Chapter #585

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                                  +
                                +   +
                              +       +
                            +           +
                          +               +
                        +                   +
                      +                       +
                    +      THE ADVENTURERS      +
                      +                       +
                        +      Epic III     +
                          +               +
                            +           +
                              +       +
                                +   +
                                  +

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+    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.                                             +
+    The player characters contained in these writings are copy-    +
+  right 1991-8 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.ns.gatech.edu   +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+  Alindyar     17th level drow mage                            (N) +
+  Lyra         14th level female drow mage                     (N) +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+  Date:        7/1/577 C.Y. (Common Year)                          +
+  Time:        afternoon                                           +
+  Place:       the Free City of Greyhawk                           +
+  Climate:     warm                                                +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+  "We have a strange and wonderful relationship.  You're           +
+   strange and I'm wonderful."                                     +
+                                                     - unknown     +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++





                      DLXXXV.  Quickie





  Many weeks have passed since Alindyar helped Bosco against the
various forces that threatened the halfling.  Since that time, the
dark elf has been taking it easy...at least with regards to quests
and adventures.  Both he and Lyra are still busy, however; the
College of Magic's summer term has just begun.  In addition to
teaching and research duties, they have been working on some new
spells.

Alindyar:  (enters his laboratory in the College)  How goes it?
Lyra:  Not bad.  How was lecture?
Alindyar:  (sighs)  The usual.  Half of them didn't understand,
  and the other half were dozing off.  (he frowns)  I wonder if
  it might be possible to get out of teaching these introductory-
  level classes.
Lyra:  It's part of the game.  You need to do those before you
  move on to more specific topics.  You're done for the day, then?
Alindyar:  Aye.  (he looks around, then feels his stomach growl)
  Lunch?
Lyra:  (sets down her scrolls)  Sure.  (she stands up, leaning
  over the table to collect a scroll-tube that rolled away)
Alindyar:  (walking over, he eyes her lithe figure, and has a
  sudden notion)
Lyra:  (turns)  You shouldn't think such things when you're
  wearing an ESP ring.
Alindyar:  Why not?
Lyra:  Because your ideas might come true.  (she grabs him)  And
  lunch might have to wait a bit.
Alindyar:  (waves his hand, using a simple spell to shut the door,
  which clicks, locked)

  Later - much later - they sat at a semi-private booth in one of
Greyhawk's finer taverns, enjoying a simple but tasty meal that
consisted of various meats, cheeses, and breads.  A bottle of aged
red wine completed the repast, and both drow were in a pleasant
mood.  Some would have wondered how they, quite obviously dark
elves, could walk about the city and enjoy its better taverns and
other establishments.  The answer was that they now enjoyed wider
recognition in Greyhawk.  They had allies in the Oligarchy, the
Circle of Eight, and the Guild of Wizardry; furthermore, they had
been seen in various places in Greyhawk in the past months.  Those
of power and status knew who they were, respected them, and made
attempts to get to know them.  Others - those who didn't matter -
either ignored them or feared them.

Alindyar:  What an excellent lunch.
Lyra:  (smirks)  Appetizers are everything.
Alindyar:  I cannot agree more.  (he regards her)  What troubles
  you?
Lyra:  I was thinking about something today.  Remember when those
  clowns from the Sea Princes came to get Belphanior, in his own
  castle?
Alindyar:  Yes...?
Lyra:  Belphanior's...woman, Victoria - she apparently tore apart
  one of the foes with her bare hands.
Alindyar:  Yes, I recall it vividly.
Lyra:  That served - rather harshly, I must admit - to remind me
  that Victoria is a vampire.
Alindyar:  Yes.
Lyra:  Yes?  That's all you can say..."yes"?
Alindyar:  (shrugs)  What else is there to say?  We knew of this
  some time ago, back when Belphanior was doing research at the
  library, with Jawal.
Lyra:  But still...a _vampire_!
Alindyar:  To each their own.  As long as she has not attacked us
  or anyone else we care about, what is the problem?
Lyra:  Undead...that means not alive.
Alindyar:  She seemed rather alive to me.  Vibrant, even.
Lyra:  True, but...
Alindyar:  Really, who are we to judge her?  Who can know what it
  is like to be such a creature.  Err, person.
Lyra:  How does Belphanior...well, you know.  How?
Alindyar:  (shrugs again)  Who cares?  If he is happy, I say let
  him be, and even support him if the cause is right.
Lyra:  Hmph.
Alindyar:  You do not care for him much, do you?
Lyra:  We never really talked about this, did we?
Alindyar:  No.
Lyra:  It's not that I don't like him - I do.  I mean, he's just
  like anyone else, when he's not got someone to fight or kill.
  But then again, he's usually got someone to fight or kill, so
  then he's violent and chaotic.
Alindyar:  But a good fellow at heart.
Lyra:  (sighs)  Yes.  And a good friend, I will admit.  (she pauses)
  Maybe not to me, but to you others who knew him in the beginning.
Alindyar:  Aye...a good friend.
Lyra:  Enough of this - I shouldn't have brought it up.
Alindyar:  On the contrary, I am glad you did.  Matters such as that
  need to be brought out into the open.
Lyra:  Let's talk about spells now.  I need you to proofread my
  formulas - I think I'm close to getting the spell effect that I
  want.
Alindyar:  Which is...?
Lyra:  A wall of force.
Alindyar:  Eh?
Lyra:  A new type.  See, the conventional wall of force is good, but
  also stationary...immovable, despite what some people think.  It
  poses problems in situations such as flooding, landslides, and so
  on.
Alindyar:  (nodding)  Aye.  So you want one that is mobile?
Lyra:  I think I've got it...you just have to weave the force-beams
  so they're not anchored to stable areas of this plane, but instead
  to a specific target:  the caster, or an object, or an opponent,
  for example.
Alindyar:  Of course!
Lyra:  So this one I've worked out...it can float, or roll.
Alindyar:  Or be knocked about by powerful force.
Lyra:  Well, inventing one that moves only when you want it to will
  take more research.
Alindyar:  Maybe next year.
Lyra:  The other one I made _does_ move, though.  It's a plane of
  force, which can rise or fall at the caster's whim.
Alindyar:  Tenser's disc plus levitate...
Lyra:  (nods)
Alindyar:  How exciting!
Lyra:  But there's more.  I have successfully merged a silence
  sphere with a darkness sphere...creating a spell that can totally
  incapacitate a foe.
Alindyar:  Excellent!  We shall have to test these new spells soon.
Lyra:  That's what I wanted to talk about...to plan.
Alindyar:  Aye.
Lyra:  So what have _you_ been working on?
Alindyar:  I am nowhere near done yet, but what we need is some kind
  of contingency...something to help us survive if something truly
  bad happens.
Lyra:  Contingency?
Alindyar:  And perhaps clones as well.  I am still thinking this
  through.  I hope to get some useful hints from Tenser sometime
  soon.
Lyra:  Hmm.  Shades of Zara...
Alindyar:  If Zara can have clones, so can we.
Lyra:  True enough.  I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of
  clones, though...it's creepy.
Alindyar:  Hmm.  Well, let us discuss that some other time.  For now,
  we should enjoy our food and drink.  We can take care of business
  later.

  With that, they stopped talking and resumed their meal, pleased
with each other and with their recent - and future - accomplishments.





next:      Peldor goes about some grim business
ftp:       ftp.myths.com in /pub/rpg/stories/adventurers
           ftp.intertex.net in /pub/users/zac/rpg/adventurers/
           ftp.tas.gov.au/misc/stories
www:       http://www.myths.com/pub/rpg/stories/adventurers
           http://www.shobaki.org/adventurers
homepage:  http://www.gatech.edu/oit/oe/design/thomas/adv/adv.html
email:     tmiller@cimmeria.ns.gatech.edu       (preferred)
           thomas.miller@oit.gatech.edu         (emergency)
notes:     Thanks to Markus Hietava for the idea of the silence/
  darkness spell combination.  Thanks to Ed Hunkin for the idea of
  the drow having some kind of contingency spell(s) ready.  Thanks
  to Bob Ericksen for reminding me that other people have to know
  what Victoria is by now.
    The new spells (full details coming later) will be:
    - Mobile Wall of Force (5th level)
    - Floating Wall of Force (5th level)
    - Silent Darkness (4th level)

    Until now, we hadn't seen Alindyar since episode 568 and Lyra
  since episode 554.  Come to think of it, we still haven't seen
  Nenya since episode 553, and we haven't seen Arnold since episode
  516.  I'll have to do something about these oversights.
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