
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+ THE PARTY: +
+ +
+ Belphanior 12th/14th/13th level high elf w/m/t (CN) +
+ Ged 13th/14th level grey elf priest/mage (NG) +
+ Arnold 11th level human warrior (NG) +
+ Mongo 16th level dwarf warrior (CG) +
+ Peldor 18th level human thief (N) +
+ Rillen 16th level human warrior (N) +
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+ Date: 6/10/573 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: midmorning +
+ Place: the Free City of Greyhawk +
+ Climate: pleasantly warm +
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+ "Originality is the art of concealing your sources." +
+ - unknown +
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CXLIX. The Pact
For over six months, each of the adventurers has been
taking care of personal business. However, they are all
back in or near Greyhawk at this time, and trouble is
brewing...
Ged: (within his temple of Boccob, he communes with his
god, asking questions and receiving answers)
acolytes: (standing outside the closed temple, under
orders to keep everyone out) Ho-hum.
Deryck: (returns from outside) Where's Ged?
acolyte: Within. (he points to the sealed doors) None
may enter.
Deryck: But I must speak with-
Suddenly, the doors opened, and Ged strode out, dressed
in regal purple robes.
Ged: What is it?
Deryck: While in the city, I learned that the one called
Mongo has returned. Since you told us all to let you
know if this happened, here I am.
Ged: Ah, excellent. And timely, too, considering what I
have learned. Say, where's that lad I hired?
page: (appears) Here I am!
Ged: Young Calvin, I have a job for you. I want you to
find these people, and bring them here...tell them it's
urgent.
Calvin the page: (takes a list of names and locations)
The next day, Calvin was in Greyhawk itself, searching
for the adventurers. Peldor was, of course, the easiest
to find, and he assured the lad that he would venture out
to Ged's castle that night. Rillen and Mongo were found
in the Warrior's Guildhall, and agreed to ride out to the
castle later. Try as he might, the page could not find
Belphanior, until he had the bright idea to go to the
city library and look in the records there. After all,
the records _were_ public knowledge. It was for flashes
of wisdom like this that Ged had hired the young lad.
Soon, at Belphanior's building in the Old City...
Belphanior: (hears a knock at his door) Who could that
be? (he opens the door, revealing a wide-eyed lad at
his doorstep) Huh?
lad: Are you the one called Belphanior?
Belphanior: Maybe. Who wants to know?
lad: If you are he, and I think you are, then know that
Ged the Mighty requests your presence at his castle for
dinner tonight.
Belphanior: Oh, he does, does he?
lad: (staring in wonder at the huge iron golem inside the
building) Whoa!
Belphanior: Oh, don't mind Angus there. Say, how did you
find me?
lad: Easy. I looked in the city records of landowners
inside and outside the city. There you were.
Belphanior: (kicking himself for forgetting that records
of these things were kept) Oh.
lad: Anyway, that's the message. (he dashes away to his
pony)
Belphanior: Well. (he goes back to his writing) Angus,
my friend, we have a dinner date.
iron golem: (just stands there)
Belphanior: Of course, you can't eat, but still...
Later that night, much later, Belphanior showed up at
the castle of Ged, and was admitted and directed to the
great hall. The elf noted that the place was now totally
finished, and most impressive as well. Entering the hall,
he realized that he was the last of the group to arrive.
Belphanior: Hi.
Ged: Well, it's about time! I thought you might be dead
somewhere! Of course, since I hadn't heard from you in
months, I had thought you dead anyway...
Belphanior: Me? Never. (he notices the huge stone golem
standing nearby, and decides to heckle Ged) Hmm, nice
golem there. I was going to bring my IRON golem, but it
walks much too slowly...
Ged: I- _Iron_ golem?!?
Belphanior: But of course. They're the best of the lot.
I'm surprised that you don't have one too.
Ged: (sputters)
Belphanior: Oh, well.
Ged: Bah.
Belphanior: But forget all that - what is it that you
wanted?
Peldor: Yes, what indeed? I've a tavern to run! Being
a responsible businessman is a busy job! (he signals
for more food and drink) One brimming with important
work, I tell you!
Rillen: We can all see how busy you are, thief.
Peldor: Shh! Keep it down - I've got a reputation to
uphold here.
Belphanior: I see that some of us have gained some new
henchmen.
Mongo: Yup, I did. He saved my life!
Peldor: Wow.
Mongo: His name is Gorin, and he'll be training with me
for a while. Err...training with us.
Rillen: Once we find some new quest to undertake.
Ged: True. First, I have some ideas.
Peldor: Uh-oh.
Ged: I think that, before we find our next quest, we take
some time to set down a few new conventions.
Mongo: Like what?
Ged: Well, first...(he picks up his familiar)
grey cat: Meow!
Ged: This little fellow's not going into dungeons with us
anymore.
Belphanior: Now whatever made you say that?
Ged: Too risky. He's just a baby. (he pets the cat) I
might even suggest that we hold off on henchmen at some
times.
Rillen: Meaning what, exactly?
Ged: Well, Arnold here isn't really a henchman anymore.
Peldor: He's not?
Ged: No. Since he's served so well for so long, gaining
so much experience...well, it seemed rather inappropriate
to keep him around strictly for support in my battles.
Rillen: Oh.
Ged: So, I've hired him on as captain of my guards here.
Arnold: (beams proudly)
Mongo: Err...congratulations, big guy.
Ged: He may still come with us, depending on the situation
and other things, but he needs to...well, to get out from
under my shadow, if you know what I mean.
Arnold: Yah.
Ged: Simply put, he's graduated from being a henchman.
Rillen: With honors, I would say.
Peldor: It's not going to be the same...
Arnold: Nevber fear - I'll be back.
Peldor: (babbling to Gorin) Did I ever tell you about the
time I ripped that demon in half with my bare hands?
Gorin: (obviously fascinated) Really?
Peldor: Yeah. He never stood a chance. It was deep within
the dungeon of blah blah blah blah...
Gorin: (listens, mesmerized)
Mongo: (noticed what's going on) Hey! Don't you pay heed
to this fool's stories - half of them are complete crap.
Gorin: Aw, you're spoiling it for me...
Peldor: (scowls)
Rillen: (yawns)
Belphanior: (to Ged) You hinted at other changes. What
were these ideas of yours?
Ged: I just think we need to be careful about who we take
into dangerous places. (he eyes Mongo's new henchman,
who is standing nearby nervously) This holds true, of
course, for any henchmen or followers that any of us
acquire...it's a dangerous world out there.
Belphanior: Good point.
Mongo: (begins to sputter)
Rillen: How are they going to gain skill and experience
if they never do anything?
Mongo: Exactly!
Peldor: They?
Rillen: I had plans to gain some students in the near
future. I am really thinking of "henchmen" rather than
"henchman"...
Ged: Whoa, now. I'm not suggesting we cut them out of
all the action, just that we let them guard the horses
sometimes. When it seems prudent.
Belphanior: Good point.
Peldor: You already said that.
Belphanior: Oh, so I did.
Mongo: Well...we'll have to see.
Ged: That's all I'm asking.
Rillen: It seems that the glory days of henchmen in our
party are past.
Belphanior: That, or we're getting old.
Peldor: So far, I fail to see the point of all this.
Ged: There is more. Much more. Let me mention a few
topics: Bosco. My fire wand artifact. Red dragons.
Peldor: Bosco?
Ged: Demons. An evil red-robed elven mage.
Mongo: Huh?
Ged: That's right, I've been speaking with Boccob, and
I know things. All kinds of things. It seems that we
all have our own loose ends.
Peldor: Bosco?
Ged: (continues unabated) Divinely inspired, I came up
with an idea.
Belphanior: Really?
Ged: Of course. I think each of us should have the help
of the others for one quest, task, journey - whatever.
Something of that person's choosing.
Peldor: You mean like, I want to go track down Bosco's
soul, and so you guys help me do it? Because it's my
turn?
Ged: Exactly.
Mongo: And then each of us gets to help on the other ones'
quests?
Ged: (beaming) Exactly.
Belphanior: Well, it's a change of pace, I'll give you
that.
Rillen: This idea seems fair.
Ged: It's fair, it will broaden all of our horizons, it
allows each of us help that he might not have if alone.
Peldor: And it sure beats the taking on of random quests.
Count me in!
Ged: (surprised) Really? You?
Peldor: Who else?
Belphanior: It's chaotic, in a lawful way. I agree.
Rillen: Aye.
Mongo: Oh, what the hell. Does this make us crusaders?
Ged: Maybe.
Peldor: I want to do mine first.
Belphanior: Well, I'm sure not ready to decide mine, so
go right ahead.
Mongo: Ditto.
Rillen: This is a worthy quest?
Ged: Yea, what do you have in mind?
Peldor: What else? I want to find Bosco's soul, and get
it back into his body!
next time : the hunt is on!
notes : I need more ideas for quests, otherwise we'll
continue to see things like this...
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