Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: andsol@arcadien.owlnet.rice.edu (Andrew J. Solberg) Subject: Panarchus: [Docks]: Ninepins Message-ID: <1992Jun11.022938.1037@rice.edu> Keywords: Kron, Tvarne, Thk, Panarchus, Great Mother Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1992 02:29:38 GMT Panarchus stands in the shadows of the warehouse on the corner of Waterfront and Radley's Hill. Waterfront, as its name implies, runs along much of the length of the sea docks, and is one of Generica's busiest streets. Panarchus has found a position that commands a good view of a largish portion of that thoroughfare. At the moment, the Watch Lieutenant is watching a particular ship, moored in a repair dock. It is receiving a paint job and a bit of carpentry, particularly on its masts. If one didn't know better, one would guess that the cargo boat had been in a naval battle of sorts. But who would guess that of the humble *Morning Breeze*..... Panarchus couldn't care less about the ship or its crew. He cares about one of the men working on the boat. Not one of the repair crew -- no, that one with the paint can. The one painting the Warding Eye on the fore of the ship. The one calling himself Tvarne Nillun. Great Mother has told him all about Tvarne. Stranger in town, young fellow, some indeterminate amount of combat prowess. That last bit doesn't worry Panarchus much. Two months ago, Panarchus was caught by the Death Watch gang coming out of the Frigidarium in Mieklos' Baths. He was quite literally naked, not to mention surrounded by armed and vicious thugs. Today, he is still alive. They are not. In his younger days, Panarchus was considered a master martial artist and silent slayer of lizard men. He likes to keep his hand in. Today, he is having some troubles with his first silent slaying in years. The problem -- the victim just won't cooperate and move somewhere private. Panarchus is fairly sure that he has remained undetected. Tvarne shows no sign that he is aware of the guardsman's presence. However, the dockyard is terribly busy. Panarchus only needs a few moments, but he hasn't had them yet. Great Mother will not be pleased. Funny plan of hers -- leave Kron alone, take out his friends? Knock them down like ninepins, she said, until Kron is the last standing, then bring him there. Panarchus finds himself musing on the peculiar circumstances regarding his current service to Great Mother. She is so hideous, so strange, so purely EVIL -- yet, somehow, everything she said seemed so reasonable and perfect. Panarchus is in love with Great Mother, and deep down, he hates himself. Well, Panarchus muses, Tvarne will just have to wait; perhaps until nightfall. Meantime, Panarchus has a lot left to do. He smirks -- no time to kill, he thinks, and moves down his mental list. Ah, well: off to the Great Library... Panarchus takes an easy pace up Radley's Hill. He waves and smiles to a few passing merchants, accepts a salute from a squad man, frowns at a pair of troublemaking urchins. Ah, he thinks, back on the streets again. Feels good. There is a commotion ahead in the Square of the Sea Tortoise. Panarchus steps up his pace to see what is going on. In the square he sees a number of hysterical townsfolk. "Monsters! Demons! Wizards!" shrieks a panicky goodwife. Panarchus frowns and moves to the other end of the square where a knot of watchmen are gathered. The guards are clustered near the entry point of a narrow alley. In their midst is a teary eyed member of the Guardhound Corps, cradling his deceased canine partner in his lap. He looks up, sniffling, at Panarchus. "It... it killed my dog....." he explains, in a near state of shock. The other guardsmen look to the Lieutenant for leadership. Panarchus questions the guardsmen intently as to the descriptions of the fugitives. He is intrigued when he hears that the main criminal is a tall lizardman -- most likely of the marsh tribes, by the description. This piques his interest -- the other two now no longer concern him. His service to Great Mother has awakened in Panarchus long-dormant feelings: a hatred, for one thing, of all lizard men and their allies. He will catch this fork-tongue, and perhaps interrogate him..... The cobblestones a few feet into the alley are still a little soupy in consistency -- a shaman, eh? No matter. Panarchus sniffs the ground carefully and pokes about a disturbed collection of barrels. He gives a few brief orders to the guardsmen, then sets a loping pace down the alley.... *************************************************************************** ADMIN: Panarchus is, in essence, Dark Kron. He is an experienced Watchman and a veteran Special Forces Commando in a now-over bush war. He is vicious and determined to pick off all of Kron's friends one by one. He prefers to attack with surprise and rarely will fight out in the open. He is smart enough to know when to run for it. DO NOT KILL HIM OFF YET. -- Andrew Solberg |"Moving faster than a speeding bullet isn't andsol@owlnet.rice.edu | much use if you and it are headed straight Phone:713-529-8627 | for each other." John Brunner bridge-sleep-eat-sex-bridge-sleep-eat-sex-bridge-sleep-I'M STUCK!!!!