Chapter #503
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
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+ Epic III +
+ +
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+
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+ 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 1991-7 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 +
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+ Arnold 13th level human barbarian warrior (NG) +
+ Deryck 10th level half-elven ranger (NG) +
+ Nenya 8th/9th level female grey elven warrior/mage (NG) +
+ +
+ Ravel Disander, Greyhawk's High Priest of Boccob +
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+ Date: 7/2/576 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: afternoon +
+ Place: Ged's castle, within his lands +
+ Climate: warm, slightly overcast +
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+ "So...what's the meaning of life?" +
+ "It ends." +
+ - from _Judge Dredd_ +
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DIII. Last Will and Testament
After Ged's funeral, his proteges have gathered at his castle,
along with Ged's former superior in the priesthood of Boccob.
Nenya: You're sure this will be okay?
Ravel: Absolutely, my child. I am an Oligarch of the Free City,
as well as Ged's mentor and friend. I have all the necessary
authorization.
Deryck: But we didn't know he even _had_ a will.
Arnold: Aaa. (nods) He didn't even tell me.
Ravel: I doubt he told anybody. Most people don't tell the people
who are going to be the beneficiaries.
Nenya: Do you think he knew he might not come back?
Arnold: If he did, he didn't act like it on the island.
Ravel: (shrugs) It's hard to say. (he ponders the sealed scroll
tube in his hand) There's just...no telling.
Deryck: What about contacting his spirit? Surely one of your power
would be able to-
Ravel: I have tried...not only on my own, but with some help from
friends of great magical prowess. Ged's spirit, while not captured
by Orcus, is nowhere to be found.
Deryck: What do you think happened to it?
Ravel: In Boccob's care, most likely...the best place for it to
be.
Nenya: (angrily) The best place for it to be is right here!
Deryck: (lays a hand on her shoulder) Easy...
Ravel: (shakes his head) The spirit can't return, not now. It's
traveled too far already, and the body was, from what I'm told,
completely gone.
Arnold: Led's get back to this condacting-his-spirit idea. Why
won't it work? There mudst be _some_ way...
Ravel: Unfortunately, no. I believe your companions have tried as
well...?
Arnold: Aaa.
Deryck: (to Nenya) They have?
Nenya: Several times. Neither spell nor crystal ball has worked.
Nothing.
Arnold: Bodsgo even tried using a wish...no luck. (he frowns
sadly) Aaa.
Nenya: I'm afraid Ged's well and truly gone.
Ravel: Gone but not forgotten. His service to the Uncaring One
was...great indeed.
Arnold: More than dhat.
Ravel: Yes. Ones of Ged's power and aptitude do not come along
often. Hopefully, Boccob has found him a worthy task in the
afterlife.
Deryck: I hope so. He certainly deserved it.
Nenya: (nods sadly)
Arnold: Not to be disresbegtful, but we should get on with the
readink of the will. (to Nenya and Deryck) I don't mean that
I want to...but we have to.
Nenya: It's okay.
Ravel: Uh...right. (he opens the document)
____________________________________________________________
/\ \
/ \ \
/ \ \
\ / /
\ / /
\/ LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF GED, HIGH PRIEST OF BOCCOB /
/ /
/ (penned this 8th day of Wealsun, 576 C.Y.) /
/ /
| Whereupon, in the event of my untimely death, my |
| lands and properties must needs be divided, I hereby |
| do so as follows: |
| |
| To the temple of Boccob in Greyhawk, I donate the |
| sum of ten thousand coins of gold, said monies located |
| in the vault of my castle, south and west of the Free |
| City. |
| |
| To each of my six brothers and sisters, I leave the |
| sum of five thousand coins of gold, apiece, these |
| monies also located in the aforementioned vault. |
| |
| To my faithful henchman and loyal companion Arnold, |
| I bequeath the sum of ten thousand coins of gold, said |
| monies located in the aforementioned vault. |
| |
| To my other faithful follower and promising student |
| Nenya, I leave the sum of five thousand coins of gold, |
| which can be found, naturally, in the above location. |
| In addition, I hereby donate to her all of my spell- |
| books and the entire contents of my library. |
| |
| To Alindyar and Lyra, of Greyhawk, I leave the brass |
| amulet located in the above vault. This item possesses |
| vast powers of plane-shifting, but is perhaps too |
| complicated for any of my proteges. |
| |
| To Peldor, of Greyhawk, I leave the swath of land |
| outlined in the attached map, as well as those farmers |
| who live upon it. The followers of Peldor were never |
| meant to be followers of Ged, and it's high time they |
| were reunited with their "lord." |
| |
| To Belphanior, of Helgate, I leave the red-bound |
| tome which rests in the previously-mentioned vault. |
| This item contains powers and lore best suited for |
| one such as him. |
| |
| Yea, but my hand is getting tired... |
| |
| To Mongo Thunderhead, wanderer, I leave the mithril |
| horn which will also be found in my vault. This item |
| was unusable for me, but I think you will find its |
| power more wieldy. |
| |
| To Rillen, wanderer, and his wife Songa, I leave |
| the small ring of jade, also in my vault. This ring |
| contains, I believe, a single wish - something which |
| will surely prove useful to the two of you. |
| |
| To my castle's commander and master of arms, Deryck, |
| I leave the castle itself, the care of its staff and |
| soldiery, and all of the surrounding lands. This |
| monumental purview shall legally be guarded and ruled |
| by the joint sovereignty of Deryck and his wife, Nenya, |
| followed by their designated successors. As a condition |
| of their guardianship, the temple of Boccob presently |
| situated within these holdings shall continue to |
| operate, under the direction of the priests Ansalon |
| and Tirion; in addition, it shall always be the only |
| religious site in the area. All funds, goods, and |
| chattels not otherwise assigned will become the |
| property of Deryck and Nenya, to be disposed of as |
| they see fit for the upkeep of the castle and lands. |
| |
| It is my sincere hope that these funds and items |
| will be put to good use, or at least, more use than |
| I have put them to. |
| |
| So it is written, so shall it be done. |
| |
| Signed, |
| |
| Ged, in Boccob's service |
| 06/08/576 |
| |
| ________________________________________________________|
| /\ \
| / \ \
|/ \ \
\ / /
\ / /
\/________________________________________________________/
Arnold: Holy shidt.
Deryck: The castle...the lands...
Ravel: I wouldn't worry, my boy - from what I'm told, you've
done a splendid job thus far. Ged made the right choice.
Nenya: What of Ged's siblings? Who will inform them?
Ravel: I can take care of that, as well as dealing with his
comrades.
Nenya: Leave that to me.
Ravel: Eh?
Nenya: They're meeting tonight in Greyhawk, to divide up all of
the treasure they found on that forsaken isle. I can take the
appropriate disbursements to them there.
Arnold: Yah.
Ravel: And apportion the coffers' contents so that the named
beneficiaries can collect their monies.
Nenya: Exactly my plan.
Ravel: I shall accompany you back to Greyhawk, then, later this
day.
Deryck: I can't believe he left all of that...to all of us.
Ravel: He was a generous person. (he frowns, wondering why Ged
made up a will so shortly before embarking to the Isle)
Nenya: I never knew he had that much money stashed away. All
the things he could have spent it on, and he managed to save it.
Arnold: (wondering what Ged would want him to do with ten thousand
coins of gold) Aaa.
Deryck: These lands shall grow and be fertile, safe from invasion
and a pleasant place to live. From this day forth, this hill and
the tomb atop it shall be called "Ged's Tor", and the surrounding
lands shall look here for inspiration and leadership. (to Nenya)
We can not - must not - let his dream die.
Nenya: (holding his hand tightly) We won't.
Arnold: (realizes, just like that, that he doesn't really belong
here any longer)
While Ravel discussed the disbursement of the funds with Nenya
and her husband, the huge barbarian wandered away by himself. The
more he thought about it, the more sense it made: his place, where-
ever it might be, was not here. Not anymore. Ged's Tor would now
be an area where Deryck and Nenya could rule, wisely and fairly...
attract farmers and skilled tradesmen...raise their children. In
Arnold's opinion, such things were best left to the two of them.
He began thinking of things he could do back home, in the north, and
wondered if Songa and Rillen wouldn't mind some company when they
made the long journey back to the frozen lands.
next: at last: the Isle loot is divided
ftp: ftp.digex.net in /pub/access/dpm/rpg/stories/adventurers
ftp.nol.net in /pub/users/zac/rpg/adventurers/
ftp.tas.gov.au/misc/stories
www: http://www.access.digex.net/~dpm
http://www3.hmc.edu/~kshobaki/adventurers
homepage: http://www.gatech.edu/oit/oe/design/thomas/adv.html
mail: tmiller@cimmeria.ns.gatech.edu (preferred)
thomas.miller@oit.gatech.edu (emergency)
notes: Looking back, the right thing to do would've been to make
epic II not last as long (300-something perhaps) and begin epic III
earlier. Then epic IV would have begun with 501. I've come to
realize that the complete saga isn't going to fit nicely into three
parts.
Also...this whole Ged-death thing has made me re-think how I
look at death in the AD&D world. When a physical body is gone,
that person cannot come back. Some spells don't kill the physical
body beyond any hope of recovery; some do. Only in a few cases
(demi-lich's teeth, slain by Blackrazor) is the soul/spirit eaten
as well. Incidentally, this means that Flint Firelips' soul is
roaming Valhalla somewhere...
But characters slain "for good" aren't coming back, no matter
what their soul/spirit is up to these days.
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next chapter (#504)