Idea master wrote: |
What has happened before:
You, Thadius LaFontania, were walking down the road to Sha-Lini, when suddenly, you met an old man. After helping him out with his afternoon chore of getting water for his tea, he gave you a pendant which would protect you. Unfortunantly for him, the pendant was what was keeping him alive. Later on down the road, you met up with your friends, Mack and Mary, and they decided to go with you to Sha-Lini. Now, a few days later, you are at the city gates... Mary comes back from talking to the gatekeeper. "He says we're welcome if we don't attack anyone." You roll your eyes. Typical. Oh well, you have no other choice. "Very well, let's go in. You two," and here you point to Mack and Mary, "Will have to control yourselves." You have no problem. You merely switch over to the human part of you, and walk to the gates. The guards fall back and let you enter, while keeping their eyes on your friends. You ask them, "Hello, where is a good inn with vacancies?" The soldier in particular snaps to and replies, "The Dragon's Head, sir, is very to-do about houskeeping and meals. It is only a quarter of a mile in the town. Straight in, sir." "Thank you. At ease." He relaxes. Then you notice that he is wearing a peculiar pendant around his neck. You ask him, "And what is that?" "This, sir? This is a pendant that tells the soldiers of Sha-Lini how powerful a person is in magical terms." "Ah. And are you reading anything from me?" He frowns and grasps the medallion. Suddenly, he gasps, and says, "Sir, you may want to know where our guilds are. Perhaps the magical one? It is only twenty paces to your immediate left when you enter the town." Now it is your turn to frown. "I'll keep that in mind, though I don't know what for. Thank you for the information." As you walk to the Dragon's Head, Mary asks, "And what was that all about?" You reply, "He must have read something that needed attending to. Twenty to the left, was it? I'll go there in the morning." "Ah, yes, we do have three rooms open at this time. Three pieces each." You procure the bartender's gold, and he leads you up to your rooms. He continues talking. "These rooms are completly secure. I know a few cantrips, so I enchanted this place to be that way. They won't vanish until I die. If that happens, you're on your own." You respond with, "Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. Listen, if some people come looking for me, will you lead them astray?" "What sorts of people?" "Anyone that knows my name to be Thadius." He snorts. "I'll do that, though you'll be lucky if I don't let them to your room key!" You sigh. "Actually, they can come if they know my mum's name." "And what be that?" "Elshinger." Suddenly, he calms a little. "Aye, that I'll do." "Thanks to you. Now, if you don't mind, I need a bit of rest." You wake up with your advisor's face about three inches away from yours. Never a pleasant sight. He notices that you are awake, and he jumps back. You sit up, yawn, and say, "And here I was, thinking I had at last got away from you." He looks furious. He spouts off, "YOU SHOULD HAVE COME BACK! THE PALACE IS OVERRUN! REBLES EVERYWHERE! HALF THE WORLD BELIEVES YOU DEAD, THE REST A TRATIOR! THOSE BLOODY WIZARDS ARE ON A RAMPAGE!" You throw a spell of silence at his mouth. You say, "Now, are you going to calm down, or will I have to throw you to them?" He shakes his head rapidly. "Good. Now, what did you come here for?" You remove the spell. He calmly says, "You need to go to the guild. Something has changed, for the worse I feel." You leave the room, the advsior following. Suddenly, you feel the protection around the inn has failed. Only one thing could have happened. You rush down the stairs, knowing the truth, and yet hoping that it hasn't happened. There lying down on the bar is the bartender. Stone dead, without any blood. Only one thing could have happened. He must have been killed by a spell. Appearing out of nowhere, the head wizard stands next to the bartender. There is no introduction, no banter. He just suddenly throws a spell of death at you. The crystal pendant flashes. You switch to your conglomerate-of-all-minds mode, and dodge. The spell hits your advisor. He falls. No blood. Just stone dead. You note all this as you reply with a banishment spell, one that will get the head wizard out of the way for a little bit. He is hit by the spell, and he vanishes. You have no time to grieve, you wake your friends, and get to the harbor. You bargian for a ship that will take you far away from here. By the time you remember all of this, you are sailing off to nowhere in particular. Then it hits you, and you grieve. As you sail, you realize what the crystal pendant does. It gives your fate to another close by. You can't keep it. It will destroy everyone you meet and know. Then you realize that you were fated to die, and that your advisor took the blow for you. Faithful until death, that was his vow. Now he no longer needs to keep it. |
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