Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au (Timothy D Little) Subject: [inn] Gushiv: A new arrival Message-ID: Date: Sat, 23 May 1992 17:43:00 GMT There is a scuffling sound from the door, which opens slowly, and a small man walks in. Immediately noticeable is the strange skin on his face, which is so pale as to be almost translucent, and there are patterns under his skin, in blue lines, like the outline of scales. He is short, only about 5'4", and lightly built. His attire; a leather helm of dark brown, a faded green linen shirt over what is obviously (to any adventurer) chain mail, red leather pants (quite uncomfortable looking), and a pair of dusty leather shoes. He bears no finery, no jewelry, nothing but worn clothing, a wooden club held loosely in one hand, a small pouch tied to his belt, and a lumpy blanket-roll held over one shoulder by a leather strap. Although obviously weary, his steps bear the precise placement of a dancer or fencer, and his downcast eyes show intelligence. His face is not entirely pleasant to gaze upon, with a square jaw and sharply angular nose below brooding eyes in addition to the disturbing markings below his skin. He appears to be about 20 years old, with a few red whiskers straggling from his chin. He stops, startled, seemingly by the large number of evidently powerful and unusual patrons of the Inn. His eyes dart about the room, coming to rest upon the bar, and he is visibly relieved. He mutters to himself, a few words audible to those nearby, "...... circus, ... weirdos and ... foreigners. ... at least ... inn." He shakes his head to ward off his weariness, and deftly glides through the crowd toward the bar. Halfway there, one ear twitches, and he turns his head toward a dark corner and halts, frowning. He appears rather confused. Once again he mutters to himself, only half the words audible: "... that my name? ... memory ...... rediscover ... identity?" He makes some sort of decision, and turns back toward the bar, again slipping lightly through the press of patrons. In a voice that sounds about 10 years too young for his apparent age, he calls out to the bartender: "Ale, please, not too strong, but make sure there's *some* spirit in it. Do you have any rooms available? I wouldn't mind somewhere to stay for a week or so. I hope you have hot baths, too." He hands over a copper coin of local mintage, and seizes the tankard. After draining the first half of his newly-acquired ale, he makes a grimace of disgust (purely for form's sake) and starts to mouse around the room waiting for someone to notice him, listening to snippets of conversation and intently studying some of the many unusual occurrences that seem to occur with alarming regularity here. -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy D Little a.k.a. u894793@bruny.cc.utas.edu.au "I'm a Tasmanian." - Yahoo Serious, in the film Young Einstein. ---------------------------------------------------------------