Chapter #206

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                                +
                              +   +
                            +       +
                          +           +
                        +               +
                      +                   +
                    +                       +
                  +      THE ADVENTURERS      +
                    +                       +
                      +      Epic II      +
                        +               +
                          +           +
                            +       +
                              +   +
                                +

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+    Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells,    +
+  and other terms used in these stories are the property of  +
+  TSR, Inc.  However, this does not mean that TSR in any     +
+  way endorses or authorizes their use, and any such items   +
+  contained within these stories should not be considered    +
+  representative of TSR in any way, shape, or form.          +
+    Due to the nature of the Internet, these stories have    +
+  been widely available since 1991.  I have given them to    +
+  the world freely, and have never intended to market them   +
+  or in any way make money.  However, due to TSR, Inc.'s     +
+  copyright restrictions, old episodes of the Adventurers    +
+  are no longer being archived on any ftp site anywhere.     +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+    The player 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  +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+   THE PARTY:                                                +
+                                                             +
+   Alindyar      15th level dark elven mage              (N) +
+   Arnold        11th level human warrior               (NG) +
+   Belphanior    12th/14th/14th level high elven w/m/t  (CN) +
+      small immaterial wispy thing                           +
+   Ged           14th/14th level grey elf priest/mage   (NG) +
+   Lyra          12th level female dark elven mage       (N) +
+   Mongo         16th level dwarven warrior             (CG) +
+   Peldor        18th level human thief                  (N) +
+      Bosco       8th level halfling thief              (CN) +
+   Rillen        16th level human warrior                (N) +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+   Date:    unknown                                          +
+   Time:    afternoon                                        +
+   Place:   an alien city called "New Orleans"               +
+   Climate: moderately cold                                  +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+   "Not as bad as you might have imagined."                  +
+         - motto suggested for New Jersey by Calvin Trillin  +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++





                CCVI.  The Party Regroups





Peldor:  (walking briskly through the halls and offices of
  the police station, disguised and with Belphanior's many
  missing items stashed in his pocket of holding)  Ho-hum.
three FBI guys:  (come running around the corner)  You!
  Hold it right there!
Peldor:  Uh-oh...(he blinks into invisibility)
Agent Proctor:  Huh?
Agent Gamble:  What the hell...?
Agent Smith:  Come on!  (they all charge toward the place
  where they last saw the thief)
Peldor:  (runs invisibly toward the station's main door)
  Uh-oh.

  Dodging and ducking, the thief managed to avoid bumping
into the first three police officers in his way.  However,
as fate would have it, a rather obese specimen wandered
into his path at the last minute, oblivious to all that
was going on as he munched on a doughnut.

Peldor:  (tries to dodge the fellow, but ends up bowling
  him over)  Whoa-
large cop:  Dooouulf!  (he falls, sending doughnuts flying
  in all directions)  Shit!
Peldor:  (becomes visible, surprising all nearby)  Hi!  (he
  catches a falling doughnut and continues running)
large cop:  (looks around)  Huh?
wispy thing:  (looks the cop in the face)  Fssss!  (flies
  after Peldor)
FBI guys:  (slowed somewhat by the fallen officer)  Dammit!

  Across the street from the police station, the others in
Peldor's group waited impatiently.

Bosco:  (eats yet another doughnut)  Mmm.
Rillen:  How many is that now?
Bosco:  Glmph.
Mongo:  Where the hell is Peldor?!?  He should've been back
  by now!
Lyra:  Calm down.  I'm sure he'll show up eventually.
wispy thing:  (appears from somewhere, making urgent faces
  and babbling madly)  Pssss!  Ffffrp!
Bosco:  (his mouth stuffed full of food)  Hrngm?

  Just then, a sudden commotion caught their attention from
across the street.  A lone police officer was running from
the police station, hotly pursued by three well-dressed men
and a number of other officers.

Rillen:  (stands up)  It's Peldor!
Mongo:  Or is it?  Those "policemen" all look the same.
Bosco:  No, that's the one he disguised himself as.
Lyra:  At least he's not running this way, to reveal us.
  (she heads for the door, and begins spellcasting)
Rillen:  Hmm.  (he follows the drow enchantress)
Bosco:  Oh, boy!  (a doughnut in each hand, he runs after
  the others)
Mongo:  Cripes...(he hikes up his belt and trundles toward
  the door)  Damn thieves.  Always getting into trouble.

outside...

Peldor:  (becomes invisible again, but continues running,
  chuckling silently)
Rillen:  Now you see him, now you don't...

  The pursuers stopped short, confused as hell.  For that
matter, even the nearby witnesses were confused as hell.

bystander:  Uh, huh huh duh huh.
other bystander:  Whoa!  That was _cool_!
various pursuers:  (begin running toward Peldor, though
  they can't see him)
Rillen:  I wonder where he went?
Bosco:  I'm sure he's around here _somewhere_.  (he looks
  around, eyes wide, still munching on a doughnut)
Mongo:  (hefts his hammer, watching various police and
  bystanders dart about)  Uh...this place is getting too
  crowded for my liking, if you know what I mean.
Lyra:  (completes her spell, and a huge sheet of ice appears
  from nowhere, blocking the FBI agents and police officers.
Agent Proctor:  I don't believe this...
Agent Gamble:  What the hell's going on here?!?
Agent Smith:  (looking around)  We can run around this ice,
  maybe catch that guy.

  Suddenly, a traffic signal overhead exploded, spraying
everyone with small bits of yellow metal and plastic and
multicolored glass!

Bosco:  Holy cow!  What the heck was _that_?!?
Mongo:  (catches his hammer)  Cover fire.
Peldor:  (appears at the side of the others, becoming
  visible again and un-disguising himself)  Let's get
  out of here!
Lyra:  A teleport, eh?  (she begins spellcasting)
policemen:  (two of them, from the doughtnut shop)  Hey!
  Freeze!
Rillen:  (points at the huge wall of ice in the middle of
  the street)  You were saying?
Bosco:  (behind one of the officers, he crouches down at
  the man's feet and begins tying his shoelaces together)
first policeman:  (confused by whatever it is that Lyra's
  doing)  I said freeze!
Peldor:  (uses his ring to TK the fellow's gun out of his
  hand)  I'll take that.
Rillen:  (holds up his hands)  Very well, we surrender.
second policeman:  (starts forward, but trips over his own
  feet and falls)  What the-
Bosco:  (busy relieving the fellow of various items on his
  belt)
Lyra:  Quickly, join hands!
Peldor:  Come on, Bosco!
Bosco:  Huh?  Oh.

  As the FBI agents finally got a glimpse of their quarry
and his cohorts, the whole band simply...vanished!

Agent Proctor:  (slaps his forehead in frustration)  Argh!
Agent Gamble:  Where...how...?
Agent Smith:  (looking around)  Hmm, maybe we should call
  Project:  Blue Book.



  As the five adventurers re-appeared within the hotel
suite, the first thing they saw was Belphanior, bleeding
from several minor wounds he hadn't bothered to bandage.
The elf was sitting cross-legged on the counter, eating
strange, steaming food from several white containers.

Mongo:  Hey!  What happened to you?
Belphanior:  (noodles hanging out of his mouth, he points
  with a fork toward a corpse propped up in one corner)

  The dead fellow was well-dressed, for all the good it
would do him.  The handle of a large knife still protruded
from his neck, and blood was seeping down his torso.

Mongo:  Who the hell's this guy?
Bosco:  (considers searching the dead man's pockets)
Belphanior:  He came in here and tried to kill me.  As you
  can see, he didn't succeed.
Rillen:  (examining the corpse)  That's fairly obvious.
  Was this man some kind of assassin?
Belphanior:  (shrugs)  I'd guess so, but who can be sure?
  (he forks another bite of food into his mouth)
Lyra:  Where did all this food come from?
Belphanior:  I figured out what "room service" is.
wispy thing:  (hovers over the food)  Pfsss?
Peldor:  (begins unloading items on the counter)  I believe
  these are yours...
Belphanior:  Oh...wow.  (his heart swells with gratitude)
  All my stuff...(he eyes Blackrazor, wondering how the
  thief managed to fit the sword into a pocket of holding)
Bosco:  (grabs a chunk of meat from within Belphanior's
  food while the elf is preoccupied)  Mmm.
Rillen:  (notes that the corpse in the corner is leaking
  blood onto the carpet)  I wonder if we have to pay for
  this.
Mongo:  Probably.
Belphanior:  I guess Ged and Alindyar didn't get back yet.
Lyra:  No...they must still be looking for information in
  the library.
Bosco:  And Arnold too!
Lyra:  Yes, child, Arnold too.
Belphanior:  (drily)  Don't forget Paula.
Mongo:  Who could do that?
Bosco:  (retrieves several doughnuts from his pockets)  Hey,
  where'd these come from?
Belphanior:  (examines a doughnut)  What the hell is this?





next time :  the continuing adventures of the others

notes     :  Life is good.  I've stabilized my TSR problem,
  and actually written _two_ stories this week!  Not to
  mention that everything else is going really, really well
  for me right now.  Hopefully I'll get back into a good
  pace for writing, this fall.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


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